I am a sucker for milsim games. I've played anything from DCS, Operation Flashpoint, Arma, Hell Let Loose, etc. so when I saw a SWAT game that looked pretty realistic, and from the many clips I saw on social media, I just had to give it a try. Since most combat simulations revolve around the military, seeing a law enforcement game pull that level of realism immediately had my attention. Now, don't take it from me, I cannot speak on if it's truly 1:1 with reality. I've never served in the military or law enforcement to any capacity, but this game really immerses you. Looking back to relatively recent history all the way back to 50 years ago, this game definitely shares elements of the worst case scenarios and most intense law enforcement clashes in history. So basing it off historical events, this game comes pretty close. As for immersion in-game, as a well traveled simulation player, this game has it all. For starters, the customization of pretty much everything is amazing. You can't customize character's body features outside of tattoos which is nice. I hate spending 20+ minutes designing characters only to look like an ogre. But you can customize your kit from the weapons you carry, what's on those weapons, the ammo type, grenades, armor type and coverage if any task oriented gear like shields, mirrors, and, well, you get the picture. But not only can you do this for your character, in single-player, you go in with a squad of 5 (including yourself) and you can customize just as much with your squad as you do yourself to suit the mission with the ability to save loadouts so you don't have to spend 30 minutes in pre-mission decking your team out. The AI all around is also insane. Your team will issue orders to civilians and suspects, will detain everyone they come across and bag evidence along the way with or without orders if it's safe enough to do so. The civilians will do dumb things that may make it seem like they're a threat when it's just a phone they're reaching for. "Dead" suspects may not be so dead. I played a mission where I shot a guy and he collapsed but I pushed passed him to clear the connecting room so I wouldn't get shot trying to arrest someone and the "dead" guy was just faking it. He waited until I stepped over him, stood up, and stabbed in the back. They'll also flee if they can and run circles around you until you run into each other again. Speaking of single-player, not only do you deploy with a squad, you are given a command tab that allows you to control your team any way you see fit. Want to breach a door? Go right ahead, but HOW is the question. Want breaching charges? Maybe a shotgun to blow the lock? Maybe simplicity is bliss and you just want to kick the door in, flash and clear. Those are just a few examples with several more options available depending on how you kitted your team. For the most part, your AI teammates are competent and watch your back, follow your commands to a tee, and will even continue clearing buildings if no further commands are given. Some of the best, non-scripted friendly AI I've ever seen in a game. I've only had a few instances where they didn't do what they were supposed to do which I feel has something to do with their stress levels... yes, as team leader, you have to choose who you take on missions and manage stress levels... it is THAT in-depth. As for multiplayer, you lose your AI squad but that's kind of the point. You NEED to work as a team with your friends if you want to survive, let alone win. It's all the same missions but with the added difficulty of usually fewer numbers and human error. Generally, the AI doesn't mistake civilians for threats and visa versa. Controls... ah yes, what most new simulation players fear. I am happy to say this is the least complicated sim game I've ever come across. You have a key for quick commands and a key for the command menu. Weapons are universally the same as far as aim and shoot, however you have a key for attachments (one for zoom if applicable and one for light/laser if applicable). You have two different aiming methods which you can switch between whenever: sights and canted. You have hot keys for grenades and the previously mentioned quick command which will change depending on what you're looking at. Movement is universally the same, WASD+QE, a key for crouch, and a key for, what I call "free-lean," where you can crouch low to check underneath various objects and peer around corners with a little bit more flexibility. The rest of your gear is, by default, your numbers. Any item box with an arrow means you can use your wheel to select exactly what you want if multiple items are under the same category (ie. grenades, less lethal, etc.). Best part, the keybindings are customizable to suit every player. Story. Well, it's complicated. There technically is a story however it's not as linear and black and white as, say, Call of Duty. There are missions that are connected to each other via evidence you come across and underlying clues to bigger elements. But like the daily life as law enforcement, each mission is different and not every case is connected. Character development... non existent. In fact, there are only a few parts where anyone shows any form of emotion. Otherwise, all eyes are forward and all anyone is worried about is completing the mission. Themes... well this is the most sensitive part. I'm a rational person and usually don't get mad at elements of a video game... however... there are some pretty rage inducing parts of the game simply because of the fact a lot of this has happened under similar circumstances. This is obviously not a game for kids, but there are some adults that may find this game VERY disturbing, or even upsetting. However, no matter what you come across and see, just know, the developers did an amazing job at not glorifying or encouraging anything. The game is very dark and parts were clearly meant to invoke an angry response to emphasize the tragedies and how horrific and close to home some of it is. DLC and future updates. My favorite part and, what I'd assume, many more are concerned with. The devs are continuously working to improve and add to the game. As of this post, they recently just released their new Dark Waters DLC with new missions and weapons. The DLC is just as action packed as the main game but with even less story than there already was. Still fun nonetheless. From what I can tell though, the weapons are part of the updates which is free. The only extras you're paying for is missions. Great flexibility for players who want new gear but don't want to pay a large price for more content than they're looking for. Cons... My least favorite part. For starters, you don't have a save feature. This game runs on auto save which only happens when you change your kit or upon completion of a mission. If you leave mid mission, it negatively impacts the morale of your squad and may cause them to quit as well as you having to restart that mission from the beginning. Any special perks they had are then gone and you'll have to hire replacements which may or may not have the same perks. It's just a luck of the draw. The missions can be rather long too depending on how meticulous and methodical you choose to be. The longest mission took me about 15 minutes to complete just running and gunning. Playing it methodically took me about an hour. Each mission is vastly different with maps being all sizes which will greatly vary mission time. To me this isn't an issue, but this is not a game I'd play if I'm on a time crunch. Lastly, no game is perfect. This game does occasionally bug out a little. If you've made it this far, this game is obviously spiked your interest and I greatly appreciate your time. It may be a long review but there are too many games where it's just people praising or complaining about the game and not giving people a chance to understand what they're buying.
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