S.W.A.T. the Movie: 3D Game (Mobile)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.4 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Avery Score
• Reviewed on: 02/18/2005
• Originally published on GameSpot: S.W.A.T. the Movie: 3D Game (Mobile) Review

S.W.A.T. the Movie: 3D Game is an on-rails whack-a-mole game disguised as a shooter. As Jim Street, a rookie member of Sgt. Dan Harrelson's elite SWAT force, it is your duty to shoot a lot of people in the head. This is accomplished by pressing one of nine buttons on your keypad, which correspond to their location. Simple gameplay like this can be executed well on the cell. Unfortunately, S.W.A.T.'s slow, monotonous action-- characterized by numerous small firefights--never really provides the frenetic pacing a whack-a-mole game should.

Before each mission, Sgt. Harrelson, played by the commanding Samuel L. Jackson, apprises you of the dangers ahead and makes it clear that he doesn't tolerate monkey business or clip-on neckties. After staring for a while at a 3D model of Sam's head, accompanied by scrolling ungrammatical text, you'll be thrust into a live fire situation. Terrorists (not present in the movie), who, for whatever reason, invariably sport jungle camouflage, will spawn before your eyes and then fire heavenward. Mysteriously, these ill-aimed blasts always manage to hit the squad member you're currently controlling, depleting his or her life bar. The game's characters serve as lives for the player, the third and final of which is the movie's hero, Jim Street.

You can return fire by pressing the button corresponding to your enemy's location. It is rare to encounter more than a couple of enemies at once. Apparently, terrorists are big proponents of the buddy system.

After each of these short and civilized confrontations, you'll be whisked along to the next hostile area. Although you never pass hostile units while moving, these groups of terrorists must proliferate in S.W.A.T.'s urban battlegrounds. Partly due to load time between firefights, each mission takes much too long for a single mobile play session. You can fortunately save the game between missions, however.

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