SWAT 4: Gold Edition

I bought this game kind of on a whim and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I think that from literally hundreds of games I have played on PC and consoles in the last couple of years there’s been only 10 or less that I enjoyed as much as SWAT 4. Today’s games have very serious issues. They are “triple a” addictive but miserable experiences that require A HUGE investment of time and money, small indie games with rather simple and very small scope, or pipe dreams with mediocre designs and almost non-existent research, balance and testing put into them. This game feels that it comes from another era when making the customer have fun without treating them like a lab rats with wallets was paramount (or lab rats with daddies with big wallets). It has the perfect balance between a procedural tactical game and simplicity. There’s no need to memorise tons of keys or learn the maps or do any other overcomplicated chore to start having fun with it. Also for me it ran without problems on a modern gaming PC. Note that I played only a couple of missions on the vanilla game to test and afterwards I played the whole game with the “Elite Force” mod which ads a ton of improvements such as additional resolutions and although I think it makes the game a bit harder/realistic is well worth it and it’s very east to install. Just download the files and copy to the game directory then run the main .bat

Review based on disc version, but I'm sure as hell getting this when I get paid! S.W.A.T 4 is almost unique in it's design, being based on the groundwork of S.W.A.T 3, the designers wanted it to feel REAL. As a kid (a kid who sucked at playing anything other than the action he was so accustomed to) this game showed me what swat was really about. You lone wolf run and gun no scope and your carcass will be stuck at the bottom of the river before you could say "ouch!" Killing the badguys should be your last resort AND REPORT EVERYTHING. This game is all about methodical planning and situational awareness. TACTICS! of the highest order, a stark contrast to Rainbow 6 Vegas and co. with their Hollywood approach to SwatSpecial forces and ARMA with it's often confusing controls. S.W.A.T 4 is simple, challenging and there's nothing wrong with that. My copy was stolen years ago, so I'm very pleased to see this available once more even if my wallet isn't.

Spent thousand of hours in PvP multiplayer some years ago. There are still few active servers, mostly in COOP mode, some for BS and only one or two for VIP. RD mode is dead unfortunately. Make sure to apply gamespy replacement fix to see the in-game server list: https://github.com/sergeii/swat-patches/tree/master/swat4stats-masterserver#master-server-patch

SWAT 4 was far, far ahead of its time. So many mechanics that existed in the game have only just started showing up in games in the last few years, and no game has yet matched the satisfaction of pulling off a tactical operation that SWAT 4 gives. Localized damage, damage effecting aim and movement, chosen loadouts showing up on character models, viewports to see what other players are seeing, leaning, ammo not just being one giant clip, but split into multiple magazines that retain their count. Both the single player and multiplayer in SWAT 4 are stellar, and you can still find servers that you can join up and play with people in 2019 with a small file replacement (check the forums). The slow steady pace of clearing room by room is one of the most intense and pulse-pounding experiences I've ever had. Yelling at a suspect who you aren't sure is going to drop his gun, trying to find the right member of when to apply lethal force if necessary. Some enemies will drop their weapons, others will hide them, others will begin firing. The intensity of the moment as your team member mirrors beneath the door, another picks the lock, another preps a stun grenade, and you ready your weapon and prepare to clear together is like nothing I have encountered before, nor since this game. SWAT 4 is Siege before there was Siege, and I would argue it's even better if you're looking for a tactical game and not just a shoot-em-up. An absolute must buy. Do not miss out on this legendary, unique, gem of a game. I have never encountered another game quite like it, and I still play it consistently to this day.

This game along with SEF forces mod and you're in for a great time. Much better experience than Ready or Not.