SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
Quick menu
Uncompromised duty, honor and valor.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition is a simulation, action and tactical game
developed by Sierra
and published by Activision.
Released on April 18th 2017 is available in English only on Windows.
It has received 354 reviews of which 231 were positive and 123 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.3 out of 10. 😐
The game is currently priced at 9.99€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition through various videos and screenshots.
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows XP / Vista / 7
- Processor: 1.0 GHz
- Memory: 256 MB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 7 Compatible 3D Card
- DirectX: Version 7.0
- Storage: 1 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Ignore negative reviews, you can play the game by only installing last resort mod and dgVoodoo2. AI in this game aged like fine wine. Devs really don't have an excuse when a game from 1999 can have an AI this good. The game only has 2 flaws. Firstly, you can only give clear command on edges of the entrances, this causes some issues for very long tunnels that only have one direction. Secondly, officers can't open that damned kitchen door in the last level by themselves, it's also not interactable. So, you have to push the door yourself, causing you to expose yourself to anything lies behind the door. Other than these 2 flaws, the game runs and plays perfectly.
Expand the review
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition, developed by Sierra and published by Activision, remains one of the most defining examples of grounded tactical first-person design—a game that deliberately distances itself from the explosive, run-and-gun shooters that dominated its era. Set in a near-future Los Angeles on the eve of an international summit, the game frames its missions around realistic crisis scenarios: hostage situations, armed barricades, domestic disputes, and terrorist threats unfolding across believable civilian environments. Instead of constructing a dramatic narrative arc, it adopts the tone of a professional simulation, presenting each deployment as part of an ongoing public safety operation rather than a cinematic storyline. This grounded approach reinforces the idea that being a SWAT officer is less about heroics and more about responsibility, procedure, and restraint. The central philosophy of SWAT 3 is that violence is not the preferred solution, and the game successfully builds tension around that expectation. Every mission begins with a detailed briefing and blueprint-style floor plan, encouraging players to visualize potential points of entry, danger zones, and civilian locations before a single shot is fired. Equipment selection becomes meaningful—opting for less-lethal shotguns, pepper spray, flashbangs, breaching charges, or mirror cameras can dramatically influence how safely a situation is resolved. When the team finally enters a building, the pressure shifts from external threats to operational discipline. Officers must issue verbal commands, attempt arrests, and scan rooms methodically, because suspects will react unpredictably—sometimes surrendering immediately, sometimes fleeing, or sometimes ambushing careless players. That uncertainty transforms each encounter into a psychological contest rather than a firefight. Squad management is where the game’s tactical identity truly crystallizes. The player leads a team of highly trained officers who follow real-world SWAT procedures, stacking on doors, covering angles, clearing hallways, and communicating discoveries. Commands are issued through an interface that is surprisingly intuitive for its time, allowing synchronized breaches, silent entries, or coordinated movement formations. The AI, while not flawless, demonstrates far more tactical awareness than typical shooters of the late 1990s, reflecting training and teamwork rather than generic enemy scripting. Players can take the lead position or operate as a strategic coordinator, and both playstyles feel distinct and rewarding. When a mission concludes with all civilians safe and every suspect apprehended rather than killed, the sense of accomplishment is different from most shooters—measured not by body count, but by professionalism. The environments play a crucial role in shaping that experience. Instead of exaggerated military arenas, SWAT 3 takes place in ordinary but carefully constructed spaces—office towers, suburban homes, luxury penthouses, convenience stores, sewers, banks, embassies, and public transit stations. These locations are not designed for combat spectacle, but for realism, with believable layouts, line-of-sight obstructions, locked doors, blind corners, and choke points that force players to think like real operators. The subdued art direction, though dated in texture quality, still effectively conveys tension, and the game’s restrained color palette enhances its procedural feel. What truly gives these spaces life is the sound design: distant screams, muffled gunshots, police radio chatter, footsteps echoing through stairwells, and panicked civilians pleading for help. Every audio cue becomes tactical information, training players to listen as carefully as they observe. Despite its enduring strengths, SWAT 3 is not without limitations. Modern players accustomed to slick interfaces, highly customizable weaponry, or physics-driven destruction will notice its age immediately. Animations are rigid, character models simple, and environmental interaction limited. Some missions can feel abrupt or short, and because the game prioritizes realism over dramatization, there is no overarching plot or emotional payoff linking operations together. The AI occasionally misjudges angles or gets stuck navigating narrow spaces, and the control scheme may take time to adapt to. Yet these constraints do little to diminish the clarity of the game’s vision—they serve as reminders of both the era and the intentions behind its design. What has allowed SWAT 3 to maintain its legacy is the rarity of what it attempts: a tactical shooter built not around power fantasy, but around accountability, planning, and the preservation of life. The GOTY Edition’s additional missions and multiplayer support expanded its longevity, and modding communities have kept it accessible long after its original release window. More importantly, modern tactical games—including Rainbow Six Siege, Ready or Not, and the revered SWAT 4—owe pieces of their DNA to the framework SWAT 3 established. Its influence is not loud or flashy, but foundational. Revisiting the game today reveals why it remains so respected. It captures a type of tension no modern military blockbuster replicates—the quiet dread of opening a closed door, the relief of a peaceful surrender, the anxiety of knowing one wrong command could cost a civilian life. SWAT 3 is not designed to thrill through constant action, but to immerse through authenticity and discipline. For players who value methodical pacing, procedural challenge, and tactical decision-making grounded in reality, it continues to stand as one of the most thoughtful, mature, and influential entries the genre has ever produced. Rating: 6/10
Expand the review
i meged to get the game to work via the game setining this game is realy good espaclacy when you want to play as lapd swat
Expand the review
One of the best old school tactical games. They dont make them as good anymore.
Expand the review
Similar games
View all
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon®
Eastern Europe, 2008. War has broken out on the borders of Russia and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. That's when the call goes out for the Ghostsan elite handful of specially trained Green Berets, armed with the latest technology and trained to use the deadliest weapons.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® 3 Gold
Raven Shield:Command an elite multinational squad of special operatives against hidden terrorist forces. In Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, the third installment to the wildly popular Rainbow Six series, Team Rainbow faces the hidden global forces of a new and secretive foe.
Arma 2
Building on 10 years of constant engine development, ARMA II boasts the most realistic combat environment in the world. It models real world ballistics & round deflection, materials penetration, features a realtime day/night cycle and dynamic wind, weather and environmental effects.
ARMA: Gold Edition
ARMA: Gold is pack of ARMA: Armed Assault and an expansion pack ARMA: Queen's Gambit. ARMA is a first person tactical military shooter with large elements of realism and simulation. This game features a blend of large-scale military conflict spread over large areas alongside the more closed quarters battle.
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a game about a fictitious conflict on one of the Sakhalin islands.
Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead
Three years after the conflict in Chernarus, portrayed in the original Arma 2, a new flashpoint explodes in the Green Sea Region. Coalition forces led by the US Army are deployed to Takistan to quickly restore peace and prevent further civilian casualties.
Contractors
Contractors is a team-based competitive multiplayer shooter game for virtual reality devices. Experience the next level virtual warfare with hardcore controls, lethal weapons, customizable load-outs, and intense firefights. BECOME AN OPERATOR.
Black One Blood Brothers
Black One Blood Brothers is a tactical military shooter game where strategy and coordination are key. Command a squad of top operators, with unique skills, through high-risk missions around the globe. Customize your crew, plan your missions, and adjust on the fly for a vast replayability.
Sniper 3D Assassin: Free to Play
Sniper 3D Assassin® in 7 words: great gameplay, awesome visuals and entertaining missions.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six makes its next-generation hardware debut in the most dramatic installment of the renowned first-person shooter franchise to date. Rainbow operatives take to the chaotic streets of Las Vegas as an escalating terrorist siege in 'Sin City' threatens to take world terrorism to new, uncontrollable heights.
ZooKeeper Simulator
In ZooKeeper Simulator, there are two teams: Zookeeper vs Animals. Zookeeper must maintain the park by carrying out missions while animals must prevent them utilizing violence and pure brutality.
ARMA: Cold War Assault
Bohemia Interactive's debut game published by Codemasters as Operation Flashpoint in 2001, became genre-defining combat military simulation and the No. 1 bestselling PC game around the world and has won many international awards, including “Game of The Year” and “Best Action Game”. Over 2 million copies have been sold since its release.
Frequently Asked Questions
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition is currently priced at 9.99€ on Steam.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 9.99€ on Steam.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition received 231 positive votes out of a total of 354 achieving a rating of 6.26.
😐
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition was developed by Sierra and published by Activision.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition is playable and fully supported on Windows.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition is not playable on MacOS.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition is not playable on Linux.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition is a single-player game.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition does not currently offer any DLC.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition does not support Steam Remote Play.
SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 22 January 2026 07:05 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 24 January 2026 20:46 |
| Steam price | 28 January 2026 20:42 |
| Steam reviews | 27 January 2026 09:50 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition
- SteamCharts - Analysis of SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
2
Developer
Sierra
Publisher
Activision
Release
18 Apr 2017
Platforms