SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals: Combined Assault

"Socom Becomes Fun Again !!"

Well folks, finally the SOCOM we've all wanted.....except for the blood. Socom Combined Assault has arrived and much to my surprise is AWESOME! I have been a Socom Vet since the first days of Socom I. My love carried into Socom II, but was totally and utterly destroyed by the stinker of a game Socom 3. Socom Combined Assault has corrected much of the things a hardened Socom Vet like myself was expecting from Zipper and went beyond my expectations. Here's the facts.

GRAPHICS: 9
The graphics in Socom:CA have improved drastically since the nosedive they took in Socom 3. You can now see that the textures have been smoothed out and you can once again get a clear view of targets downrange. The grainyness of Socom 3 is now gone and the graphics really have improved. There are nice area weather effects.....blowing snow, dust and rain effects. Seeing your targets clearly immediately makes this game fun again, as it's nice to get a clear view of what you are shooting at. The buildings and characters all look really great and seem to be pushing every ounce of power the PS2 has to deliver stunning and clear visuals. Think Socom II quality, but a bit more polised with better textures.

SOUND: 10
Socom has always excelled in delivering a realistic aural experience, especially if you have a 5.1 surround rig. The bullets whizzing by yer face, explosions and gun sounds are incredible and realistic. The ambient noise is just as satisfying, wind, thunder, bombs in the distance. It's all here and it's all brilliant....as expected.

GAMEPLAY:10
This installment plays as well as you'd expect from the Socom franchise. All controls are customizable as far as turn speed, excelleration and dead zones. The game offers a nice selection of control modes and even Sure Shot and Lefty versions are included. Although I have heard that Sure Shot has been slightly modified from it's classic configuration. The weapons are accurate to their real life ranges which plays well for a more action oriented online affair and sniping has become a bit harder due to the adjustments to scope ranges. But overall this does make the game more fun....and that's why we all play video games in teh first place. Gameplay....SOLID!

EXTRAS:10
Socom:CA has all the things that Socom 3 introduced to us, only better. You still have full weapon customization, a new roster of gadgets and add-ons at your disposal and new vehicles that handle better and look better. The maps are still large, but not so large that rounds drag on forever. The vehicles cut down on this alot, but the overall design of the new levels well exceed those found in Socom 3. The maps are a nice mix of open spaces but are broken up by buildings with full interiors and debris litteres throughout to provide you with some quick cover in a pinch. Another nice addition is a green diamond over the heads of your team mates, effectively limiting team kills and masking less of the screen that a player's name would, thus helping you better differentiate friend from foe in a heated gun battle. This game also features a cross-talk mode with Socom FireTeam Bravo 2....which is also a great game for the PSP system.

REPLAY: 10
Socom Combined Assault makes this game fun again for those of us that loved Socom I and Socom II. It brings back the FUN.....and that's what makes this game a joy to play. Zipper Interactive obviously heard the gripes of the Socom Community and has made good on all the expectations we had for this newest installment. Well it's here and it's fantastic. HOO-YAH !

BUY/RENT: BUY, BUY, BUY !!!!
Trade in that Socom 3 and get into the new world of SOCOM: Combined Assault, you won't be disappointed!

-GREYSKULL.........find me in the realm! PEACE !!!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/13/06