will have to plug your PS2 network adaptor into the network card using a cross over cable, this is not a standard RJ45 like the one supplied with your PS2 network adaptor. The other alternative is to buy a small hub, (this will enable you to use the standard RJ45 cable supplied with your PS2 network adaptor) and connect your PC to the hub and then connect your hub to the PS2 network adaptor using two standard RJ45 cables. So if you have a USB modem and you don't have any experience with networking you could find it quite challenging to get your PS2 online. Anyway, the grip is that the instruction manual doesn't mention any of these details, all they tell you to do is call your internet service provider.

Back to the game…
Once you have setup your network adaptor it is as easy as selecting "online" to play SOCOM on the net. Once there you will have to submit a username and password for the server. You can choose to play with people for other European countries or people in the UK. There are 10 different online maps in total that support 2 to 16 players at any one time. Each map focuses on one of three different types of gameplay; these are labelled on the menu before you join the game. For example, the games which have a small bomb next to them require you to lay a bomb in the enemy's base camp. The games which have a small set of bars next to them are all about hostage rescue, the SEAL's must rescue the hostages held by the terrorists. And finally the games that feature the picture of a small gun are death match levels; you must kill the enemy before they kill you. The death matches are much more frantic than the bomb and hostage levels which require more teamwork and tactics to succeed. One nice touch is the ability to create clans with other players, once you are in a clan you may go to the clan's community centre to post messages to each other and manage your clan. SOCOM keeps a track of your online records, so if you are rubbish everyone will be able to find out by looking in the player ranking section, there is no where to hide.
Most people will buy SOCOM because of its online capabilities, but the single player game has much to offer. There are 12 missions in total which are set in a variety of different locations. You will find that most mission will have three main objectives, which usually consist of blowing something up or assassinating someone. In the single player mode you will have the advantage of your team mate doing exactly what you tell them to do, unlike the online game where you will find lots of people out for themselves.

The action in SOCOM is generally fast while being tactful and stealthy all at the same time. You see the action from both third and first person view points the standard camera view is third person but by pressing the D-Pad upwards you can change the view to first person should you have goggles or a sniper rifle. If you don't you will get a zoomed in third person view which is very good if you are trying to hit someone miles away. To be successful you will have to mix the view you play in. If you are moving around it is generally best to use the third person perspective as you can see where you are going and it is easier to see the enemy around you, but if you are exchanging fire with the enemy the first person perspective is excellent. Be warned, when viewing through the night goggles your team mates names are not shown like in the games normal perspectives, I didn't realise this and massacred half of my team.

The controls in SOCOM are good so long as you take your time to choose the correct control setup for yourself. There are two main setups, sure shot and precision shooter. The main differences are the functions of the two analogue sticks. Sure shot splits the gun control over the two sticks, and strafing is done by pressing the L1 and R1 buttons. The problem for me with this set up is that you have to take you hand of the analogue sticks to shoot. So if you are in the middle of a gun fight you are more than likely to get shot because you can't react quick enough. My preferred setup is the precision setup, this utilises both the analogue sticks very well. The left stick controls your movement forwards, backwards and strafe left and right, which the right hand stick controls your rotation left to right and the pitch of your crosshair while R1 becomes your fire button. With this setup you can move, aim and fire seamlessly. If your going to get good this is the control setup you need to use. On top of this there is the leftie setup which is basically a mirror image of the control pad for the left handed player.

Once you have started the game you will find that you navy seal will be able to jump, fire weapons, throw grenades, plant claymores, climb ladders, climb over walls and interact with many object among other things. There are also some other cool moves that you can pull of like sliding down ladders rather than climbing down them, this is especially good if you are in a hurry. Apart from firing weapons most of these moves along with many other like selecting weapons can be done just by pressing the X button. On top of all this there are loads of other controls, you are able to go into a sneak position which basically makes your character walk while kneeling or you may lye down on the floor and crawl through bushes to avoid detection. In the single player mode you also have another full set of options which controls your other three members of your group. This is done through a menu system which lets you give the other members of your group orders. You can also do this through the SOCOM headset that comes with the game. You will have to stick to the set parameters of the voice recognision and tell the orders in a specific way but it works brilliantly. It is at this point when you start loosing yourself in the game, brilliant. If you think the single player is good, just wait until you get online you wont come off for days. During the online games the headset comes into its own, to communicate with the other players on the screen and issue orders to other members of your team is completely consuming. It is this element of talking and communicating with your team that adds a whole new dimension to the game which I have never properly experienced before. Its brilliant, you can call for help if you are out numbered in a gun fight, ask for cover or just simply order people about. Usually the headsets are very busy with communications and you will often here people getting angry at their team mates for shooting them or running off in a gun battle, it can be absolutely hilarious. The whole experience is completely immersive, you will loose yourself for hours at a time; it is quite unlike anything I have played before. The headset is not just a gimmick either, communicating and giving out orders are an integral part of SOCOM US Navy Seals, team work will always get you further than going off by yourself.

Graphically SOCOM US Navy Seals is very impressive, the navy seals look fantastic, especially when you are in a jungle level their faces are all painted up with green and black camouflage. They are also animated very nicely, when you walk while crouching, it genuinely looks like there is some weight moving around. The resolution of the terrorists doesn't look quite as sharp as that of the navy seals but they still look respectable. The environments are all fantasic, but probably the best looking for them all are the jungle levels, the textures of the walls and bushes are brilliant. With all this moving around on the screen there is no slow down and there is no pop up either, not even when you are in a flat area surrounded by hills and mountains. Just in case you are wondering, graphically SOCOM is exactly the same if you are playing on or off line, even the animations stay true to form.

SOCOM still impresses with the audio. As mentioned before, you may think that the headset is a gimmick but it isn't, after half an hour of play the headset will be your best friend and the online voice quality is awesome, its just lie being on the phone to someone but you get the little beeps before and after transmission. The rest of the sound that come through the TV speaker is also impressive, especially if you have Dolby Surround Sound, it brings another dimension to the already immersive gameplay, you will hear bullets flying past your left ear and grenades echoing around the landscapes. The gun sounds are all extremely realistic, they sound really raw and vicious, probably just as they would sound in the real world, although I have never heard an AKS 47 being unloaded right next to my left ear. The music is probably the weakest aspect of the sound, but that's not to say it isn't any good. It is the transitions of the quiet Saving Private Ryan type orchestra to the loud action filled orchestral music that kicks in during a gun fight, sometimes the music will become upbeat when you can't see any of the action around you, this usually happens when you are in a tunnel and the gun fight is going on above you. Other times the action is so quick that the music will change in temp after the action and then quickly slow down in tempo straight afterwards, this sounds more awkward than anything else.

Most people out there will want to by SOCOM because of the online action available, but the truth is the single player game on its own is good enough to shell out the cash required. It will provide at least 12 hours of fun the first time round and after completing the single player mode you can try again against a harder opposition as the AI improves each time you complete the game. The online game is basically a huge bonus and it is the main attraction for virtually everyone buying the game, and rightly so because the replay value is huge thanks to us unpredictable humans and all team work going on over the headsets. If you want a whole new experience I suggest you pick yourself up a copy of SOCOM US Navy Seals immediately, you won't regret it one little bit.

9.5 out of 10