SOCOM: Confrontation Comments by Dan Whitehead

Pyhcus, the beta was a beta, regardless of the game, if you base your final decision on a beta then you've got the wrong idea.

the beta was a beta

It wasn't though. It was a multiplayer demo intended to test server load capabilities.

This score makes me so happy that I sold my PS3 and bought a Jaguar.

ouch ! 5 out of 10? ha ha

SOCOM Confrontation still feels like a half a game, released half-finished

I...can't even calculate what that makes it!

@robg:

A quarter of a game

@British Blue

I almost agree with you. I think you're spot on in what SOCOM is as a game, you summed it up perfectly by pointing out "your soldier doesnt just miraculously drop a grenade when he dies", thats perfect. Socom gives something that COD and others cant, tension. Its tense, fear and very tactical.

I don't think however its "behind its time" - its refined its genre. Sure more maps would help, but the setup of the current maps is outstanding. And sure animations aren't perfect, graphics arent up there with Killzone, but if that warranrts knocking 5 off the score, ignoring the 32 player lag free matches im enjoying, the outstanding sound production and the website combined with the game to control your clan, something which no other game is rivaling then eurogamer seems a bit...trollish.

I'd say its a hight 7 to 8. (AS A MULTIPLAYER WAR SIMULATOR)

I got this game months ago just after US release got sick of waiting.. I got no headset with it nout but still I'm so happy I bought it. Funny thing is I got Kz2 on release iv played it once and what a load of shit that was.. MGO what a joke, r6 lag fest, cod waw, lag fest, socom is by far the best online game on ps3

"WAR SIMULATOR"

Er... well it's a pretty shoddy WAR simulator then. It certainly doesn't pitch itself as a war simulator, especially with the distinct absence of tanks, jeeps, choppers, planes, boats etc.

It's a tactical shooter, not a WAR SIMULATOR.
And it's most definitely not a 7 or 8. Unless that's a map count.
MGS4 got an 8 on this site, don't you know.

Ok, so tactical shooter. Emphasis on the tactics part. Each to thier own I suppose, I just think 5 our of 10 seems a little rediculous, since the experience to me is one of the best on a console online.

I just read Eurogamers review of Resi 5 and it show the exact bias I'm talking about, in the first 2 paragraphs they talk about dates mechanics of running and shooting etc, then go on to say its what makes 'resi what it is'. They talk about its nostalgic style, then they go on to excuse it again saying that 'tradition has its place' a huge contrast to Socom that needs to get with the times!

In the closing paragraph they summarise that its stubborn loyalty leads to a distinct experience and drop it a 7 out of 10. Shocking. Everything that SOCOM was Resi was, but the outcome was different because the reviewer has a hard on for zombies.

I'm not saying that they're right or wrong, just that double standards and making your mind up before writing a review lead to a rather sour read. I invite you to read the Resi5 review and see if you can see what I'm talking about!

"... 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."

I just can't wrap my head around what kind of masochist it must take to enjoy games with no respawn? Sure, if you're consistently one of the top players you obviously won't see much "downtime", but obviously someone always has to die first. And second, and third...

It must take an admirable level of patience to play a game where you (if you're an average player at best, compared to the opposition and not in a more general sense) spend 50% or more of the time - and often for minutes at a time - just lying dead on your back or float around like spectator.

@Miths

Its not like that, you must just be running in classic style. Buddy up, 2 or 3 of you sneak around the map and you cant die first everytime. Its a rewarding experience to refine strategy and work together instead of dropping your hundreth clip to the floor and respawning in 10...9...8...

El_Pinko,

Genuine question. Should you really be throwing accusations of bias around when your profile shows that the last time you commented on the site, before this review, it was for the SOCOM beta? In fact, it seems this is the only game you've ever commented on.

Yeah Dan, you're really biased! Imagine saying you don't like a game you... don't... like. Disgraceful, I think you'll agree.

@Dan

The only game I've ever commented on was the beta, true, but I attribute that to the fact that I never let myself get bogged down in these flame wars and am usually happy to go with the flow. I just think in this instance this seems a tad to far and people who trust eurogamer could miss out.

And its not about reviews a game you dont like negatively, so much as I point out that in the Resi 5 review its the same points made, keeping with the times, traditional experience and nostaglia to loyal fans, yet for Resi5 these are defence points and for Socom they're attack points.

Please don't read this as me throwing my bottle out of the pram, I'm meerly trying to point out the reviewing system seems heavily based on the reviewers taste and not the quality of the style of game. This game should be comapred to COD4 & Halo as much as Fifa should be compared to NHL.

@DanWhitehead
In all fairness though, I'd rather have people that only play a single game complain about a review, than the sheer number of idiots on here complaining about Gears/Halo/Killzone/etc that obviously have never actually played a minute of the game they complain about...

And its not about reviews a game you dont like negatively, so much as I point out that in the Resi 5 review its the same points made, keeping with the times, traditional experience and nostaglia to loyal fans, yet for Resi5 these are defence points and for Socom they're attack points.

Different games in different genres reviewed by different people get different scores.

Please don't read this as me throwing my bottle out of the pram, I'm meerly trying to point out the reviewing system seems heavily based on the reviewers taste and not the quality of the style of game. This game should be comapred to COD4 & Halo as much as Fifa should be compared to NHL.

I didn't compare the game to Call of Duty and Halo, I said that it's disappointing that it's these games - the supposedly dumb run-and-gun shooters - that are now innovating in online multiplayer while a pioneering multiplayer series like SOCOM is stuck with this vanilla effort.

Different games in different genres reviewed by different people get different scores

Exactly, and I'm saying this review seems better suited to someone who understands the genre they're reviewing.

Also, I'm not accusing you of comparing the game to Halo etc, I didn't intend for it to read like that, I mean that the original review draws comparisons to those games.

Also, I'm not accusing you of comparing the game to Halo etc, I didn't intend for it to read like that, I mean that the original review draws comparisons to those games.

Well, I wrote the review, and I still didn't compare the game to Halo or Call of Duty.

Look, it's fine to disagree with a score. I'd be amazed if people didn't - they're meant as a broad guideline, not some Holy Writ handed down from on high. But throwing out kneejerk accusations of bias and saying that I don't know what I'm talking about are kind of insulting, you know?

Here's the thing. I'm happy you like the game. I wish we could all like every game that gets released, but that isn't going to happen. But enjoying something doesn't neccesarily mean that the something is good, or as good as it could be. I found SOCOM Confrontation to be a merely servicable multiplayer game, hampered by some technical clunkiness and a depressing lack of ambition. It's meat and potatoes, served up with precious little style or flavour. Hence the review. No bias. No agenda. Just a mediocre game. In my opinion, naturally.

Haha, you wrote the review? Boy is my face red!

Excellent, its actually great to be able to talk to the reviewer and get the real take on things. I'm sorry if I offended you in the off. I just found the mention of Halo to be a little out of place - it struck me to be similar to when someone compares the likes of Fallout something liek farcry. The review to me did come accross as someone who had jumped in and experience a serious beating - likely by americans as they seem to be flooding the servers right now for the easy kill. Its a shame really, as I think the multiplayer experience is stellar, but will agree its an aquirted taste. The suspense and enviroment created when playing is something that I think can only be achieved without respawns, putting alot more pressure on the gamer.

Again, apologies if I offend you but I do feel this seemed a game that was not your cup of tea, like if I was asked to review Halo wars - it just wouldnt work. Again, I sday this because of your take on games style, I dont know who wrote the Resi5 review, but it seems similar points of nostalgia and classic gaming were drawn upon, but viewed in a very different light.

ps3lol

PS3lol.

C-C-C-Combo Breaker!!!

Tactical shooter?

As read elsewhere on the site, "tactical shooter" is a codeword for "this game's controls are awful".

Its a terrible review though. Full of "facts" that are just plain wrong. Too much opinion and not enough objective analysis. This guy should be removed.

Dan Whitehead
TBH, I think that this review is quite harsh and there have been few times I can remember saying that to myself when reading Eurogamer reviews. I have no brand loyalty towards Socom. I never had a Socom game on the PS2 (and never played one) and back in November, my intention was to get a headset and a game with it for an extra ?10 max. Anyway, what a game I would have missed if I had not decided to do so. I?ve had this game since Wednesday and can understand Dan?s gripes. But I don?t think that the gameplay is anywhere as bad as you make it out to be and I hope that the 5/10 is more due to bugs still being present in the game than the actuak gameplay experience.

Previously, Fifa 09 was taking up most of my gaming time and preventing me play the rest of my PS3 collection, but since Wednesday, Socom is the only disc which has resided in my PS3.

Oh yeah, btw you said there are no technical problems now, but there still are. My game has crashed to XMB 8 times, totally crashed 3 times (so that I have to restart my PS3) and gone dim in the XMB once.

I am not a fan of FPS? and as an advocate for games; I do not believe that games should have features just because they are present in other games. Game critics are constantly moaning about many games merging into the same kind of thing, so why complain when a game with a different concept and way of going about things is released.

You said ?it?s hard to find a single aspect of Confrontation that PS3 owners can?t already enjoy in other, often better alternatives.? If this is true, does this make Socom bad, you could argue the same point for the games which give you a similar experience. I have to say that most people I?ve played with online in the last few days would disagree with you on this point.

?In fact, there's a good chance you'll die quickly anyway. SOCOM's hardcore user-base ensures that headshots are standard practice.? You can?t complain because others are really good at the game. I can understand your frustration at other players being much better than you, maybe slant 6 can address this by creating channels which you can only enter based on your rank (I don't know if they do this already?) and therefore you will be with players of a similar ability, because at the moment there are great differences between players. I found that playing in unranked games (which generally contain people with a similar ability to you) to increase your ability and then moving to ranked games helps.

?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.?

Also understand your gripe at having to wait ?10 minutes? to respawn, as I have often endured a similar experience when playing ranked games. Although, I have never waited 10 minutes, normally more like 4-5 minutes or less. Obviously, this is annoying, because it means that you can be on the game 5 hours, but actually be active for 1 hour. I have gathered, that no respawning has been implemented to prevent cheating (but it doesn?t really stop cheating, it just slows it down, as you have to wait for the whole round to kill your mate who?s helping you out.)

The game was release unfinished in terms of bugs etc. There aren?t many maps, but you can?t make a big deal out of the maps considering the game is ?15. Overall, a great game methinks, but different games appeal to different people and everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Where can you buy it for ?15?

Amazon, here is the link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Socom-Confrontat...

woodnotes, high five son

Ok, so he called it wrong on Dead Space. I still think Dan Whitehead is one of the best reviewers on this site, and a damn fine writer too. That he's bothered enough to respond to the comments in this thread only warrants him extra props, in my book.

And no, I'm not bumming him.

@Benno harsh man, need to step back and chill and I say this as someone who felt my own posts were getting that way and felt it wasn't right to talk about the work of others that way.

Question for those who have this, can you set up password games so that you can play with people you know aren't much better than you, if so wouldn't that help offset the usual criticisms about how hardcore few can spoil the fun for more general gamers. I still find even in games like MGO with options for ranks and games for newer and lesser skilled players, pros find a way of getting into them. Passwords and setting up games on forums like this is really the only way the go...

@ Vertical Stand

The game offers a variety of ways to customise a room, including private to just your clan, password, restrictions on weapons and explosives (to remove that gun everyone inevitably complains about) - you have pretty much free reign to make what you want, ok its not perfect, but its alot more options than your standard game. The best thing I've found so far is hang out of the ranked rooms, because americans are soaking them up like no tomorow, but you can get an awesoem game out of an unranked room.

Cheers for the info El Pinko.

Eurogamer portugal just gave this release a 7/10 which I think seems more reasonable.