

Simply tap the Tab key to alternate between which group you're issuing orders to, then place the cursor on a location, and hit the right mouse button to call up a context-sensitive list of commands, such as cover, enter and clear, pick lock, and more. The game's control scheme is practically identical to every other shooter out there, and it does feature a simple squad-control system that allows you to issue commands to the entire team as a whole, or to each of the two-man elements. Since SWAT 4 randomizes the placement of hostages and suspects every time you start a mission, there's no easy way of knowing what's behind the next door other than to simply open it and find out. However, the slow pace helps to build up the tension in the game. As a result, this is a shooter that moves at a much slower rate than what you're probably used to. SWAT teams move at a very deliberate pace, which means they never move so fast that it ruins their ability to get an accurate shot off. This is by no means a traditional run-and-gun-style shooter.


If you've never played a SWAT game before, the pace will definitely surprise you. The game also ships with multiplayer support, and you can have up to five players in a cooperative game or 16 players in a SWAT-versus-suspects mode, a bomb mode, and VIP mode. The custom mission builder is very easy to use, as you simply choose a map, and then pick the types and numbers of hostages and suspects that you want on the level. In addition to a training level and a career mode, the game ships with an instant action mode as well as the ability to create and play custom missions. At your disposal are a variety of real-world weapons, including AR-15 carbines, submachine guns, shotguns, flashbang and CS gas grenades, and more. The game is set in a generic American city, and missions take place in a variety of locations, such as hospitals, tenement buildings, a diamond wholesaler, and warehouses. These include hostage rescue, high-risk warrant service, high-risk arrest, and more. SWAT 4 is a realistic tactical shooter in which you lead an elite five-man Special Weapons and Tactics police team into a variety of missions, all inspired by the real-world SWAT missions that take place every day. Work on our review is underway, but we wanted to share a few early thoughts. But we've been playing around with the final version of the game, and so far we can say that SWAT 4 is in every way a faithful follow-up to SWAT 3, which itself was a great tactical shooter.

The bad news is that the game won't actually ship to stores until early April.basically two weeks from now. The good news for tactical shooter fans is that SWAT 4 is done.
