Fast-paced action and destruction are the major crowd pleasers of the game. SOF isn't meant to be an accurate simulation such as SWAT 3 or Rogue Spear . At lower difficulty levels, the enemy doesn't present much of a challenge - they'll just about walk right into your sights. They'll hunt you down, use covering fire and grenades, and make your life as short-lived as they can. As the difficulty increases, the number of times you can save the game is reduced, making it even more of a challenge.
Some basic puzzles exist on all maps, but nothing extremely difficult.
Most solutions involve blowing up obstacles or finding alternative paths by jumping, crouching and backtracking. You have an arsenal of weapons to choose from, ranging from combat knives to handguns, flamethrowers and rocket launchers. Some weapons have secondary attack options - the combat knife can double as a throwing dagger, for example. Other accessories include night-vision goggles, C4 explosives, grenades and medical kits. Salvaging weapons and equipment from fallen foes and allies is possible, but John isn't superhuman - you do have a weight and slot limit when it comes picking up items.