SWAT 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide) [Paperback]

Josh Mandel (Author)

Book Description

Series: Prima's Official Strategy Guide | Publication Date: July 1998

Strategies for all 30 SWAT and Terrorist missions
Thorough training guidelines
Essential stats for all 200 characters
Complete weapon and equipment lists
Undocumented shortcuts and techniques
Crisis negotiation tactics
In-depth interview with the creator

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

SWAT 2 is Sierra's real-time action-strategy game revolving around the conflict between the LAPD's Special Weapons and Tactics squad on one side and terrorist forces on the other. No matter which side you choose to play in the conflict, this book will help you make sense of the game's complexity and deep, rich gameplay. The guide starts with a primer on gameplay basics (including a recommendation for the best way to position your fingers on the keyboard). A step-by-step tutorial walks you through all the phases of a simple mission, while more in-depth walk-throughs follow. All 30 missions are described in detail and, although they tend to unfold differently each time you play them, the book helps you prepare for any eventuality. After the walk-throughs, the book gets even better. A great interview between author Josh Mandel and game designer Susan Frischer is written in an entertaining Mickey Spillane style. The design-team bios are equally entertaining, and the extensive tables of SWAT and terrorist ability ratings round out this excellent book. --Michael Ryan

Review

Tactics or terror. Which will YOU choose?

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Prima Games (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761511164
• ISBN-13: 978-0761511168
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,598,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Praise from the designer of SWAT 2, January 7, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Oakhurst, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SWAT 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide) (Paperback)

Despite his warped sense of humor (you should see what he does with the shrimp heads at a sushi bar), Josh Mandel is one of the finest people I know. He's also one heck of a game designer (notably "Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist" and "Callahan's Crosstime Saloon"). It was with unmitigated pleasure that I heard he'd agreed to honor us by writing the strategy guide for the SWAT 2 computer game. I worked with him closely on the project and was quite happy with the result (except for one or two points of question in the interview with me... but we'll talk about that later :-)). Josh excelled in the difficult task of writing a manual for a game that was not completely playable until well after his deadline. The resulting book is a detailed, precise compilation (and enjoyable read) of how to play SWAT 2 and succeed in all the missions, as well as a plethora of trivia about the development team.

As the designer of the SWAT 2 game and the strategy guide author for the first SWAT game, I know a good SWAT strategy guide when I see one... and this is it. While you don't need this book in order to play the game, the additional material contained within will greatly add to your SWAT 2 gaming experience.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great strategy guide for a great PC game., August 10, 1998

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: SWAT 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide) (Paperback)

I don't really like strategy guides for PC games. Usually they seem to be nothing more than a ploy by publishers to get you to throw your money away on another game manual when you've already got the one in the box that came with the software. Often they are too heavy on narrative and don't really bother giving the reader other than a handfull of tips and hints in the usual 200+ pages. And half the time they just give you step by step "go here, do that, and you'll win" guides through each scenario leaving the gamer with no challanges.

Maybe its because Sierra's SWAT 2 fuzzy logic programming has the scenarios reacting differently each time the game is played, but Josh Mandel's strategy guide seems like a real strategy guide, not just another narrative about the game that does nothing more than give away the plot. Here are usefull tips and hints that tell you how to think like a SWAT officer. Depending on how well you listen, the outcome of each scenario! , and ultimately the game, is still up to the reader/gamer. Lavishly illustrated, with a good tip on the margin of almost every page, it also contains a ton of info on real police SWAT tactics. This is a decent companion to the game and one of the few strategy guides I've ever bothered to read cover to cover. And it has an index, a rarity for most PC strategy guides!!!

Most of the reviews of I've read on the SWAT 2 game have been positive while pointing out some flaws in the game. After reading this guide I realized the game isn't flawed at all, in fact its almost perfect. You just have to know how to deploy your SWAT and assault teams and snipers in the proper manner and when to use tear gas, flashbangs, entry explosives and the other tools of the SWAT trade. No, I haven't master the game yet, but I probably would have given up on it long before if it wasn't for this excellent guidebook. I can hardly wait for the SWAT 2 mission pack coming out in January '99... and I! hope Josh Mandel provides another guide for it too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maximum Artopes, May 20, 2000

By 

Slazz (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SWAT 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide) (Paperback)

I read this book out loud, to a friend, over the phone, long distance, at 4 in the morning. I've only ever done that once before so you can imagine! I don't have that friend anymore, but I still have this book. To say it is a compelling read is an understatement. I don't want to give away the ending, so let me just say that Josh Mandel's words are more than just guideful, helpful lessonfulls of stuff - his writing is prosaic and wise, at times almost mystical, philisophical. In and of itself, this is an excellent book. For anyone with a friend, or a phone, it is a must have.