[UPDATE] SOCOM: Confrontation Review
- Posted November 8th, 2008 at 00:05 EDT by
- 62 Comments
Review Score
SOCOM US Navy Seals: Confrontation
- PSU Review Score
- 8.5
- Avg. user review score:
- 7.3
Summary
Slant Six has done a great job in bringing SOCOM to the current generation.
We like
- Realistic weapons
- Responsive controls
- Intricate map design
We dislike
- Player movement is sometimes awkward
- Lack of online communication the majority of the time
See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings
[Editor's Note: Due to SOCOM: Confrontation receiving its much anticipated patch, we have decided to update our review. This isn't something we normally do, but we felt it was necessary to give a proper representation of what to expect with Confrontation.]
SOCOM: Confrontation has been anything but smooth sailing for fans of the series. The game launched with a laundry list of technical issues, but it has finally been patched, and therefore deserves a second look. In my original review, which can be found below, I initially gave SOCOM: Confrontation a 7.5. While some readers found this to be a ludicrous score for their beloved tactical shooter, it was something I still stand by as "fair" at the time. Since then, I've seen SOCOM take a great stride forward.
My biggest gripe with the launch edition was the atrocious scope glitch. Thankfully, this issue is fixed and scopes now correctly display what you're aiming towards. This makes sniping a joyous experience which all fans of the series should be happy about. Furthermore, all technical issues have been corrected. No longer does the main menu lock up the entire console forcing you to perform a hard reset.
As many fans experienced, server loads were often the cause of being unable to join games or connect properly. Combined with the fact some players seemed to warp from one spot to the next, this almost crippled the title. Fortunately, this was corrected with the patch and the game now plays properly.
Due to these major overhauls and fixes, SOCOM: Confrontation is now the quality experience that gamers were hoping for. In light of these drastic changes, I feel compelled to update our review score from a 7.5 to an excellent 8.5.
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I find it hard to think back to the PlayStation 2 and its definitive online titles without subconsciously reminiscing about the SOCOM series. As such, you can imagine the excitement and anticipation that must have been going through me as I waited for the opportunity to get my hands on SOCOM: Confrontation. While the wait may have been painfully slow, it almost feels as though it was all for naught. As many of you know, Confrontation released with a slew of problems and lost promises. Not only are features missing within the game that happen to be clearly printed on the case and in the instruction manual, but also the servers have been unbelievably atrocious. According to Slant Six, you can expect a patch to resolve these issues, which is why my review score will not reflect these technical aspects of the title. Instead, I will cover the customization and gameplay aspects.
The first thing you need to do upon booting up SOCOM is customize your Commando and Mercenary characters. Each character has a different set of items to select from and it helps give each unit its own identity. You have the choice of selecting primary weapons that range from standard assault rifles to sniper rifles. On top of this, you have the option of placing specific add-ons for each weapon type. This can include scopes, laser sighting, bi-pods, and many other items that make your weapons all the more potent. What sets the two character units apart is that the Commandos have your standard government issued M16s while on the flip side the Mercenaries are going to work with AK47s.
Customization continues from this point by giving you the option to select a secondary handgun and of course your standard gear. Standard gear is going to include: rocket launchers, RPGs, grenades, smoke bombs, claymores and more. Considering all of the items you have to choose from, it’s safe to say that there is a strong sense of ownership and uniqueness for each character created. It also allows you to play in a style that is most comfortable to you. One of the most important aspects to military combat though is camouflage. Not only is the color choice important, but also the ability to blend in with your surroundings. Thankfully, Confrontation has a plethora of options to choose from. Included in the game are three types of camouflage: Urban, Desert, and Night. Each suit of camouflage has five or so categories to select ... (continued on next page)
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Comments
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Odium_Generis_Humani
- 9:51pm EST - November 7th, 2008
- 42
I'm glad they re-reviewed this, but it raises an interesting question about modern games. That question being, "Does the initial review of a game mean much anymore because of the new ability to patch a console game and also the emergence of Downloadable Content?"
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Think about it. Warhawk was a solid 8.0 game when reviewed. The original Warhawk. Do you still think it's an 8.0? Then there's Lair. Is it still horrible after the "control issues" patch? Wasn't it upgraded to "fair" or "good" territory? What about any game that got trophy support? The first version of Super Stardust HD is not the same as the current version. No matter what your opinions are to these questions, one thing is for sure, server issues can no longer be a negative factor for a game in launch week. It has become clear that since publishers (like movie studios) really have no solid idea what will do well, what will do REALLY well, and what will tank, they never have enough servers for all the people that get on. They are content to just scramble based on demand. Solution? Even though they say that "there is no such thing a 2 weeks in the news business", I feel like reviews need to wait after 2 weeks of release to review -OR- not take server issues into account.
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a_stray_bullet10
- 10:41pm EST - November 7th, 2008
- 43
i heard this game was horrible. people i know bought the game played it for half n hr took the disc out and sold it on ebay the next day.
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Dogswithguns
- 3:54am EST - November 8th, 2008
- 46
This Socom is awesome, freezing a little here and there. but it's a good game. I know they will fix it soon enough. I aint worry about it.
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Odium_Generis_Humani
- 6:49am EST - November 8th, 2008
- 48
@45 You go by Metacritic. What does that tell me?
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NitroMikeo
- 7:00am EST - November 8th, 2008
- 49
A review is someones opinion, if you dont agree with it. Go away. Stop condemming him. If he thought a 7.5 is fair because of terrible server issues, lag, glitches, then so be it.
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Odium_Generis_Humani
- 11:22am EST - November 8th, 2008
- 50
ST FU. Like you've never disagreed with someone. You are condemning me, there "Holy Father". I do what I please. Don't bother fighting it. You can't control anyone. The sooner you accept that, the happier you'll be. Isn't the internet great?
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Hyourinmaru
- 11:35am EST - November 8th, 2008
- 51
weird this game gets a 4.5 on ign n like a 6 on 1up psu gave it a 8.5?
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Xandure
- 1:52pm EST - November 8th, 2008
- 52
Ok COD4 got an excellent score becuase it has an offline campaign mode that was gorgeous to look at and fun to play, as far socom goes for an online only game that shouldve been ready for the mass public when launched, why is it every online game requires some kind've patch out of the box, come on developers beta test your games so the general public can play and test the servers, and none of this exclusive beta shyt ALL BETA's should be PUBLIC Betas so they can test the full funtionality of the servers before the full launch of the game, but that's just my opinion.
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psycho_mantis |
uncut_raw187- 2:31pm EST - November 8th, 2008
- 53
COD4 still owns and COD5 will continue to own!!!!
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EFFORTLESS8
- 7:56pm EST - November 8th, 2008
- 54
everyone saying this game is bad is stupid. You all either havent played the game or you dont like it cuz you suck. This game is the best realistic online shooter for the PS3 END OF STORY.
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Syphon_Filter |
Syphon_Filter2- 9:37pm EST - November 8th, 2008
- 55
Socom is one of most poor game that has been developed for ps3. very bad game. terrible game. this review is just waste of time and trying to convince people to buy the terrible game named socom.
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GunTeng
- 9:56pm EST - November 8th, 2008
- 56
@55 no offense, but that is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. You soun as if you have never played socom, enjoyed its gameplay or seen the community orientation and player options it has always offered, which has been bettered in Confrontation.
The only poor thing about this title (barring an odd bug) is that they neglected the traditional FPS mode. And even when they have done that, I can still admit that it is still a great iteration of a much loved franchise....even if I cannot play 3PS and utterly gutted they ignored the FPS aspect.
Socom Confrontation has all the elements for a great online 3PS...simple as that.
Get rid of bugs and server issues and it easily tops a game like COD4...and thats coming from an FPS gamer.
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izaiazofnazareth
- 8:38am EST - February 8th, 2009
- 59
i like that psu re-reviewed socom. it is a very good game and there is nothing like socom out there.
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