SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs Preview

The name of the game is SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy Seals. For fans of the series, enough said. For those who have not played any of the predecessors to this PlayStation 2 shooter title, you have missed out on some of the frenetic, and yet strategic, action to grace the console.

Sony (SCEA) and Zipper Interactive have had the multiplayer going on for weeks now, and when you can find a room with players in it, you are in for a team-shooting treat.

The game is slated for release on October 11, and will feature a very strong single-player element, but where the game truly shines is when you team up for online action.

It all began with a media tour, showing off vehicles that can be mounted, with players driving, playing passenger or manning the guns. Simple to do, and aside from the fact that whether in a boat or on a Humvee, you are a sitting duck, the game moved along at a brisk pace. There are game variations of capture the flag, or last-man standing, and essentially the teams are broken down into two squads – SEALs and Terrorists. Ok, ok, it seems as if the developers are saying if you are not a SEAL, you are a bad guy. After all, is there such a thing as a “good” terrorist?

The maps are huge, featuring a wide variety of terrain, and this is a game where terrain does factor in to the combat. Find a vantage point, take some cover and let patience guide you. Of course, standing and firing your weapon is not as accurate as if you are kneeling, prone, or using a tripod.

Oh, but wait, a lot depends on the weapon you are using as well, and in SOCOM 3, the weapon is infinitely customizable. Each weapon mode may affect weight, range and accuracy, so getting carried away is not necessarily a good thing.

The scope is also important. I planned to be on my belly, in tall grass, on a hilltop, sniping. So, to that end, I felt putting on a thermal scope (body heat) would be appropriate. The game lets you jump into first-person perspective or back out to third person quite easily, and the controls are very good in that they are very responsive. I will be the first to admit, that when it comes to twitch shooters, my game is seriously lacking solid twitch. But if the game allows me to play smart (a.k.a. hide and kill unsuspecting targets in a most cowardly fashion … you know … like a real sniper), then I can do some damage.

The dev team guided the media through use of explosives and how they can create havoc if planted at the right places. Of course, the game fully integrates the use of headsets, so if a buddy plants some explosives, one hopes he (or she) will forewarn the rest of the team.

The map shows waypoints as they come within range, and players can hike across the landscapes, often taking paths that vehicles cannot. And don’t forget that you can hide underwater, but you will need to be aware that you don’t have gills.

After hiking around the map (if you die, you can have random spawn points so your enemy does not camp your respawn zone), the dev team asked if everyone was up for a quick team battle. Sure! Sounds like fun … until more people decided to join the Terrorist team (Team Zipper), and outmanned the SEALs. But hey, there is power in being on the right team, isn’t there?

We all zoned in, and quickly moved out. Teammates were using natural cover wherever possible while I went looking for a place to hide. A partially destroyed building on a hill gave me an idea and I went just below it, on the down slope and went to belly in the tall grass, and waited.

The targeting reticule occasionally showed red, meaning the enemy was near. I couldn’t hear them and from my vantage point, I definitely couldn’t see them. But the nerves were jangling something fierce. One of our team members was taken out, and my targeting reticule was now a dancing red showcase. Finally I couldn’t stand it anymore and stood up.

There may be a question over who was more surprised, me or the three Zipper dev members standing around me in a loose triangle formation. The quiet was broken by the cacophony of automatic weapons firing indiscriminately and with malice of purpose. The game’s producer, much to his credit, interrupted his discussion on game features long enough to acknowledge, in a mildly shocked way, that he just got whacked by GameZone. Maybe the other two were dinged, maybe not. They walked on, leaving me to mourn the awkward angle of my dead cyber body lying in the tall grass within feet from where I had been laying moments before.

SOCOM 3 is a rush, quick-paced, and the multiplayer is easy to jump into and use. With the customization options, the vehicles, the huge maps and terrain environments, this is an aspect of the game that will have players entrenched in marathon sessions.

Graphically the game is sterling, with dynamic lighting. The sounds were solid, and the headsets provide a viable way to communicate, adding to the intensity of the game uninterrupted by trying to type chat.

SOCOM 3’s single player will add three new areas of operation – Morocco, Poland and Bangladesh (all with multiple save points), but it is the integration of a well-rounded single-player experience with the robust multiplayer elements that will make this a sure-fire hit.

The game will do nothing than add to the legacy of its predecessors, and will be a must-own for PS2 shooter fans. For those who have yet to experience the depth of a shooter, just judging from the multiplayer elements, this is one heck of a way to begin the experience.