SOCOM II Screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 9.5 Graphics 9.6 Sound 8.9 Value 9.5 SOCOM II - reviewed by Andrew B  Review Date: April 2004 Review Score 9.4/10  Distributed By: Sony

"One of the world's best first person shooters returns and once again takes online gaming to the next evolutionary stage!" SOCOM : US Navy Seals was Sony's first attempt to break into the world of online gaming that caused a world-wide furore because of its amazing gameplay and extraordinary graphics. Although the game did feature a single-player mode, its true colours were revealed in its online multiplayer ability that allowed the gamer to play either a US Navy Seal or "terrorist" with thousands of people Australia wide. The sequel, SOCOM II: US Navy Seals once again returns gamers into one of the most highly trained and powerful military units of the United States Army to take on a plethora of deadly terrorist organisation to ensure world peace throughout our peaceful little planet. The first thing gamers will notice about the sequel is the improved graphics engine (it still ceases to amaze me how the PlayStation 2 gets better and better) that features detailed characters and some of the most fulfilling and enriching multiplayer environments to grace the internet. Apart from the new and improved game engine, SOCOM II also features 15 new weapons and also an improved single-player campaign with 12 different missions. The single player missions are set on a variety of locales around the world that range from countries as diverse as Russia to even more dangerous locations such as Algeria and Albania. Missions include search and destroy, rescue and of course subterfuge that also allow the gamer's US Navy Seals to team up with special forces from other countries such as Russia's special operation unit called the Spetznaz and even the British SAS. As with the previous game, what really makes this game shine is the online content of the game that allows the player to play against 16 different people from around the world with eight members per team. There are also a variety of online missions that include 22 (10 from the old SOCOM) unique and different campaigns that I'm sure gamers from around the world will thoroughly enjoy. Once again SOCOM II: US Navy Seals makes thorough use of the USB headset that is a must have piece of equipment for your PlayStation 2, especially if you are playing online because nothing is more satisfying than talking to your team via the USB headset. In its purest form, SOCOM II: US Navy Seals is a classic first person shooter where the gamer must use a variety of equipment to successfully complete the missions and to also allow the player to use whatever means necessary to achieve this outcome.

The weapons of SOCOM II include diverse weaponry such as shotguns, rocket launchers and of course a variety of special forces equipment such as thermal scopes and of course your stock standard machine gun. Unlike the generic first person shooter, SOCOM II is a very realistic game which means one shot in the wrong place, means immediate death for your character.  There is also a level of strategy involved in the game which means you cannot just run into combat with guns blazing because this is a sure way to end the missions fast. Whether you are playing single-player or multi-player, you must use your headset to issue orders to your team mates so that you can successfully complete the mission.

The voice recognition in the single-player aspect of the game is extremely accurate and as with the first game, it does take some time getting use to, especially if your friends and family walks into the room and you are talking out loud. Thankfully, Sony Online have improved the connectivity of SOCOM II: US Navy Seals and before you start the game, you are automatically taken to a lobby where you can then join a variety of SOCOM games or talk to your fellow gamers. There is also a new online ranking system that allows you rank yourself with the SOCOM greats from around the world.

Graphically, SOCOM II: US Navy Seals is a very nice looking game, although not a huge improvement over its predecessor, there is still quite a few new touches to make you appreciate the game. The characters in the game appear to have more texture detail and a variety of clipping problems from the first game have also been fixed. What really sets SOCOM II apart from the first game are the amazing background environments that quite simply look amazing. Whether you're playing in Russia or Brazil, you really get the feeling that you are in another world.

The backgrounds are also quite large with a fair amount of detail and what is even more impressive is that the game contains very little (if any) slowdown at all. The developers have also gone to extraordinary efforts with the lighting and shadows in the game that really help immerse the gamer into this pure three-dimensional world and whether it's night or day, you really get a true sense of the timescale of the title. There is also a variety of weapon effects and some great explosion effects that really help start pumping your adrenaline when things start to heat up in the game.

SOCOM II: US Navy features a very action orientated soundtrack with some nice professional voice acting that is littered throughout the game. Surprisingly there isn't much sound effects in the game, apart from the usual sounds of battle or people sneaking around in the world of SOCOM.

In conclusion SOCOM II: US Navy Seals is a worthy sequel to its predecessor that is an extremely addictive game, especially when played online.  Easily one of the best... if not best first person shooter experiences online (on the PlayStation 2 anyway), SOCOM II features some extraordinary graphics, a very sturdy gaming engine and of course USB headset connectivity to make this one of the most realistic titles on the market at the moment.

- Andrew B