SOCOM: Confrontation
Review
Engage in battles between Commandos and Mercenaries
by Professor Layton
reviewed on PS3
Bringing things online
Since the debut of the PS3 almost two years ago, the gaming machine has been known for its high-quality online experience. Unlike its competitors, the PS3 delivers a high-end experience both offline and online, and perhaps one of the biggest draw-ins, Blu-ray compatibility. Over the past two years, SCEA has been bringing all of its core franchises to PS3. Now the long-awaited debut of SOCOM has arrived. Was it worth the wait?
Unlike previous installments in the series, Confrontation puts a heck of a lot of emphasis on online play and the global community. Sounds like a pretty good idea on paper for those with online access, but for those who don’t, they are out of luck. Even for those with access, they really aren’t that lucky seeing as the game is polluted with bugs, glitches and several other issues. Look past all of that though and you are going to find what franchise veterans have come to love.
Duking it out online
While online, players engage in battles between Commandos and Mercenaries across a variety of terrains, jam-packed with sniper nests, ambush alleys and crossfire points. Confrontation boasts seven game modes, ranging from Suppression (Team Deathmatch), Control (acquiring and holding checkpoints) and Extraction (transporting hostages from one location to extraction safe zones).
Customization is a huge part of Confrontation. To complete your objectives, the game offers a diverse arsenal of weapons, ranging from shotguns to machine rifles. Players are capable of selecting a primary weapon and secondary weapon for combat, as well as any other equipment that may be mandatory. Scopes, laser sights, and other accessories may be added to guns to further boost their capabilities. Body armor can be worn to increase the defense abilities of a character, but also lowers the agility of him on the battlefield.
Firsts
To execute leans and a variety of other moves, players take advantage of the game’s motion sensing controls. Previous installments have required players to physically move to turn the camera, leaving them wide-open for a headshot attack. All that is in the past now thanks to the DualShock. Simply turn it to the left or right to lean around a corner and get in position to take a shot and retreat to safety. Accompanied with this is a wide array of other unique controls, all of which are executed decently.
In case you aren’t already aware, the game is packaged with the official Sony Bluetooth headset, which allows for clear and precise communication between players. One fault I found with the game was that the volume of the headset is a little loud. Everything from breathing and mumbling comes through on the other side. Not quite an ideal scenario, but if used properly, it can result in one of the best ways to communicate.
Saturation point
Confrontation is by no means perfect. To be honest, it is far from it. Though the core of the game works fine, the countless number of bugs and glitches found in the final version of the game are completely unsatisfactory. I won’t attempt and explain them; I shall just give you a heads-up that you will encounter quite a few. So many that the game sometimes seems a little rushed. That makes you wonder if the game was rushed by SCEA to get it out on the shelves as soon as possible for the approaching holiday season.
From a visual standpoint, Confrontation is a decent piece of work. Nothing exactly mind-blowing, nor anything above par. Same can be said with the audio. It is what it is but when playing you will sometimes find yourself wanting more. Sort of makes you wish Slant Six Games put a little more effort into the game. Nevertheless, the game is out and it is a disappointment to all. Well, maybe not everybody, but certainly to the majority of us.
Definitely rushed out of the gates
The long wait for a PS3 SOCOM game is over, but in the end, we never quite got what we bargained for. The technical issues with the game make it feel a little rushed, but besides that, it is a fine piece of software. Though purchasers will likely be grasping for more after playing the game due to the lack of offline modes, they will just have to wait for the eighth installment. That is, if there is one. On a side note, let’s hope that the next one is developed by Zipper Interactive, or at least a developer that knows what they are doing.
6.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
