Customer Reviews

SWAT 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide)

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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.

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.

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.

I wish all games had a book like this with them, and I hope Josh Mandel writes more!

I have never been much of an adventure gamer, but with books like this out there, it has made a convert out of me! The text is written in an easy to follow format, which makes playing the game even more exciting!