Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Suffers from a few problems but still good
SOCOM is the first online ready game for the PS2. All you need is the PS2 Network Adaptor, Broadband internet connection like cable or dsl, a PS2, and of course a copy of the game. Offline play is not even worth bothering with. The missions rely alot on stealth, ala Metal Gear Solid, but you have squadrons of computerized teammates to look after. You can give them orders through the headset, which is included with the game, but have to speak very clearly and distinctly. Online play is great, but for a few rather minor flaws that actually end up hurting the game in the long run. This game has great environments, the action is 3rd person, but it is possible to switch to first person. Not recommended unless you are a long distance sniper. Each map (or level) has a different objective, blowing something up, rescuing hostages, eliminating all members of the opposing team. Since all of the characters are camouflaged according to the map, it can, and will become tough to spot enemies. SEALS are especially hard to spot in jungle maps.
The sounds are great, the music is good, but thankfully can be kept low in order to hear for footsteps. Bullets whizzing through the air, wading through water, climbing wood steps, all of the sound effects are extremely well done.
The problems are as follows. Controls are a problem. There are a few schemes to choose from, but no customization. The L1 and L2 are used for quick weapon switch, default makes L1 primary weapon (AK-47, M4A1, etc.) and L2 secondary (pistol). My problem, is that I rarely if ever use a pistol, and like having L2 set to grenades, because having to go through the inventory when you need one usually gets you killed. There is no way of making it permanent, so every game it's go through and readjust the control. It cannot be assigned when you have died, though you can switch weapons at that time. Another problem, the select button is used to view all players, their names, their kills, and deaths. But, it doesn't say who is dead and who is alive. It's not that much of a problem, I'm sure it was made that way so if you are alive you don't know who you still have to deal with. But it would have been great to have had it possible when you are dead, since players killed cannot communicate with players alive. Lastly, the entire US East coast seems to have a shortage of Network Adaptors and SOCOM. I've been searching since August/September and only just got it the second week of December. SOCOM requires a bit of hand eye coordination, and more than a little patience, to learn how to strafe and fire accurately, and how to kill with quick well placed shots. You cannot go into an online game alone to practice the map, and learn the secret areas and best places to snipe, unfortunately.
Thankfully, the lag is not bad at all, there is the occasional problem, but there is no pay to play fee like alot of online games are seeming to have adopted. Well, that's that, if you can get it, it's worth buying, you need to have patience to play this game, but with a few hours practice you'll be doing fine.
Rating:  - <--- here - The Real SOCOM Review
Let me preface my 5-Star review of this game with this, I've only completed the 1st level in the single player mode. Why you may ask? Because I spend 100% of my time playing the real SOCOM game. The online version! SOCOM online is by far the most exciting, online console game ever created! Now, online console gaming is in it's infancy, but SOCOM will be the Tomb Raider of shoot 'em up, strategy, team based games, If you've read the thread, you know you must have a broadband connection in order to play the online version. If you past that test and get a network adapter, get ready to rock & roll. The online world is this...you are one person among 1,000s.... You have the opportunity to play games in a geographic section of the world. For instance, if you live on the EAST coast USA, you can sign-on to the EAST server and play there...with 100s of people (hypothetically) from the east. There are 10 online maps (FROSTFIRE, DEATHTRAP, NIGHT STALKER, BLOOD LAKE, RAT'S NEST, DESERT GLORY, ABANDON, THE RUINS, BLIZZARD, BITTER JUNGLE) with each having a particular genre (either suppression-destroy the other team, demolition-blow up other teams base or hostage extraction). At max, 16 people can play at one time, 8 on each team... The maps are extraordinary detailed from rain falling, water, trees and grass...to wonderful sunsets. Weapon selection is adequate from machine guns, silenced assault rifles to sniper rifles. You have 3 equipment slots which can be filled with grenades (HE, frag or smoke), claymores, 2x ammo. There are some online problems though. Servers can get bogged down and then the game lags (stops game play, bullets don't kill, people run in place), online cheaters - exploiting glitches in the game, annoying people, etc. Overall, the online clan system is the key to the full SOCOM gaming experience. You have the opportunity to align yourself with other people, with similar interests. I'm in a 30+ clan. Guys over 30, with real life responsibility. But playing with a clan helps you with the teamwork needed to succeed at this game. Overall, awesome game for the mature audience; graphics are violent. I've spent money hours playing...and many more to come.
Rating: - Beware Terrorist Scum
This game is by far the best game out there right now. I've played pretty much every game of this genre on any system(Metal Gears, Medal of Honor, Spec Ops, etc, etc.) and not one of them has come close to the realism of this game. In this game you have to THINK! you need to use patience. And just like the real world, if you get shot even once, you are dead! You are a commander of an elite specialized navy team (in the offline version, it's prechosen, in the online game you are part of a group of up to eight other players.). You are sent into missions to stop terrorists. You call out your orders into a included USB headset. In the online game, you can actually talk to your other teammates! Not chat with them by talking, but actually talk while you are doing the mission! How cool is that! The control is complicated at first (it took me about twenty minutes to get the hang of it) but it soon became one of the most intuitive controls I've ever used. I heard they have online tournaments with hundreds of people. I want to get in on one of those! Highly reccomended. It's well worth the price for sure.
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