SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs

In this game review we look at the awe-inspiring SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs. How does it stand up to the rest of the franchise? Only one way to find out.

The SOCOM franchise has been around for quite a while and made its way across different generations of gaming platforms.  Its newest edition, SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs, brings a new storyline to the table and a decent combination of single player and multiplayer features.



It may not be the highlight of the game, but SOCOM 4's single player mode offers a nice action packed experience.  The story takes place near the Strait of Malacca, which is a narrow stretch of water that connects the Pacific and Indian Oceans.  It's one of the most important shipping channels in the world, and there's a militant leader who wants to destroy it.  Your primary role as Cullen Gray,  the American Operations Commander, is to join with your other four squad mates to stop the strait's destruction.  In your way are two violent groups: the Naga, which is a group of native rebels, and ClawHammer, which is a mercenary group.  The entire story takes place over six days, which helps add a sense of urgency to your heroic efforts.

The solo campaign is essentially split up into combat or stealth missions.  Both offer entirely different challenges, and to complete these challenges you are thrown into two very different sets of boots.  The combat missions place you in the uniform of the aforementioned Cullen Gray.  During these missions, you will be put in command of your squad members and have control over their actions.  You can order them to take cover, take out enemies, and more.  Issuing commands is rather simple, and is executed using the D-pad.  The whole command and squad-based system also makes for some interesting strategy, and is a nice refresher from so many games that involve mostly aiming and shooting.  Overall, your squad's AI is pretty solid, so timing the right moves will help ensure success as you move along.

When your not issuing commands as Cullen Gray, your moving stealthily as Lieutenant Park Yoon-Hee, who also goes by the moniker of “Forty-five.”  This attractive female squad member is one of two Korean fighters on your side, and she's the second main protagonist whose role you will assume in SOCOM 4's single player campaign.  Forty-five's stealth missions require a much different skill set than the Operations Commander's.  These missions involve plenty of evasion tactics and will have you searching for intel, knifing enemies, and more, all while making the least amount of sound possible.  The addition of the stealth missions is a nice change of pace to the standard combat and makes SOCOM 4 more well-rounded in nature.  In all, there are 14 missions in the single player campaign.  It won't take you a ton of time to complete, but its length is about what you'd come to expect from such a shooter nowadays.

Next: SOCOM 4 Navy SEALs CO-OP Multiplayer >>
 

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