Millennium Soldier Expendable is a fast paced third person action shooter that was released for the Sega Dreamcast in the United States and puts players in control of a heavily armed soldier who must battle through relentless waves of enemies across a variety of hostile environments. The gameplay is built around nonstop action from the very first level to the final confrontation, with the player constantly moving forward while firing at anything that appears on screen. The original review perfectly captures the spirit of the experience because the game is essentially an exercise in aggressive combat, and the player is rarely given a moment to rest since enemy forces emerge from every direction and demand an immediate and overwhelming response with whatever weapons are available at the time.
The soldier character is equipped with a wide arsenal of firearms and explosives that can be upgraded or swapped as the game progresses, and each weapon feels distinct in terms of firepower accuracy and rate of fire which encourages experimentation. Levels are designed as corridors and open arenas filled with destructible objects and environmental hazards that add variety to the encounters, and the enemy variety includes soldiers drones tanks and larger mechanized threats that require different tactical approaches to defeat. The game does not waste time on lengthy cutscenes or complicated storytelling and instead throws the player directly into the action, which reinforces the feeling of being a one man army against impossible odds.
Visually the Dreamcast hardware delivers detailed character models and explosive particle effects that hold up well, and the lighting and explosion effects create a cinematic quality during the more intense firefights. The soundtrack is heavily inspired by action movie scores and combines driving rock instrumentation with militaristic percussion that keeps the energy high throughout every mission, and the sound design delivers satisfying punch to every gunshot and explosion which makes the combat feel impactful and rewarding.
The game was added to iOctavio.com on November 18 2002 and was originally categorized within the third person adventure section of the site as a way to help organize and locate the title during web searches. This categorization makes sense because even though the game is fundamentally a shooter it is played from a third person perspective that follows the soldier from behind and slightly above, and the level layouts and mission structure share design DNA with other third person action games of the era.
Overall Millennium Soldier Expendable is a pure adrenaline experience that delivers exactly what its premise promises, and players who enjoy straightforward run and gun gameplay without complex puzzles or deep narrative branching will find a lot to appreciate here, while players looking for a more measured or story driven adventure may want to look elsewhere.