Reviews// SOCOM: Special Forces: Single Player

Your companions are split into two pairs, one skilled in recon, the other destruction and it's down to you to decide when and where their talents should be utilised. There's also an online multiplayer component which hasn't been made readily available yet, though I have tried a little of that side of the game - not enough to truly gauge a full opinion, but plenty to get a good feel for it.

Rest assured, it's entertaining and demanding in equal measures, requiring you to work as a team or fail spectacularly

Controls
Controls may appear initially baffling, but you're eased into the game with well constructed tutorials. I had a few problems getting my head around ordering squad members to perform different actions, but replaying the game's beginning really helped me get my bearings.

Planning attacks becomes second nature as you scan your local area looking for optimal points to secrete your officers, dropping waypoints for them to move between while keeping them hidden.

Once everyone is in position, waiting for the right moment before hitting the "Go" command... the feeling of a well-executed attack taking place before your eyes is brilliant. Yes, there are many moments of intense action, but these are balanced with a need for thought and consideration.

Thinking about what you need to do and planning out your ideas will always yield better results than going in all guns blazing and SOCOM rewards this style of play.

An addition to the series can be found with the introduction of covert operations where you switch roles from the commander to Forty Five, a female character who is much better versed in stealth tactics. These are incredibly tense sections, encouraging you to stick to the shadows and sneak up on your opponents or even totally avoid them, if you can.

A different kind of satisfaction comes from slowly picking your way through a level without actually taking down a single enemy soldier, like an extreme version of Hide & Seek.

Good in 3D
SOCOM Special Forces also looks good (even in 3D!). A particular nod should be given to the city levels which are packed out with detailed environments to destroy, though this is balanced by the usual curse of character models being a little shiny.

Perhaps it could be put down to the local environment being humid? The addition of localised voices dependent on where you bought your game is also a nice touch, so if you fancy playing with an Italian as your lead character, off you pop to Rome.

Move support has been built into the game which you would expect from such a long running Sony title. Playing with the Move and Navcon combo works... reasonably well. Nothing amazing, it must be said, but there is a slight disconnect between what you're doing and what happens on screen. However, put them into the recently released Sharpshooter and it's a whole different world.

Designed in-house at Zipper Interactive, out of all the ways I've played Special Forces, this felt the most immersive - the weightiness and solid build of the frankly massive controller, scanning around the screen to move the camera, pulling the trigger to execute perfect headshots... by the time I'd worked my way through a few levels, I was exhausted. If you've got the cash spare for the whole set-up, it really comes recommended.

Conclusion
All in all, SOCOM Special Forces will be getting a lot of my time in future, especially when the multiplayer finally comes online. If you're looking for a challenging game that rewards patience (and will, invariably, scare off the kiddies because you can't just go in guns blazing) I'd say leave your copy of Call of Duty on the shelf and join a more considerate team; a team who'll take you down before you even notice they're lurking in the shadows.

SPOnG Score: (Single Player only, multiplayer soon!): 82%