SOCOM: US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo

PSPworld Exclusive: An anonymous PSPworld reader has sent in a first look report at the Public Beta for the upcoming PSP SOCOM title, including details about the controls, online play, graphics, and screenshots of the online interface. SOCOM US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo is expected to ship November 8 and sell for $39.99.

From the sound of things, it looks like there will be some getting used to the controls for those who are familiar to the series. Gone are the jump and dive buttons, and fire has been moved to the X button. Since there is no right analog stick on the PSP, users hold the left shoulder button (L) in order to look around. Holding the right shoulder button (R) will lock on to the nearest target, and a quick tap on the L button while holding R will cycle through available targets. Fortunately, d-pad use has been limited to bringing up menus and changing options such as firing and vision modes. The square button will be used for special actions, and holding the triangle button will allow for quick switching between grenades and the gamer’s primary weapon.

Options to move your character on free-look mode are available, so players will have an option to make the new game feel a little more like its console predecessors, but apparently most players will end up utilizing the robust targeting system instead. From what we can tell, there has been a massive amount of development time getting the controls for the game just right — and from the reports we have received, they work extremely well.

Graphically, we were told that the framerate was very smooth, and that the graphics overall looked very good — and in keeping with the series, which features has featured muted colors in the past. As for the online experience, well, our spy was really overwhelmed by the no-lag, high excitement games they’ve been playing — with 15 other people in the same game. “If Sony can get demos of this game in the hands of enough people, SOCOM will become as important to the PSP as Grand Theft Auto,” our source said.

Although apparently only one map was included in the beta, our spy is fairly impressed with the level design. From what we understand, the level features a large warehouse with several different levels connected by stairs, and also a large, fairly flat outdoor area filled with strings of railroad cars, with different strategies forming based on your attack style. Speaking of attacks, our reader didn’t give us a complete list of weapons for the beta, but said that the options were pretty standard SOCOM fare.

Overall, we feel really excited after hearing these first-hand accounts of the beta test that we received. The game sounds like it is really coming along nicely, and our main concern — the amount of lag that would be present in online games — has apparently been addressed already. Our only complaint at this point would be the lack of headset support, but from the sound of the rest of it, it’s not going to matter — it will be good anyway.

SOCOM: US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo is expected to ship on November 8 and sell for $39.99.