The Best SOCOM Installment I Have Played

A couple of days before the new year, I managed to finish SOCOM Tactical Strike, the latest SOCOM installment for the Play Station Portable. The game took me at least 14 hours to complete and of course I didn't play for 14 hours in a row. Instead, I played 1 or 2 missions the most a day. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the SOCOM series, the SOCOM abbreviation stands for Special Operations Command. This organization is not fictional as it is the special operations branch of the United States Army; however, the scenarios and missions in the game are entirely fictional . Although SOCOM represents the general Special Forces of America, the SOCOM video game series mainly revolves around the United States Navy SEALs. I have played previous SOCOM series (duh...) however, the latest installment is indeed different from its predecessor and surprisingly it is one of the best SOCOM titles I have ever played. Throughout my 14 hours of game play, I couldn't be any grateful for having the opportunity to own a masterpiece like this.

SOCOM Tactical Strike tells the story of a local rebel group in Panama known as the La Mano which plans to overthrow the Panamanian government. Under the charismatic leadership of Hector Ortiz, the La Mano rebel forces managed to push its way into the heart of the Panamanian city. At the same time of the insurgent, a foreign ambassador meets with the Panamanian interior minister in order to address his (the foreign ambassador) concerns regarding the foreign embassy under the potential threat of the La Mano. The Panamanian interior minister insist that the La Mano insurgents are far away from the embassy and that the Panamanian security forces will ensure the safety of the ambassador. As the meeting between the foreign ambassador and the Panamanian interior minister was to adjourn, a group of gunmen in tactical gear which appears to be the La Mano rebels storm the office of the interior minister, throwing both the foreign ambassador and the interior minister in a state of irony. It wasn't long before they were both abducted by the La Mano gunmen. In response to the abduction of the foreign ambassador, the government of which the ambassador belongs to dispatch a group of highly trained elite commandos to retrieve the ambassador and assist the Panamanian Security Force in crippling the La Mano rebel forces. As the commandos continue their fight in Panama, they learn that La Mano is employed by a Russian oil tycoon which desires to fulfill its lust of profits by taking advantage of the conflict in Panama.

Unlike the previous SOCOM series, Tactical Strike does not limit the player from only using American Navy SEALs only. Instead, the players are given a variety of other foreign Special Forces to choose from like the British and Australian SAS (Special Air Service), the Italian 9th Parachute Assault Regiment, Spanish Unindad de Operaciones Especiales, French GIGN and South Korean Special Mission Unit. Each of the given Special Forces have its own unique voice acting, player skins and call signs, nevertheless their mission scenarios are all the same. The variety of Special Forces offered in Tactical Strike appeals to a bigger international audience which is a good thing as it does not only limit the SOCOM market to the North American consumers but also to the South American, European and Asian consumers. Consequently, it was wise for the game developers to feature a variety of international Special Forces in the game.

When the developers for Tactical Strike announced that they will implement the squad command and control interface similar to those like the Full Spectrum Warriors series, fans of the SOCOM series were thrown into a state of terror and outrage. This is because in the previous SOCOM titles, players could control their characters movements, actions, targeting and shooting which they are no longer allowed to in Tactical Strike. My first impression of the game was negative like every other SOCOM fans however as I tried the first few stages of the game, I was guilty of mistrusting the developers of the game. The squad command control which only limits you to telling your commandos what to do instead of controlling them was great. In fact it was better than the conventional player control scheme as it allows the players to think critically before executing their actions. The squad command scheme also promotes the OPA principle ( Observe, Plan, Act) which is a universal Special Forces tactic thus adding the authenticity of the game. For those who have played the Full Spectrum Warriors series and banged their head against the wall in frustration (...like me), experiencing the same pain and frustration is the last thing you should worry when playing Tactical Strike as the step by step tutorial in the first stage of the game will teach you the fundamentals of the game in a crystal clear manner.

Apart from the unique squad control scheme offered in the game, the missions offered in the game contribute to the success of Tactical Strike. There are 11 missions altogether in the game and as little as it may seem, it would be foolish to think that the game can be completed all in one day or two. The missions are long and it takes more than an hour to complete. It is very usual in the game to receive additional objectives when you thought it would be the end of the mission. Despite sudden surprises like this, nevertheless the variety of the added missions can be very interesting.

The maps for the mission is another great characteristic of the game. They are open ended which explain the long time length of the missions, nevertheless they provide autonomy for the players to achieve and prioritize their sub objectives in the manner they think is best. The design of the maps which allocate a fair amount of cover and ambush positions force the players to construct their team's action wisely instead of allowing players to move their squad mindlessly and act foolishly. Some maps of the mission can be very wide which forces players to split their squad into 2 in order to achieve objectives that are allocated on both far ends of the map simultaneously in order to save time. Despite the open ended and the massive size of the maps, players won't get lost or lose track of their objectives as there is a clear and detailed schematic of the operational theater to inform the players regarding their current positions and also objectives. The unique design of the map which also influence the fundamentals of the game play is one of the great characteristics of Tactical Strike.

The environment in the game is another aspect that deserves two thumbs up. Surprisingly the environment is highly detailed. Buildings like warehouses, churches, huts and mansions are rendered beautifully with great textures and lighting effects. The level are massive and detailed, filled with lush foliage and feeble looking vehicles. It was really unexpected for Tactical Strike to be visually striking given that the game was only design for a game console as small as the Play Station Portable. Nevertheless this is one good surprise.

The soundtrack for the game is at its best. The suspenseful and heroic themes throw players into an action movie setting throughout their game play. The best part of the soundtrack is that different music themes accompany different situations in the mission. For instance, just as the team of commandos are about to breach and clear into a room full of enemies, a suspenseful nail biting music score will be played and after successfully clearing a zone from enemies or achieving the mission's sub objective, a heroic or a victorious music score accompanies the scene. When any of your teammates are seriously wounded in action, a touching or a sad music theme will force the players to shed a tear or two. Basically, Tactical Strike's soundtrack is one to be remembered.

Throughout my 14 hours of game play, I couldn't be any grateful for having the opportunity to own a masterpiece like this. There's not much things to rant about Tactical Strike except for its foolish enemy AI at times. Since there are a variety of international Special Forces at the player's disposal, I was disappointed as Malaysia's PASKAL (Pasukan Khas Laut, Malaysian Navy SEAL) did not make an appearance given the fact that PASKAL operatives and Navy SEALs train consistently together. Overall, the developers of this game did a great job despite they brought a new twist to the series. Currently, they are working on a new SOCOM title called Confrontation for the Play Station 3 and hopefully they will implement the squad control scheme that made Tactical Strike a success. I shall be looking forward to the day they release Confrontation.


Before you begin a new campaign, you are given the opportunity to choose your Special Forces squad. It is nice to use other international Special Forces once a while as you can hear their enthusiastic cries in their respective language. For me, I used the South Korean Special Mission Unit throughout my campaign. Too bad there was no Malaysia's PASKAL.

There is no "I" in team but there is "me". Teamwork is the key to completing the mission effectively and efficiently.

A variety of squad command at your disposal. Each options will either devastate your mission or lead your team to victory therefore, choosing your options wisely based on your observation is a matter of life and death.

Want to take out an enemy and still hide your team's presence? Easy, just do it quietly. Shown above here, is a SEAL operative stabbing a La Mano rebel from behind stealthily.

Apart from urban warfare, your team of commandos will be pitted in jungle environment operations.

When they own the night, their enemies get owned. Some missions take place at night where visibility is low. Nevertheless, our valiant commandos are equipped with night vision goggles to assist their combat vision.