Cold Winter
| Company type | Video game |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Swordfish Studios |
| Products | First-person shooter video game |
| Parent | Vivendi Universal Games |
Cold Winter is a first-person shooter released in 2005, developed by Swordfish Studios and published by Vivendi Universal Games exclusively for the PlayStation 2. The storyline was penned by the writer Warren Ellis.
Plot
Andrew Sterling, once a soldier with the British SAS and now an MI6 agent, finds himself imprisoned in China after MI6 expunges all traces of his existence to prevent diplomatic fallout. He narrowly avoids execution thanks to a rescue orchestrated by Kim, an old ally, and Daniel Parish, another former SAS operative. Sterling then joins Parish's private security company and is sent to Egypt to take down an arms trafficking network that controls a missile guidance technology known as Octopus. The mission succeeds but results in Kim’s death.
The main adversary, John Grey (voiced by Tom Baker), a World War II veteran from the RAF, created the clandestine group "Greywings" with the aim of eradicating nuclear threats. Grey believes that only a nuclear winter can effectively halt warfare and initiates Operation: Cold Winter by distributing Octopus devices among world powers.
Grey contracts Parish to neutralize the Egyptian cartel after they steal an Octopus unit intended for major nations. However, Grey ultimately betrays his own group to safeguard his granddaughter. Sterling infiltrates the Greywings’ Himalayan stronghold, destroys its energy source, and escapes by helicopter. The narrative concludes with Grey being assassinated by former members of his faction in Prague.
Gameplay
Powered by the Karma physics engine, the game allows dynamic interaction with objects in the environment and features ragdoll physics. Players can create improvised cover by repositioning elements such as tables or barricading doorways. The title incorporates a dismemberment mechanic similar to that found in Soldier of Fortune. There are more than 30 weapons available, alongside the ability to assemble gadgets and explosives from materials collected during missions.
The multiplayer component supports up to four players locally and eight players online, with AI-controlled characters filling in for missing players in offline matches. It offers twelve maps and six different modes, including deathmatch and king of the hill.
Reception
On Metacritic, the game garnered generally "average" reviews with a score of 73/100. It received a nomination from GameSpot for Best Story of 2005, with particular commendation for its emotionally compelling narrative crafted by Warren Ellis, which distinguished it within the first-person shooter genre. Although graphics and audio were regarded as modest, its straightforward shooting mechanics combined with a robust online experience made it "definitely worth playing."