Review By

Gene Park 7.0 RATING

Steve Earle mustve known what he was getting himself into. Hes been releasing music since the early 80s, becoming one of the more prolific roots rockers in recent times. So theres little doubt he already knew of the kind of reaction hed get when he recorded and released "John Walkers Blues," a contemplative ballad about the decisions made by John Walker Lindh, the misunderstood "American Taliban." Attacks on the song claim Earle to be empathizing with Lindh, which is equal to treachery. The New York Times had a headline about the song that went "Twisted Ballad Honors Tali-Rat." The song, however, shows none of that but is instead a stark commentary on the commercialism and materialism of American culture, of which Lindh is a victim.

On the other hand, John Walker Lindh probably didnt know what he was getting himself into. On Oct. 4, 2002, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison because, as Earle sings in the song, people "dont understand that sometimes a man has to fight for what he believes." How he found the said beliefs is an entirely different subject of study. But to sum it all up, Lindh was fed up with the force-fed blatant commercial society and looked for something deeper elsewhere. James Hitchcock, a professor of history at St. Louis University, writes, "There is something basic to human nature which longs for truth, and if people are denied access to it in traditional ways, they may look for it in unexpected and possibly dangerous places."

Sony and Zipper Interactive both mustve known what they were getting into concerning SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, the PlayStation 2s first official online game. Here is a game all about finding, neutralizing, and killing terrorists. September 11 is mentioned in the packaged documentary on the SEALs. The final levels take place in Turkmenistan, near the Afghani border, which contain shootouts that mightve taken place not too long ago. At home and with others across the nation, we can play out these shootouts, which were previously left to our imagination thanks to the media block out of activities in the Middle East. Killing terrorist leaders in the name of freedom? This kind of role-playing took place in pre-school playgrounds, in the form of Cowboys and Indians. Given to us now is a virtual playground that allows us to play out the Zeitgeist of the times: Fight terrorists, and do it for God and Country.

This virtual playground definitely comes with all the toys, especially the headset you can use to communicate with your teammates, online and off. SOCOM is a tactical shooter with team-based gameplay. In the single player campaign, you are a SEAL commander of a four-man squad as you lead them into dangerous territory, fighting faceless terrorists. Stealth is the key to this game, and the analog pad serves well to judge the different degrees of movement. Over 30 weapons will be at your disposal as you snipe, knife and strafe through 12 missions, which will take you through the snowfields of Alaska to a mountain cave maze on the Afghani border.

You can command your team of four with a command menu list, or by way of voice-recognition technology, through the microphone on your headset. The voice commands are a bit of a gimmick, as using the menu system is easy. It adds, however, to immerse the player in the game. Chatter from your teammates and headquarters will buzz in through your ear, rather than from your speakers. You can make commands like "fire at will" and "hold position" to more complicated ones like "breech, bang and clear." I found no fault with the recognition, and it even allows some improvisation when it comes to saying commands. For example, instead of saying the standard "deploy satchel," the game will recognize "place satchel" and "put down satchel."

Before going into the real weight of the game, the online battles, it is imperative to note that the artificial intelligence (AI) of the game is spotty. Your team is split up into two men teams. Your sidekick, Boomer, will always follow you, no matter what you tell him. Sometimes he wont even listen to a simple command like "hold fire." Sometimes when I attempted to sneak up on an enemy to slice his throat, Boomer would be right behind me, like Tails to Sonic. Just when I reach for my knife, Boomer decides to shoot the guy, blowing my cover and alerting the entire terrorist compound of my presence. He also forces me to kill him for the sake of the mission. After my Deus Ex review, where I go into a discussion about assisted suicide, putting Boomer out of his misery may sound hypocritical. But if I hadnt, I wouldnt have completed the game so I can review it. It all goes the same for the terrorists AI. I can say that at least there is some AI. The game allows non-playable characters to make their own decisions, competent or idiotic.

Online, the games stakes are risen. Getting connected and making your online identity is quick and painless. Because the game is only broadband, youd have to count out a significant portion of the online community. This is where the game really gets to show its mettle. Players get to join an eight-man team of SEALs or terrorists, in three different battle modes. Suppression is the games team deathmatch. Demolition involves a briefcase bomb in the center of the map, and teams have to try to reach it and bomb the opposing teams base. Extraction is a hostage rescue, with both teams trying to protect the hostages.

Human opponents provide a far more unpredictable and exciting game, as only humans can. The headset allows 10 seconds to voice chat with your teammates, strategizing and calling out enemy forces. It adds an interesting dynamic to the online shooter, but it isnt something that hasnt been done before. Instead, since the Playstation 2 demographic is younger, it allows for some foul-mouthed and offensive language. When a game is played right, the battles become tests of patience and marksmanship. When not, battles will result in players circling around each other blasting all of creation besides their target. Terrorists have been called "camel jockeys" and "towel heads," in an embarrassing display of racism and unsportsmanlike conduct. The Internet is a virtual playground, allowing users to assume online identities that become the person theyre not allowed to be in real life. Some users think nothing of consequence and morality, like the potty-mouthed SEALs or players who cheat by using glitches in levels to their advantage. And yes, there are cheaters and players you shouldnt associate with. At the beginning of one game, a team member dropped a grenade where we all started, killing the entire team. Fortunately there is a clan system, playing with only those you trust, which adds some exclusivity to games.

Technically the game gets many things right, besides the faulty AI. The graphics overall may be subpar, but the animations are done well. The lighting is also done well, camouflaging SEALs like it should. Levels are well designed, providing many hiding spots, ambush opportunities and cover. Every gun has a distinct and realistic bang to it. Ive always had issues with the Dual Shock 2 controllers concerning first-person shooters, and SOCOM adapts a similar layout. However, the controls are intuitive and well laid out, using every button. Online, the game shows little to no lag thanks to having only broadband users.

Is online gaming a new frontier in player interactivity? It certainly isnt big news. PC gamers are understandably apathetic, as theyve been doing this for years now. For some console gamers, this will be their first exposure, and theyre lucky to have a well-designed game as their maiden voyage. However, my gripe is with the content of the game. As I said, the developers knew the kind of game they were making, and the kind of reaction it would get intellectually: none. The faceless terrorists are lucky even to be named. There is no indication that they are fighting and dying for anything. They just bomb places, and here comes the U.S. SEALs to kill them. Why couldnt this game have aspired higher, like Steve Earle in his yearning for understanding of John Walker Lindh? Even the flag-laced We Were Soldiers, the Randall Wallace film about the first battles of the Vietnam War, made an attempt in giving a human face on the enemy. Sure, there are tons of conversations between terrorists throughout the game, but that doesnt tell us why they fight. Only sweeping general statements along the lines of "You think you Americans have won, but we will always be on your back" give us any indication of the measure of justice dealt to these men.

Why did the developers tackle something as heavy as terrorism for a videogame, especially considering the recent events? The Medal Of Honor series can boast being faithful to its historical material, but not SOCOM. PlayStation 2's first online game is just another online shooting game, albeit done well. Im not asking Sony to release a videogame that serves as agitprop. But it should be the duty of developers (as well as filmmakers and songwriters) to present intelligent material that helps Americans make sense out of these senseless times. Instead they are giving ammo (literally and figuratively) to kids who prone to believe that Islam (and other "un-American" beliefs) and all its followers should be shot. If I shouldnt be underestimating the maturity of gamers, I only need to point to the ignorant remarks coming out from my Logitech headset.

SOCOM is a well-made game. When I run into a room and my AK-74 is empty, I would quickly switch to my sidearm. Of course, my enemy would hit me with his sidearm, but as I stumble I pull the trigger repeatedly, bringing him down with me. Its that little detail that captures the spontaneity of combat, the suddenness of violence. But it doesnt prove that online gaming is the next frontier, and it does not prove to me that videogames can capture the Zeitgeist. All it provides is a virtual playground about real-life events caused by years of frustration, hatred and confusion. Beyond that, it is about events caused by forces stronger than deprivation and jealousy. A similar intangible must have moved John Walker Lindh to join the Taliban regime. A similar intangible must have moved Steve Earle to write a ballad about that ambition. Something drives these men to do what they do. Something moves men and women enough not only to kill, but also to die. Unfortunately, that something cant be found here.

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PC Game

Book

Book

Music CD

Music CD