SOCOM: Confrontation – PS3 Game Review

Platform: PS3
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Slant Six Games
Rating: R16
Players: 32 (Multiplayer only)
Website: http://www.socom.com

Bored with the single-player campaign life? Want to skip through the painful cut-scenes and the terrible, fake-sounding voice acting once and for all? Well, we might just have what the doctor ordered because SOCOM Confrontation is multiplayer only.

It’s difficult to pick apart a game that is only multiplayer capable when so many games released these days focus on driving home the majority of the game content via story-driven, single-player campaign. SOCOM doesn’t have any characters to degrade or revere. It’s simply a no-holds-barred, in-your-face, online multiplayer fragfest.

What’s good about it? Well, it’s SOCOM although admittedly, I am not an overly huge fan of the franchise myself. That aside, I like guns, I like warfare and I like killing so as long as you can put ticks next to all three of those things, you shouldn’t have any problems playing this either.

You connect via the Playstation Network and you’re given a rank depending on your skill (basically, if you’ve played alot, you’ll have a higher rank). There are different game type options but by pressing ‘Quick Match’ you’ll be instantly thrown into a game without delay.

As with every multiplayer online experience, your opponents are real and therefore there’s no skill level to adjust, you simply aim and fire and pray you hit your target. The words ‘Spray and Pray’ spring to mind here. SOCOM is excessively realistic and well-known for the ‘one hit one kill’ gameplay. Controls are basic – R1 to shoot and the thumb sticks control movement left and right.

The game supports eight players so four on each side. The only gripe I do have however, is that no matter how much I fiddled with the controls (both in the game and on my TV), the game seemed really dark. It made killing people particularly difficult because I just couldn’t see anybody until they were right up in my face!

SOCOM Confrontation doesn’t have a lot of frills to it but for what it represents, it can be a hell of a lot of fun, especially if you have a headset attached for voice input – you know, so you can scream your victory cry across to anyone who has their headset on… or something like that.

Buy this game