Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs

Written by Matt Partington on September 06, 2002

Online Review: Camouflage SEAL outfit--check; matching disguising face paint--check; terrorist enemies--check; mega-lethal SEAL combat tactics-c-heck; rifle--УUh, Cap'mФ

Set down that soda, pick up those clothes, put your damn pants on! Who the hell do you think you are?! I know what you are, You're nothing! A Steaming waste of time, money, and space! You're a SEAL! Now act like one! You are part of the most elite military sectors on the planet! Fall in, soldier!

I guess we'll never know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing that you don't go through boot camp in SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, SCEA's online flagship title, but one thing is for sure: if you act like a recruit, you're going to be treated like one. Many of you will be buying SOCOM strictly for the online play, which is fine, but is it worth it? Worth dishing out 60 bones just for online play? Read the text, and you may be enlightened to find out...and if you are interested in the offline portion, please check out our separate SOCOM single-player review for your viewing pleasure.

Let's get one thing straight--SOCOM is different from your other shooters, especially online. Firstly, just like the single-player mode, most of the experience will be played in a third-person view. This alone makes it different from your favorite shooters such as Rainbow Six, Rogue Spear, Counter-strike, Team Fortress Classic, and Quake. It's not particularly like any one game, but more of a hybrid. It has the tactics and intensity of Rainbow Six, the team strategy of Counter-strike, and the environments of Ghost Recon. Zipper Interactive may not have made these elements as good as the other games, but they all add up to a good recipe. But beware: Gamers who have played many online shooters might not get what they're looking for.

One thing makes SOCOM stand out among the rest, and that is the headset. Now you can communicate with your teammates on-the-fly, to plan strategies, alert them of hostiles, or just chitchat. Unfortunately, only one person can talk at a time, but this never really draws back from the experience. The online aspect undoubtedly benefits from the headset, as it just makes the game that more realistic true-to-life. The headset varies from crystal clear sound, to hardly being able to hear the other person at all (but it's usually in-between). Although some people sound a bit too creepy for my tastes...

Considering SOCOM is a tactical-shooter, strategy is essential for survival. Whether it's your own strategies, or someone else's, keep in mind that you're playing against real people, not simulated computer AI. They're going to pick up on your patterns, know how to shoot, and design schemes of their own. Predictability is risky, and often fatal.

Just like the campaign mode, online play consists of SEALs vs. Terrorists (you'll play as both at some point), with three different games. All games are played on an 8 vs. 8 basis (16 max obviously), but there can be less on each team if wanted. The first, most generic, and my personal favorite is Suppression--a basic team-deathmatch skirmish. Next is Demolition, where each team tries to set a bomb in the enemy's base, while still protecting their own station from being blown to bits. Last is Extraction, in which the SEALs try to invade the Terrorist base and escort hostages to a safe point. All are fun, and provide different acquaintances with the gameplay. It's good to try all the modes to see what you like most, or just to keep things fresh. Still, these play modes are going to become monotonous at points, it's a small selection of game types which entails real disappointment. This deeply impacts the replay value, although SOCOM's is nearly as high as it comes.

The maps are very open, which requires you to be that much more cautious. You can, and will be attacked from every possible angle. Some people might be turned off by this, being used to the smaller, more narrow and enclosed maps in Rainbow Six or Counter-strike. But if you figure what environments the SEALs actually attend combat in, this is surely it. The jungle maps have lots of shrubbery to hide behind, for stealth. Other maps are in the desert, where drywall stops bullets from puncturing your flesh and rocks provide temporary cover. There's other more unique maps such as the one on the large freighter. Most of the levels resemble the single-player terrains, though they've been altered slightly for various purposes.

The gun selection is great, especially since the two team's arsenal differ. The SEALs are heftier on the rifle end, but Terrorists have handgun galore. Overall, skill will come more into play than what firearm you choose. A good all-around choice for the SEALs is the M4A1 SD, and the Mark 23 pistol. For Terrorists, you can't go wrong with the 552 rifle and the loud, but dangerous Desert Eagle handgun (woo-ha!).

Many of you probably won't notice much of a gameplay change between single-player and multi-player modes. Both require patience, tactics, skills, stealth, teamwork, and about everything within those lines, especially smarts. Most people classify this game as a Уthink, then shoot, then think, then shoot,Ф but I see it different. I don't figure it as thinking about where you'll shoot your enemy or the reason behind it (after all, they're your enemy, so just kill them already!), or why, but rather how are you going to survive against an equally-ready enemy? That sir, is where you think ahead, and know how to play the books. What's it more about? Taking some lead, and dying while taking an enemy down with you? Or planning where the enemy will be, being a step ahead of them, taking them out silently, and not leaving one single man behind? I think you know the answer, and this is what separates elite SOCOM gamers from "newbies." This might seem like a conventional way of thinking, but you'd be surprised how many players will just roam out by themselves and get sniped out within the first 25 seconds. That's one man down that could be the difference between a win or loss, and they just wasted time. If there's one thing you don't act like while playing SOCOM, it's acting stupid. Everyone is a rookie at some point, but if they're really letting it flow through the cracks, just tell them to shut up and obey orders. Not everyone is going to stand up and be a team leader, so it might as well be you.

The online interface for SOCOM is good and simple. You can view recent updates, join a match, a chatroom, make a clan, check your ranking, and more. And yes, SOCOM does in fact support clan play. All that's necessary is to register, and then manage it from there with a player list and more. Easy? Oh yea. You can also make sure all your clan members are on the same team before starting a match. How cool is that?

The controls online are identical to the ones in single-player mode. Many gamers are going to experience problems when trying to get used to the touchy aiming and so forth. The best thing to do is just change the sensitivity and other things [in options] to find what best works for you. Yet there always seems to be a problem with them at one point or another. Example: if you set the sensitivity low for better close-range shooting, that'll make it a pain to catch up to enemies in sniper mode and your crosshair will always be a few steps behind, which is a major pain in the arse.

SOCOM has its flaws and drawbacks online. For dial-up users, there's no hope in playing, since SOCOM is strictly for broadband users. Which actually is a good thing in retrospect, considering that there's already lag with broadband-only. It's not terrible, but noticeable at the very least. Sometimes the game will literally freeze, and you'll see yourself moving, but no one else. If you spot an enemy right near by, chances are you're both going to end up dead because each are firing at one another other and when the game catches up you're going to be cut in half with 41 bullets and a headshot. A beneficial thing is the ability to Уbunny hop,Ф like in other online shooters. This is basically viewing your teammates actions who are alive, once you've been eliminated. Yet SOCOM only allows you circle around them slowly, and you may experience a particular amount of lag while doing it (SOCOM's bunny hopping isn't as good as other online shooters).