SOCOM Confrontation Review

With the bugs blasted away in time for the European release, SOCOM: Confrontation should be the definitive online shooter, so what went wrong?

I must admit that I approached SOCOM: Confrontation with a little trepidation. Slipping release dates and horror stories from the US over network issues weighed heavily on my mind as the game loaded.

These concerns were not eased by the fact that developer Zipper Interactive had passed the reigns over to Slant Six Games. Zipper had been behind the series' previous outings, many of which were met with critical acclaim on the PlayStation 2.

Thankfully, I can report that it passed the first test, the game actually worked. After reports of warping, horrendous lag and shooting issues, it seemed that the bugs had been ironed-out in time for the European release.

Confrontation follows the same path laid down by previous games in the series; a third-person mercenary versus commando shooter with heavy emphasis on tactical thinking and online play. Actually, make that a complete emphasis on online play.


There's no single-player story mode on offer in Confrontation, leaving online shoot-outs as your only choice. So, gun in hand and ready for war, I gallantly entered an online quick match, coming out all guns blazing ready to massacre some mercenaries and was almost immediately shot down in a hail of bullets.

Ah, maybe I'd better have a few rounds training then. What, no training or practice modes? Unfortunately not.

The lack of a training or single-player mode means that, for better or worse, you're thrown straight in at the deep-end, battling against players who almost certainly have dozens of hours playtime under their belts, making the initial difficulty steeper than a banker's bonus demands.

Once the learning curve is under control there are a handful of enjoyable aspects to Confrontation. One point that certainly must be praised is the level design, thanks to some exquisite stages and sprawling set pieces.


These add themselves well to the tension that's created when you're desperately trying to keep a low profile, as no matter how hard you try, most areas are accessible via several different routes, with sniper sights never far away - perfect for keeping a player on their toes.

The graphics are sturdy enough, offering up some eye-catching HD moments. The dust-in-your-face textures are particularly noteworthy, although I did experience the odd moment of lag.

In terms of controls, Confrontation offers one innovation - tilting the SIXAXIS allows players to lean from one side to the other. However, I found this to be ineffectual at best.

Elsewhere, the controls are standard fare, though it can feel a little clunky at times. Running is seemingly fine, moving left and right is also A-ok, but running and moving from left or right at the same time? Well, that seems to be a little too much to ask; you'll find yourself either veering off too far in one direction, or you'll feel like your running through treacle. You'll be gunned down in no time, since you'll be moving as quickly as a pensioner on the dance floor.


Of course, with online shooters there's always one danger; an abundance of overenthusiastic teenagers screaming down their microphone at every given opportunity as if they have a chronic case of verbal diarrhoea.

However, in my experience of the game this is far from the case, with players instead displaying a far more laid back approach, which at times bordered on the depressed. Whether this says more about the game or its players, I've yet to figure out.

Perhaps the downbeat tone is due to the fact that they've shelled out on a game that doesn't offer a great deal. As mentioned earlier, the game's maps are a thing of beauty, well-crafted and genuinely pleasing on the eye thanks to a mixture of sharp visuals and gritty textures, but why only seven of them?

Even worse, four of these are from previous SOCOM games, beefed up for the HD experience. Therein lies the game's main-selling point and at the same time its drawback. It is a game for die-hard fans of the series.


Newbies will find themselves up against it as they take on hardened veterans of the franchise and will also have little appreciation for each map's nod to the past. For lovers of the series this may well be a half-decent investment and a good way to spend a few hours, but for those who have not been won over by the charms of SOCOM up to now, there's very little here to sway them.

Some longevity is added through a fairly comprehensive customisation section, which allows players to change the look, and more importantly, the weaponry of their character. There is a decent selection of guns available, with players able to choose a primary and secondary weapon, and different armour options are also on offer, but this is, unfortunately, pretty much all there is to add any further excitement.

That's not to say that Confrontation doesn't do some things well. There are some genuinely engaging elements to the game, but after a few hours of play it felt shallow and lightweight. Once you've scratched beyond the surface and blasted through a few missions, there's not a whole lot more to do.

This feeling is not helped by the fact that there are only seven game modes, which offer little in the way of ground-breaking innovation. Basically, if you've played a third or first-person shooter online before, you've played these modes. It's your basic capture the flag type contests, with satchels to be picked up and hostages to be rescued, which grow tiresome fairly quickly.


With online elements so commonplace in the current generation of consoles, Confrontation is up against it from the off. Its lack of a single-player means that its online play has to be top drawer, which unfortunately it just isn't.

If a competent story mode was added to the bundle this would be seen as an enjoyable game with a half-decent online option. But as a standalone product it just doesn't offer enough to put it above the rest. While this is reflected in the lower price tag, you'd be better off putting the cash towards Call of Duty 4 or Killzone 2.

4.5/10

Richard Chamberlain