SWAT 4: Gold Edition

Boss, you're in my spot. ;)

There really has never been a tactical shooter like this before, and I doubt there'll be one like it again, since the developer has gone on to find success with the bioshock series of games. SWAT 4 really is as tactical as a team based game gets. Everyone has to work together, and one guy not paying attention can get his whole team killed. People who purchase this game should be made aware that SWAT 4 DOES still have online multiplayer, which can be added by downloading and installing markmods unofficial server fix patch here : http://www.markmods.com/swat4serverlist/

Back in the mid 2000s, everything Irrational touched turned to gold. The SWAT series, originally a Police Quest spin-off, had gone through two very different, very mixed iterations before finding its footing as a first person squad-based tactical game in SWAT 3. And then Irrational turned it into a masterpiece. Swat 3 was a good-looking game in its own right but using the Unreal 2 engine allowed Irrational to find nuance in darkness. Any yes, Swat 4 is frighteningly dark. Particle effects, neon lighting, shadows and much improved animations push it to another level. And the same is true for the sound work. However the the most remarkable technical improvement Swat 4 makes is in terms of controls: where Swat 3 used an unwieldy menu based command system which seemingly inspired Operation Flashpoint, Swat 4 does away with all of that and introduced a clever context sensitive system controlled entirely by mouse. It's so much faster, cleaner and intuitive that frankly I'm surprise this hasn't been copied more often. All of that serves the much improved level design. In Swat 4, every mission is amazing. Emergent story telling takes the place of a framing narrative and you'll need a high tolerance for sleaze once you discover the secret basements and underground casinos and learn the stories of people misguided or simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Swat 4 has 21 short stories for you and it will leave you breathless. It's a shame the expansion set Stetchkov Syndicate was never properly integrated into the game because it not only continues the main game's excellence but also adds two vital features: you can now punch hostages and suspects alike in order to force compliance. Don't ask, you'll need it. Secondly, you can now time your teams' actions via the CTRL button, syncing their breakthrough attempts through different doors for instance. It's a little glitchy but extremely useful. And now, get out of your own way and buy this game.

This game is one of the best tactical shooters out there; simply because you are encouraged not to be lethal. You are a police officer in a live-saving organisation; that means you only take a lethal shot if you have no other choice. At the same time, the game really works hard on wanting you to pull that trigger. Arresting a serial murderer who tortures young victims and a Cult with a charismatic leader - and a lot of creepy messages on the walls - are amongst the best examples. You really get a feel for the police work alongside a healthy dose of frustration. This game makes you respect Force - both when you use it and when it is used against you - and it is one of the truly greats. Thanks Gog.com!

As with the previous game in the series, this is not about going all Rambo and killing everyone. There are procedures you need to follow on how to deal with the enemy. If you want a more realistic kill all shooter, this is not it. You will feel bored and unsatisfied with your purchase. IF on the other hand you want a shooter where you are a police officer (more than one but yeah) and you have to obey the law, try to arrest the suspects and only as a very last resort, shoot them, then you are going to love this. It's a great game, great gameplay, randomized missions, great graphics, but, make sure you know what you are looking for.