You have to hand it to Zipper Interactive and SCEA, each year their SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs games keep getting better and better on the PlayStation 2 and each year there is something fans of this military shooter series have to rave about whether it’s a massive online multiplayer mode or vehicles. Thankfully, the series has also come to the PSP and the first game was, without a doubt, an amazing portable version worth buying. So imagine my delight when SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALS Fireteam Bravo 2 was announced and having played it I must say that even on a portable format this series does keep getting better and better.

Fireteam Bravo 2 single-player Campaign mode puts you in the military boots of highly trained and familiar Navy SEAL Sandman who is now a Commander. Along with his select group of Fireteam Bravo teammates, the Commander takes on various missions that put the team into harms way in order to carry out each objective for God and country. Instead of putting gamers through a linear story mode, you can pick your mission campaigns (there are 14 single-player missions in total) and take them on in any order you like. Spanning a number of different locales, the mission scenarios have their own threats the team must deal with as well as keeping their performance in mind seeing as there are civilians watching.

Local Influence is but one of many new features found in this sequel and it’s one of the more interesting ones seeing as your behavior on the field dictates how much trust the locals have with the U.S. military around. You can storm into a house and start unloading a clip inside but in the end civilians will not warm up to you or offer any helpful Intel or access to their black market arms dealers (to purchase new weapons). You’ll find early in the game that there are good ways of securing civilians and there are wrong ways of doing it as well (shooting in their general direction to make them stop running just isn’t a good way of winning points with the locals). The game’s new Command Equity feature also tracks your overall performance during a mission. It basically adds points for each mission campaign as it deducts points for not completing a bonus or secondary objective or getting your teammate killed or severely injured on the field. At the end of the mission, you can use the points to unlock new weapons as well as call in air strikes when you need them most during a mission or call for supplies when you’re running low on ammo or medical supplies.

The 14 missions offer plenty of variety whether you attempt to secure a downed helicopter and the survivor in the fiction country of Adjikistan or attempting to destroy a number of heroin caches in the warehouse of a drug cartel. Those familiar with the SOCOM series will find the similar mission format in that the game has main mission objectives as well as bonus ones to complete. In some missions you are asked to photograph certain objects with your photo binoculars, secure civilians or drop hostages to a safety point. The good news is that once you successfully complete a Campaign mission you can go back and replay the same mission as a Dynamic mission complete with a new set of mission objectives.

The game’s controls remain relatively the same from the Fireteam Bravo, although the game does feel a bit tighter when it comes to movement. Targeting enemies can still be a bit twitchy at times but thankfully, there are weapons that allow for a more accurate aiming. You’ll need since some of the enemies are capable of taking cover or fall back at the appropriate moment. Then again, some enemies will simply take cover behind the most baffling locations (behind an empty shelf in the middle of the room or behind a chain link fence).

Where Fireteam Bravo 2 really shines is the multiplayer mode. You can play with up to 16 friends using Ad Hoc mode and it runs perfectly. Yet the real treat is playing online using Infrastructure Mode. Online the game runs smoothly and better yet it is able to handle up to 16 players without much of a stutter. At the time of this writing, I was able to enter a 16-player multiplayer match and, for the most part, the game handled beautifully. It was good too see that the game included three new multiplayer modes as well as the ability to create your own mercenary or SEAL (male or female) as well as decide on their choice of attire. With a multiplayer mode this good you will be playing this game long after you finished the single-player campaign.

Fireteam Bravo 2 also includes a number of extras and an improved Crosstalk feature. Crosstalk allows you to upload or download new content from this year’s SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault for the PS2. At the time of this writing I wasn’t able to unlock any new features but the game does promise a nice number of new content for both games. Another neat feature allows a friend to download the Fireteam Bravo 2 demo.

The game’s graphics have also been improved so expect environments that are even more detailed. You’ll find yourself admiring the scenery this time around and thankfully, the game does give us different locals to look forward to while making your way to your mission objectives. Even the character models move more realistically, especially when it comes to your teammates opening doors. Long gone are the awkward open and clear movements of the first game. What will really capture your attention are the visual effects, most particularly when it comes to explosions and smoke effects. Call in an air strike and watch the fiery explosions pound the very spot you indicated.

The game’s sound is also handled nicely enough with a wonderfully cinematic score that plays during key moments throughout the game as well as the mission briefing and animated cut scenes. What works beautifully throughout the game as well are the detailed sound effects that are more noticeable wearing earbuds. The voice acting in the game is equally good and you will hear constantly from your teammate who will make quick observations or offer a witty comment or two.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 is a vast improvement over the excellent first game and one of the best online multiplayer experiences you will find on your PSP. Just the wealth of new features, a fantastic single-player game and loads of extras alone will keep you busy but it’s the multiplayer aspect alone that is worth the price of admission. SOCOM fans, this is a game you will not want to miss so go ahead and buy this one or make this one of the games you need this holiday. 

Gameplay: 8.9
The game just feels tighter this time around and while targeting can still be a tad unreliable at times there is no denying how cool it is to swap weapons on the fly or how the locals react to your behavior on the field. Top that off with new weapons like the M16A2 with scope and some interesting mission scenarios and you have a game that plays better than the first game.

Graphics: 8.8
Shaper visuals and detailed environments make up Fireteam Bravo 2’s graphics and, while the character movement is a bit more realistic this time around, the real change comes in the special effects. Explosions look more impressive as does smoke. The cut scenes look great too.

Sound: 9.0
The dramatic soundtrack is back and so are the detailed sound effects that bring combat situations to life. Hearing your teammate chime in with a witty remark also makes each mission feel like you actually have a living breathing person who is smart enough to question bad decision making on the field.

Difficulty: Medium
At times the enemy can be as dumb as rocks while other times they will fall back to regroup or fire at you behind cover. Some might even try to outflank you, which makes mission objectives quite challenging to complete. The mission scenarios start to feel more challenging pretty quickly in this game.

Concept: 9.5
Crosstalk was a slight disappointment with the first game but this time around there some excellent unlockable extras. Command Equity is a brilliant as is the Local Influence feature that I would like to see more of in this series. There’s online and offline multiplayer for up to 16 players and with the three new multiplayer modes that means you will still be playing this game long after you finished the single-player mode.

Multiplayer: 10
The multiplayer action is where Fireteam Bravo 2 really takes off and having taken on a whopping 16 players online through Infrastructure mode you can count on gamers playing this one for a long time to come. While I was only able to play against a friend through Ad Hoc mode, the multiplayer ran smoothly enough. The game also supports tournaments and clan challenges. This is a dream come true for online multiplayer fans.

Overall: 9.0
Fireteam Bravo 2 is not only a major improvement over the first portable SOCOM game but it is also the best game the series has produced thus far. With a wealth of juicy multiplayer options, a solid single-player mode and some surprising extras, this is a PSP game you will not want to miss if you love military action games or your PSP.