SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs

"SOCOM 2: Best Tactical Shooter"

Overview:
Sony has done it again and released the best online tactical shooter to date. With the classic type games Suppression, Demolition, and Extraction. We are given two new types of games Breach and Escort. Breach being a mission by which the SEALS must use explosives to infiltrate a terrorist base and plant a bomb. To escort where the SEALS are on the defensive and must escort VIPs to an extraction point. While it has its flaws which I'll explain later in the review when we break it down this game is an excellent example that hard work does pay off.

Graphics: 8/10
The light patterns have been greatly improved and a lot have work has gone into this aspect. This makes the game feel more lifelike for instance light is cast in more places then others making a room light in one area and incrementally dark in another rather than the rather solid light or darkness of the original Socom. The characters have been seriously polished with eyes that blink and the boxiness of them is gone as in the original. Although if you look at a character closely in the face online in the prone position while you are in the dead zone during online play the characters eyes will pop out and their mouths will open. This is obviously a glitch in the mechanics of the game and if I didn't tell you'd probably just laugh like I first did.
All the levels new and old have been polished up while some levels changed for the better others have changed for the worse I'll discuss this in the online levels section of this review.

Gameplay: 10/10
While some people get very frustrated when first playing Socom 2 especially veterans of the original the reason is while the game has stayed the same controller wise the interfaces from the original have been thrown out the window and brand new ones have been put in their place. This game is much more responsive now the characters move much quicker the guns react better with recoil and it takes more shots to kill someone both online and in single player.

In the original you could simply shoot someone in the foot or knee and they'd die instantly well not in this game you must literally pump someone full of bullets before they go down. Health bars are now present in the game so you can check your status. The issue in the original where you could accidentally go to single shot by accidentally hitting your analog stick has been fixed. Now there is a delay by which you hold the stick for a couple of seconds before you change. You can also change the function to the select button in the options menu if the delay doesn't help.

New weapons and characters flood this game however some must be earned by playing single player to gain the ability to use them online. In this game while online and in the dead zone the place where you are if you entered in the middle of a game or died during a match also allows you to piggy back like in the original but in this game the camera is not fixed you can rotate around that person and see all around him.

The briefing rooms allow voice chat just like during a mission also the who’s talking feature box appears with the name of the person who’s talking so it alleviates confusion about who is communicating.

The new DNAS system prevents cheaters and hack that can ruin your gaming experience while I have heard of cheats being in the game recently I’ve heard that Sony changes the DNAS code bi-weekly and will keep this game safe and ban those who cheat and ruin the online gaming experience.

Controls: 10/10
Socom 2 maintains the classic control scheme of the original all the buttons do the same things and it is very comfortable to play. A new option run and talk enables your R2 button to be used as your voice chat button so it’s easier to talk on the run. As I said in gameplay the fire rate for your gun problem in the original has been fixed so there is a delay by which you must hold your analog stick to change fire modes.

Sound: 10/10
This is more of an aspect in this game then the original Zipper has really gone pro here the music is great and takes way more control over the game both online and single player mode. The music is orchestra composed and really captures emotions in the game the music is actually very close to Medal of Honor like in its composition. You are greeted by REAL Victory Songsin this game rather then the very pathetic ones in Socom when compared to these. Each map online both new and old has music and if you would prefer not to hear it you can simply turn it off in the options menu.

Online Levels: 7/10
The new levels have lush jungle that you can actually hide behind and the greenery moves and makes noises as you go through it. Its 3D and looks real unlike the 2D greenery that almost looked flat in the original. The new levels online in Socom 2 are the best to date realistic cover such as bushes, grass, etc. I personally give the guys at Zipper a full thumbs up.
The brushing up on the old levels for the most part is for the better turrets have been added to some of the old levels and most of the levels that where during the day in Socom are at night in this game that’s pretty cool. But why did I give the levels a 7 you ask?
Let me explain while I love the new levels its how they handled some of the old levels that I don't like at all. For example in the classic Socom level Rats Nest they have taken off most of the ladders that lead up and down the map and have sealed off most of the ways to get to your enemy so the Terrorists and SEALS must jump over areas where doors used to be in the original just to get at each other or spend a lot more time finding another way rather then jump.
In Blood Lake the fog has been removed from the map so you can see clear as day across the map. This ruined the level since now its nothing more then a snipers paradise.

Overall: 8/10
I personally give the game an 8 out of 10 because of the flaws in the game combined with the way Zipper handled some of the classic Socom levels. While I think the game is great and play it all the time I can't give it a higher score. Simply put if it ain't broken don't fix it if Zipper said that to themselves they'd be getting a much higher score right now but (sigh) nobody’s perfect.

This concludes my review overall Socom 2 is a solid improvement over the original with many enhancements and is the leader in the online tactical shooter genre. Its definitely a buy for the Socom veteran or the online newcomer and is a great choice this holiday season.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/06/03