Is SWAT 4 still fresh in anyone’s mind?
Perhaps not?
If that’s the case, I can’t say I blame you; in the age, it was released in, when every self-proclaimed “core” gamer seemed to exclusively play military shooters, it was certain to be overshadowed.
It lacked the brand familiarity of Rainbow Six and the polished appearance of competitors like Black (speaking of which, why is Black no longer mentioned?).
That game had some serious swag, man.
On the other hand, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the video game industry’s past, it’s that the next generation of players can elevate a game to cult status.
Look what happened to Escape From Tarkov; who would have believed a year ago that a game like that would be as popular as Fortnite?
The point is that, despite its age, SWAT 4 retains its own unique appeal if given the opportunity.
And because it’s 2020, I suppose we should celebrate by remembering the decade of the 2000s.
Here are the best SWAT 4 modifications we’ve tried to get you back in the action as soon as possible.
Dig in!
12. Speech Recognition Improvement
Speech recognition was apparently intended to be included in SWAT 4 when the expansion pack The Stetchkov Syndicate was being developed by Irrational Games.
In reality, it was implemented in a functional state, albeit with little instructions.
Unfortunately, they never got around to finishing it and disabled it from being released.
Setting a flag in a config file enables speech recognition in SWAT 4: The Stechkov Syndicate, allowing you to issue highly specific orders to your team by voice.
For instance, the phrase “Fall in” is used to direct police to dive into a hole.
We can think of no other explanation.
The game’s development was abandoned before it was ever finished, and the use of voice recognition opens the door to exploits that were never intended.
As an illustration, cops can be instructed to handcuff noncompliant detainees or hostages using voice recognition technology.
Pressing a key and letting the voice-over do the work was still the only method to get things done like submitting reports to TOC or shouting at suspects/hostages to cooperate.
11. SSF Realism Mod 3.2
This is the next iteration of the popular SSF Mod from Swat4 and Team Fortress Classic.
Although some of the original developers have gone on, I’ve been given the source code and am continuing the effort to fix bugs that plagued the most recent version (3.1).
To prepare for the first release, I will address the AI issues that result in CTDs and speed up the friendly AI’s deployment of tacaid.
After this initial release, I want to incorporate some further ideas, and I think you’ll all be pleased with the results.
Goodbye for now, and see you in the next update.
10. SniperWolf Radio
Before we begin listing things, a little disclaimer: The modding community for SWAT 4 is, to put it mildly, less than that of some other older games.
If you’re wondering why advanced customizations like the one described above are included, it’s because most of the other options are so fundamental.
As much as we’d want to say “almost,” it’s not quite true.
Therefore, the player’s in-game radio orders can be altered using this patch.
But we promise that from here on out, the mods you find will only improve!
9. Sheriff’s Special Forces Realism
The idea that a county sheriff would arm his police force with deadly force would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
When faced with the worst possible scenario, what sheriff wouldn’t require an army to keep the peace?
However, after fifteen more years, this modification seems almost prescient to the present day.
Regardless, the term “realism” is taken rather literally in this version, with weaponry showing correct death rates and the physics engine receiving some nice enhancements.
A special mention must be made of the game’s “realistic” death animations, in which non-player characters that are shot to death in the game tremble and spasm as their nerves go into overdrive at the prospect of dying.
Obviously, the modder who made this was a fan of gangster flicks.
8. The Manor
SWAT 4 is quite good at the standard mission type of “infiltrating the lair of the bad guys.”
As far as its variants go, this map is still up there with the greatest of them.
Nonetheless, one can’t help but wonder how the public would see SWAT 4 now had it attracted modders in the same manner that other games have.
Fortunately, there is a tool that can help newbies to better understand maps like this.
7. Mission Editor
No, this is not the same as the RPG Maker.
At the very least, though, this should show you what it’s like to work on a level for SWAT 4!
The toolbox may seem simplistic to veterans of the modding scene, but I’m sure novices will enjoy how easy it makes things to get started.
6. Police Station
A Police Station DLC Pack for SWAT 4 was a foregone conclusion.
If you’re not out hustling fools for receipts, where else would you spend your time?
More caffeine and pastries are required.
5. Canadian Forces: Direct Action 4.1
When compiling this list, this is by far the most welcome surprise we’ve found.
For the simple reason that, really, Canadian FORCES?
Funny, we always assumed our northern relatives were the quiet types.
When it comes to expansion packs, this one has everything you could want and more, including new single-player campaigns, multiplayer modes, weaponry, and even a bespoke voice-over IP system.
At the very least, this was formerly utilized by the real, live, federal law enforcement as a training tool.
Canadians, then as today, are awesome people, right?
4. SWAT 4 Server List
It’s astonishing to see that there are still active servers for such a relatively unknown game from the early 2000s.
UK, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Canada, and the good ol’ USA are all represented by servers.
So it’s clear which sport has the true believers, huh?
3. 11-99 Enhancement Mod
PC gamers have an advantage over console gamers in that they can create improvements to the game on their own if they have the necessary technical knowledge and creative flair.
The 11-99 Enhancement mod is a great illustration of how this do-it-yourself attitude can enhance even the most fundamental parts of a game like SWAT 4.
The AI has been made more challenging, and new, more moddable weaponry has been included.
The modders behind this did a great job, and they also included a couple of servers for internet play, which is wonderful.
2. SWAT 4: Graphical Enrichment Mod
If someone claims that visuals are more important than gameplay, they are lying.
Like anything else of value, how something is presented is just as crucial as the value it has.
Some modder, thank goodness, saw the light and updated the graphics in SWAT 4 so that it would work better with high-definition displays.
This is one mod that must be seen to be believed.
1. SWAT Elite Force Mod
Among these, the SWAT Elite Force mod stands out as the best.
If not for detail, then for the grandiosity of purpose.
The developers of the mod managed to include everything that was eliminated from the base game by using some sort of arcane witchcraft.
Single-player modes, multiplayer modes, and even certain quality-of-life additions like filterable maps and easy stat monitoring are all enhanced in comparison to the first release of SWAT 4.
Put aside the fact that this is a mod; you’re looking at the definitive release of SWAT 4.
Absolutely essential to experience it firsthand.
