SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs

"First time socom player? Who cares, come on board seal."

I've played a ton of first person shooters and this one is by far one of the best. My brother called me and told me that he just got it and he couldn't stop playing. I didn't like Socom 2 when he let me borrow his game mostly because of all the people online who were glitching and whatnot plus I really didn't like the controls. So I decided to go over to his house and give it a shot. I played just one round, dropped the controller and went to the store... Socom 3, here I come!

Controls: 8/10
Like I said above, I didn't really like Socom 2's controls and this third edition to the series isn't much if at all different. The only things I don't like is where the just and talk buttons are, to use them you have to stop controlling the aim of your weapon momentarily... not a big fan of that! Over all though, when you get used to the controls it makes the game seem so much more real and really takes you into the game.

Graphics: 9/10
I think these graphics are very, very good. Not the absolute best, but very good none the less. You can see everything very clearly from long distances and nothing seems too blocky. I really enjoyed the graphics from this game.

Sound: 10/10
The sound from this games rocks! I have a home theater setup with surround sound and its like a total immersion into this game. You can hear things like grass being crushed under your foot steps to a ring after being too close to an exploding grenade! Too, too sweat!

Story Mode: 8/10
The story mode is good, but not great. I think it's better to run through the story mode first to brush up on the control scheme and get used to the game in its whole (oh yeah, it doesn't hurt to get the unlockables for the online game play). The AI is a major improvement over the last game in that it's much harder. They seem smarter like when you shoot at them, clip them, and then they "kiss the dirt" and shoot back instead of you just being able to pick them off.

Online Mode: 10/10
What did you expect? This is what the game is about. With online clans, 32 people on a singe map, and vehicles, the game couldn't get any sweater. I currently am in a clan that my brother and I made. Its a lot of fun playing with friends and family. Tactics come in a lot for the online game play. We have tactics we use in the games, from "grenade and cover me" to “I'll pull the sniper out with running, you get him". Believe me; this is about as must fun as you can have with family. Plus this is a great area to make new friends from all over the place. Truly amazing!

Replay Ability: 10/10
Well for the story mode it's more like a 5, but there isn't a number high enough for the online aspect of the game.

Overall: 10/10
I haven't played a game so fun in a long time. I'm not the biggest fan of first person shooters (although I've played plenty), but I think this game going to make me a huge one. Get the game, play it, love it!

Rent or Buy: Buy
I would definitely say buy this game, unless you are broke as a joke, then rent it. Or rent it if you really don't like first person shooters, but want to give one a shot. Trust me, you won't be sorry!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/25/05