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SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)
Posted on Tuesday, December 02, 2003 @ 06:59:56 pm E.S.TLast year’s online king is back, and ready for another run. SOCOM 2 improves and builds on literally every aspect of the online experience. If you’re online with your PS2, you won’t want to miss this game.
Graphics and Sound: SOCOM 2 hosts a mixture of both good and bad visuals. When you set out to tackle the many missions SOCOM 2 has to offer, you will find some truly lifelike shrubbery and botanical life as well as some true to life towns, but at the same time you will also find a handful of rough looking textures that can sometimes take away from the otherwise beautiful scenery. Another area of visuals that was truly amazing had to be the character designs. SOCOM 2 features three major character classes: SEALS, Terrorists and Civilians. You would expect that the character designs for a game of this scale would be both graphically pleasing as well as having a reasonable appearance in terms of being a person of their particular class, but what SOCOM 2 accomplishes goes far beyond that. Each of the various locals you’ll encounter from around the world is entirely unique, throw in some strong voice acting and their native language and these characters nearly come to life. Graphically, SOCOM 2 leaves just a little to be desired. However, any feelings of mediocrity you may experience from the slightly lacking visuals are instantly cured when the sounds of SOCOM 2 come into play.
The sounds of SOCOM 2 are nothing short of incredible. The world around you really comes to life as your foot crunches through the terrain below. Your environment is living and breathing just like you, and although it sounds spectacular, your environment is not the only thing you’ll be hearing. Gunshots are a frequent sound in SOCOM 2, so it’s a good thing that an excellent job was done crafting the sound of every shot to perfection. When the shots begin to go off the sound will allow you to distinguish where the shot is coming from and even the distance from which it was taken. Not only will you be able to tell the location of the gunfire by its sound, but you will learn what type of weaponry you are up against. Every type of weapon in SOCOM 2 sounds entirely different from the last, and you’ll know what you’re going up against before you even see your enemy. The world around you in SOCOM 2 seems entirely authentic, and the greatest part of this game’s sound is yet to come.
You'll encounter turrets throughout the game.
The voice acting done in this military masterpiece is stunning, simply stunning. The various people from around the world all look and sound different from the last. Each and every person speaks their native language, and when they speak you’ll be able to identify them from their voice. I cannot stress enough how pleasing the voice acting done for this game is. All these various areas of audio come together on Dolby Pro Logic II for a one of a kind experience that isn’t normally found in an action game such as this.
Single-player Gameplay: The single-player gameplay of SOCOM 2 falls short of excellence. In fact, to say the single-player side of SOCOM 2 was merely decent would be a much more accurate description. The single-player gameplay of the SOCOM series has always been overshadowed by the online experience, and that becomes painfully obvious in the latest installment to the series. SOCOM 2 features 12 missions around various areas of the world such as Albania and Russia. During these long, tedious and repetitive missions you’re likely to be disappointed by a number of things. Most obvious of all will be the complete lack of checkpoints throughout the game. The lack of checkpoints throughout missions causes you to play through long and sometimes boring sections of the game repeatedly, and by the time you’ve ran through the same mission over and over again you’re likely to become quite frustrated with the game. For some gamers the lack of checkpoints may not as much a problem as it is an annoyance. The single-player mode of SOCOM 2 is still fairly enjoyable; aside from the lack of checkpoints you’ll only encounter a few additional problems.
The second major problem you’ll encounter are a few bugs with the otherwise impeccable AI. Your fellow SEALs' AI is great in the field; these guys will cover you and take out threats to you sometimes before you can even see them. However, as we know, no one is perfect. Your teammates have a downfall, and it is undeniably their inability to get around inanimate objects. These problems become particularly obvious around ladders, as sometimes your teammates will get stuck or jump from the top of a platform and lose nearly all their health. As a whole, the single-player gameplay should not keep you from finishing what SOCOM 2’s missions have to offer, not to mention the goodies the single-player mode will earn you. When you tire of playing alone the online gameplay of SOCOM 2 will be there for you, and this experience is really what the game is all about.
Nightvision gives you a distinct advantage.
Online Gameplay: I’ll get right to business with this section of the review; SOCOM 2 is the cream of the crop as far as online gaming is concerned. In the sequel to the most successful online game of all time you’ll find yourself suiting up for action in 22 various maps. Of these 22 maps, 12 are new additions and 10 are returning from the original. With the addition of masterfully done shrubbery and well placed mounted guns throughout the environments, SOCOM 2’s new maps will leave you satisfied. The original maps also feature additional and graphically upgraded shrubbery. As well as featuring additional maps two new modes are offered for online gamers, Escort and Breach. These are both fairly simple modes of play, but you’re guaranteed to have an exhilarating experience as you gun your way through them. Sounds like a boatload of new goodies, right? There’s more.
SOCOM 2 features a slew of new weapons. Among these lethal additions is the rocket launcher, which becomes accessible for online play only after completing the single-player mode on the higher levels of difficulty. The rocket launcher is a large weapon that requires you to remain stationary once you’ve chosen to use it. It can be a hassle at times, but it certainly packs punch. Another new weapon in SOCOM 2 is the anti-personnel mine. This deadly form of defense works well in some situations and not so well in others, if you plan on using this weapon you should have a good idea of the enemy strategy. The last major addition made for SOCOM 2 is the shotguns. The shotguns are undeniably one of the favorite weapons among gamers; it is deadly from shorter ranges and perfect for those who prefer their combat in close quarters.
The final aspect in which the online experience of SOCOM 2 has been improved upon is protection against cheaters. Never again will you be sniped from the walls. This alone makes the online experience much more enjoyable for the serious players. To step it up even further, players using other cheat devices will also find that their old their former tactics won’t cut it this time around. Together, the anti-cheating measures make SOCOM 2 a more enjoyable experience for all of its many players.
The online gameplay of SOCOM 2 is just the opposite of the single-player end, it’s nearly flawless. The online experience is exhilarating, suspenseful, competitive and balanced. To put it simply, if your Playstation 2 is hooked up to a broadband internet connection, go buy this game.
Replay Value: If SOCOM 2 were a single-player game, this section of the review would be quite disappointing, to say the least. However, that is not the case. SOCOM 2 is going to have you glued to your TV for a long time to come. The variety offered in online gaming modes and maps does its job to keep your games entertaining. SOCOM 2 excels in literally every aspect of online gaming, and it will make you want to come back for more. This game is going keep you happy for a ridiculous amount of time. Review By: Kent Mackowiak - 3415 Reads
SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs Review Scores for PS2 :
| Gameplay |
| 9 |
| Graphics |
| 8.5 |
| Sound |
| 9.5 |
| Replay |
| 9.5 |
| Overall |
| 9 |
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