User Review : SOCOM: Confrontation

Ok, just GTF^ already

Mode Played & Completed: N/A

Acquired via: Full Purchase

Time spent: Over 25hrs {24hrs on Ranked server & 2hrs on Unranked servers}

PRESENTATION:

The general presentation in this game can be summed up as neat (in the pop culture sense in opposed to the dictionary definition). The initial entry to the game has you go through a server verification with a one button click and it looks all official. You then get a quick note of the current server news and then you're in.

The main menu has your Created Seal (or Special Force unit) and Mercenary characters shown and you can switch between them to tweak load out and other customization features. The way each character animates when chosen is rather cool as they seem to walk around each other to come up to the foreground when prompted. This is just neat.

When in game everything seems functional and very militant. The general vibe of the presentation sets you up nicely for the game and is very appropriate. Would we like to see something flashier? perhaps but this doesn't take away from what the developers have done with the over all presentation.

Wasn't too impressed with the way the developers implemented some design choices on options in-game during spectator mode but this is kind of a little nag than anything else, plus, there's also info out to the public about a patch that'll clean this up a bit. All in all, pretty neat.

RATING: - TWO THUMBS UP

For explanation of ratings click here - http://chubear.gametraile...=5495

GRAPHICS:

I've seen vids of the game on various gaming sites and on most, they don't do the game any justice once you've seen this on your on HDtv set. This game's graphics are beautiful and when you consider that it's a downloadable title, that only makes it ever more impressive.

As a relative comparable I'd say, to get an idea of how great the graphics are, think of the graphics for Assasin's Creed, only a little bit more rounded. So if a game like Assasin's Creed's graphics were good for you then you're well taken care off here. The game also runs at 1080p (Native) and shows brilliantly at this resolution but also show brilliantly at 720p on the appropriate screen size of 37 and lower.

So many great things were done with this games maps graphically. Buildings crumble as you walk on over passes and ruble falls off the ceiling of caves when you initially run in and shake lose dirt a bit. Dust is rendered great on boots as you run and the general scenery - from a wide range from caves and underground structures to small middle eastern towns - is done brilliantly. You also have wild life like birds, bats, rats etc running about the place and yes, they can be shot at if you choose.

You'd be hard pressed to find even full disc based games in the genre that show this game up graphically and I haven't seen any down loadable game on any other console that comes any where near the graphical quality of this game; everything looks crisp and fresh.

Textures on trees, buildings, cars and the general environment are all just sharp and though the water effects in the game are not mind blowingly insane, they are rendered very well and way better than a lot of full disc games considering you can dynamically interact with it too. Character models have a generally lower detail to them in regard to texture but considering it's one of the only shooters I know of that has a lot of uniform clothing customization, I can understand that but still, looks great regardless.

There were initial graphical glitches on maps during the first day launch period but those got sorted out fairly quickly in a couple of days afterward. I don't think any normal core-gamer should have any issues with the graphical look of the game.

RATING: - RED HOT

SOUND:

WOW! is what describes this function in the game adequately. First off the bat, the game can also be purchased with the official PS3 Sony headset for $20 more at $60 and this is certainly the best headset I've seen and used for gaming. It makes the voices of your team mates very crisp and clear. It should be an accessory for all gamers I'd say.

There are so many neat and crazy things they did with sound in this game. Walking close to fire will burn you so it's good to know you can actually hear the crackle of flames on a bon-fire if you're backing up into it. This sound is so realistic and vary also with the types of fire you encounter, like a flare flame will sound different than a bon-fire flame and a large roaring flame will sound different too.

The animal sounds with birds, rats etc help immerse you into the moment at lot and moving through large plants bushes and any foliage in general will render different sounds as well; all done very realistically. The gun sounds are the very most authentic you'll get on ANY military shooter on any console to date. I was highly impressed with the lengths taken to capture the sounds of not just different weapons but also of the individual weapons with attachments on them and the sound of the different types of bullets ripping through all sorts of material from wood to metal.

The most impressive thing about the sound in the game is definatly the proxy chat feature where you can talk with anyone that's close to your character's proximity in the game without using the control pad; just talk and they hear you. This is used for great tactical gameplay too cause you don't want to be chatting with a team mate across the map knowing the enemy might be just downstairs or on the other side of the wall and can hear you.

Another fantastic thing about the game's sound is indeed the music. It is top notch and encompasses the feel of the game's nature. What's also impressive about the music in the game is that it is dynamic and unique to the individuals gaming experience. You get into a death dance with an enemy? you'll hear a very different musical theme than your team mate that's on the other side of the map sniping watching you from a ledge. You also have a different music set theme for when you're on the Mercenary team or the Seal team. Very cool stuff indeed.

Very impressed with the sound in the game and I'm sure most gamer will be more than satisfied with this. There have been instances where the sound of the music has cut out in game or I had to reset my headset (turn it off then back on) cause I couldn't hear my team mate but these are rather rare instances.

RATING: - ON FIRE

GAMEPLAY:

Ok, let me just get this out the way right now. SOCOM Confrontation is the very best tactical shooter you can ever hope to experience so far this gen and yes, it's the same feel as SOCOM 1 & 2 combined... with dibs of the great things SOCOM 3 implemented.. little dibs.

This game's gameplay is the honey of the game. Note* If you're a gamer that absolutely needs aim assist for your shooter then this is not for you at all, however, if you have the temperment to learn to aim for yourself, you'll likely get a hing of aiming in the game after about 10-20 games played. This is also a game you have to work with others to win. If you don't, there just no way I can see anyone winning a game during matches. Communication is essential and the victors are usually those that communicate more effectively. Battle with clan member as a team of individuals can be very challenging cause many clans have a familiarity to themselves while it may take time to establish a report with some new guys you've never meet in hope of taking the clan down. However, there is a great sense of accomplishment when this is done.

SOCOM is a game of lines and corners. You'll find yourself eventually automatically thinking & moving strategically (no running into wide open spaces with reckless abandon here or else). You start lining adjecent to walls when you move and anticipating where the enemy could be scoping from. Checking your corners as you enter a room or building will become second nature to you eventually if you become good at this game.

The fact that you not only don't' have respawn in ranked games (there are respawn games too but Unranked and mainly used for practice) but also you have no health regeneration keeps you on your toes and bring out an edge to your play style eventually. You certainly dont' want to be the one who got sniped out in the open early in the game and now have to sit watching others playing the game for 5 or more minutes - no matter how entertaining spectator mode can be (no sarcasm here)

Your environment plays a vital role in this regard too cause the maps are dynamic to gameplay. Want to have an idea where that last guy could be? well the fallin debri from a sky walk or corridor might indicate his run across above you. You're getting shot at but cant' figure out where from cause a suppressor is being used? well maybe you can just jump in a pool of water and swim off but if you feel you're a sitting duck in the water as the enemy approaches to kill you off in there (cause you can't use weaponry when in water) then submerge to give him/her the slip.

This game is filled to the brim with tactical gameplay both from an individual stand point and a team oriented one and sure to scratch that tactical itch more than sufficiently. Your stats for both ranked and unranked games can be viewed by you or others and show a massive range of stats from Kill/Death ratio and MVP frequency to individual weapon accuracy and more. With the up coming PSN HOME feature for SOCOM's social room, the community aspect of this game is going to be through the roof.

The game also has the very best customization options I have ever seen for a shooter on any console. You can start a Clan and customize the clan's logo & moto with the latter having such depth that you'll likely never see the same logo twice and given the fact that there are over 10,000 clans, this is very impressive. You can also customize the uniforms you were as a Seal or Mercenary and save more than 5 different loadouts. This also has a very robust choice selection and may likely be added to in future DLC but I'm only speculating here.

War room customization is also very deep. You have the option of creating any kind of room you want ranging from Suppression (TDM) to Control, Extraction, Escort, Elimination, etc. and choose either Day or Night. You can also customize the weapons you want players in your room to use. These rooms are usually Unranked rooms and though you still get stats on these, your rank and SOCOM rating don't get affected.

There are tonnes of 256 servers (the maxium amount allowed on a server) with servers ranging from US East, Central & West to Japan, Canada, EU, Latin & English speaking servers and more always packed full. At peak hrs you can easily have US servers going into the 42 range while JPN servers can reach 10 and that, for a shooter for the Japanese, is remarkable. You'll always find more than enough gamers to game with even at 3am in the morning.. any time zone.

One thing I must point out is that there are a lot of features like the clan tournament games and calenders, that were not imputed in the initial launch of this game and that for me is a huge no-no. There's a lot of gaming to be had here even without these features but I've got to say it doesn't feel right to not have all the features promised right off the bat and is a practice I sincerely frown on. There is also talk of the game having it's own PSN HOME Space for it's gamers to meet, talk and strategize before Clan battles or practice matches.

Despite this, it's core gameplay is incredibly addictive so I caution you to play this game with care - Don't say you'll have a quick one when you've got a life changing meeting in 45mins.

RATING: - RED HOT

VERDICT:

When you step back and look at the general gaming quality SOCOM: Confrontation presents I can't help but be impressed. Hic-ups in initial launch period with servers was unnerving but to be fair, it's not something that's unique to SOCOM's launch.

I will say though that a huge down grade to the game's final rating comes from the omission of key features in the game. Yes, these are said to be added later on with patches but it is a practice I don't think we in the gaming community should make excuse for and encourage in any way. If an individual pays for a game they should have all it's contents up front instead of hoping for a patch for things that were announced to be in the game for launch.

That being said, this game is one of the most addictive shooters on the market today and certainly the very best military tactical shooter and with all the near future plans the developers have for it, this should keep me and many others happy and engaged for a very long time. It get massive points taken from it cause of the features omission issue (other wise it should have gotten a higher RED HOT rating easily) but that doesn't make it less of a recommendation as a must own title.

HOT