SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation
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SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation Review
Dancing the same tactical dance
Editors Note – In order to give SOCOM Confrontation a decent review after the games initial very troubled and rocky start, we waited to play it until the game was patched several times and made playable.
SOCOM has always been about multiplayer, but never to the point that the single player campaign was completely scrapped in favor of it. Such is the case with developer Slant Six’s take on the Zipper franchise, and while it doesn’t necessarily benefit from not having a solo career, the fine-tuned and well-designed online mode is as excellent as ever, despite SOCOM’s traditional problems of clunky controls.
Gameplay
And it’s those cumbersome control mechanics that will hamper your online experience. It’s hard to collaborate with a team to organize strategy in this classic PlayStation third-person shooter when you’re trying to remember the difference between crouching and jumping, or shooting and zooming. The control scheme for SOCOM games have always been deliberately different than other shooters, and never to their betterment, but once you get a grip on them you’ll be arming bombs and wasting terrorists in any number of the classic game mode variants.
Confrontation doesn’t innovate as much as it refines what made the multiplayer of previous iterations so damned great. Not since SOCOM II have we seen such brilliantly designed environments with intricate locales and vantage points from which to take out the opposition. The blend of close quarters knife-fights and long-range rifle shootouts makes for a varied and consistently entertaining experience. Character and weapon customization plays a bigger role than ever, allowing you to tailor your soldier to your liking, whether it’s aesthetically or defensively.
Maps, however, are few. With under a half-dozen to exchange gunfire on, it’s a shame that there aren’t even as many as the PSP Fireteam Bravo games are privy to. But each one feels great, and shrinks/enlarges to accommodate the players in it, without the connection dropping or slowing even a single frame. Classic maps (including Crossroads) make their triumphant return with as much familiar things as there are new to check out during battle. It’s refreshing to see these maps rebooted in high-def, but more original maps certainly would have been appreciated.
Regardless, it’s still a hoot to blend in the shadows or camouflage against a grey wall to pick off the opposition, or to toss a grenade at a pesky sniper in a high-rise tower. It’s standard shooter stuff, but the methodical pace of SOCOM keeps you on your toes since being shot dead leaves you permanently killed. It’s a game about playing smart, and it’s immensely satisfying to win a match because you’ll know that the victory was as much brawn as it was brains.
Graphics and Sounds
The quiet of a silenced MP90 juxtaposed against a bellowing sniper shot ringing under the crackle of a recently exploded vehicle make for an incredible audible experience, and your enjoyment of the well realized ambiance each map is only increased by the phenomenal visual detail. Grimy textures, crumbling walls over small heaps of rubble, and lighting that hasn’t looked this good since Uncharted: Drake’s fortune... it all culminates in to a hell of an experience during the day or night during each match. Character animation isn’t as buttery-smooth as, say, Call of Duty 4, but the clunkily moving characters don’t exactly break or ruin anything – they just seem out of place in an otherwise gorgeous game.
It almost feels like a re-skinned version of an older SOCOM, but Confrontation definitely sets itself apart from a lot of contemporary shooters with its finer detail and brilliant lighting. The constant character chatter and ringing of ears after an explosion are nice touches as well, making it all the more engaging when you’re under heavy fire.
Value
The few maps that you can sneak, shoot and shank enemies on are few, but they are all individually unique with elegant designs of varying sizes to accommodate for the available players. At the standard $60 retail price, it’s a hard bargain, but SOCOM: Confrontation would be an excellent $40 for anyone looking to get down and dirty with a standard, strategic shooter on their PS3. Without a single player campaign, something that’s never been the focus of the series, but has always been interesting and fun, it’s impossible to enjoy if you’re not connected to the PlayStation Network. It’s a bummer, but Slant Six did an excellent job of recreating fan-favorite maps to duke it out on – it’s just a shame there aren’t more to play on since there’s no solo mode.
Conclusion
Confrontation is the best edition of SOCOM yet. With relatively smooth servers (patched and fixed after a rocky start) and great character customization, there’s a lot of fun to be had in the wide open and stunningly beautiful maps. Precision accuracy and coordinated teamwork are well represented here, making for one of the most fun tactical online shooters this side of Rainbow Six: Vegas, so if you’re in the need for multiplayer action on the PS3, you shouldn’t have any qualms with Confrontation in spite of its niggling flaws.
Pros
+ Classic SOCOM feel
+ Classic SOCOM maps
+ Customization for weapons and characters
+ Awesome map design
+ Beautiful
Cons
- Same old SOCOM
- Too few maps
- No single player
Final Verdict
Here's a small guide to help you understand our evaluation of games.
PRESENTATION GRADE
Can be from the game's box to the contents of the booklet, and even the game introduction. (Intro, menus, options, etc)
GRAPHIC GRADE
Up to what point the graphics have been worked on my the developper. The design type, the effort used for textures and environments, as well as animations and framerate.
AUDIO GRADE
Is the soundtrack a good match to the game's style, he ambient sounds keeping with the gameplay and the sound effects clear and convincing?
GAMEPLAY GRADE
Placement of the controls and the inferface that the player with be using during the game.
REPLAY VALUE GRADE
The most important factor in the evaluation of a game. It identifies the lifespan of the game and the fun of coming back again and again.
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