Arnold-KatayevSocom Confrontation is a game we should've been playing a year ago. Alas, it's still not here, but we should hopefully see it in the coming weeks. We had a chance to sit down, or rather, stand up, with a build of the game at this year's E3 and so far our feelings are mixed. On one hand, the game plays well and is instantly reminiscent of the original Socom – after all, the game is essentially a remake of it.
We were on the all new version of crossroads, which fans of the original Socom have come to love. The visuals were nice, considering this is a downloadable game, but they weren't amazing. Some spotty textures here and there prevent Socom Confrontation from being a mighty fine looker, but it's an overall good looking game. The action plays out like classic Socom, of course, so Confrontation stays very true in that regard, as well. An over-the-shoulder perspective similar to Gears of War is selectable with the D-pad, as is switching between shoulder views (left or right).
My quirk with this build of Socom Confrontation is that its buttons are poorly mapped out. Why would I want a taunt button on the shoulder buttons and the aim button on the D-pad where it is totally out of reach? The availability of customizable controls should alleviate this, but that's assuming there will be an option to fully customize your controls. I'd also settle for a preset configuration that sets the aim button to the shoulders.
Ultimately, this build didn't seem very advanced, as it exhibited some hitches, including a bit of slowdown. That said, I do believe that fans of the original game will enjoy Confrontation when it launches for the PlayStation Network.
We expect to see more optimization out of Socom Confrontation so that it's running as smooth as it possibly can. This isn't exactly a powerhouse tour de force, so having it run silky smooth shouldn't be a problem.
