Reviewing the latest SOCOM game has become as much of a holiday tradition for
me as decorating the tree. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault is the fourth
iteration of the SOCOM series in as many years and once again tops the list of
Sony’s holiday releases for the PS2. So pass around the eggnog and let’s have a
look at what’s inside this year’s package.
The single –layer campaign takes place within the fictional country of
Adjikistan. A fledgling democracy is under assault by an insurgency with their
hands in just about every dirty business you can think of from kidnapping to
drug trafficking. The best way to deal with this type of insurgency is to put
them out of business, permanently. That’s where the Navy SEALs come in, and
you’ll lead your squad of four Special Forces operatives in a variety of
missions throughout the diverse landscapes of Adjikistan. There are 18 missions
in all, each of which has a set of primary goals that you must accomplish to
succeed and secondary goals which give you additional mission points and unlock
some new gear if completed. At certain points in the campaign the game will give
you a choice as to your next mission, but you must still complete them all to
complete the campaign. The mission choices don’t really create a branching
storyline, but you’ll appreciate this feature if you get stuck in one mission
and want a change of pace before tackling it again.
Before going into a mission you’ll be able to select your weapon loadout from
a variety of weapons and equipment. If you’d rather not go through the process
of equipping your team, the game does a good job of picking a default loadout
for you. Once in the missions you’re free to pursue your objectives as you’d see
fit, but the maps are pretty much all designed to funnel your team from one
objective to the next so the feeling of freedom is more of an illusion than
anything else. The gameplay requires you to take a methodical approach towards
taking out the enemy. You’ll need to try to see the enemy first and then work
your way into a firing position that allows you to take out the enemy from a
distance before they know what hit them. A run and gun approach is not advised
as it only takes a couple of hits to kill you and it works out a lot better for
you if the enemy never sees you in the first place. The gameplay is enjoyable
enough, but it is pretty similar to that found in prior SOCOM games to a fault,
mainly in that the enemy AI leaves a lot to be desired. You don’t notice its
deficiencies as much when you’re taking out enemies from a distance, but when
the fighting gets a little more personal the problems become more than obvious.
Enemies don’t use cover well at all, often choosing to simply run right at you
across open ground. There are also times when an enemy won’t even react to being
shot, deciding to remain standing in the open in your line of sight. At other
times you can kill an enemy while his buddy stands next to him oblivious to the
danger his fallen comrade represents. The lack of good enemy AI makes the single
player game a cakewalk for veteran shooter players. The biggest danger you’ll
face is from certain enemies the game places in some of the maps that seem to
know exactly when you are coming and that are blessed with deadly accurate aim.
When you encounter these enemies you’ll feel more like you were set-up by the
game then you were actually caught with your guard down.
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