SOCOM: Confrontation Comments by Dan Whitehead

I remember this game coming out (sometime in the future) was the main trigger to me getting my PS3.

A year on and I've sold my PS3, got a 360 and couldn't be happier. I was a huge fan of Socom 2 on the PS2 but this...such a shame, and a waste.

As good as FEAR 2,heh

I must look into that ArmA 2, sounds and looks really cool I fancy something realistic and a bit more thoughtful cheers Dan, does anyone know was the first any good?

Anyway, I'll never understand the love for this series, horrid games right from the first one IMO. Still I was curious about the PS3 outing so grabbed an EG key to try the beta, from that the review doesn't surprise me at all, may be even a little generous IMO. Awful game.

/ goes back to the rather good KZ2 online, waits for MAG and this ArmA game he keeps hearing of.

kind of expected, still ouch.

Remember this game kicking an online fuss back in the PS2's dying days, never got into it though, probably never will.

not surprised considering the first two were absolute dogshit

Oh SOCOM, I knew this moment would come eventually.

Ever since playing the beta and realising it was shit, and that it was more fun to tell everyone it had been cancelled.

MGO a compelling online experience???

0_0

My flatmate's been playing this all weekend and loves it. I can't say it's my cup of tea, but it shows that there's a market for everything!

Have you actually played the game I wonder?

As for reviewing it on it's content over price - for £28 (including the headset which is around £20 RRP separately) where's the issue?

I've had it since release (also beta tested it) and even though there are a few bugs and general design faults - it's still FUN!

Get a grip with reality EG and review games as games - maybe ask a few peoples' opinions before slaughtering it on whim or on a biased case of comparison against another full price game on a different platform?

I can't say I disagree, I didn't feel it was a strong game in the beta and I an't see it being incredibly different (when it works). 7 maps is a bit shocking given it's a full game.

Good and critical review:). Thought this game was mediocre after playing it.

anotherrobharvey: chill dude, the guy said "remove brand loyalty" - which you clearly didn't.

Unfair score for the state its in now, its a 7/10 for fan of online shooters and a 9 for fans of the series

I think this review takes a few wrong assumptions.

"you'd be forgiven for expecting something ambitious, something that really takes advantage of today's always-connected HD consoles to kick the console online experience up to the next level."

Yes, clearly, and that would be Zipper's 256 player squad based project called MAG.

Confrontation on the other hand is more intended as lip-service to old-school So-Com fans. That said, it does seem like the developer responsible really isn't up to the task and the game could have been much better. But I guess that's why some developers stand out - there are others that don't, and still others that stand out negatively. ;)

In the meantime, Warhawk, Resistance, CoD and Killzone make Socom a bit superfluous anyway.

"maybe ask a few peoples' opinions before slaughtering it on whim"

Do you understand what a review is I wonder?

"anotherrobharvey: chill dude, the guy said "remove brand loyalty" - which you clearly didn't. "

Aye, fight and you may die. Run and you'll live -- at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may mock our mediocre exclusives, but they'll never take our brand loyalty!!!

Sorry, I had to..... ;)

/ feels ashamed

Seriously though I'm sure many will be upset with this review, SOCOM has a few fans. Some reviews do grate if you like a game, like..you know, Dead Space Dan (man, I can get that in ANYWHERE!).

Hey, I liked Dead Space. I just don't think it's the awesome classic some seem to think it is. Too much tramping up and down the ship fixing things, not enough time spent developing an actually scary story. Also, the weapon set is ludicrously over-powered. It's a solid gory action game, but it could have been so much more.

Dead Space Dan

ha ha, I thought it was only me.. that did make me laugh.

It sounds like the reviewer got pounded online and took it out on the game by scoring it low. Just because its not run-and-gun noob friendly like Halo and Killzone, doesn't mean it should be penalised. Its a niche, one that hasn't been filled since Socom 2. There is absolutely nothing out there like it.

And whats with this?

"Given that most matches follow a strict "no respawn" policy, it's incredibly annoying to be sniped by a spawn-camper (there seem to be plenty of them about) while still trying to find your feet, and then have to wait ten minutes to rejoin the action."

Spawn camper? How can he spawn camp when theres no respawns? You mean he was playing it tactically and you just ran in guns blazing and got shot? There are no rounds that last 10 minutes? You sound like an exagerting fan boi, using language I would expect to see on the forums by someone looking to be controversial. Yeah, 5/10

Its not like me to defend game/attack reviews, but I feel this is way off the mark

5/10 for its US release, sure, it was way unfinished and had plenty of bugs. I have been playing it the last few days and with the party system and lag free gaming its the closest I can get to the socom 2 experience without going back to my ps2.

I think Dead Space was so well received because it was a surprise, a new IP published by EA from a lesser known developer that had good production values and playability. Completely agreed with Dan there.

"Hey, I liked Dead Space. I just don't think it's the awesome classic some seem to think it is. Too much tramping up and down the ship fixing things, not enough time spent developing an actually scary story. Also, the weapon set is ludicrously over-powered. It's a solid gory action game, but it could have been so much more."

Bah, Story was fine. The scares came from the actual terrifying gameplay more than the story anyway. An absolute classic horror shooter with a smidgen of survival horror in the RE reboot style - but better (also one of the few games these days I actually completed to the end and kept). YOU ARE WRONG!! (but fair play you did like it at least).

But anyway back on track, you're right on SOCOM though. Very mediocre....

@Benno "Its a niche, one that hasn't been filled since Socom 2. There is absolutely nothing out there like it. "

Um, Counter Strike?

As an original SOCOM fan, I won't be picking this up.

Such a shame they did this. All they needed to do was make SOCOM: HD, Wipeout stylee. That would keep that fans happy, the price down and also make their lives a lot easier.

Counter strike? When was that released 3rd person on a current gen console?

Dude FFS come on, they're both *extremely* similar and I was/still am a big fan of both - if you can't see that then you've got some kind of problem.
CS came out on XBox btw.

chill dude, the guy said "remove brand loyalty" - which you clearly didn't.

Not a suprise at all that the biggest brand-camper on EG feels the need to lecture others on brand-loyalism
My irony-meter still went through the roof.

I've been playing Confrontation this since Thursday and having a blast. Yes the lobby system is annoying, the controls fiddly (especially the "quick select" wheel), and characters have to "climb" up curbs - but the core gameplay is fun as hell, the weapons feel great, the maps are highly detailed (lots of nooks & crannies and practically every building open), the voice comms are perfect, the hit detection/accuracy/damage are perfect, and it has a good variation of game modes.

I was very pleasantly surprised after my beta experience and the complaning I've seen in the US forums. It's all opinion so I'm not bothered but overall I think 5/10 is particularly harsh.

"Slant Six (creator of the most recent and equally limp PSP entry in the series)"

I disagree Dan, if you're talking about SOCOM Tactical Strike for the PSP I think it was a very good game, rough around the edges but still the best PSP game with the SOCOM brand and a decent first attempt at a portable Full Spectrum Warrior. I'd rather they had made a follow up it for either PSP or heck a HD PSN version for PS3 than Confrontation which as you say is playing in an increasingly crowded field.

Rodchenko : while english is not my 1st language (it's 3rd actually, I'm an USL - Unix as a Second Language - how cool is that?, shit I had to use this one... forget it!), that was quoting not lecturing. Then again chill, it's only a 5. Love you too, unknown buddy.

I disagree Dan, if you're talking about SOCOM Tactical Strike for the PSP I think it was a very good game, rough around the edges but still the best PSP game with the SOCOM brand

SOCOM:TS wasn't very well received critically though, was it?

Not an especially bad game, but rather solidly average...

Shockingly biased review. Sorry, has to be said. But please, before you flame, allow me to justify this.

If I were a gamer never having played a Socom game and I trusted Eurogamer for its reviews, I might miss out on what is an excellent gaming experience.

The points you make in this article seem to search for fault, not review. And the comparisons to other games are unwanted. Wheres the map editor like in Halo 3? Well its in Halo 3 idiot. You dont see me playing socom and saying "yes but wheres the shiney blue sword" - same with the ranking in COD4, think about what you're saying. Where are the cars? Oh they're in Gran Turismo, where are the dinners? Oh, they're in cooking mama. Catch my drift?

SOCOM is a gritty simulator, plain and simple. If you want a run and gun leveling up experience then no, this isnt the game for you, but if you want a game where strategy and teamwork are key and getting killed means you are out of the round, adding consiquence and suspense that is otherwise gone in 10 seconds when you spawn and run and shoot again. Yawn. You critisise this game for not being original but to me it is, its not the same run and gun death matches of Gears, Halo, Cod & Killzone.

To be fair, this game isnt perfect, it has its flaws, some more obvious than others, but I think its hit the mark, and I get a rewarding experience from it, not better that COD or Halo, just different - to be honest I'm tired of run shoot die run shoot die.

I just found this review to be a little too narrow minded, even for my taste.

See ya later, I have a date with some Korn shell.

Socom, to all of ya.

As others have said, this is clearly just a stop-gap for the existing SOCOM fans before MAG comes out.

Dead Space is a shallow, unimaginative mediocrity. If anything Dan was far too generous.

If that's EA doing their best on original IP, they should consider going back to the licensed titles.

Spent a lot of quality time with the originals on my PS2. I thought that Confrontation was mediocre at best when I played the beta, but hey 'its a beta'.

There was no way I was going to buy this without playing the superhappynew 100% patched version first. My friend rushed out and bought it like the mug that he is and kindly gave me the opportunity. We played it for about 4 hours or so on Friday night and both came to the conclusion that its complete dogshit. Its laughably behind the times and somehow even worse than games of the same genre made years previously (CS I'm looking in your direction).

To quote him;

'The only Confrontation here will be when I take it back to GAME.'

@seasidebaz At risk of sounding like an apologist but for a first time around making it work on PSP I think it was a commendable effort, rough and unrefined like I said with interface, pacing and AI issues that could've been resolved if they had more time.

Don't know why it needed to be released when it was with follow ups to Wipeout and Syphon Filter out from SCEE around the same time, certainly didn't help its retail chances. Anyways believe it was good enough to warrant another attempt by the developer in a follow up.

@VS Yeah I agree it was a good effort and definitely a better fit for the PSP than a TPS. I think the problem with it was that it was basically an unrefined version of FSW, and a couple of extra months ironing out the kinks would have made it much better.

What we actually get is a game that feels depressingly like the multiplayer component of any third-person shooter, with it's solo half crudely lopped off and nothing to replace it.

Ouch.

I bought this game last week as it was cheap. Haven't had a chance to play it yet. I didn't realise America got it 6 months ago. If that is the case forget it. I am taking it back. There is no way I am playing on an uneven playing field. I am crap at games as it is, I don't need to make it worse for myself.

@Cappy: But then you would complain about EA never trying anything new :P

I think it is quite funny and even weird when a game reviewer is accused of not having played a game properly. Normally, a game reviewer has more gaming experience than almost any other gamer. Since that is his job. Playing games, you see. To review.

SOCOM was always pretty bad.. it just was the only online game that people played on PS2 and hence it got a "good" status when viewed by many rose tinted glasses.

Nah, socom 2 was one of the best shooters available at the time. I was a PC gamer as well so I had access to a lot of decent online shooters like CS, unreal etc at the time.

I've never complained or had an issue with a licensed EA game. They are what they are.

I just dispute the assumption that since titles like Dead Space and Army of Two are 'original' they are automatically better than Harry Potter game 'X' etc.

Dead Space is to survival horror what Jive Bunny was to golden era Rock N' Roll.

Dead Space was awesome. AoT was great. The Harry Potter games wasnt any good at all.

fanboys GTFOOH - this game is trash, buying it tells devs they can get away with this crap. Even the patches don't fix issues as many of the problems are at the core of the game, i.e. to fix it you'd have to start again.

Plus, does anyone else think that people speaking on PS3 voice chat sound like they're under water? I couldn't believe how bad the quality was - and I have the official headset! Chat on xbox is streets ahead, even if its filled with angry US teenagers professing their sexual preferences or conquests with your mum.

@Raajaa

PS3 can use pretty much any USB headset and most Bluetooth ones. So whilst you don't have to pay out for an exclusive Microsoft-only one, some people might use shitty quality ones.
Incidentally, paying for the official HS is worth it as it is streets ahead in quality over most of the standard bluetooth ones people are using.

@ tonynibbles

ahh ok yeah that might explain it. Official headset build quality seems good. Also was subjected to someone's skype call mid killzone 2 session lol.

Its not about 'fanboys' its about accepting peoples taste. I will buy this game because I'm enjoying it, and I look forward to map packs and sequels, its my style of shooter. If its not your taste then dont buy it, but to biastly give it negative reviews seems a little over the top to me.

5/10 not surprising really, played the beta and based on that experience decided the final game wouldn't be worth it.