| SWAT 3 : CLOSE QUARTERS BATTLE - ELITE EDITION This game is one of the many better clones of the Tactical Strategy genre after the success of Rainbow Six and is also the first game in the series to do so. I must admit that I did not play the previous installments which were adventure (Police Quest 1-4, Police Quest:SWAT) and strategy (Police Quest: SWAT 2). One of the unique features implemented in SWAT 3 is the ability to give orders to your squad by pressing the number keys, which is something like buying weapons in Counter-Strike. Among the orders that you can give are clear a room, throw flashbangs and breach doors. But one thing the developers could have done without is the arrest and pickup order. It can become very tedious to give the same order for every captured and handcuffed hostage or terrorists. The computer AI of my squadmates are of no help either. Another frustration is in one of the missions where you are supposed to retrieve several time-bombs. The time-bombs are hidden and worse, it takes place in the sewer which is very dark and I cannot even count the number of times I got lost in this maze. A mid-mission save is also absent, making it very difficult to progress because some missions are quite tough. Also, once you die, that's it. You cannot take over one of your team members like in Rainbow Six, raising the difficulty level further. Overall, another great addition to the tactical strategy genre if you have enjoyed Rainbow Six and wanted more. |
| Genre: Tactical Strategy Year: 2000 Rating: *** Pros: detailed graphics, exceptional AI, innovative features Cons: some really tough missions, steep learning curve |