Liberty Sighted
We go hands-on with 3G's isometric tactical shooter.
Published: September 9, 2007
Sierra's SWAT franchise has gone through a number of metamorphoses over the years. Originally a FMV-based spin-off of the Police Quest adventure games and formed with input from ex-LAPD Chief Daryl Gates, the games would explore full motion video, top-down isometric and eventually first-person shooter viewpoints and genres before eventually gaining a solid foothold as a franchise, culminating in Irrational Games (now 2K Boston and the developers of the highly-praised BioShock) creating a tactical FPS.
SWAT: Target Liberty, then, is something of a return to the series' roots; like SWAT 2, it's presented from a top-down 3/4 isometric view, but rather than a point-and-click RTS-like interface, you have direct control over the squad leader and can issue commands to the rest of the team with a simple context-sensitive reticle.
Issuing squad commands, at least from the preview build we spent a few hours with, is paramount later on in the game. Though there is a basic cover system (you press against a wall for a few seconds to snap to it, and can then lean left and right to take a few shots -- important because standing still moves the targeting reticle slowly up to a headshot if need be), the focus is still on spotting targets early and attempting a peaceable solution if at all possible.
To this end, the game sports a fairly decent list of less-than-lethal munitions ranging from beanbag shotguns to flashbangs to pellet pistols to tear gas -- weapons that are every bit as real as the MP-5s and grenades you'll see in most shooters these days. The fact that Target Liberty has a dedicated button for telling people to get down should make it obvious that they're trying to appease the real-life SWAT forces out there (previous games in the series trended toward the arcadey side, which stoked the ire of some SWAT members).
Your squad is made up of a handful of different, seasoned vets, and their time on the force has given them particular strengths, be it intimidation (useful for getting perps to drop their weapons and surrender), interrogation (better still, squeezing a perp for info once they're cuffed), marksmanship, demolitions, and so on. By holding the R Button, you can bring up a reticle that lets you issue move commands (using Square or Circle for each squad member), but if you just position the cursor over an enemy, your squad will automatically perform the appropriate action, be it gunning them down or cuffing 'em or interrogating them, and the game automatically chooses the best squad member for the job, which is certainly welcome.
Completing missions with minimal force while properly reporting any downed suspects or civilians will net you experience that will upgrade your squad. Since there is a decent variety of men you can take with you, and each of them has a specific skill that can be upgraded as they level up post-mission (for instance, upgrading an interrogation skill can net you bonus weapons if you squeeze the right guy for info, or you might be able to direct your squad to the edges of the screen, or headshots will become more common and so on.
SWAT: Target Liberty, then, is something of a return to the series' roots; like SWAT 2, it's presented from a top-down 3/4 isometric view, but rather than a point-and-click RTS-like interface, you have direct control over the squad leader and can issue commands to the rest of the team with a simple context-sensitive reticle.
Issuing squad commands, at least from the preview build we spent a few hours with, is paramount later on in the game. Though there is a basic cover system (you press against a wall for a few seconds to snap to it, and can then lean left and right to take a few shots -- important because standing still moves the targeting reticle slowly up to a headshot if need be), the focus is still on spotting targets early and attempting a peaceable solution if at all possible.
To this end, the game sports a fairly decent list of less-than-lethal munitions ranging from beanbag shotguns to flashbangs to pellet pistols to tear gas -- weapons that are every bit as real as the MP-5s and grenades you'll see in most shooters these days. The fact that Target Liberty has a dedicated button for telling people to get down should make it obvious that they're trying to appease the real-life SWAT forces out there (previous games in the series trended toward the arcadey side, which stoked the ire of some SWAT members).
Your squad is made up of a handful of different, seasoned vets, and their time on the force has given them particular strengths, be it intimidation (useful for getting perps to drop their weapons and surrender), interrogation (better still, squeezing a perp for info once they're cuffed), marksmanship, demolitions, and so on. By holding the R Button, you can bring up a reticle that lets you issue move commands (using Square or Circle for each squad member), but if you just position the cursor over an enemy, your squad will automatically perform the appropriate action, be it gunning them down or cuffing 'em or interrogating them, and the game automatically chooses the best squad member for the job, which is certainly welcome.
Completing missions with minimal force while properly reporting any downed suspects or civilians will net you experience that will upgrade your squad. Since there is a decent variety of men you can take with you, and each of them has a specific skill that can be upgraded as they level up post-mission (for instance, upgrading an interrogation skill can net you bonus weapons if you squeeze the right guy for info, or you might be able to direct your squad to the edges of the screen, or headshots will become more common and so on.
