The practice of only using lethal force when necessary is always highlighted in the game. Operators are supposed to abide by the Rules of Engagement while carrying out operations. As SWAT is a life-saving organization, reckless use of lethal force would not be appropriate. For example, Operators cannot fire lethal rounds at a fleeing suspect, as he/she does not pose an immediate threat to anyone in the nearby vicinity. Doing so will result in a penalty for unauthorized use of force.
Hence, the score that is given to Lead Operators after every operation is based on the RoE. The score will factor in the number of suspects successfully arrested, the number of evidence secured and the injuries Operators sustain while in the operation. Penalties such as the unauthorized use of force, the unauthorized use of deadly force, the incapacitation of a hostage, and the injuring of a fellow officer are also awarded.
A wide array of weapons are available for selection during the pre-mission briefing, ranging from lethal weapons such as the M4A1 Colt Carbine, to less-lethal weapons like the Less-Lethal Shotgun, and the Pepper-Ball Gun. Operators can also wear varying levels of armor and headgear during operations, such as Kevlar vests and gas masks. Other equipment such as the Optiwand and door wedges are also available for use. Each Operator is fitted with a helmet camera, which can be used to issue commands from.
The pre-mission briefing, which the Lead Operator will have access to before every mission, consists of a summary of the operation, the 911 call made by civilians inside the compromised building (if available), selection of weapons and intelligence about the suspects, civilians, a map of the building and a timeline of events. Players can choose from two entry points in most operations.
As all aggressors are innocent until proven guilty, hostiles are referred to as "suspects", in SWAT 4. Suspects range from being poorly-organized, ill-equipped and nonresistant to arrest, to well-organized, well-equipped and being resistant to arrest as the game progresses. New equipment is available to use after every successful mission. Operators will listen for your commands before acting. For example, a suspect may have surrendered, but Operators will only take these suspects into custody only after the command to restrain them is given. However, Operators will also act on their own accord. For example, Operators may fire on uncooperative suspects in self-defense, without being commanded to.
Multiplayer
SWAT 4 also features several multiplayer game modes, all of which are team-based: SWAT versus suspects. The multiplayer modes are:
Barricaded Suspects. Teams gain points by arresting or killing members of the other team. The team which hits the score limit first or has the highest score when the round time ends wins.
VIP Escort. A random member of the SWAT team is selected to be the VIP. The suspects must arrest the VIP, hold him for two minutes and then execute him. The SWAT team must escort the VIP to an extraction point on the map. If the suspects kill the VIP without holding him for two minutes, SWAT wins. If a SWAT team member kills the VIP, suspects win.
Rapid Deployment. Three to five bombs are placed throughout the map. The SWAT team must locate and disable them all within a time limit if they fail to do so, suspects win.
Co-op. This allows the player to play through the single-player missions with up to four other people taking the place of computer-controlled SWAT officers. In the expansion, Co-op can run on custom missions and with up to ten players per game, which can further be split into two completely separate teams (red and blue) with a leader each. This is not similar to single player teams where an element leader controls both teams.
Smash & Grab. (Only available on The Stetchkov Syndicate expansion) The suspects must collect the briefcase and take it to the exit before the timer runs out. The officers must stop the suspects from reaching the exit with the briefcase. If a suspect is arrested, 30 seconds are deduced from the game clock; if a suspect is killed or arrested carrying the briefcase, the case stays where it is dropped. Officers cannot pick up the briefcase.
Reception
SWAT 4 received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. On a computer game sales chart compiled by NPD Techworld, it claimed tenth place for the week ending April 17. It finished 11th for the month of April overall, at an average retail price of $48.
GameSpot's Bob Colayco stated that "as a realistic police simulator, SWAT 4 definitely hits the mark. Though the frame rate gets chunky at times, and there are a couple of irritating bugs and quirks, the AI delivers on most counts in a game that is designed with great replayability." The website later criticized a feature of the first patch for SWAT 4, where updated environments featured advertisement posters for real-world television series, and after the game was closed data regarding how the player treated the product placement was sent to the developers.
IGN's Dan Adams said that "Irrational's new addition to the venerable SWAT franchise does a brilliant job of picking up on all of the things that make SWAT work so exciting from the outside perspective". Adams was also critical of the friendly Artificial Intelligence, stating that "sometimes the team will bust into a room on command and take down everybody with enough efficiency to be impressive while other times they'll run straight past an enemy looking to cover a certain area of the room only to get shot in the back of the head".
SWAT 4 was a runner-up for Computer Games Magazine's list of the top 10 computer games of 2005.
