SWAT 4: Gold Edition

The city of Fairview has seen better days, its our job to make sure they see them again.

Way to go GOG!

bought this game because Spoony did a great series about it. The game did not dissapoint!

Swat 4 is certainly one of those games that didn't garner the attention it deserves. The game is great in the beginning, but as you go from mission to mission it becomes evident there isn't much to it other than shouting at people and binding their hands together with zipties.

SWAT 4 is a tactical shooter without over-emphazise the planing beforehand. It's not as complicated as Rainbow Six but the gameplay offers so muchmore. You don't go in boldly, shooting everything that moves. Hostiles and civilians—that are meant to be rescued!—are randomized each attempts of the mission. You enter a room and have to make out who's the hostile and who's not. You look for guns and even if they have one you don't shoot immediately, you shout at them to get down and drop their weapons. You have like one second to decide whether to take a (probably) lethal shot or not, or if you still try to restrain them and shoot them in the legs. Sometimes they want to give up but wave around their guns, sometimes they try to shoot you. It also matters if you breach into a room alone or with your officers. The latter increases the chance of persuading the bad guy to drop his gun, when a bunch of officers, heavily armed, shouting at him. He is less likely to take any chances. SWAT 4 really builds an immersive experience around you where you have to report restrained hostiles and civilians, victims and secure weapons of the hostiles. Even civilians occasionally don't get on the ground to be handcuffed. You also have to deal with that. In addition everytime mission tells a short but atmospheric story. It's not always a 911 call, when you police tracked down a serial killer, and you enter a house with gritty psychopath-basement decorated with newspapers, dolls and masks. Highly recommended!