SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle
Encyclopedia
SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle (also known as SWAT3 or SWAT3:CQB) is a tactical
squad-based first-person shooter
, developed by Sierra Northwest and published by Sierra Entertainment
for Windows
-based PC
s on November 23, 1999. SWAT3 is the seventh installment of the long-running Police Quest
series, and the third and biggest selling installment of the derived SWAT series
, being the only member of the SWAT series to come close to the popularity of the earlier Police Quest titles. It is also the first game in the series to omit the phrase Police Quest from the full title.
As the first first-person shooter of the Police Quest/SWAT series, SWAT3 received a new game engine
with cell and portal technologies for simulation of environments and advanced AI
and ballistics
. The developers spent some time consulting with LAPD
SWAT
, including a real-life SWAT element leader and LAPD SWAT founder Daryl F. Gates in order to create an accurate, realistic simulation. Most of the animations in the game were motion capture
d from a real-life a SWAT officer. Unlike many other first-person shooter games, SWAT3 places an emphasis on realistic police methods and tactics, including proper room clearance, use of less-lethal weaponry, ordering compliance and arrest
ing enemies rather than shooting on sight, and differentiating between authorized and unauthorized use of lethal force.
SWAT3 is set in 2005 in Los Angeles
, with the player assuming the role of a Los Angeles Police Department
SWAT officer
, leading a five-man element of computer-controlled teammates. Los Angeles is due to host a major, United Nations
-brokered nuclear disarmament
treaty signing attended by a number of world powers, including the United States
, Russia
and China
. LAPD SWAT is tasked with protecting the treaty event and the attending dignitaries from a number of violent criminal and terrorist groups seeking to either abuse or disrupt the treaty signing event for their own ends, culminating in a direct nuclear threat to the City and an attack at the treaty signing event itself.
SWAT3 also includes a multiplayer mode, including traditional Deathmatch
and Team Deathmatch modes, as well as Cooperative
play through the single player missions.
SWAT3 was met by positive critical acclaim, attracting praise for its graphics and AI sophistication, and also spawned a successor, SWAT 4
, released in April 2005, development and publishing being transferred to Irrational Games
and Sierra owner Vivendi Universal.
element, and unlike other tactical shooters, such as the comparable Rainbow Six
games, the player is a police
officer; therefore arrest
ing rather than simply shooting suspects on sight is the primary objective. The improper use of deadly force
(when a suspect is wounded and unable to use weapons, has surrendered or poses no threat) is penalized in the game.
The single player game features four elective weapons; the HK
MP5 and MP5SD, the Benelli
M1 Super 90
and the Colt
M4A1, in addition to the modified Springfield M1911
side arm
issued to all LAPD SWAT officers. All of these feature a flashlight and some have modifications to give SWAT a tactical advantage in certain situations; for example, the M4A1 can fire 'beanbag
' less than lethal rounds which hurt but do not kill targets, and the M1 Super 90 has secondary breaching ammunition
for shooting locks out of doors. Others have a selection of full metal jacket
and expanding hollow point ammunition, whose effectiveness depends upon the situation and the target.
Unlike some other games, some weaponry and ammunition is actually able to penetrate through walls, which makes spray-firing
a risk, as a stray bullet can pass through a wall and hit an innocent.
Firearms are augmented by a number of tactical aids, such as CS gas
and flashbang grenades, chemical lightstick
s, breaching explosives and the 'opti-wand'; a miniature camera on a telescopic wand used for searching around corners, an update to the mirror-on-a-stick solution used by real life police.
SWAT officers are outfitted much like in real life, with some advancements for the game's near-futuristic (in 1999) setting; these are used to explain elements of gameplay, such as the HUD
; officer's fully enclosed helmets have relevant information, such as ammunition counts and a target reticule projected onto the faceplate.
Instead of traditional health points, SWAT3 has a health 'scale' more similar to a life bar, representing sensors monitoring blood loss and body temperature. Wounds cannot be healed mid-mission, and an officer can take very few hits before being incapacitated. This necessitates the use of flashbangs when entering an area, to distract and disorient armed suspects waiting in ambush.
The game has three difficulty level
s; easy, medium and hard, which increase the aggression and tactical intelligence of suspects and reduces their likelihood of surrender. There is also a 'response time' options for AI officers and suspects, ranging from 1 to 20 milliseconds, which dictates how quickly officers and suspects respond to changing situations.
Within a mission, the game has two 'modes': stealth, and dynamic. In stealth mode, officers move slowly and cautiously, use the opti-wand on doorways and corners, speak softly, do not use flashbangs and pick locked doors instead of destroying them. Suspects are unaware of or can lose track of the police in stealth mode, and the police gain an element of surprise, especially if the player opts to start the mission in stealth mode. When a suspect is encountered, the game automatically switches to dynamic mode. In dynamic mode, officers move quickly, speak loudly and shout, and use flashbangs and breaching explosives when appropriate. The player can switch freely between stealth and dynamic modes.
. The cell is led by Lokman Damar. Malta is a US terrorists-for-hire group led by a man named Ric 'Dog' Peters. The People's Liberation Party, also referred to as the PLP, is a Russia
n Communist
group which seeks the reunification of the Soviet Union
. The group is quite large with a number of different leaders, and prefers hostage-taking to achieve their goals, holding many people around the world. Sovereign America is one of the main antagonist factions in the game; a militia
recognized as a domestic terrorist group by the US Government after the bombings of courthouses and other municipal buildings. Sovereign America asserts that the US Government is part of a 'new world order' that will take away their freedom. Accordingly, they reject all Government authority, including police. Sovereign America is led by Tobias Stromm, self proclaimed minister and preacher of "end of the world rhetoric".
in 2005, shortly before the signing of a United Nations
Nuclear
Abolishment Treaty. The player and SWAT have the responsibility of ensuring that the treaty is signed safely. A number of fictional domestic and foreign terrorist groups serve as antagonists, who plan on using the signing as a platform for their demands. To make matters worse, lost Soviet
portable atomic demolition devices
("suitcase nukes") are reported to have buyers in the LA area.
The earlier missions are more routine SWAT call outs, keeping the learning curve
shallow for new players, the first being search warrant
service to the home of Martin Brenner, a suspected freeway sniper. This serves as a basic introduction to the game. The next mission introduces Sovereign America for the first time, with an arrest warrant
served on one Victor Getts, suspected of vehicular manslaughter
, bomb making and membership of Sovereign America.
The bombing of the Turkish
embassy, and kidnap of ambassador
Jemil Kemal introduces the Kurdish People's Party. This is followed by an invasion of the home of Donald Foreman, CEO of a large cable provider by a heavily armed group, holding Foreman, his wife Linda, and his two children to ransom.
The Orthodox Patriarch
Alexei III and his retinue are held in an Orthodox Cathedral by an armed group is the first incident connected to the treaty signing, as the bishop is visiting Los Angeles to attend the signing. Matters are complicated by the private security team hired to protect Alexei. This security team provide an unknown variable. Completely randomly, they will either attack the SWAT team, attack the terrorists or do absolutely nothing. This will change each time the mission is played.
The downing of the aircraft of the Algeria
n president by a Surface-to-Air missile
becomes a serious international incident and marks the entrance of the People's Liberation Party. The resulting chaos caused by the shutdown of LAX has created a significant number of vulnerable targets for more missiles, including the plane of Russian president, Igor Stomas. The missile is traced to a waterworks construction site, and SWAT is dispatched to investigate. Soon after, the PLP storms a television
studio during an afternoon talk show, holding LA Mayor
Marlin Fitzpatrick, Tolerance Defense League Chairman Herman Moyer, host Donna Briggs and many members of the audience and station staff hostage. The group demands an international broadcast of their message of Soviet reunification. The People's Liberation Party again targets President Stomas at his penthouse
suite at the Carlysle Hotel, demanding a flight to Moscow
with the intention of taking Stomas with them.
SWAT's next task is the arrest warrant for Ric Peters at his nightclub, The Phoenix, when he and Malta are finally identified as the mysterious group responsible for both the Foreman home invasion and Cathedral incident. They also have to deal with a failed bank heist by Sovereign America, who have holed themselves up in the bank.
In the final run up to the treaty signing, SWAT is given VIP
protection duty for dignitaries at a pre-signing meeting at the Los Angeles Convention Center
(which, until 2006, regularly hosted the E3 video games convention). The day goes smoothly until multiple armed suspects attempt to disrupt this meeting, holding several important politicians hostage.
The People's Liberation Party strike again after the convention center incident in another attempt to disrupt the treaty signing, creating a national emergency by taking over the LAX control tower, broadcasting false Air Traffic Control
information (resulting in a midair collision) and installing another Surface-to-Air missile launcher at the top of the tower, threatening aircraft carrying dignitaries headed to the treaty signing. Air Force One
is briefly in the area but is diverted quickly to Edwards Air Force Base
. Despite danger the President of the United States
being averted, there are many more civilian planes waiting to be diverted to other airports, the FAA closing down LAX after the earlier collision. SWAT storm the tower from the basement and soon restore order.
SWAT is required for VIP protection duty at a World Trade Organization
conference at the Ventura Hotel, accompanying the Treaty signing. Death threats have been received by some of the attendees from various militia factions, and several militia men storm the building. This is followed shortly afterwards by the bombing of an electric substation
leaving most of LA without power, save for Municipal buildings with backup generators. This was apparently a diversion, to allow Sovereign America forces led by Tobias Stromm (A Fred Phelps
type character) himself to take over City Hall
, for what Stromm calls an "end of the world vigil". It transpires that Sovereign America was the winner of the auction for one of the suitcase nukes, now installed and guarded by Stromm at the top of the tower, and Sovereign America intends to destroy the entire city in a last stand, but thankfully SWAT, after a tremendous battle, arrest Stromm and save the city.
During the final preparations for the Treaty signing, and the celebrations afterward, suspicious personnel observed entering the storm drain
system near UCLA, where a parade is supposed to pass, carrying heavy equipment and overheard talking about demolitions. The storm drain system had already been cleared once by police officers - after being alerted to these developments, SWAT is sent in to investigate, finding a mysterious armed group disguised as gas mask
ed maintenance workers.
Finally, SWAT is tasked with protecting the Treaty signing. In a last ditch attempt to stop the signing, the People's Liberation Party attack, hiding a second suitcase nuke in the building and taking many dignitaries hostage. Despite this, with the intervention of SWAT, the treaty signing is completed successfully. Mission failure results in the nuclear destruction of Los Angeles.
Older versions of the game can be upgraded to a newer version through a free download from the game's website.
. Following the purchase of Sierra by Activision
, the SWAT 3 multiplayer servers went down permanently. However, multiplayer functionality can be restored using VPN software and third-party multiplayer servers operated by SWAT 3 fan communities .
Additionally, a fair-sized modding
community has grown around SWAT 3, producing new missions, maps, weapons and character models for use in both singleplayer and multiplayer modes . SWAT 3 includes tools and support for modifying the game.
and 83.76% on GameRankings. Praise has been lavished on the graphics, along with the AI of enemies and civilians and team interaction.
PC Gamer
UK gave the game a score of 91%, saying "All the best ideas from other squad based games, shoehorned into a police setting, perfectly."
GameSpot
awarded the Close Quarters Battle version of game a rating of 8.3/10, commenting that "SWAT 3's most impressive feature has to be the amazing artificial intelligence employed by friend and foe alike" and praising the graphics and level design, but criticising the lack of multiplayer in the initial release, the tendency for some dialogue to repeat, the need to "radio in" every suspect or hostage secured, and the need to restart missions from scratch should the player be killed.
Reviewing Close Quarters Battle, Tal Blevins of IGN
praised the graphics, level design and AI (although noting an occasional tendency for computer-controlled SWAT officers to walk into the player's line of fire, resulting in friendly fire
incidents), but also praised the clean interface, dialogue recording and mission briefing screens and the feel of the weapons. However, the lack of multiplayer in CQB and deficiencies in the game's manual were singled out for criticism. A subsequent review of the Elite Edition version responded positively to the new multiplayer component and the new missions, but noted some bugs
.
Martin Taylor of Eurogamer
awarded the Elite Edition a score of 9/10, praising the graphics and level design, and particularly the new multiplayer component, citing efficient, low-lag networking code and singling out the co-operative multiplayer game mode for its effectiveness, although noting that the deathmatch game mode will often be dominated by one player with a fast connection camping in one area of the map, responding negatively to the WON.net multiplayer service and criticizing the ease with which the arrest-based gameplay can break down in a fierce firefight.
Along with its different released versions, SWAT3 also received a sequel; SWAT 4
, developed by Irrational Games
and published by Vivendi Universal in April 2005.
Tactical shooter
A tactical shooter is a subgenre of shooter game that includes both first-person shooters and third-person shooters. These games typically simulate realistic combat, thus making tactics and caution more important than quick reflexes in other action games...
squad-based first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
, developed by Sierra Northwest and published by Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
-based PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s on November 23, 1999. SWAT3 is the seventh installment of the long-running Police Quest
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
series, and the third and biggest selling installment of the derived SWAT series
SWAT series
The SWAT series are the follow-up of Sierra's classic adventure game series Police Quest. The adventure game decreased in popularity by the mid-nineties and Jim Walls, the former series designer, left Sierra and was replaced by real-life SWAT founder Daryl F. Gates. After Gates released Open...
, being the only member of the SWAT series to come close to the popularity of the earlier Police Quest titles. It is also the first game in the series to omit the phrase Police Quest from the full title.
As the first first-person shooter of the Police Quest/SWAT series, SWAT3 received a new game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
with cell and portal technologies for simulation of environments and advanced AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
and ballistics
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
. The developers spent some time consulting with LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
SWAT
LAPD Metropolitan Division
The Metropolitan Division of the Los Angeles Police Department is an elite division within the department that is most notable as the unit that operates LAPD's SWAT teams. Captain John N...
, including a real-life SWAT element leader and LAPD SWAT founder Daryl F. Gates in order to create an accurate, realistic simulation. Most of the animations in the game were motion capture
Motion capture
Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, and medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics...
d from a real-life a SWAT officer. Unlike many other first-person shooter games, SWAT3 places an emphasis on realistic police methods and tactics, including proper room clearance, use of less-lethal weaponry, ordering compliance and arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ing enemies rather than shooting on sight, and differentiating between authorized and unauthorized use of lethal force.
SWAT3 is set in 2005 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, with the player assuming the role of a Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
SWAT officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
, leading a five-man element of computer-controlled teammates. Los Angeles is due to host a major, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
-brokered nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
treaty signing attended by a number of world powers, including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. LAPD SWAT is tasked with protecting the treaty event and the attending dignitaries from a number of violent criminal and terrorist groups seeking to either abuse or disrupt the treaty signing event for their own ends, culminating in a direct nuclear threat to the City and an attack at the treaty signing event itself.
SWAT3 also includes a multiplayer mode, including traditional Deathmatch
Deathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
and Team Deathmatch modes, as well as Cooperative
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
play through the single player missions.
SWAT3 was met by positive critical acclaim, attracting praise for its graphics and AI sophistication, and also spawned a successor, SWAT 4
SWAT 4
SWAT 4 is a tactical first-person shooter computer game developed by Irrational Games and published by Vivendi Universal Games on April 5, 2005. It was built on Irrational Games's Vengeance engine powered by Unreal Engine 2.0 technology...
, released in April 2005, development and publishing being transferred to Irrational Games
Irrational Games
Irrational Games is a video game developer founded in 1997 by three former employees of Looking Glass Studios: Ken Levine, Jonathan Chey, and Robert Fermier as Irrational Games...
and Sierra owner Vivendi Universal.
Gameplay
As the name indicates, the game is based on CQB tactics. The player is in charge of a 5-man SWATSWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
element, and unlike other tactical shooters, such as the comparable Rainbow Six
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six is a tactical shooter computer game and the first in the Rainbow Six series. It was developed and published by Red Storm Entertainment for the PC in 1998. It was later ported to Mac OS, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color. An expansion pack, Tom Clancy's...
games, the player is a police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officer; therefore arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ing rather than simply shooting suspects on sight is the primary objective. The improper use of deadly force
Deadly force
Deadly force, as defined by the United States Armed Forces, is the force which a person uses, causing—or that a person knows, or should know, would create a substantial risk of causing—death or serious bodily harm...
(when a suspect is wounded and unable to use weapons, has surrendered or poses no threat) is penalized in the game.
The single player game features four elective weapons; the HK
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH is a German defense manufacturing company that produces various small arms. Some of their products include the SA80, MP5 submachine gun, G3 automatic rifle, the G36 assault rifle, the HK 416, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the USP series of handguns, and the high-precision...
MP5 and MP5SD, the Benelli
Benelli (firearms)
Benelli Armi SpA is an Italian firearm manufacturer founded in 1967, located in Urbino, Italy, best known for high quality shotguns used by military, law enforcement and civilians all over the world. Particularly famous is the Benelli M3 12 gauge, used extensively by American SWAT teams...
M1 Super 90
Benelli M1 Super 90
The Benelli M1 is a semi-automatic shotgun manufactured by Benelli Armi S.P.A.. It is available in several versions for civilian, law enforcement and military use. It features the proprietary Benelli recoil system, known for its reliability and easy maintenance...
and the Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
M4A1, in addition to the modified Springfield M1911
M1911
The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....
side arm
Side arm
A side arm is a weapon, usually a pistol but can be a dagger, as used in pre-modern times, which is worn on the body in a holster to permit immediate access and use. A side arm is typically required equipment for military personnel and sometimes carried by law enforcement personnel...
issued to all LAPD SWAT officers. All of these feature a flashlight and some have modifications to give SWAT a tactical advantage in certain situations; for example, the M4A1 can fire 'beanbag
Flexible baton round
A bean bag round, also known by its trademarked name flexible baton round, is a baton round fired as a shotgun shell used for less lethal apprehension of suspects.-Description:...
' less than lethal rounds which hurt but do not kill targets, and the M1 Super 90 has secondary breaching ammunition
Breaching round
A breaching round or slug-shot is a shotgun shell specially made for the purposes of door breaching. It is typically fired at a range of 6 inches or less, aimed at the hinges or the area between the doorknob and lock and door jamb, and is designed to destroy the object it hits and then disperse...
for shooting locks out of doors. Others have a selection of full metal jacket
Full metal jacket bullet
A full metal jacket is a bullet consisting of a soft core encased in a shell of harder metal, such as gilding metal, cupronickel or less commonly a steel alloy. This shell can extend around all of the bullet, or often just the front and sides with the rear left as exposed lead...
and expanding hollow point ammunition, whose effectiveness depends upon the situation and the target.
Unlike some other games, some weaponry and ammunition is actually able to penetrate through walls, which makes spray-firing
Spray and pray
Spray and pray is a derisive term for firing an automatic firearm towards an enemy in long bursts, without making an effort to line up each shot or burst of shots. This is especially prevalent amongst those without benefit of proper training. It differs from suppressive fire as the shooting is...
a risk, as a stray bullet can pass through a wall and hit an innocent.
Firearms are augmented by a number of tactical aids, such as CS gas
CS gas
2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile is the defining component of a "tear gas" commonly referred to as CS gas, which is used as a riot control agent...
and flashbang grenades, chemical lightstick
Lightstick
A glow stick is a single-use translucent plastic tube containing isolated substances which when combined make light through a chemical reaction-induced chemiluminescence which does not require an electrical power source...
s, breaching explosives and the 'opti-wand'; a miniature camera on a telescopic wand used for searching around corners, an update to the mirror-on-a-stick solution used by real life police.
SWAT officers are outfitted much like in real life, with some advancements for the game's near-futuristic (in 1999) setting; these are used to explain elements of gameplay, such as the HUD
HUD (computer gaming)
In video gaming, the HUD is the method by which information is visually relayed to the player as part of a game's user interface...
; officer's fully enclosed helmets have relevant information, such as ammunition counts and a target reticule projected onto the faceplate.
Instead of traditional health points, SWAT3 has a health 'scale' more similar to a life bar, representing sensors monitoring blood loss and body temperature. Wounds cannot be healed mid-mission, and an officer can take very few hits before being incapacitated. This necessitates the use of flashbangs when entering an area, to distract and disorient armed suspects waiting in ambush.
The game has three difficulty level
Difficulty level
In general usage, difficulty level refers to the relative difficulty of completing a task or objective.In computer and video games, the term specifically delineates the ease or difficulty with which an average user may complete a game or a part of a game. Arcade games as well as many early console...
s; easy, medium and hard, which increase the aggression and tactical intelligence of suspects and reduces their likelihood of surrender. There is also a 'response time' options for AI officers and suspects, ranging from 1 to 20 milliseconds, which dictates how quickly officers and suspects respond to changing situations.
Within a mission, the game has two 'modes': stealth, and dynamic. In stealth mode, officers move slowly and cautiously, use the opti-wand on doorways and corners, speak softly, do not use flashbangs and pick locked doors instead of destroying them. Suspects are unaware of or can lose track of the police in stealth mode, and the police gain an element of surprise, especially if the player opts to start the mission in stealth mode. When a suspect is encountered, the game automatically switches to dynamic mode. In dynamic mode, officers move quickly, speak loudly and shout, and use flashbangs and breaching explosives when appropriate. The player can switch freely between stealth and dynamic modes.
Factions
There are a number of militant or terrorist factions encountered by SWAT over the course of the game, of various nationalities and agendas. The Kurdish People's Party is a small, disorganised US splinter of a group seeking the independence of Kurdistan from TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The cell is led by Lokman Damar. Malta is a US terrorists-for-hire group led by a man named Ric 'Dog' Peters. The People's Liberation Party, also referred to as the PLP, is a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
group which seeks the reunification of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The group is quite large with a number of different leaders, and prefers hostage-taking to achieve their goals, holding many people around the world. Sovereign America is one of the main antagonist factions in the game; a militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
recognized as a domestic terrorist group by the US Government after the bombings of courthouses and other municipal buildings. Sovereign America asserts that the US Government is part of a 'new world order' that will take away their freedom. Accordingly, they reject all Government authority, including police. Sovereign America is led by Tobias Stromm, self proclaimed minister and preacher of "end of the world rhetoric".
Setting
The game is set in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 2005, shortly before the signing of a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Nuclear
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
Abolishment Treaty. The player and SWAT have the responsibility of ensuring that the treaty is signed safely. A number of fictional domestic and foreign terrorist groups serve as antagonists, who plan on using the signing as a platform for their demands. To make matters worse, lost Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
portable atomic demolition devices
Special Atomic Demolition Munition
The Special Atomic Demolition Munition was a family of man-portable nuclear weapons fielded by the US military in the 1960s, but never used in actual combat. The US Army planned to use the weapons in Europe in the event of a Soviet invasion...
("suitcase nukes") are reported to have buyers in the LA area.
Missions
The original game had 16 missions total, ranging from fast deployment to VIP protection. Some of the maps are based on true locations such as the LA City Hall and the Convention Center. The expansions added more maps, but neither of them is used on the 5-man campaign, only with the additional 10-man campaign that was distributed later on Sierra's website.The earlier missions are more routine SWAT call outs, keeping the learning curve
Learning curve
A learning curve is a graphical representation of the changing rate of learning for a given activity or tool. Typically, the increase in retention of information is sharpest after the initial attempts, and then gradually evens out, meaning that less and less new information is retained after each...
shallow for new players, the first being search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
service to the home of Martin Brenner, a suspected freeway sniper. This serves as a basic introduction to the game. The next mission introduces Sovereign America for the first time, with an arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
served on one Victor Getts, suspected of vehicular manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
, bomb making and membership of Sovereign America.
The bombing of the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
embassy, and kidnap of ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
Jemil Kemal introduces the Kurdish People's Party. This is followed by an invasion of the home of Donald Foreman, CEO of a large cable provider by a heavily armed group, holding Foreman, his wife Linda, and his two children to ransom.
The Orthodox Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
Alexei III and his retinue are held in an Orthodox Cathedral by an armed group is the first incident connected to the treaty signing, as the bishop is visiting Los Angeles to attend the signing. Matters are complicated by the private security team hired to protect Alexei. This security team provide an unknown variable. Completely randomly, they will either attack the SWAT team, attack the terrorists or do absolutely nothing. This will change each time the mission is played.
The downing of the aircraft of the Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n president by a Surface-to-Air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
becomes a serious international incident and marks the entrance of the People's Liberation Party. The resulting chaos caused by the shutdown of LAX has created a significant number of vulnerable targets for more missiles, including the plane of Russian president, Igor Stomas. The missile is traced to a waterworks construction site, and SWAT is dispatched to investigate. Soon after, the PLP storms a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
studio during an afternoon talk show, holding LA Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Marlin Fitzpatrick, Tolerance Defense League Chairman Herman Moyer, host Donna Briggs and many members of the audience and station staff hostage. The group demands an international broadcast of their message of Soviet reunification. The People's Liberation Party again targets President Stomas at his penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
suite at the Carlysle Hotel, demanding a flight to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
with the intention of taking Stomas with them.
SWAT's next task is the arrest warrant for Ric Peters at his nightclub, The Phoenix, when he and Malta are finally identified as the mysterious group responsible for both the Foreman home invasion and Cathedral incident. They also have to deal with a failed bank heist by Sovereign America, who have holed themselves up in the bank.
In the final run up to the treaty signing, SWAT is given VIP
VIP
VIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Values, Influence, and Peers, an anti-crime campaign in Ontario elementary schools* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
protection duty for dignitaries at a pre-signing meeting at the Los Angeles Convention Center
Los Angeles Convention Center
The Los Angeles Convention Center is a convention center in the southwest portion of downtown Los Angeles. The LACC hosts annual events such as the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show and Anime Expo, and is best known to video games fans as host to E3...
(which, until 2006, regularly hosted the E3 video games convention). The day goes smoothly until multiple armed suspects attempt to disrupt this meeting, holding several important politicians hostage.
The People's Liberation Party strike again after the convention center incident in another attempt to disrupt the treaty signing, creating a national emergency by taking over the LAX control tower, broadcasting false Air Traffic Control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
information (resulting in a midair collision) and installing another Surface-to-Air missile launcher at the top of the tower, threatening aircraft carrying dignitaries headed to the treaty signing. Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
is briefly in the area but is diverted quickly to Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
. Despite danger the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
being averted, there are many more civilian planes waiting to be diverted to other airports, the FAA closing down LAX after the earlier collision. SWAT storm the tower from the basement and soon restore order.
SWAT is required for VIP protection duty at a World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
conference at the Ventura Hotel, accompanying the Treaty signing. Death threats have been received by some of the attendees from various militia factions, and several militia men storm the building. This is followed shortly afterwards by the bombing of an electric substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
leaving most of LA without power, save for Municipal buildings with backup generators. This was apparently a diversion, to allow Sovereign America forces led by Tobias Stromm (A Fred Phelps
Fred Phelps
Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. is an American pastor heading the Westboro Baptist Church , an independent Baptist church based in Topeka, Kansas...
type character) himself to take over City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall, completed 1928, is the center of the government of the city of Los Angeles, California, and houses the mayor's office and the meeting chambers and offices of the Los Angeles City Council...
, for what Stromm calls an "end of the world vigil". It transpires that Sovereign America was the winner of the auction for one of the suitcase nukes, now installed and guarded by Stromm at the top of the tower, and Sovereign America intends to destroy the entire city in a last stand, but thankfully SWAT, after a tremendous battle, arrest Stromm and save the city.
During the final preparations for the Treaty signing, and the celebrations afterward, suspicious personnel observed entering the storm drain
Storm drain
A storm drain, storm sewer , stormwater drain or drainage well system or simply a drain or drain system is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. Storm drains vary in design from small residential dry wells to large municipal systems...
system near UCLA, where a parade is supposed to pass, carrying heavy equipment and overheard talking about demolitions. The storm drain system had already been cleared once by police officers - after being alerted to these developments, SWAT is sent in to investigate, finding a mysterious armed group disguised as gas mask
Gas mask
A gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word...
ed maintenance workers.
Finally, SWAT is tasked with protecting the Treaty signing. In a last ditch attempt to stop the signing, the People's Liberation Party attack, hiding a second suitcase nuke in the building and taking many dignitaries hostage. Despite this, with the intervention of SWAT, the treaty signing is completed successfully. Mission failure results in the nuclear destruction of Los Angeles.
Release
SWAT3 was released in three main versions:- SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle - initial release.
- SWAT 3: Elite Edition - added multiplayer, new game modes and new missions.
- SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition - added new missions. Retail copies included an 'Advanced Tactics CD' containing real-life SWAT training footage. This content is also available with the game's GOG release.
Older versions of the game can be upgraded to a newer version through a free download from the game's website.
Multiplayer
Initially, the SWAT 3 servers for online multiplayer modes were operated by Sierra EntertainmentSierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
. Following the purchase of Sierra by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
, the SWAT 3 multiplayer servers went down permanently. However, multiplayer functionality can be restored using VPN software and third-party multiplayer servers operated by SWAT 3 fan communities .
Additionally, a fair-sized modding
Mod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
community has grown around SWAT 3, producing new missions, maps, weapons and character models for use in both singleplayer and multiplayer modes . SWAT 3 includes tools and support for modifying the game.
Reception
SWAT 3 has received overall positive reviews, scoring 81% on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and 83.76% on GameRankings. Praise has been lavished on the graphics, along with the AI of enemies and civilians and team interaction.
PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
UK gave the game a score of 91%, saying "All the best ideas from other squad based games, shoehorned into a police setting, perfectly."
GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
awarded the Close Quarters Battle version of game a rating of 8.3/10, commenting that "SWAT 3's most impressive feature has to be the amazing artificial intelligence employed by friend and foe alike" and praising the graphics and level design, but criticising the lack of multiplayer in the initial release, the tendency for some dialogue to repeat, the need to "radio in" every suspect or hostage secured, and the need to restart missions from scratch should the player be killed.
Reviewing Close Quarters Battle, Tal Blevins of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the graphics, level design and AI (although noting an occasional tendency for computer-controlled SWAT officers to walk into the player's line of fire, resulting in friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
incidents), but also praised the clean interface, dialogue recording and mission briefing screens and the feel of the weapons. However, the lack of multiplayer in CQB and deficiencies in the game's manual were singled out for criticism. A subsequent review of the Elite Edition version responded positively to the new multiplayer component and the new missions, but noted some bugs
Software bug
A software bug is the common term used to describe an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program or system that produces an incorrect or unexpected result, or causes it to behave in unintended ways. Most bugs arise from mistakes and errors made by people in either a program's...
.
Martin Taylor of Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
awarded the Elite Edition a score of 9/10, praising the graphics and level design, and particularly the new multiplayer component, citing efficient, low-lag networking code and singling out the co-operative multiplayer game mode for its effectiveness, although noting that the deathmatch game mode will often be dominated by one player with a fast connection camping in one area of the map, responding negatively to the WON.net multiplayer service and criticizing the ease with which the arrest-based gameplay can break down in a fierce firefight.
Along with its different released versions, SWAT3 also received a sequel; SWAT 4
SWAT 4
SWAT 4 is a tactical first-person shooter computer game developed by Irrational Games and published by Vivendi Universal Games on April 5, 2005. It was built on Irrational Games's Vengeance engine powered by Unreal Engine 2.0 technology...
, developed by Irrational Games
Irrational Games
Irrational Games is a video game developer founded in 1997 by three former employees of Looking Glass Studios: Ken Levine, Jonathan Chey, and Robert Fermier as Irrational Games...
and published by Vivendi Universal in April 2005.