8.8

SWAT 4: Special Weapons and Tactics

It's not just about the badge, it's about the rush!

The adrenaline is always high as you carry on the legendary SWAT® tradition — leading an elite squad of tactical experts into hard-hitting action that delves into every detail of the experience. From authentic weaponry and tactics to extensive SWAT scenarios you will know what it’s like to be the ultimate in law enforcement. When SWAT gets the call there is no other option.

In SWAT 4 gamers are transformed into the legendary United States SWAT team that is the last option for the police force when things get out of hand. Your team is consists of a variety of military-style specialists that include an assaulter, breacher, scout and non-lethal specialist.

As with all good squad based shooters, the player has the option of selecting what equipment their team needs for each mission before they attempt to successfully complete it. The gamer is also given the hard option of controlling their team which means you give the commands that is available through a list of options.

Features

• The SWAT Experience - Lead your squad into fully detailed SWAT scenarios

• Weapons and Tactics - Deliver justice with a full arsenal of official SWAT tactics and weaponry

• Multiple Gameplay Modes - Extended SWAT replayability with Multiplayer and Co-op Modes

• Quick Mission Maker - Create detailed custom missions for yourself and your friends

Options such as "restrain" or "move and clear" assist you through completing your missions because as this is solely a team based game, you need to work effectively as a team to complete the game. Fortunately the gamer can also see what his or her team members are seeing as each member of your team has a camera conveniently located on their helmets that also makes it easier to order your troops around.

What really sets SWAT 4 apart from other squad-based games is that the fast paced gameplay of the title that almost makes it real-life. The realism of the title also seeps into the missions and if you lose a key hostage, the game is over as with your key team members.

The gameplay of SWAT 4 is brilliant, although a little on the hard side, even at the best of times but this is the difference between a realistic squad based shooter vs. a stock standard first person shooter.

The artificial intelligence is rather decent, with the enemy hiding behind objects in the gaming environment and they even seem to attack the player when the chances are better for the bad guys. However with that said, the enemy and your team can perform some strange activities such as ignoring each other but fortunately this is only happens on occasion.

With that said, SWAT 4 is a realistic shooter so one gun shot wound in the wrong place could really be the difference between life and death. Fortunately the player has access to a plethora of weaponry and even heavy body armour to take on the terrorists and naysayers of the world.

SWAT 4 also features some realistic weapons and gadgets to help you through the varied and unique missions of this title. Probably the most important gadget in this game is the opti-wand that allows you to slide a small video camera under doors  to see who is on the other side. The weaponry within game range from shotguns to automatic rifles with a variety of different hand grenades for those situations that require more brawns then brains.

Although graphically, SWAT 4 isn't as detailed as the current first person shooters on the market, it actually holds up quite well, considering that it is based in the "real-world".

All the characters have been professionally designed and move with a human-like grace and fluidity that can only be found on the top-end games. Probably the most remarkable aspect of SWAT 4 are the diverse background environments with a wide gamut of attention to detail such as rubbish on the streets or even food in apartments.

There are also some realistic gun flare effects and also Hollywood style explosions that would not be out of place in those big block buster police movies.

As with the graphics, the sound effects of SWAT 4: Special Weapons and Tactics are also top class with realistic sounding weaponry, a very intensive and immersive soundtrack and also professional voice acting. 

With more than 150 characters and an in-depth multiplayer mode, SWAT 4: Special Weapons and Tactics is a must have game for your PC that offers great gameplay, realistic graphics and some of the best damn fun this reviewer has had in a long time. Highly Recommended!