SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs: Tactical Strike

Tactical Strike is the third handheld game in the SOCOM series’ long history. This one is distinct from its console counterparts. Not only can the player command a squad of US Navy Seals, but they can also command one of several foreign units with roles similar to the SEALS, such as the Dutch KCT, German KSK, Australian SASR, Italian 9th Parachute Assault Regiment, Spanish UOE, British SAS, French GIGN, or South Korean 707th Special Mission Unit. The story takes place in Panama. The players’ national ambassador and Panamanian ambassador are kidnapped by a local group of rebel narcotrafficante kidnappers known as “La Mano Los Gente” – though it is worth noting that this is egregiously ungrammatical Spanish because the “de” is missing! The player must conduct an increasingly complex and difficult operation in order to rescue the two diplomats from the fictional group of criminals with the amusing name. The gameplay differs from previous SOCOM games in that you still control a squad of four men, but instead of bringing up a menu interface and then pointing the cursor to a specific location to give an order, this new game features a locator box that moves along the ground’s surface. This allows the player to select a target or rally point location and then use a specific button to instruct soldiers to take cover, establish crossfire, defend, ambush, etc. Of course, one can direct them to use weapons such as close combat knives, rifles, demolition satchel charges, pistols, a shot fired by the squad’s sniper, or throw grenades. When you select an Aimpoint for a grenade, a dynamically adjustable moving arc appears to show you the trajectory it will take. There are nine non-linear missions to complete, with two instant action missions available for each stage, and the story is told through pre-rendered cut scenes.