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SOCOM: Confrontation


Labeled With  socom confrontation playstation 3 sony
Written by DM on Saturday, November 08 2008

The graphics in SOCOM: Confrontation is not the best on the Playstation 3, by any means. They are more than sufficient to do the job the game requires, though, and SOCOM has never been a franchise which has been known for its visual supremacy. I did experience a bit of popup, but the developers have done a good job ensuring that the camera angles are never awkward, and the clipping (graphical glitching) is kept to a minimum – which is the most important graphical quality in a game such as SOCOM.

The audio in SOCOM, in terms of the in-game soundtrack and effects, is pretty much spot-on. There is not much music to speak of, but what little of it there is, comes off great. Any military-themed shooter is going to have tons of weapon sound effects. Well, SOCOM has had five games now to do them correctly – and they do. The explosions, reloads, firing effects, and bullet casing noises, are all spot-on. That being said, this is the type of effect that you only notice when it is done incorrectly – when it is right, it is never noticed. The voices on the SEALs and Middle Eastern mercenaries are also done authentically. The sound is done very well all around, and it has to be because SOCOM: Confrontation also can be purchased with a Bluetooth PS3 Microphone. I have the BT mic bundle myself and let me say that the headset it comes with is of fantastic quality, and works flawlessly with the game. It also works with any cellular telephone, and even has instructions on how to pair it with a cell if need be. The only drawback is that it only charges via USB B, but these days, almost everything does.

Since SOCOM: Confrontation is an online-only game, any issues with the game are all online issue in my book, and unfortunately, SC has its fair share. First, the loading times for the game are extremely long, at times, even after the mandatory PS3 HDD install. This is not the main issue, though. The time it takes to actually join a match successfully (and pass through the lobby as well), can be extremely long. Not only that, but the regional rooms are often full, or even if they show as not full, do not let you join. This puts you back to the title screen, where you have to start the process all over again. Also, it was impossible to join a ranked server, and I tried for three nights in a row (ranked games are the only way to get your online stats recorded). It seems they are always full, and no one ever exits. Games with over 8 players a side frequently suffered from very bad lag, and if by some chance the match was running decent at over 8 a side, if a player joined or left mid-game, it sent the game into a nosedive. Finally, I had to hard reset my PS3 two times after a match disconnected me, and the loading screen for the menu simply never went away. I could provide more examples of bad netcode, but these are the main issues, and more than enough for you to get the jist of it.




Thankfully, SOCOM: Confrontation does have their game options and control configuration scheme down pat, and it is more or less fully customizable. You can select one of the pre-done control configurations, or you can even customize up to 3 different controls schemes that you can save. Now, there are a few buttons that are not changeable, such as X, but you can work around there. The same goes for character models and loadouts. You can design your player to look like whatever you choose, and there are many outfits and accessories to select from. You do not have to worry about looking like 50 other players online anymore. The weapons are also fully configurable. In other words, you can select your favorite weapon and weapon category, and then select what accessories will clip on the optional loadout spots (silencers, extra grips, extra ammo clips, scopes), and they affect the weapon’s stats as well.

So far, the gamer’s reaction to the game, based on conversation I have had in-game and the official forums, has been mixed, at best. The game has the potential to be all that SOCOM players have been waiting for, but it is being held back horribly. This is certainly frustrating to me, and I do not consider myself a hardcore SOCOM player, by any means. While the fans are being patient at the moment, and waiting for downloadable patches and fixes, they will not wait forever.

SOCOM: Confrontation is a game you hate to see plagued by technical issues. While the title is playable in its current form, and you can certainly find a decent server (with a little patience) that you can play on all night, it can be a lot better. The other PS3 online-only title, Warhawk, certainly is a better choice if you do not care about realism, but SOCOM: Confrontation is the way to go if you want military realism on the Playstation 3. Hopefully the developers and Sony will grace us with a new patch in the coming days.

So there you have it, folks, our first GR Postview5. This is what you will find here at GR from now on, when it comes to the review section. Spread the word -- those who do not have time for a 4 page review and those who want a simple 1 through 5 rating, can come to GR, spend 5 minutes, and have a much better idea if they want to play the game or not.

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SOCOM: Confrontation


 
 
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