Before I purchased SOCOM: U.S. NAVY SEALS I had read reviews from both sides of the spectrum. The only game that I had played that was similar to SOCOM was Ghost Recon on the Xbox, which I really enjoyed playing. It wasn't until a few months ago that I got the guts to purchase SOCOM.

The game begins as you are dropped into enemy territory to eliminate a terrorist compound. You will be leading two teams, Able Element and Bravo Element. Your two teams are equipped with state of the art covert weaponry and equipment. Depending on your mission your teams are set up automatically to default with weather gear and weapons gear. You are also allowed to customize your team with certain weapons and gear if you feel comfortable with your skills. Once you have finally equipped your team accordingly you are now ready for deployment. Let me warn you ahead of time the combat management for your team is quite difficult. In order to execute your mission with a successful score you will need to learn how to follow every order and give commands. The game scores you on performance of stealth, time, teamwork, and special or regular objectives accomplished. Every small detail matters in all your missions. Prior to deploying you are briefed on your mission and the objectives. You are given a map to study as well as specific points of attack and special routes to take in your mission.

The controls in this game are far more complex than other combat games I have played before. It took me quite a while to get used to managing of both your teams along with yourself during a mission. Your regular movements such as running forward and other directions are executed by using the analogs sticks. Your directional pad is used for zooming with your weapons, binoculars, night vision and peeking around corners. While zooming you can also switch from third person mode to first person mode. All your special actions like busting out your weapon or cycling through them is done with the L1 and L2 buttons. Changing body positions such as crouching, proning, and standing are done by using the triangle button. You can also customize your controller in the options menu to your personal likings.

The game screen helps you out tremendously during your missions. The top right of your screen is a mini map spotting your location, objectives, and danger zones. This mini map took me awhile to understand. Icons pop up during mission play that give options to pick up a body and hide it, pilfer a new weapon along with ammo, take someone out from behind, and many other special moves. On the bottom of your screen you will have the status of your team and their health. So you're asking your self…"What about the freaking headset?" Well the headset is what SOCOM is known for. Using the headset in this game makes executing commands a little easier for you. Now if you don't want to use your headset during single player mode, that's cool. You are still able to execute commands with just your controller. By pressing the circle button a series of submenus appear on your screen. First thing you need to do is give orders to someone, Able or Bravo element. Next is what you need them to do, a series of actions appear that you can choose. Finally, you will need them to execute these actions at a certain location. On your map it gives locations, and those locations are symbolized with letters of the military alphabet. Your command screen will display the locations, and once you have chosen your location, your team will move. In order to use the headset effectively you have to say the correct commands. You just can't say something like "Move your ass soldier and kill those commies!!" That just won't work. Whatever commands pop up on your submenus are the ones you have to say clearly.

Allow me to proceed on SOCOM's AI and graphics. There are times where the environments are a bit sluggish and some that are really sharp. The missions in the mountains are sharp and with very little visibility. Considering the amount of snow that is falling you will not be able to see very far. Once you start zooming in on distant objects things become pixilated. Rain forest missions are just real nasty. The game does really good job dealing with the rain forest environment. Dense fog, nasty ground and sluggish trees in the graphics are pretty good. Although I still have a problem with visibility in this game. The further you look the more pixilated the background gets.

The AI in SOCOM is a little slow at times. Reaction time for your team after an order has been given sometimes feels like years to be executed. At times when storming a compound my partner will take his sweet time pulling the trigger or reloading while I'm getting shot up from every direction. Another example is when I am diffusing a bomb, my partners will just sit there and switch weapons while letting me get lit up with bullets. Many times have I given orders to follow my lead, when I turn around they are still in the same place where I started. Many times my teammate will block the only exit out of a building while ten guys are blasting away at us. I believe the AI in SOCOM is what effects the games overall performance. Its many flaws in the AI category keep the smoothness of the action from flowing.

SOCOM carries a well-detailed sound environment. Many of the different missions are accentuated by the natural sounds that it provides. You hear many sounds like your feet dragging through the snow, and the mosquitoes and wildlife in the rain forest. The little details that the sound provides in each mission give this game a real good sense of reality.

Overall SOCOM is a great realistic military shooter. It has the feel of Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon where stealth is a major factor. If you don't use stealth, you and your team will get slaughtered. Using the headset for command execution brings an all-new flavor to the military shooter genre. The levels are intense and elaborate with something different to accomplish every time. SOCOM also has a multiplayer mode only when using the network adapter for online use. I personally have no desire to play this game online, the only reason I bought this game was for the single player mode. If you like games such as Ghost Recon and the such, then I suggest giving SOCOM a try.

May 21, 2003 | 4 comments
Marco Ortega