For the last two weeks a couple of us here at Digitalchumps.com have been balls to the wall with SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy Seals. We have played primarily two levels the entire time (generally one more than the other, due to some gamers who don’t like change in scenery) and have gotten a chance to try out some various game modes and weapons. To preface, this isn’t a review; this is a preview of what we found in this beta.
Right from the get-go we found a certain bit of unique fun in this closed beta of SOCOM 4. Having two levels made available to us (Shipyard and Jungle) we were able to experience some truly fun gaming online. The majority of our experiences surrounded arming and disarming bombs in various locations on the levels, and also securing comm feeds (basically the same concept).
Starting with the ‘bomb’ games, your players were required to infiltrate certain areas of each level and either defuse/protect/set bombs up. Each game had three separate locations for this to occur (marked nicely with A-B-C) and they were evenly spaced out so that reaching one or the other wouldn’t be easy regardless of how you started out. For example, in my 3am game last night in the jungle area, we had a bomb technician run out to the ‘best’ location (best meaning the best opportunity to survive) and defuse the bomb. The game would ask you to escort the tech to that area and keep them alive while they defused the bomb. If you can imagine the secret service protecting the President of the United States then you get the idea. Having your team protect your technician is vital for survival during this particular game. More importantly, being able to play as a team is simply a ‘must’. The game calls for this type of teamwork and it will punish you if you don’t join in helping. If you don’t help your team then you can be voted off by someone. A lot of online games are missing that option these days, as certain people will play the game for points rather than for purpose. I know some FPS games have the ‘boot’ option, but not enough. Of course, there are douchebags out there that will simply boot you off because they can. For example, last night I was setting up to snipe people from a far and this guy (think his name was ‘MyGrandmother812’ — just kidding, no idea who he was) not only shot me, but he also had me kicked off because he didn’t like the fact that I wasn’t charging the frontlines. Some of us are snipers and some of us are grunts, and I’m the first. Does it deserve my team kicking me out? No, but the option is there for the idiots of the world to take a hold of and run with.
Regardless, I like the idea of booting someone who doesn’t contribute.
With that said, the message about booting someone from the game needs to be toned down a bit. I know the final product is already printed on a disc, but I implore Zipper Interactive to send out a patch that will tone down the message. When you go to kick someone from the game a solid black rectangle appears on the right side of the screen. In fact, it nearly covers one-third of your viewing area when it is announced. It stays up there until a decision is made and then it is properly replaced by another rectangle that tells you the result of voting (either they were kicked off or they were not kicked off). No matter the decision, the rectangle is taking up nearly one-third of the right screen and it sits there regardless of enemies. It’s like having a hand in your face when you’re trying to make a jump shot.
Again, good option in hindsight, but this rectangle has to be shrunk or moved (or both).
Shifting gears slightly, the weapons in SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs are pretty damn nice. You get what seems like an endless amount of sweet weaponry. Your characters get to carry two weapons at a time, not including grenades or smoke bombs. Each weapon is part of a category of weapons. Each category has a variety to choose from and a variety of different add-ons that you have for the weapons. It’s a typical move for war games these days, but it is a lot simpler than most FPS games. For example, before each respawn you can change our your weapons. The menu consists of two pictures of what weapons you’re caring. Should you want to adjust either weapon, you simply select it and a fullscreen menu pops up that allows you to scroll horizontally and vertically through different weapons. With each change you get a nice chart in the lower right side of the screen that tells you the many different attributes your weapon has. One weapon might have better range and less damage than another. You can visually decide for yourself through very simplified menus, which is great because you want to jump right back into things to help your team out. As for how many weapons and what you can choose, I can’t really go into a lot of details in that department. We certainly didn’t get to see all the weapons, but what we were able to use it was a nice amount. I’m sure we’ll see the full gambit of it when the game releases on April 19th.
Moving on…
The gameplay in SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs is what you would have expected from the popular title. It’s quick, precise and it’s a ‘one and done’ type of game. The reason I’ve always been happy with the series is that it probably brings a more realistic ‘killing’ design into the game. What I mean by that is that if you shoot someone in the right place with the right weapon then there’s a great chance they’ll go down instantly. Instead of going Rambo on a pack of soldiers you will be required to think through your strategy, move in a stealth-like manner and hope you don’t get shot before they do. Once you’re in a firefight then you’re truly fighting for survival in the game. There’s rarely a chance for you take cover after being shot once, and that’s the beauty of it. Outside of EA’s Battlefield, I adore the realism you get when it comes to firing the gun. I think if you’re going to make a military game then make it as accurate as possible. Surviving a grenade blast in Call of Duty: Black Ops is a cinch, but seeing a grenade in SOCOM 4 drop near you is a death wish generally.
Now, what makes this type of ‘realism’ even more interesting is that killing someone isn’t as easy as it sounds. For example, typically in any first-person shooters (at least the ones I’ve played recently) if you are a sniper and you have someone in your sight then you can fire and instantly hit the target you’re aiming for, as long as you have them in your sight. In SOCOM 4 you still have that line up someone in your sight and fire, but the difference is that the bullet is delayed on hitting its target, depending on distance of course. In that short delay the target could adjust or completely move, which means you’ve missed and given away your position. This is another element that makes the game more realistic, and one that will certainly frustrate folks not use to it.
There was a certain flow to the gameplay, and one that will certainly make for a jarring experience for hardcore first-person shooting fans. If you’re not use to playing from a third-person perspective (and it is a great perspective) then you will find it difficult, at first, to play SOCOM 4. The great thing about an FPS is that you get complete view of your environment; nearly a 180 degree view. When you’re playing SOCOM 4 you have very restricted space around you to see, especially once you zoom into a target. All third-person games are like this, and purposely. It creates a great, uncertain environment for war. You will have to continually look around and check out your environment before you commit to it. So you FPS fans out there need to relax once you start this game because there will be early frustrations. That is one thing I ran into, but it smoothed out and the experience became a lot deeper.
With all that ‘we already knew that’ information behind us, let’s talk about some fun elements. The short beta stint I had with the online portion of SOCOM 4 made me want more. It wasn’t enough that I really liked the gameplay or really enjoyed the amount of weapons offered through the beta version of the game, but the real fun of the game was the perks. I’m not completely sure what activated my first official perk (I might have had a long headshot streak), but at some point of the game I was given the ability to call in an airstrike. Taking a page from EA’s Medal of Honor, I earned this perk and was given the ability to select an area around me (that I could see) to call down the thunder. Pretty cool, right? Well, be careful, Maverick. Should you call in an airstrike and your troops are in the area then they will pay the price. Much like the strategy you must implement to stay alive, you have to think about everything (including how you’re going to use perks) to make the best possible decision to help out your team.
Anyway, other things you can look forward to that we saw in this beta also include medals, mods and leveling. While leveling certainly was a given for this game, there were a large variety of medals available in the closed beta. For example, as I stated before I’m very keen on the sniper role. Hitting from a far has always been and will always be my troop of choice. There was a game where I had five headshots in a row (the dummies kept coming) and at the end of that game I was rewarded a medal with stacked skulls on it that honored my dead-eye ability. It’s nice to get praise from the game for such great God-given abilities (kidding, kidding).
Something I started seeing a lot of as my preview of the closed beta wrapped up was the rewarding of weapon mods. Going back to the headshots achievement, as I sniped people in the jungle area I was rewarded with extra points for distance and accuracy. Along with those points came weapon mod leveling. The more and more you use your weapons, and the better you get with them, the more modifications become available. By the time I ended my last game prior to writing this article, I had a pretty great, modded sniper rifle that was pretty powerful on the first hit. I regret that I couldn’t dedicate more time to it, as I did have to write this, but I can’t wait to revisit this when the actual game arrives. You will find weapon mods that will keep you going in the game. I thought this added bonus was enough motivation to keep the gameplay alive and happy. If Zipper had eliminated everything else in the game I would still be satisfied with this lone option. It’s a big one and it matters to me.
Before I wrap this up let’s talk about the areas. Will Johnson and I were playing this on Wednesday and the first thing we talked about was how incredibly detailed the areas were that were available in the closed beta. For example, the Jungle area is not only huge, but it’s hilly, and packed with trees and worn down structures. Unlike MAG, which was huge, but not very detailed, SOCOM 4 has great lighting (proper lighting), intricate details on vegetation and structures in the area (you can see cracks in walls, the veins in the leaves of the plant) and there’s plenty of it all around. The time we played in this area it seemed like nothing repeated in terms of positioning and visuals. Everything seemed like it was unique and handcrafted. There weren’t any details left out. There wasn’t anything that seemed drab about it. It all seemed incredibly, visually real. It was impressive and immersed us into the gameplay a bit more. Most online war games simply put the player in a level and say ‘make the most out of it’. Here it feels like a jungle and you feel very secluded and cut-off. It truly feels like a jungle should feel and not just an afterthought on game design. The shipyard was the same way. The girth of each are was pretty significant as well, as you could get easily lost in the areas. There’s plenty of room to navigate and find some sort of ‘comfort’ spot, especially if you’re a sniper.
Well, that is the end of the preview for SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs on the multiplayer side of the game. I know I’m missing some things, but I promise to make up for it when we get our hands on a review copy of it. What Zipper and SCEA have going for them right now is pretty good. I think it’s definitely a step above MAG, but I’m not ready to say it’s better than CoD or MoH. It’s got a lot of potential to be, especially after I get my hands on the final version of the game. If Medal of Honor has taught me anything it’s that basing a game on the beta is a grave mistake. Thankfully, Zipper and SCEA are way ahead of the curve with this beta in comparison to the Medal of Honor beta released last summer.
Check back in about a week or so for a full review of SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs. Until then just smile and know something good is coming.
