Customer Reviews

SOCOM: Tactical Strike

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Most negative reviews are coming fron die-hard socom gamers. This game has a main purpose of Strategy. This is not a run and gun game...its about commanding. The graphics for Socom Tactical Strike are by far the best so far or close. The gameplay with commanding is a ton of fun if you take the time to master the commands...the multiplay online is also cool many may think having only four real life players on at a time is ok...but commanding and setting up ambushes changes the total landscape of the game with ranking systems and clans. This all makes online play great! I give them alot of credit for developing something varying very different from the standard socom game, this game packs alot of fun with single player and online play. Just take the time to master the controls and the fun will start filtering in fast...

There are plenty of bullets flying in SOCOM: Tactical Strike, but unfortunately, you won't be firing any of them. This release of SOCOM has no playable characters (in mission mode, anyway; I can't speak to on-line play).

You have a squad of 4 guys (Wraith, Bronco, and two other guys) and you play the game by issuing commands to them. You don't control a character and move them with the joystick. Rather, you move the reticle (they call it the "command skimmer") to a spot on the screen and push a button and order them to move. You don't shoot at your enemies, you put your enemy in the command reticle and order your team to attack (fire, throw grenade, snipe, etc.).

I've played a couple of missions, and besides being pretty short, the style of game play just isn't that interesting to me.

The good:
- Graphics are very good
- The range of commands you can issue is very broad. You can order your team to move, move with stealth, breach a door, breach with stealth, etc.
- You can play as commandos from 4 or 5 different countries.

The bad:
- In-game control can be pretty complex. I wouldn't be surprised if most players just stick with the simpler commands.
- Wraith is back, but where is Sandman? (Maybe he got a job on a better video game.)
- The tutorial is pretty bad. The narrator talks really fast, and it is hard to pick up on what she is telling you to do. Doing anything in this game takes at least two steps (and the more sophisticated stuff takes 4 or more steps), so it isn't very helpful when she describes is all in one sentence.


I think it's too bad that Sony did this to SOCOM. I have nothing against strategy games, but this series traditionally has been a 3rd-person action/shooter. For it to be 100% strategy-based is a step backwards. If you like strategy games, this one probably is OK. If you are looking for a good shooter or another chapter in the SOCOM series, then stay away from this one. At the very least, rent it first and see if you like the style of gameplay before you buy.

Presentation: 7/10

The menus are nothing special but are thankfully are not difficult to navigate through.

Gameplay 8.2/10

The gamesplay is the biggest and most obvious difference from previous Socom games. If you have played Full Spectrum Warrior then you already have a taste of the gameplay. you never directly control your character, you have them move through the use of a "skimmer" and have them them attack. lay suppression fire, etc..., through a square shaped reticule in the middle of the screen.
Also the amount of options availible to your squad of four men are quite vast. You can order them to lay down some suppression fire, fire at a specific target, stealthly kill someone, breach doors three different ways, breach windows, move, move stealthly, move with cover, and thats roughly half. You can een break your team into two groups of two or four individuals.

The worst thing about the game may be the camera. The camera is very cumbersome at times and difficult to manage around things, especially in tight corridor spaces.

Graphics: 9/10

This game has some of the best graphics seen on the PSP system to date. Huge, higly detailed environments and characters combined with interesting lightning features make an amazing looking game. The technical prowness of the game puts way above previous socom games on the PSP and more than half of the PSP library.

Sound: 9.5/10

Sharp, dead-on weapon sound effects make this game as immesive as any before. Since you can play as many different countries, your men speak their native language.

Lasting Appeal: 7.5/10

This game is worth playing again taking into consideratiion of how many different strageties can be put together to complete an objective. The online multiplayer component is and awesome component which adds a little extra life to the game but it's extremely difficult to execute strategies the same way in multiplayer like you would do in campaign mode.

OVERALL: 8.5/10


**note**
If you are still a bit skeptical about this game then download the demo from the online Playstation store at store.playstation.com
Have fun!

I have to say this is one of the most underrated PSP games out there. This game is VERY well done and will provide you with HOURS of fun.

This is NOT a first person shooter, this is a TACTICAL war game. If you have ever seen or played a game called Full Spectrum Warrior, this is like having a hand held version of that.

It has all the cool SOCOM elements, and lots of weapons to equip your team with.

You have to really think and use your brain to play this game. It's great and I do not regret my purchase.

This will be re-released as a PSP greatest hits game on 4/5/09 for 19.99. At that price point this game is an even better value.

I got it for 14.99 online. Search around, you can get some deals.

Enjoy!

This game is the best, most challenging SOCOM game. I really enjoy working with 4 players instead of 2. It opens up options and makes completing objectives easier.

I really miss the finer level of control I had over the main character. For example, in previous versions of SOCOM, I could control when the sniper shoots. Sometimes I could hit targets that were farther off than recommended. In Tactical Strike, the computer takes the sniper shot. Sometimes the computer rejects shots that look possible.

Other than getting used to working with 4 players, my only other problems have been related to missions where both teams have to work at the same time. I haven't been able to find a solution to this dilema yet.

Nevertheless, I have invested hours into this game and enjoy the mental challenge of developing tactical solutions to the problems posed in it.

It's a typical army shooter game. It's a bit more tactical, though. At times, the controls can be a bit complicated.

Yes, its not a shooter. Its "Tactical Strike" which is between tactics and shooter. It moves like a movie, great graphics. Sounds good too.

the game is boring flat out boring all u do is run over there get shot over here just get socom 3 for psp

This is a great game more difficult. But i beat it in 4 days. It has multiplayer mode and in order to win you need to know the controls and how to control each member

After getting Fire Team Bravo 2 as a Father's Day present, I was hooked. Fun to play, quick to learn, and it let's you finish the game! Buy these series of games!