Fairfax Residence

25 Glendive Lane: Whereas last week’s Sisters of Mercy Hostel mission from The Stetchkov Syndicate expansion pack was next to impossible to complete, this mission was a total cake walk and a victory the first time out, even though I was shot by the suspect after apprehending his welfare mom.

This week the boys from Rampart Division stage a takedown at the Fairfax Residence, a dirty little affair with a live-at-home momma's boy who likes to do naughty things to uncooperative females in his basement man-cave, and video tape his hobby for posterity.

This has to be the easiest mission I have played on Elite Mode so far in either of the two games because there is really only one threat, and once you identify and prosecute that threat, the remainder of the mission is simply rescuing the hostages and apprehending the mother.

I could have played this again for a perfect score, but I really was not inclined to do so. I am not sure if that is because the mission itself was absolutely no tactical challenge at all, or if it just seems that vanilla SWAT 4 is much easier in Elite Mode than The Stetchkov Syndicate seems to be.

Other thoughts: Fairfax Residence was a fun map for multiplayer gaming, but although it is a realistic mission (SWAT standoff against a lone gunman and uncooperative family members); it simply was not any challenge at all on even the hardest setting in single player mission mode.