SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation

(Sony for PS3)
By Mike Delano

There’s one thing you can say for sure about SOCOM fans: They’re some serious dudes. They want hardcore, tactics-heavy third-person military-shooting action with no frills and no concessions to court a larger audience. With Confrontation, they get their wish, for better and worse. There is an all-business tone to the voices of your online teammates and enemies, and developer Slant Six reflects this attitude in the game’s presentation with stark, bare menus and utilitarian maps based in barren, washed-out environments. The characters and weapons have the realistic feel one would expect, and all-around, the game is a fully serviceable online-only shooter. But just a little creative thinking could’ve made it so much more, especially in the midst of another shooter-heavy holiday season. There’s no hook like Warhawk‘s air combat or Shadowrun‘s magic abilities, nor is there the satisfying leveling process of multiplayer heavyweights like CoD 4 or Resistance 2. And with no training options or bot maches, newcomers enter at their own risk (and the cumbersome lobbies and matchmaking don’t roll out the welcome wagon, either). It’s a pretty lean package for a $40 downloadable title (or $60 for the disc and a great Bluetooth headset), but then again, maybe it’s just the kind of cut-to-the-chase, git-er-done package that Spartan-living SOCOM fans demand.
(www.us.playstation.com)