SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals

Posted Sep 20, 2002 by TBO.com

Updated Feb 14, 2008 at 02:24 PM

System: Sony PlayStation 2

Publisher: Sony

Reviewer’s rating: A-

ESRB rating: Mature

Game type: Action/adventure

Kind of like: “Counter-Strike” (online multiplayer), “Medal of Honor: Allied Assault” (offline single-player)

Best feature: Players scattered around the globe can go online and issue in-game commands, warnings and/or verbal abuse using the microphone headset (included).

Worst feature: The PS2 controller is functional though hardly ideal for a shooter of this type. And the artificial intelligence of enemies and teammates in single-player mode ranges from sack-of-hammers all the way up to box-of-rocks.

The bottom line: See that ESRB rating up there? The one that says “Mature”? Do you know what that means? Simply put, it means you shouldn’t purchase “SOCOM” for your kids. It’s bloody, it’s violent and when you take it online, you’re exposed to language that would make George Carlin blush. (Adults say the darnedest things.)

That said, “SOCOM” is also surprisingly deep, beautifully detailed and insanely addictive.

“Deathmatch” has been a long time coming to the world of video game consoles. (“Quake III” and “Unreal Tournament” on the Dreamcast notwithstanding.) The last-man-standing dynamic so popular with PC gamers takes center stage here, despite a worthy single-player offline mode. Using a PS2 equipped with the recently released network adapter ($39.99), players can get on the ‘Net and join up to 15 others in a frenzied kill-or-be-killed bloodbath.

Other online modes include extraction (rescue hostages from the enemy) and demolition (bomb the enemy’s base). The game’s 10 varied battlegrounds, impressive arsenal of weapons (knives, handguns, rifles, explosives) and an ever-evolving cast of teammates (to say nothing of personal grudges against particular enemies) all conspire to keep you from getting to bed at a reasonable hour.

Single-player missions are challenging without being impossible. They rely heavily on stealth and generally involve things like “securing” a building or area (killing all the enemies), rescuing hostages, defusing bombs and retrieving intelligence. You’re joined by three computer-controlled teammates who alternate between saving your butt and seeming like a ball-and-chain.

Fortunately, using voice-recognition technology, you can always order them to go hide in the shadows and stay put until you need ‘em.