http://ps3.ign.com/articles/109/1096893p1.html
I'm going to play SOCOM 4. Seeing as how I'm in charge of IGN's PlayStation coverage, that shouldn't be a shocker, but what is surprising -- to me at least -- is that I'm going to play it with the PlayStation Move. By choice.
See, the first time I played SOCOM 4 with the PlayStation Move, I wasn't all that impressed. It was this spring's Game Developer's Conference, the Move had just been announced a few hours earlier, and things weren't all that tight as there were no inputs for basic moves, the game wasn't running all that smoothly and so on.
That stuff isn't an issue in Zipper Interactive's E3 demo.
Set in Southeast Asia, the demo opens with a civil war breaking out. Bombers cruise in, fire off their payload, and take down a massive tower. From there, you're tossed in the boots of Ops Com -- the squad leader you'll be playing as in SOCOM 4 and who you should already know all about.
Now, before we even get to the Move controls, it's important to tell you how great this game looks. There are neon signs along the skyline that are hiding in the shadows of other buildings, pillars of smoke filter into the air, and so much more -- the place looks like it's in the midst of hell. The streets are broken and littered with blown apart cars, and that's where the action begins.
IGN detailed how the Move controls worked in SOCOM at GDC, and that largely remains unchanged here except that everything is working a bit faster. It's more responsive and natural. I'd click Circle to take cover on a car, line up the reticle via the PlayStation Move wand, and pop out to take my shot. After struggling with the controls at GDC, I was shocked at how good they felt here. When the team and I moved in on a group of enemies with their backs to us, I placed the reticle on the bad guy's head, held the Move button (the big button on the thumbside of the Move wand) to zoom in for a precise aim, and pulled the trigger on the wand to take out the bogey. From the prone position, I could crawl on my belly to sneak up on enemies.
Still, the moment that sold me on the scheme was when we were pinned down by the enemy and my screen was covered in my own blood. Huddled against a car, my team whittled the bad guys down to just a few. I ordered them to positions by pointing and tapping the D-Pad, but it's crazy how good your team is without you. They will just go out and clean house. Anyway, I popped out of cover, and in the tiny gap between the frame of a far-off car and the road, I could see the ankles of an enemy. In a snap, I pointed the Move and took my shot. It was simple, easy and fast.
This is what I wanted Resident Evil 4 on the Wii to be. It's quick and precise. It feels like a real control scheme and not a gimmick.
Perhaps the coolest part of the demo/Move integration? Painting a target for an airstrike. As the squad advanced in the level, Ops Com was put in touch with some soldiers who had real firepower. Trouble was that these heavy hitters couldn't see the enemy artillery on the ground. It was my job to target the cannons and mark them for destruction. I pointed the Move controller at the machines, held down the L2 button, and watched a little meter fill in. Then, fire rained down.
It's still early on the SOCOM 4 front. Sure, I'm high on the Move controls now, but maybe my next demo won't be as polished and I'll start having doubts. Still, the fact remains that SOCOM 4 at E3 showed me how cool a "hardcore" game with the Move could be. You can sit on your couch and relax while playing this one and not have to wag your hand to throw a grenade or pump your arms to run. The Move stuff is there -- from what I've seen -- just to aid your aiming and to make you feel like the gun is in your hands. That's how it should be.
Sounds amazing, doesn't it ?
(Former) Lead Moderator
