At the 2009 Penny Arcade Expo we were able to check out SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 and play through one of the snowy mountain missions to get a feel for the game on the PSP Go. At last night's Sony PlayStation Portable press event, we were able to revisit the game and get our hands on the latest build, and we're happy to report that the many features that have been discussed are now added and work incredibly well.

　　Cooperative play with up to three friends makes a difference.

　　What's New: It's clear that Fireteam Bravo 3 is trying to mimic the console experience by having cooperative play so that you can team up with your friends and take on the missions together. What also helps draw you into the game are the cinematic cutscenes, which we got a chance to see for the first time. It doesn't look like the scenes are finalized yet, but so far, things are looking good for this portable military shooter. The level we played was an industrial area with warehouses and enemies littered all over the place. It was a little difficult to get a grasp of the current story at the event, but in this mission, we were supposed to meet up with a private military company and provide some help. We did eventually run into a mercenary, except we shot him by mistake--oops.

　　What's Different: The gameplay has been tweaked quite a bit since the last time we saw the game. The cover system works now, as we were able to just walk up to any fence, barrel, or crate and automatically crouch for cover. To pop up and shoot, it's as easy as pushing up on the analog stick and keeping your aim with the right button and firing. Zooming in with your weapon is different now too. Instead of just getting a closer view and aiming via a red dot or crosshair, now you're looking through a scope and moving a red targeting circle. We didn't get a chance to use this properly, but for those who want to take the time to hunker down and snipe, it looks like you can.

　　Giant white arrows are now visible onscreen, acting like breadcrumbs to lead you to the next checkpoint. If you get disoriented easily, these very obvious markers should be able to guide you in the right direction. Last time it didn't seem like we were able to get our squad to do much, but now we were able to aim and press the circle button to send our troops ahead to scout the area or just do the dirty work.

　　Good-looking environments is part of this SOCOM experience.

　　What's The Same: Other than the changes that we mentioned, everything else in terms of gameplay still felt the same. The controls still felt good and were very responsive when playing on the PSP Go. Because the buttons are thinner, tapping the square button a couple of times to reload is quick and painless. Our troops were intelligent enough to stay close and fire when they were supposed to. We jumped into a quick co-op session as well, and setting that up is incredibly easy. The only downside is that if one person dies, you fail the mission and have to start from the last checkpoint.

　　What Impression The Game Made This Time: Now that more of the features have been added, it really makes the game accessible for a wider range of players. The regeneration and cover system may not be something SOCOM fans are used to, but the game still does require some tactical decisions because you can't wander into enemy territory with guns blazing. Not having to manage health packs does make the game easier, but because it is portable, that's not necessarily a bad thing. We had fun with it and can see it being a great way to pass the time with some friends. SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 will be released on November 3.