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I have just purchased this game today from the budget range and I thought that it would be good to discuss the game with others and do a review on a product which is no longer on the SR database, this is because Swat 2 is a rare PC title which at the time was over looked by many at the time of the release. So far the game has been very hard but I am starting to get used to the interface and the player controls. For those who aren't aware this game is a Real Time Police tactical/Strategy game which only 2 years was brought into 3D with Swat 3: Close Quarters Battle, this game was updated last year with Swat 3: Elite Edition and it still remains as one of the greatest PC games I have ever played. After seeing what the 3D version could do I thought I would go back to see what the classic game Swat 2 was capable of producing and I am very surprised at the user friendly interface and highly playable gameplay. Over the years I have played many strategy games on the PC, I completed Commandos Behind Enemy Lines and the add-one pack Beyond the call of duty were great games to play and although they use a slightly different style to Swat 1+2 the basic rule of click and play Real Time action is still there.
Over the last couple of weeks I have had a big craving for PC strategy games and I have ordered Heist and Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive so hopefully they will come through in the next week to week and a half. So far on Swat 2 I have done 3 police missions and I have been looking through the various character and weapon options. As I said in the first paragraph, the level of difficulty involved in this title is of the highest degree and it involves a lot of planning and tactical simulation in order to succeed the various missions. Unlike commandos each member of your Swat team can carry a range of different weapons and attributes which alter how the missions play, only one of the skills requires a trained member in the field and that is the Snipers, so far I haven't needed to use any Snipers and the option to call a team of Snipers in hasn't been available to select, but I am sure as I get further into the game the option will become available.
One of the many extras in the game is the ability to call a Helicopter in to search around or carry your team members around the map, although it took a while to get used to the interface of the Helicopter I can safely say that the option to use one is both a great addition to the game and also a useful tool to transport 2 of your members around the map. One of the other options available is the ability to call in a tank to batter down sealed door and smash through windows which have been locked. As of yet the tank option is unavailable and every time I click on the option to call one in I get a message from the commander explaining that the tank is in the garage and that it is currently un-available at this time.
The level of interaction isn't very high but the options available to each character include the abilities to arrest suspects and thrown in EMC phones to negotiate with the terrorists. Your command leader is given the phone and you have to throw it into a place where one of the terrorists will pick up answer incoming calls. If however the area already contains a phone then one of the Swat members will dial the phone and negotiate with them that way, sometimes though they won't answer the phone and this has so far meant that the situation is critical. Negotiating with the terrorists has so far proved a mixed task and it has worked in some cases but in others I find myself going in a different way or using a bit of fire-power! Talking about Fire power brings me onto one of the most controversial subjects that the game involves. Shouting a terrorist isn't the difficult subject and all it involves is the press or hold of a button and the correct weapon selected, the difficult part comes in when deciding between whether or not the terrorist or civilian is armed and potentially dangerous. When trying to arrest a civilian they quickly turned on my selected Swat member and started to punch and run away, some even pull guns out on you.
A very handy but also very awkward in-game function is the ability to shout at the suspect ordering them to put the weapon down, if the suspect is nervous then they will drop the weapon and drop to the floor putting their hands behind their heads, however if he believes otherwise then you are left in a very vulnerable position which is most likely going to end in an injury or death to one of you team members. Using the cover option though enable you to select one or more of your officers to cover one of the team members, using this option enables you to enter situations and try to negotiate with the terrorists and possibly survive the mission without harming civilians or taking any bullets yourself.
Swat 2 is a definitely a thinking mans game and for people who just want a shoot em-up then you won't get a lot out of this game. Planning your missions requires you to look over the map and find entry points into the various buildings so that you can exploit your enemies and attack from different angles to ensure mission success. When entering a new room it is advisable to have your team members covering you, on top of this safety measure it is also good to use the flash bangs as it temporarily disables the terrorists and renders them in-active. When doing the missions plans I have found it useful to equip each Swat member with 5 flash bangs, this way once you have used all of them for one member you can use a different person to breech the rooms whilst the others provide the required cover. Breeching is another subject which needs to be approached with care. In the mission equip menu you can select a battering-ram and other tools which can be used on locked doors and windows which are locked and not available for entry, however using a technique like this one will spoil your stealth tactics and the game will go into dynamic mode which puts all terrorists on alert, so far I have found that the Dynamic mode is useful to flush out nervous guards because as soon as they see 10 Swat members heading towards them shouting and telling them to drop their weapons you will have accomplished your goal.
Unlike many titles Swat 2 enables you to play the role of both the good and the bad side of the situation, so far I am yet to try out controlling the terrorists but I have read the manual and I understand what it entails. Playing the terrorists should be an experience which only previously has the Command and Conquer series enabled players to do. So far Swat 2 has proved a very enjoyable yet very difficult experience which has taken a good 4 hours to get into and I am sure it will take many more to understand the interface fully and possibly a few weeks to learn how to control my team with the skills required to complete a mission using the up most of Swat stealth and responsibility.
If many of you like me enjoy tactical games which require a lot of thinking and planning then Swat 2 is definitely worth a purchase. Up to press the game has played very well, the user interface is friendly and the graphics are above par as far as RTS games play. As I become more and more immersed in the game then I will add to my comments and if people who own the game have their views to share that would also prove very useful, who knows we may even compile a little guide between solving and answering queries that we may have. If anyone would like to know more about this game I will be only glad to help and as I progress more and more through the game then I will add to this post and release more and more solutions to problems people may have.
If you have taken the time to read this then I would like to hear your opinions on the game, that way we can build up everyone's strengths and weaknesses and build up on possibilities to solving problems and improving your basic skills.
Thank you for reading!
Garbe123
Over the last couple of weeks I have had a big craving for PC strategy games and I have ordered Heist and Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive so hopefully they will come through in the next week to week and a half. So far on Swat 2 I have done 3 police missions and I have been looking through the various character and weapon options. As I said in the first paragraph, the level of difficulty involved in this title is of the highest degree and it involves a lot of planning and tactical simulation in order to succeed the various missions. Unlike commandos each member of your Swat team can carry a range of different weapons and attributes which alter how the missions play, only one of the skills requires a trained member in the field and that is the Snipers, so far I haven't needed to use any Snipers and the option to call a team of Snipers in hasn't been available to select, but I am sure as I get further into the game the option will become available.
One of the many extras in the game is the ability to call a Helicopter in to search around or carry your team members around the map, although it took a while to get used to the interface of the Helicopter I can safely say that the option to use one is both a great addition to the game and also a useful tool to transport 2 of your members around the map. One of the other options available is the ability to call in a tank to batter down sealed door and smash through windows which have been locked. As of yet the tank option is unavailable and every time I click on the option to call one in I get a message from the commander explaining that the tank is in the garage and that it is currently un-available at this time.
The level of interaction isn't very high but the options available to each character include the abilities to arrest suspects and thrown in EMC phones to negotiate with the terrorists. Your command leader is given the phone and you have to throw it into a place where one of the terrorists will pick up answer incoming calls. If however the area already contains a phone then one of the Swat members will dial the phone and negotiate with them that way, sometimes though they won't answer the phone and this has so far meant that the situation is critical. Negotiating with the terrorists has so far proved a mixed task and it has worked in some cases but in others I find myself going in a different way or using a bit of fire-power! Talking about Fire power brings me onto one of the most controversial subjects that the game involves. Shouting a terrorist isn't the difficult subject and all it involves is the press or hold of a button and the correct weapon selected, the difficult part comes in when deciding between whether or not the terrorist or civilian is armed and potentially dangerous. When trying to arrest a civilian they quickly turned on my selected Swat member and started to punch and run away, some even pull guns out on you.
A very handy but also very awkward in-game function is the ability to shout at the suspect ordering them to put the weapon down, if the suspect is nervous then they will drop the weapon and drop to the floor putting their hands behind their heads, however if he believes otherwise then you are left in a very vulnerable position which is most likely going to end in an injury or death to one of you team members. Using the cover option though enable you to select one or more of your officers to cover one of the team members, using this option enables you to enter situations and try to negotiate with the terrorists and possibly survive the mission without harming civilians or taking any bullets yourself.
Swat 2 is a definitely a thinking mans game and for people who just want a shoot em-up then you won't get a lot out of this game. Planning your missions requires you to look over the map and find entry points into the various buildings so that you can exploit your enemies and attack from different angles to ensure mission success. When entering a new room it is advisable to have your team members covering you, on top of this safety measure it is also good to use the flash bangs as it temporarily disables the terrorists and renders them in-active. When doing the missions plans I have found it useful to equip each Swat member with 5 flash bangs, this way once you have used all of them for one member you can use a different person to breech the rooms whilst the others provide the required cover. Breeching is another subject which needs to be approached with care. In the mission equip menu you can select a battering-ram and other tools which can be used on locked doors and windows which are locked and not available for entry, however using a technique like this one will spoil your stealth tactics and the game will go into dynamic mode which puts all terrorists on alert, so far I have found that the Dynamic mode is useful to flush out nervous guards because as soon as they see 10 Swat members heading towards them shouting and telling them to drop their weapons you will have accomplished your goal.
Unlike many titles Swat 2 enables you to play the role of both the good and the bad side of the situation, so far I am yet to try out controlling the terrorists but I have read the manual and I understand what it entails. Playing the terrorists should be an experience which only previously has the Command and Conquer series enabled players to do. So far Swat 2 has proved a very enjoyable yet very difficult experience which has taken a good 4 hours to get into and I am sure it will take many more to understand the interface fully and possibly a few weeks to learn how to control my team with the skills required to complete a mission using the up most of Swat stealth and responsibility.
If many of you like me enjoy tactical games which require a lot of thinking and planning then Swat 2 is definitely worth a purchase. Up to press the game has played very well, the user interface is friendly and the graphics are above par as far as RTS games play. As I become more and more immersed in the game then I will add to my comments and if people who own the game have their views to share that would also prove very useful, who knows we may even compile a little guide between solving and answering queries that we may have. If anyone would like to know more about this game I will be only glad to help and as I progress more and more through the game then I will add to this post and release more and more solutions to problems people may have.
If you have taken the time to read this then I would like to hear your opinions on the game, that way we can build up everyone's strengths and weaknesses and build up on possibilities to solving problems and improving your basic skills.
Thank you for reading!
Garbe123
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I'm still not sure whether to bother getting this game or not. There are already a ton load of stratagy games I want at the moment, I just don't think I have the time for another one, which hasn't got too many good reveiws.
Well, read the whole review above and I'm left wondering if this is the same game that I have !
The way you are supposed to negotiate the crooks out of places is a good idea, until you realise it rarely works as anything other than a delaying tactic whilst your guys get in place for the attack.
As far as tactics go, the 5 man teams work best when split into 2-2-1, two pairs of two officers advance, one always standing and the other in front kneeling. The two pairs advance either side of the single officer who is staggered back from the two pairs. When assauting a location, fire gas in, fire another gas in, and break in using rams or explosives with all your team. Sniper teams are useful and you should be able to get them from the start of the game as you'll need them for nearly every outdoor scneario.
Stil, at the price it's a good game if you're into strategy.
~~Belldandy~~
The way you are supposed to negotiate the crooks out of places is a good idea, until you realise it rarely works as anything other than a delaying tactic whilst your guys get in place for the attack.
As far as tactics go, the 5 man teams work best when split into 2-2-1, two pairs of two officers advance, one always standing and the other in front kneeling. The two pairs advance either side of the single officer who is staggered back from the two pairs. When assauting a location, fire gas in, fire another gas in, and break in using rams or explosives with all your team. Sniper teams are useful and you should be able to get them from the start of the game as you'll need them for nearly every outdoor scneario.
Stil, at the price it's a good game if you're into strategy.
~~Belldandy~~
You never know, codies may be putting the release back so they can incluse multiplayer support, which is great on the PC. Unlike most Tactical Squad based games you actually work as a team with other people as apposed to going off alone and doing you own thing.
Plus with all those weapons and vehicles at your disposal, you can hours of fun completing the missions over and over again.
Plus with all those weapons and vehicles at your disposal, you can hours of fun completing the missions over and over again.
I saw the release on IGN a while back, then all at once there were quite a few screen-shots released, but then all of a sudden everything went quiet and unless Codemasters have got something under their sleeves I can't see the game reaching the UK before this christmas, as I said it would be nice for the game to be released towards the end of March to the beginning of April, that way I can enjoy the game after my GCSE's :D
The official Web-site says Winter 2002 for the x-box Flashpoint. It may slip though as it will be hard to convert the PC controls to a joypad.
At the moment a release date for America hasn't been set so when the game will arrive in the UK is anybodies guess at the moment. Hopefully it will be due out around May/June of next year just after my GCSE's, that way I can sit down and enjoy the game more without the hassle of revision and what not hanging over my head. Have you read the news on IGN about Operation Flashpoint? Will you be getting an Xbox in the near future?
I've also added you to my MSN. I haven't really added anyone yet though, I think I'll see about getting a few more addresses from more users here.
Flashpoint, great game and certainly one you should be buying as soon as it comes out on the x-box. It is hard to get into at first, and there may be points where you want to just give up, but stick with it and you'll find an awesome tactical shooter which far betters any other tactical/squad based shooter around at the moment. I also here the x-box version will be coming with the latest expansion pack Resistance, and while I have yet to get that myself, I hear it too is great fun to play.
Flashpoint, great game and certainly one you should be buying as soon as it comes out on the x-box. It is hard to get into at first, and there may be points where you want to just give up, but stick with it and you'll find an awesome tactical shooter which far betters any other tactical/squad based shooter around at the moment. I also here the x-box version will be coming with the latest expansion pack Resistance, and while I have yet to get that myself, I hear it too is great fun to play.
I have just added you now to my MSN list :)
I own Operation Flashpoint for the PC but due to my computer not being powerful enough, the only way I can run it is in very low resolution mode which is why I haven't ever played it extensively. The bits I have played have impressed me a lot and I found the game to be both difficult yet great to play at the same time. Can't wait to get the Xbox version though, it is one of my most anticipated releases and I am looking forward to playing it!
I own Operation Flashpoint for the PC but due to my computer not being powerful enough, the only way I can run it is in very low resolution mode which is why I haven't ever played it extensively. The bits I have played have impressed me a lot and I found the game to be both difficult yet great to play at the same time. Can't wait to get the Xbox version though, it is one of my most anticipated releases and I am looking forward to playing it!
I was never under the impression you where new to PC gaming, I mearly assumed you new to strategy games as I don't really consider SWAT 2, Heist, and Desperados as hardcore strategy titles. Anyway, nice to know you’re a seasoned veteran of this genre.
I much prefer playing strategy games on my PC than on any of my 2 consoles, mainly for two reasons. The first is consoles aren't really that good when it comes to strategy games; I put the blame on the controller, as a joypad isn't as fluent as a mouse. The second reason is I can relax easier in front of my computer and get in grossed in a game, which I sometimes spend hours playing.
So Commandos 2, I would rather play it on computer, as although a higher resolution gives you a wider viewing angle of the game, a smaller monitor increases the detail more. I can't really compare though as I've never tried C2 on my PS2. Also, If your going to get the game, get it next time your on holiday. It's a BIG game, the levels you play through can be massive and there are times when you get objectives poured on you mid-mission to add to the difficulty. It's much harder than the original as well, so expect this game to last a while.
Shogun, one of my favourites was and still is an awesome strategy epic, I spent hours on the game building up my providences and raging wars, a true benchmark. If you have broadband, follow this link:
http://www.gamesdomain.com/demos/demo/1655.html
There you can download the demo of the sequel Medieval: Total War, which 'will' be better than the original. You also get to try out castle sieges in the demo, which looks like to be a fun addition to the game.
Sorry to say that it will be unlikely that I'll be selling Command & Conquer, like I said before it was the first strategy game I ever played so it will probably remain in my games collection for a while to come, I don't think I could part with it even if I could.
Here's my MSN address if you want it:
[email protected]
As you'd probably have guessed, that's my name, and a bit of a mouthful as well.
Also, one last thing. If you like tactical shooters like SWAT3, then keep an eye on Operation Flashpoint. Whether it's for your PC or X-Box, if you want a thinking mans shoot em up, Op Flashpoint is the king. A really tough game, but it does teach you to rely on teammates for cover and plan tactics to defeat the enemy. Also one of my favourites on the PC right now.
Well that's got my word count up a bit, I'm off now to sample more delights of Warcraft 3, another great strategy game.
I much prefer playing strategy games on my PC than on any of my 2 consoles, mainly for two reasons. The first is consoles aren't really that good when it comes to strategy games; I put the blame on the controller, as a joypad isn't as fluent as a mouse. The second reason is I can relax easier in front of my computer and get in grossed in a game, which I sometimes spend hours playing.
So Commandos 2, I would rather play it on computer, as although a higher resolution gives you a wider viewing angle of the game, a smaller monitor increases the detail more. I can't really compare though as I've never tried C2 on my PS2. Also, If your going to get the game, get it next time your on holiday. It's a BIG game, the levels you play through can be massive and there are times when you get objectives poured on you mid-mission to add to the difficulty. It's much harder than the original as well, so expect this game to last a while.
Shogun, one of my favourites was and still is an awesome strategy epic, I spent hours on the game building up my providences and raging wars, a true benchmark. If you have broadband, follow this link:
http://www.gamesdomain.com/demos/demo/1655.html
There you can download the demo of the sequel Medieval: Total War, which 'will' be better than the original. You also get to try out castle sieges in the demo, which looks like to be a fun addition to the game.
Sorry to say that it will be unlikely that I'll be selling Command & Conquer, like I said before it was the first strategy game I ever played so it will probably remain in my games collection for a while to come, I don't think I could part with it even if I could.
Here's my MSN address if you want it:
[email protected]
As you'd probably have guessed, that's my name, and a bit of a mouthful as well.
Also, one last thing. If you like tactical shooters like SWAT3, then keep an eye on Operation Flashpoint. Whether it's for your PC or X-Box, if you want a thinking mans shoot em up, Op Flashpoint is the king. A really tough game, but it does teach you to rely on teammates for cover and plan tactics to defeat the enemy. Also one of my favourites on the PC right now.
Well that's got my word count up a bit, I'm off now to sample more delights of Warcraft 3, another great strategy game.
Sorry if I made it out that this was the first genre of PC games that I have started into, but I have owned a lot of PC games and still do, but at the moment I am enjoying the strategy genre as it tests my mind whilst still being an enjoyable experience, couldn't ask for any more really :) So I do still own quite a few PC games, but my Xbox is the priority, you probably assumed that because I haven't posted in here before, sometimes I just got the impression that this forum already had its regular users and that they wouldn't want anymore just mingling into their conversations.
I have completed Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines and the Add-on pack Beyond the Call of Duty, great games and I can't wait to get the 2nd for the Xbox. The reason why I have waited to get it for the Xbox is for the ability to play it on a 23" TV, sometimes on the PC with the original I wanted a bigger monitor (greedy me) and with the Xbox console this enables me to do so. Thanks for advising me though.
I got Shogun Total War just after the release date and it is one of the greatest games that I have ever played, the battles were epic and the graphics were very good (not to mention the superb game interface). As I described in the post, I wish I had never gotten rid of my PC game collection, especially Red Alert 2 (loved the game and completed both CD's) and other strategy titles.
I agree with what you say about being one of the most fun genres, I find that I can gather my thoughts and plan an attack without the gaming stresses accompanied by FPS games where the action is frantic and very irate. If you are selling the first Command and Conquer then I would love to buy the game from you, my MSN address is:
[email protected]
Feel free to add me if you like :)
I got Desperdos thorugh today and so far I am enjoying the game immensly, great graphics and a high (emphesis on HIGH) difficulty level, I am gonig to go and play it now and try to get passed the 6 level :)
I have completed Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines and the Add-on pack Beyond the Call of Duty, great games and I can't wait to get the 2nd for the Xbox. The reason why I have waited to get it for the Xbox is for the ability to play it on a 23" TV, sometimes on the PC with the original I wanted a bigger monitor (greedy me) and with the Xbox console this enables me to do so. Thanks for advising me though.
I got Shogun Total War just after the release date and it is one of the greatest games that I have ever played, the battles were epic and the graphics were very good (not to mention the superb game interface). As I described in the post, I wish I had never gotten rid of my PC game collection, especially Red Alert 2 (loved the game and completed both CD's) and other strategy titles.
I agree with what you say about being one of the most fun genres, I find that I can gather my thoughts and plan an attack without the gaming stresses accompanied by FPS games where the action is frantic and very irate. If you are selling the first Command and Conquer then I would love to buy the game from you, my MSN address is:
[email protected]
Feel free to add me if you like :)
I got Desperdos thorugh today and so far I am enjoying the game immensly, great graphics and a high (emphesis on HIGH) difficulty level, I am gonig to go and play it now and try to get passed the 6 level :)
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