Zipper Interactive's SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs was a fantastic third-person team-based online shooter, and it remains one of the PlayStation 2's strongest online games. Now the developer is hard at work on a sequel that adds more cheat protection, more gameplay types, more weapons, and more maps.

　　While the focus is definitely on the game's online mode, the single-player options are no slouch, either. The game will have 12 missions in its single-player campaign, which takes you through various hot spots around the world, like Algeria, Albania, Brazil, and Russia. The voice headset plays a role here as well, and you'll be able to order your AI-controlled team around with voice commands. SOCOM II will feature more voice commands than the previous game. Friendly forces will also come into play in the campaign, and you'll be working with the British SAS and the Russian Spetznaz as you play.

　　The popular demolition, suppression, and hostage-rescue map types return in SOCOM II, but there will also be new game modes, such as VIP escort and breach. There will also be more postgame commendations this time around, like medals of merit.

　　There will be a pretty big collection of new weapons and items in the game, including LAW rockets, RPGs, handguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, machine guns, grenades, laser designators for calling in air strikes, explosives, remote-detonated mines, and newly tweaked night vision.

　　SOCOM II will have an updated front end for its online play, allowing for customizable player profiles and a new ranking system that can be viewed from outside the game via your computer's Web browser. You'll also be able to keep track of your friends via a buddy list. In the game, you'll be able to always see which player is talking via an onscreen indicator, something that was sorely needed in the previous game. In addition, the team is taking steps to prevent the rampant cheating that currently plagues the SOCOM servers. In fact, some of these anticheat measures will be rolled out and tested on the current SOCOM servers.

　　SOCOM II is scheduled to be a broadband-only title, and up to 16 players will be able to play online in each game. SOCOM II is currently on track for a November release.