E3 2010: Hands-On With 'SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs'

By Hector Cortez Jun 21, 2010, 1:13 GMT

SOCOM 4 was the first game where we got to see how the PlayStation Move handled a third person shooter.

Written by Michael Barryte

SOCOM 4 for me is not just another SOCOM game. It was the first game where I got to see how the PlayStation Move handled a third person shooter. The verdict: very well, thank you.

I could talk about graphics, but with the PS3 everything is supposed to be gorgeous and SOCOM 4 is no different, so let's just focus on the gameplay here. SOCOM allows you the freedom to chose to play with a controller or with Move, and I'd argue that Move is a more intuitive choice as it makes the game more fluid.

I'm not a huge SOCOM buff by any stretch and one of the big hang ups is running and gunning, staying on the target while I run for cover. With Move, you've got pinpoint accuracy and you don't have to navigate two analog sticks while hauling ass and firing. You simply point at the screen and your character fires in that direction as you run, removing a lot of the hassle.

Outside of its effect on aiming, Move offers a lot more, allowing for stealth kills and melee attacks with a shake of the controller. The buttons on the main controller have the expected PlayStation symbols (X, circle, square, triangle) except they are now in a square pattern around the main Move button, as opposed to the traditional diamond shape, resulting in a few moments where I meant to take cover by pressing square only to realize I wasn't sure where to move my thumb to without looking down.

All and all, SOCOM 4 is going to breed a new group of gamers, ones who can be even more precise with their aim and totally kick my ass in multiplayer.

Michael Barryte is a Monsters & Critics Gaming contributor and is also the co-creator and co-star of the internet series Ari & Stone.