SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 Updated Hands-On

The last time we had a chance to see SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 was at a PlayStation Gamers' Day event in April where we were able to get a quick look and feel for the portable game, as well as its new features. At the 2009 Penny Arcade Expo, we were able to meet up with Sony once again to take a look at this third-person shooter on the PlayStation Portable and check out how it plays on the new PSP Go.

The campaign that we played through was set near a ski hill. We actually started off our mission under the ski lifts and slowly infiltrated the quiet town at the base of the mountain. The snowy landscape looked impressive on the PSP's screen, and it was easy to get a handle on the controls. Ryan Eames, the associate producer told us that the development team wanted the game to be user-friendly and accessible to newcomers. The fact that you can play through all the single-player campaigns cooperatively changes the experience entirely. You can play via ad hoc, as well as infrastructure, and we were told that it's really easy to have people jump in and out. Bringing the console experience to Sony's handheld was important to the development team, and the last time this kind of cooperative play was available was in SOCOM Combined Assault for the PlayStation 2.

One of the biggest changes in Fireteam Bravo 3 is the regeneration system, which changes the difficulty considerably because you can always back off and let your teammates take over while you heal. Another new addition is the pseudo-hide system, which may not be as obvious as cover systems in other games, but you can crouch and walk up to an obstacle and automatically keep yourself out of harm's way. Other features that have been tweaked include a free-look camera, which you can use when you zoom in with the D pad. It comes in handy because without a second analog stick, looking around can be tricky sometimes. You can also easily swap between enemies using the R button and stayed locked on to your target.

The controls should feel very familiar to those who've played the previous Fireteam Bravo game. It feels a bit awkward on the PSP Go because it's so small. Your hands might feel a bit cramped when using the analog stick with your right thumb only centimeters away. The buttons feel more responsive, however, but if you like the spaciousness of the other PSP, it will be more comfortable playing on the older models.

Custom missions, formerly known as instant action missions, are included so that once you go through the campaign, you can unlock new content and go through those areas again with new objectives and different enemy placement. It's great to be able to play through all the campaigns with up to three friends, and there's, of course, the obligatory multiplayer that can support up to 16 players with standard Team Deathmatch and Capture-the-Flag modes.

We enjoyed our brief time with the game and welcome the new additions. It looks like SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 is shaping up to be a fairly solid third-person shooter to take with you on the go. Look for the game when it is released on November 17.