SWAT 4 looked to take hostages with its new graphics engine, but instead forgot to take out the bad guys.

User Rating: 7.9 | SWAT 4 PC
By glassesgeek | Review Date:
If you haven’t heard of the SWAT series by now, you obviously don’t own a PC. SWAT 3 was one of the most impressive games of its time and I can still admit to bringing it out every few months in recent years. The game was filled with so many well-designed and intense levels that the replay was beyond most FPS games. SWAT 4 has a lot of those same elements, but lacks in design and AI, elements that were polished in SWAT 3, but forgotten over the new graphics engine in SWAT 4. While you may have read most critics praise this title, if you read their reviews closely you’ll notice their complaints, yet they still give it a 9. Somehow, the graphics and multiplayer features have changed everyone’s opinion about the undeniable problems that exist within this game. The game consists of a slew of mostly dull missions that require you to accomplish basic objectives such as “bring order to chaos” or “rescue all hostages.” The missions in SWAT 3 were all very impressive and well designed. SWAT 4 gives you several dull environments such as extremely beaten down houses(an eerily pretty landscape, but used in over half the levels) or car garages. The only entertaining levels are usually the disturbing ones that end up showing you more to the backstory of the level than you would have expected. These moments are classic SWAT moments and what make the game so unique. After a few Rambo style approaches, you’ll quickly find out that the SWAT series is nothing like Counterstrike or your usual tactical shooter. In SWAT 4, stealth will be your friend and each decision you make will affect the next series of events. This may seem like something you can figure out over time, but the developers have known us gamers since SWAT 3 and used the brilliant idea of respawning all enemies in different areas on each load. This adds immensely to the replay and fun factor of the game. Don’t worry about not being Rambo, however. You have plenty of gear for being stealthy enough to take down groups of enemies without killing any of them(the whole point of the game): flash grenade, sting grenade(rubber balls), C4, breach shotgun, optical wand(look under doors), taser, pepper spray, pepper ball gun, and a bean bag shotgun to name a few. Obviously, this time around they wanted to stress using less lethal force in order to take out the bad guys. Their plan worked considering the fact that using any of the other guns(Assault rifle, SMG, etc) will end up killing the bad guys and costing you the level. Each level is graded with a very specific grading system that adds points up to a total score of 100. You will be deducted points for loss of officers, not reporting downed suspects/officers, loss of hostages, using lethal force, etc. To be able to even get an 80, you’ll have to hold back on releasing your assault rifle fury and be on top of your game throughout the whole mission. You can take a few bullets, but much like CS:Source, you’ll suddenly slow down and not be as quick with your reflexes as before. Your teammates receive the same effects and it can be seen as they limp along with you towards your ultimate fate of forgetting to check under the door. The difficulty is certainly worthy of your time, but perhaps your patience will think otherwise. Whether or not you are up for the challenge of not shooting the bad guys will decide if you can withstand and enjoy the beauty of SWAT 4. The AI is filled with bugs that will also test your patience. For the most part, the enemy AI is quite impressive and at times annoyingly realistic. Some of the enemies will give up when you yell at them, while others will simply run and hide and even block the door they hide behind. Like SWAT 3, the enemies will act like they are putting the gun down and trick you as they whip out a sawed off shotgun from around their neck to take you down with. There is nothing more intense than breaking into a room with your team and trying to get everyone(including hostages) to comply. This is also where the game’s AI can fail you and ruin the moment entirely. As you find out early on in the game, your team was actually recruited from a mental institution where they teach how to have horrible reflexes. Your team is guaranteed about 40% of the time to be either slaughtered by enemies as they enter a room, or become the slaughterers and take everyone out before you even get a chance to taser and cuff the suspects. The mapping is a little off and your team will also scream at you for being a few millimeters inside of their “spot.” You can lose team members completely sometimes…not lose their lives, but be unable to even find where the officer is standing around doing nothing in the building. This can become very frustrating and is far too noticeable of a bug for a final release. We all live with it somehow, however. The sound effects and voice acting are definitely an improvement in SWAT 4. In previous SWAT games, you would hear your teammates all screaming the exact same thing with the same voice repeatedly. It was loud and fun, but not realistic. Now, team members have their own distinct voice and each quote is used at the right time. The enemies have great voice acting making it feel like you’ve really arrested a real criminal and adds to your feeling of accomplishment in the end. The sound effects have greatly improved and I’ve never heard such a wide use of them in a tactical shooter, or any shooter for that matter. SWAT 4 offers a wide variety of different modes to play in, a feature that has always been slightly ignored in past versions. The multiplayer has been revamped the most and allows several different modes to play in such as VIP Escort or Co-op. You can play on either side (swat or terrorists), which offers some variety to the multiplayer experience. It’s certainly up there with Counterstrike in fun factor and offers a nice alternative to those looking for more strategy. Also still included are the career and quick mission modes that allow you to play through all the single player levels. There is a level editor if you wish to take the time for that and even play it online with your friends. Finally, the biggest change between SWAT 3 and 4 is the new graphics engine. You will notice that SWAT 4 is up there with some of the best FPS’s right now in the graphics department. Just take a look at your teammates when you first start to play. You can see every detail about them and their equipment. Every door, room, table, gun, floor, wall, etc. are all detailed so highly, you might need to turn down your graphic settings. Some models are quite watered down for whatever reasons they may have had(hostages and other NPCs), but saving monkey looking hostages is still rewarding in the end. On full graphics, however, SWAT 4 becomes highly realistic and most of the complaints above simply disappear. While SWAT 4 lacks in squad AI, gameplay bugs, and a slew of horribly dull levels, it makes up for it in the polished graphics and intense moments that the SWAT series always guarantees to deliver. As a tactical FPS, SWAT 4 is a unique and well polished simulation that all gamers should give a chance to see if they are able to take the “don’t shoot the bad guys” challenge. Like always, have someone nearby to grab or punch for the times when you a.) Forget to look under the door and get shot immediately, and b.) Get so insanely frustrated with the AI/guns that you need someone to kill. Don’t worry, that someone will understand. 7.9/10

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