SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike

As Sony’s premier online shooter, the SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals has been on all of the publisher’s consoles, beginning with the PS2 and leading up to the PS3 (SOCOM: Confrontation is due to release on the system in 2008). The series is also no stranger to Sony’s handheld, with two releases in the SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo series already out for the PSP.  

However, for the third release on the PSP, Sony decided to take a different approach with their latest entry, SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Tactical Strike. Tactical Strike is a departure from the rest of the series, foregoing the third-person action in favor of Full Spectrum Warrior-style strategy elements. While the game does make a few stumbles along the way due to some AI and camera issues, it’s an interesting departure from the rest of the series.

The series’ themes translate well to the strategy genre, considering how you must think on your feet and position your characters correctly in order to get the drop on your opponents. Instead of focusing primarily on one person this time around, you’ll be positioning your entire squads, often an Alpha Team and a Bravo Team. You’ll guide your solders through the battlefield, and set them up for attacks and then carry out your orders for a strike. The game is a welcomed departure from the third-person shooter elements of the rest of the series, but falls prey to a few issues. 

First off, SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Tactical Strike has a storyline, but it’s not terribly important to the game’s progression. Your team of Seals must rescue the president of Panama after he’d been kidnapped. The story is told through pre-rendered cutscenes, but the script elements are quite cheesy and don’t really add much to the game, and are pretty much best skipped through. 

Another problem in the game is the goofy camera. It’s usually not a big problem in outdoor environments, but once inside a building it can get very disorienting. There’s also a skimmer device that you’ll have to use when positioning your soldiers, but the lack of any kind of intuitive overhead mode makes controlling this device a huge pain.

The AI can also be problematic, as you’re soldiers won’t always be as responsive or willing to perform actions as you may like. You may try to position them somewhere only to be met with a reply stating that they can’t do it, which went coupled with the awkward camera can be extremely frustrating. 

However, aside from these issues, the gameplay in Tactical Strike is actually handled quite well. The controls are pretty easy to grasp and feel quite intuitive. Switching between Alpha and Bravo Teams is done using the triggers, and you’ll be able to perform a variety of specific moves in order to stealth kill enemies or perform different activities when the time is right.

Graphically, the game is quite impressive. The character models look great and move across the battlefield very nicely, while the environments are nicely detailed. The framerates are also quite respectable, considering the amount of detail throughout. 

The sound effects are pretty well done, with some great musical elements and voice acting (lousy dialogue notwithstanding). The sound effects are crisp and sound clean, making for a solid sounding PSP game. 

Tactical Strike stumbles a bit in some key ways, but is generally an impressive and original take on the SOCOM series. While the camera and AI issues may frustrate strategy gamers, hardcore fans of the series may find a refreshing take on the franchise.  

Gameplay: 7.5
The game has some issues, namely from an awkward camera and some irksome AI. However, there is still an impressive level of polish for such a departure, considering the impressive control elements.

Graphics: 8.5
The character models are very well rendered and the environments are nicely done. The action moves at an impressive framerate.

Sound: 8.5
The score sounds great, as does the voice work.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.5
The story elements are cheesy and skippable, but the game’s strategic elements are a nice and fitting departure for the franchise.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Ad-hoc and Infrastructure play for up to four soldiers.

Overall: 7.5
Tactical Strike is an interesting game for the franchise, and one that is both a new direction and a fitting genre for the series. While there are a couple of issues that rear their heads, the game is a solid effort for fans of SOCOM and strategy gamers alike.