SWAT 4: Gold Edition

Very good game, specially with mods. I'm using the Elite Force one, but unfortunetly it doesn't add to GOG play time because the mod uses another executable, so I may have around 5 hours by the time of this review (bought it 2 days ago)

• download the 1080p fullscreen mod • download the Server Browser mod • downlaod either or all MODs: - First Responders - Swat Elite Force

I have never been so excited to see a video game for sale. SWAT 4, one of the best tactical shooters of all time, is no longer abandoned. I have never hit purchase so fast in my life.

Whew boy, I've been waiting for this game to come to GOG for years now. For those not in the know, this game fell into copyright hell after its production was discontinued. With only a digital download available for a brief amount of time, people wanting to try this game were either forced to pay steep prices for the increasingly rare physical copies or use less-than-legit means (ironically) of obtaining the game. The fact that this game finally came to GOG feels almost like a holiday for me: the game is finally accessible. As you can probably tell from the title, I love this game and I frequently compare other tactical shooters to it as a benchmark. That's not to say the game is perfect. It definitely shows it's age with the lack of iron-sight aiming, dull textures, and clumsy physics. The AI is also notorious for being infuriatingly stupid at times (for extra fun, take a shot every time you hear “you're standing in my spot sir” or when you're flashbanged by your own teammate). But, this game gets so many things right that you just don't see in modern titles anymore. This game expects you to, for the most part, play the role of a police officer. Unlike Insurgency or ARMA (or even Door Kickers), you're expected to try and save lives rather than eliminate everything in your path. That adds an entire extra layer of complexity on top of the standard tactical shooter. Your hands are tied by police procedure and you must follow it, such as announcing you're a police officer and using lethal force only when your life is clearly being threatened, in order to complete the missions successfully. As a result, this game is brutal. There are no quicksaves or checkpoints. If you die, you start from the beginning of the mission. That can be infuriating at times, but it forces you to be really careful about your approach to the missions and combat. For $10, this game is an absolute no brainier that any tactical shooter fan needs to try.

If you're here and you don't know what SWAT 4 is, buy it. You're going to love it. If you're remotely interested in this gem pick it up! However, it would be nice to see a little house-keeping done. If you have the chance, modern resolution support without modification of .inis would be wonderful.