SOCOM Week: Tactical Strike hands-on
After getting our hands on a updated build of SOCOM: Tactical Strike, we can confidently say that this has the potential to be the best SOCOM game yet. Unlike the previous Fireteam Bravo games on the system, Tactical Strike dares to take the franchise in a brand new direction. By focusing on the tactical and strategic elements of being a NAVY SEAL, Tactical Strike has crafted an experience unlike any other -- Tactical Strike contains both an incredible amount of depth while also being ideally suited for PSP's limited controls.
Because Tactical Strike is such a radical departure from the previous SOCOM games, it takes some time to get used to the controls and concept of the game. Yes, you'll still be killing terrorists and bad guys -- but how you do it will be completely different. Instead of having direct control over a SEAL, you'll act as a commander, dictating orders and commands to your squad. There are four members of your squad, grouped into two smaller squads: Able and Bravo element.
The entire squadron can be commanded as one unit. Using the analog nub, players will be able to command the squad where to move and whether or not to move there stealthily. A ghost system will indicate how the squad will be positioned when they arrive at the specified point: it's an incredibly helpful system that allows you to take advantage of cover efficiently and even set up a man to fire from a corner. You can command your soldiers to simply wait, target a specific enemy, or stay on the lookout for targets.
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You won't have much success simply running and gunning in Tactical Strike. That kind of approach will lead to certain death in the real world, and Tactical Strike follows the same mentality. Players will want to take advantage of the environment to ensure they have the upper hand in every situation that they face. As a Slant Six designer noted, you want to position yourself so that you win before the gunfight even begins. When your squadron has the benefit of surprise, coordination and effective strategy, each firefight will be over in mere seconds.
In order to become an efficient group of NAVY SEALS, you'll have to command Able and Bravo element to not only get a clear vantage over the enemy, but to be in positions where they can support each other. For example, players may want Able element to climb up the stairs, providing cover for Bravo element below. The shoulder buttons are used to switch between Able and Bravo element. You can then select Able, use the analog nub to tell them to move into position. While Able element is moving, you can switch over to Bravo and command them to hide behind cover in the alley below. Once Able is in position, you can tell them to watch over a specific area in front of Bravo. By hitting a specific icon in the in-game menu, you'll tell the squad to wait for your command before firing. Once you see enemies slowly approaching your area, you can switch back to Bravo, have them prepare a grenade to throw into the hostiles, and while the hostiles are distracted and start firing at Bravo, Able element can then be commanded to commence their queued attack. In a matter of mere seconds, the terrorists are killed, and no one on your team has suffered any damage.
Or, imagine another scenario that we played from the game. We're about to breach a shack, and we know that hostiles remain in the building. Able is ready to breach the front with lethal force, but we also send Bravo to the back and look through a window. They crack the window, distracting the hostiles inside, and we immediately switch to Able, command them to break in, and kill the hostiles inside.
If that sounds complicated, it's because it is. There's no denying that it took us a good amount of time to get used to the controls. It's not that they're unintuitive -- in fact, once you understand the controls, you understand the clear logic that was used to construct them. More difficult than adjusting to the controls was adjusting to such a strategic way of thinking. Becoming a military leader involves using a great deal of cunning when trying to complete mission objectives quickly and safely. Because the game occurs in real-time, we don't have the benefit of simply making theoretical commands. Plans must be carefully constructed, and executed, or the chances of failure will be great. The game expects a level of expertise that the SEALS would use themselves, so the margin of error is slim: in fact, you won't be able to lose a single comrade in battle, or the game is automatically over.
Slant Six is taking a very respectful and personal approach to the life of the soldier, and although we weren't allowed to see any of the cinematics in the game, it seems as though Tactical Strike will provide a meaningful story. We'd love to see the humanity behind these soldiers, not just the global conflicts that lead to their deployment.
Wraith, Bronco, Kahuna and Aztec are all customizable characters, and players will enjoy being able to gain experience points, and apply them to specialized skills and abilities. For example, you may want to make a particular character a very good marksman, and equip him with a sniper rifle. Or, you may want a particularly speedy character to make efficient stealth kills.
Beyond the broad wealth of customizable options, we were impressed by many other aspects of Tactical Strike. For example, the artificial intelligence should be highly commended. Enemies will respond quite naturally, taking cover at the first moment of trouble. This doesn't mean they'll take the best cover -- it was amusing to see a stranded enemy have no choice but hide behind a thin telephone pole, which offered very little protection. Enemies will respond very quickly and naturally, calling for backup as soon as they get into trouble. Afterwards, enemies will still be very cautious, carefully patrolling and searching the area. Stealthy play is encouraged thanks to the responsive enemy AI.
It's not just the enemy AI that's intelligent, though. Your troops also have free will, and will do their best to avoid getting killed, in spite of a poorly planned decision made by the player. They will also take cover, and try to fight back when cornered into a situation. Most likely, they will not come out unscathed, and the player will be negatively ranked (performance is judged on the health and well-being of your soldiers at the end of a mission).
There's so much to appreciate about SOCOM: Tactical Strike. While the controls and gameplay may seem daunting at first, the overall pacing of the game seems spot-on, with the earlier levels giving players enough space to get acquainted with the game's unique approach to real-time strategy and action. Later missions look to be incredibly ambitious in scope, usually involving far more complicated environments, and layered mission objectives.
SOCOM: Tactical Strike will utilize all 333MHz of PSP's processing power, and it looks to deliver the best graphics we've seen on PSP to date. Yes, we're saying it looks even better than God of War: Chains of Olympus. The level of detail is incredible: the lush jungles, the overgrown flora, and the incredible lighting and smoke effects look impeccable on the PSP screen. With an incredibly thorough single player campaign, and a 4-player Infrastrcture multiplayer mode (with headset support), Tactical Strike will be pushing the boundaries of the PSP system. There's a lot to look forward to when Tactical Strike releases exclusively on PSP this October.
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SOCOM Week continues next Monday. Stay tuned to PSP Fanboy as we give you exclusive interviews, and behind the scenes info on SOCOM: Tactical Strike.
