SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs

"Sorry guys, unfortunately no Boomer..."

With all the popularity there was for the first SOCOM, it was inevitable that there would be a sequel. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALSs was the best on-line game there was for the PS2. Now, that award goes to the highly anticipated sequel- SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs II.

Gameplay: SOCOM 2's gameplay is almost identical to the original, only better. This time, you play as Specter, with Jester as your partner, the original game's Bravo team. Yes, that's right, no more bumbling Boomer to cause problems for the team. Your new bravo team consists of Wardog and Vandal. There are 12 missions in single player mode, broken up into for areas with 3 levels for each area and terrorist group, just as last time.

Good New Improvements: Now for the improvements. A big problem with the last game came when trying to be stealthy. Though you could tell bravo team to hide in the bushes and hold, and get yourself very well hidden, you couldn't control Boomer. He insisted on following wherever you went, whether or not you told him to hold. Not this time around. This time your partner, Jester, actually listens and will hold position when told. This allows you to go out on your own and do stealthy things. However, the drawback to this new feature is that Jester will only hold a short distance from you. If you begin to go too far away, Jester will come and follow you. Maybe Zipper will improve this for SOCOM 3, but hey, something's better than nothing. Another small but much appreciated improvement has to do with changing your weapon's fire-rate. Previously it was a quick tap of the L3 button, but now you must hold in L3 for a bit for the fire-rate to change. This is extremely helpful, with only a quick tap it's very easy to change your fire-rate from full-auto to single shot in the heat of battle- which isn't good. Your teammates are smarter and better shots this time around. That's not to say they're as smart as they should be, I once witnessed Wardog walk through a cross-fire between me and an enemy for no reason, except to get to the other side, but they are smarter.

Bad New Improvements: Remember getting mad at Boomer and having a friendly-fire mishap? Of course, we all do. You could simply shoot your teammates all you wanted and they would just stand there like nothing at all was happening. Well, those days are no more. Zipper added a feature so that your teammates will retaliate when shot by their leader. Now, this seems like a good implement in theory, but trust me, it's not. Your teammates will now commit mutiny and kill you over even the slightest graze of a bullet. While I don't try and ever shoot my teams on purpose(ok, well, sometimes I do- but that's just for fun) it sometimes happens when faced with many enemies in a closed-quarters position. It also doesn't help that your teammates like to rush the terrorists to rifle butt them instead of shooting. As you can imagine, your teaming committing mutiny and trying to kill instantly ends the game in a mission failure. So, if you get really far in a mission and accidentally shoot any of your teammates, you'll instantly fail. This feature alone can cause a lot of frustration throughout the game, and probably will at one point or another.

Online: I've decided to make a special section about online play in my review simply because I must, there is so much detail. First off, yes, this is better than SOCOM 1's online mode, much better. There are many improvements the game has made, my favorite being respawn. What is respawn, you ask? Well, remember thinking you're tight and rushing the enemy only to be killed in the first minute of the round? It got pretty annoying to have to sit on the benches and watch your teammates play waiting for the next round to start. In respawn, you're there's only one round, and you're brought back to life, a.k.a.- respawned, after only about 10 seconds. This allows you to play a lot more and is generally more fun all around. Another great feature added has to do with clans. You can now simply add and remove tags to your name instead of having to create a whole new character if you join a clan. What more can you ask for? No cheaters, you say? Ok. For now there are very few cheaters so you can now enjoy a fair game instead of having some invisible guy who is invincible come and kill you. You can now dance on the dead bodies of enemies, which is fun for all. Even more fun when you're dancing and get shot down. While not a necessary feature, it adds to the fun. Last but not least, the maps. Yes, all the previous maps are here, some are even improved, along with a whole new slew of cool maps. There's bound to be something you like. Let me say once again, SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs has the best online mode on the PS2, and better yet, it's still free!

Story: Classic SOCOM story in this game, take down 4 separate terrorist organizations. Not much, but enough reason to go kill the terrorists and complete the mission. The story is a slight improvement on SOCOM 1.

Play Time/Replayability: With difficulties ranging from ensign to admiral, this game will take some time to complete. There are also hidden secrets to unlock that make great incentives to keep playing. But we all know where most of the replayablility comes from- the online mode. With online, this game will always be fun to play.

Final Recommendation: If you have an online capable PS2, this game is a must have. If not, the single player mission is still fun, you should rent and then decide if it's worth it to you or not.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/11/04