SWAT: Global Strike Team does a good job of differentiating itself from the hordes of other tactical shooters on the market, while still retaining many of the gameplay elements commonly associated with the genre.
As a member of a global SWAT team, you go through 21 counterterrorism missions across the Earth. While there is very little in the way of compelling plot, the gameplay more than makes up for any story inadequacies. Rather than forcing you to tiptoe around, taking a few steps at a time for fear of being shot down in your tracks; SWAT gives you more leeway than the average tactical shooter, in that it has a much more arcade-type feel to it.
Unlike games like Rainbow Six or Ghost Recon, getting shot in SWAT does not often result in an immediate kill to your operative, and as such, it can and does often resemble a straightforward FPS. However, the game balances this loose interpretation of damage with a unique twist on the genre – many of your enemies must be taken alive. Since you are a member of a police organization, you are required to shout warnings to any bad guys, even armed ones, before taking them down. Once a gun is turned on you, it's ok to unload on them without discretion, but to just go in guns blazing will adversely affect your "SWAT rating." Even if you do take down an enemy, if they are still breathing after being incapacitated, you must restrain them, or order another team member to do it for you. Because of these seemingly minor procedural details, SWAT seems a lot more realistic than many of the other titles on the market, despite it's unrealistic damage model.
While SWAT isn't exactly pushing the limit of either system it is on, it does have some fairly impressive lighting and shadow effects. Nothing to rival the likes of Splinter Cell or Rainbow Six 3, but the game performs more than adequately when it comes to creating a believable world. The character models in the game don't fare as well, especially when it comes to cutscenes and close ups. SWAT's audio does a better job, with solid weapon effects and believable chatter from enemies – even as you restrain a downed foe, they will often call you any one of the several well-known derogatory slang names for "cop." The Xbox headset can be used to issue commands in that system's version of the game, though it is truthfully just as easy to do so through the controller.
Most of SWAT's 21 missions aren't excruciatingly difficult, and once beaten, there is really very little reason to go through the game again. You may want to earn a better rank or such, but the replay value is fairly limited. Xbox owners have the promise of additional levels in the future, but ultimately, SWAT isn't the kind of game you'll be playing a whole year from now. That said, it performs very well as a "quick fix" sort of game, and is certainly worth at least a rental by any FPS fan.
-George
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