Delta Force

Delta Force was made by NovaLogic and released for PC in 1998 as a military tactical shooter that stood apart from the competition of the time mainly through the sheer scale of its playing space. The player takes on the role of a member of an elite US special forces unit and moves through missions set in deserts, mountains, and urban areas around the world, alternating stealthy advances with long-range firefights in the open. Instead of the narrow corridors typical of Doom or Quake, the game offered sprawling outdoor terrain, so a sniper rifle and tactical planning of your approach based on the landscape actually made sense, including choosing weapons and equipment before each mission according to how the objective was meant to play out.

Technically, the game was powered by NovaLogic's own voxel-based terrain rendering (Voxel Space), which made it possible to render huge open landscapes with a long draw distance — something no polygon engine of the time could match. The player could spot enemies at great range and choose between a close-quarters assault and a cautious flanking maneuver through the terrain. The price for this was blockier, less detailed character and object graphics that looked somewhat dated even for their time. The sound and atmosphere leaned on a plain, matter-of-fact portrayal of armed conflict without pathos, which fit the emphasis on weapon realism and character vulnerability — a couple of hits could quickly end a mission, setting the game apart from the more arcade-like shooters of the era.

Delta Force was well received, especially thanks to its multiplayer, where the sprawling maps allowed for a different style of play than the arena-based approach of contemporary shooters, and it became the foundation of a long-running series of sequels from NovaLogic that returned again and again to its theme and its commitment to realism. In the history of the genre, it ranks alongside Rainbow Six among the pioneers of tactical military shooters emphasizing realism and open space over corridor-based action. Today it looks visually dated, and the controls and pacing are noticeably a product of their era, but as one of the first truly open outdoor battlefields in a shooter, it still holds historical significance and remains an interesting stop for anyone curious about the roots of the genre.

Why play it: For anyone interested in the roots of tactical military shooters and their shift toward open outdoor battlefields, Delta Force still holds historical significance, even though it looks dated today both graphically and in its controls.