SWAT 4

Few games require you to taser an old lady in her own home and cover her face in pepper spray.

Few games put you in a situation where you're required to taser an old lady in her own home, whack a set of plasticuffs on her wrists and cover her face in pepper spray. Even less let you throw a flashbang through her bathroom door and listen to her complain about her ailing heart as she stumbles around blind, smashing into various porcelain amenities.

While the above shenanigans may score you a cross on your morality exam in real life, SWAT 4 is all about subduing the guilty and innocent alike. Bringing order to chaos, as it were.

Like the previous titles in the series, SWAT 4 has no central plot. Instead, each stage is a separate, unrelated incident. Regardless, you're always in control of three SWAT groups -- two entry teams and a sniper. Using this trifecta of manpower, it's up to you to complete all the mission objectives -- which vary from securing evidence, rescuing teens and capping street punks -- while keeping in mind you're a police officer. To this end, SWAT 4 is more about tactics and taking things slow.

Of course, as a SWAT officer you have a variety of weapons at your disposal, including a selection of non-lethal ones and, in the case of SWAT 4, it's these latter weapons that are at the forefront of gameplay. You'll spend most of your time flashbanging entryways and gassing opponents. In fact, it's not unusual to find yourself at the end of a scenario with the same number of rounds you started with. All the shooting is replaced with giving orders using an intuitive mouse-based system.

Considering this is a main game element, the AI of your teammates is totally up to scratch. They intelligently move out of your way, inform you when you're in their way and shout if they spot hostiles. This level of situational awareness makes the game feel very dynamic. SWAT 4 also makes use of a 'window-within-a-window' so that you keep an eye on your other teammates. This window even allows you to issue orders to out-of-sight teammates so as to co-ordinate simultaneous breaches.

The only thing that spoils the game is a lack of character development. You never feel close to your team, relegating comrades to call signs such as 'breach guy' and 'dude with the M16'. While Irrational put time into writing member bios, none of the information in them is expanded on. It makes the experience a little hollow at times.
Otherwise, SWAT 4 is a very competent addition to the SWAT series. There's definitely plenty of gaming in the single player, and even more in the co-op multiplayer and mission creator.