Introduction
The last time I played a SWAT game was from a flimsy demo disc that came with a very old copy of PC Zone. It was not a happy experience, it consisted of running around a shop and it's basement, trying to apprehend dodgy people and shoot the ones that didn't want to co-operate. Problem being that you had a bunch of primitive AI companions to command as you went through each room - giving two groups of four orders as they progressed through parts of the building unseen. SWAT3 didn't seem to agree with me, and it's safe to say I never got the full game.
I'll admit I was wary when I saw 5punkers play SWAT4, I had terrible flashbacks of stumbling down stairs and throwing luminescent light-sticks at people, forgetting completely about the rest of my squad as I died in a hail of bullets. I hesitantly installed it and jumped back in last night, with Mr. Berk and Fabyak acting as my tour guides.
Gameplay
With the expansion pack and a mod called Sheriffs Special horses installed (which unlocks special faaabulous-jump actions I presume) I got down to business choosing my load-out. There's plenty of choice on offer, and you can change what you're holding for each mission without having to leave the game (I'm looking at you, COD4). I'm talking grenade launchers that vomit red beanbags, paintball guns that launch pepper-loaded pellets, sub machine guns, and all manners of rifles.
Secondary weapons vary from light arms and pistols to taser guns, and you get to choose from an array of special equipment like frag, gas, smoke, and flash grenades. You can even blast door locks in with C4 or special shotguns (or lockpick, for a more stealthy approach).
The main chunk of gameplay comes from systematically running around rooms shooting or scaring bad guys till they fall over. Hostages and dodgy types are to be restrained with magical plastic handcuffs and occasionally assaulted by jabbing the punch button, or hosing them down with pepper spray. The round ends when all hostages and naughty types are accounted for, and all evidence is picked up (in the form of dropped guns).
Sights and Sounds
Some of the art is a little bit dodgy, I'm not sure if it's the SSF mod, but the weapon loadout screen has pictures that look like they were aquired from a rushed Google image search, especially ones with brand names plastered across them. Otherwise, the game is rather nice in appearance. NPCs shout at each other when you begin to storm their stronghold, and hostages make quirky comments when you try to keep them in place.
Some of the maps are absolutely spectacular, ranging from banks and suburban houses, to down-town nightclubs, casinos and shops. There's a particularly horrific scene in a fat-man's basement that you really have to see for yourself. Despite the game getting on a bit (early 2005), it really looks quite good.
Stuff that sucks
Hmm.. Weird key settings.
Dead people that stand up and fall back down, making you double take.
Walk speeds when your legs are busted that make snails look fast.
Spectator cam has a 1-frame-per-second limit so you can't spoil the game by ghosting, but it usually results in eye-cancer.
Various little bugs and nuances, but nothing game breaking.
Conclusion
This game would probably be a little dull if it was not played with 5punkers. In amidst the frankly frightening level of efficiency Fab, Berk and I displayed, shit generally descended into chaos. I was pepperballed and gassed by Berk and shot in the legs by Fab so that I lurched around these massive levels like a gimp-kneed zombie.
I retaliated with numerous flash-bangs and tazer shots, which reduces enemies and allies alike to a crumpled heap of snivelling body armour, the only sign that they may be okay being a flappity-floppy limp wrist wave during the electro-shock treatment.
Between our bouts of friendly fire though, it's genuinely good fun. Calling team mates for backup when you've identified a room full of gun-toting madmen using a fancy mirror-on-a-stick. Finding hostages that range from amorous ladies to drunk hobos who demand you get out of their house.
Please come and give it a go.
The amount of fun had exponentially grows with the number of tasers in play.
Score :
