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SWAT II: GLOBAL STRIKE TEAM (PS2)
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Developer: Argonaut Games.
Build date: January 2004. First availability: April 2021. Genre: FPS. Development progress: 2 levels. Posted 26th October 2021. By Tom Clare © 2021 |
Argonaut’s diverse and storied journey as a developer would reach its terminus in 2004. Their final four titles would prove a reminder of their versatility, if not their quality. Original properties Carve and Malice, a remake of 16-bit futuristic racer Power Drome and an adventure tie-in to the Catwoman movie were met with muted fanfare, both from critics and gamers. The fifth generation had proven a difficult proposition for Argonaut. By 2005, the company had entered liquidation.
In late 2003 however, the developer had come good with a first-person shoot ‘em up that exhibited a smattering of tactical elements and was tailor-made for the console market. SWAT: Global Strike Team was a lot of fun and Argonaut felt the series had mileage, as a prototype from January 2004 offers a tantalising glimpse of what fans might have had to look forward to in a sequel.
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The two levels are packed with colour and detail, this time favouring action over a tactical approach
SWAT II comprises two short, exciting levels hinting the sequel might have placed a greater emphasis on action. The New York Alleys opener revealed a newfound penchant for cinematic effects and set-piece explosions. Barely five seconds have passed before the scenery is raining down and you’re being accosted by armed gangs. Combat and controls are understandably similar to the original at this stage, with the d-pad still used to give team commands and all other functions mirroring the 2003 release. Its visual design is considerably more striking, however. Whilst the original appeared clean but a little sparse-looking around the edges, SWAT II is a much more eye-catching proposition. Its slums are surprisingly vibrant, packed with colour and detail. There’s no shortage of bangs ‘n’ whistles and some decent lighting effects too.
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Panama sees a simple but fun crane puzzle, hinting at the series exploring new avenues outside of the main gunplay
The Panama level ramps up its technical ambitions. The dock setting is far more spacious than the playing spaces we had become accustomed to amongst PlayStation 2 shoot ‘em ups and though there are some frame-rate hitches during the more action-packed firefights, the shooting remains fun and continues largely unabated. Once again, the player can request help from teammate T.J. Your AI buddy can take out enemies, provide covering fire or activate switches. Interestingly, the Panama level also includes a little crane puzzle, allowing the player to drop an explosive canister on some goons and also use a container to form a bridge to the end of the level. It hints at a little more gameplay diversity, whilst the helicopter that flies in at the end of the level draws further attention to the busy, impressive environments.
Another nice feature of the demo is Time Attack, which can be activated in the pause menu. You’ll start with just a couple of minutes on the clock, but this can be extended through taking down foes and cuffing them. Just as with the original, it adds a fun, frantic twist to the action.
Another nice feature of the demo is Time Attack, which can be activated in the pause menu. You’ll start with just a couple of minutes on the clock, but this can be extended through taking down foes and cuffing them. Just as with the original, it adds a fun, frantic twist to the action.
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Many elements, such as the team commands, are unchanged. It would have been interesting to see if these would be used differently
This early build plays nicely, with the odd frame-rate issue the only blemish for this impressive showcase. At this stage in the development, the levels lack a little of the variety, tension and pace changes of the original, but it’s likely that story aspects and additional fine-tuning would have rectified this to a large extent. What might SWAT II have become? Well, luckily, we have a fairly good idea. With Argonaut’s closure, the game would become the excellent Urban Chaos: Riot Response in 2006. The game draws clear parallels with SWAT’s gameplay characteristics and presented similar end-of-level rewards to boost longevity. It was the first title to be developed by Rocksteady Games, founded at the end of 2004 by former Argonaut employees Jamie Walker and Sefton Hill, and later responsible for the Arkham Batman games.
More information at Hidden Palace
SWAT II: Global Strike Team's January 2004 prototype at archive.org
More information at Hidden Palace
SWAT II: Global Strike Team's January 2004 prototype at archive.org
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VERDICT
"SWAT II's pair of levels make for a breathless, kinetic shooting experience. They hint at a move away from the tactical smatterings of the original game, instead leaning towards the action-packed bombast eventually borne out in 2006's Urban Chaos: Riot Response." |