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Compared to SOCOM this new edition seems to be user-friendlier with more options and features. As well as the online option there is also provision for LAN play, something that was missing in the original version. There also features a selection of training movies and unlockable content. This is in comparison to the bare basics that arrived with SOCOM, hinting that that game may have been a rushed release. A training mission still would have been nice to see, or tutorials and practice sessions of the more detailed parts of the control system.

Consistent with this new, more friendly philosophy, SOCOM II also eases the player into the game and starts with a relatively straightforward daytime mission. This is in comparison to the relatively more hardcore nighttime raid on a ship in the first game that had players starting within a few feet of the enemy and required to go on the offensive straight away. The first mission here lets players get used to movement and commanding a team for a few minutes before requiring any action. The first enemies seen in the game are also well away from being able to raise an alarm, so picking them off is fairly easy.

The controls are virtually identical to the first game, with the same configuration options available. They worked fairly well in that game so there was no great need to alter them. Also almost exactly the same is the command system to the rest of the team. Again players lead a squad of four, split into two teams of two and commanding them is done either through a menu system on the screen or by using the Logitech headsets available with either the fist or the second SOCOM games. We still can't help being impressed with the level of voice recognition straight out of the box and still get something of a thrill when issuing commands. In addition to the list of commands in the first game, several have been added to the sequel.

We still have a few quibbles about the AI of the player's teammates. Direct them to 'Hold Fire?for instance and they still seem to fire on unaware enemies, instead of waiting for enemies to realise their presence. This can be quite frustrating, especially when trying to go completely unnoticed with no enemy casualties in an area. Similarly once a teammate is on a course of action it can be sometimes difficult to call them off performing that action, for instance calling them off engaging the enemy once they are within range. After a while players will come to know the limitations of their team though, and issue orders to compensate for that, but this shouldn't need to be done.

As in the first game the SOCOM II single-player game covers 12 missions set in four different countries. Players will visit locations in Albania, Brazil, Algeria and Russia trying to undermine various terrorist or smuggling organizations based in those countries. Each of the missions has various primary mission objectives, along with some secondary and bonus objectives that players will need to discover themselves.

The levels in the sequel have had quite a bit of an upgrade with considerably larger maps being presented here, as well a larger list of objectives. At the conclusion of each mission the player's performance is graded and given a percentage score based on stealth, accuracy, teamwork and mission completion. These are then combined to give career stats, which are a good way of keeping track of progression.

As before there are multiple difficulty settings, and completing missions on each of them is key to unlocking extra characters, weapons, and movies. The unlocked weapons and characters can then be used on any multiplayer missions. Even thought the number of missions has stayed the same, their increased size and depth make them much more rewarding than the original missions. The increased size of the missions can cause problems though, with no checkpoints in the middle of a mission. Players who get killed twenty minutes into a mission still have to restart at the beginning, causing quite a bit of frustration.

Enemy AI seems to have received and upgrade, and the number of different ways a mission can be tackled has multiplied. In fact to receive the highest ratings and to uncover all the bonus objectives each mission will need to be played multiple times, something that drastically increases the life of the game.

Increasing the replayability even further is the ability for New Zealand players to finally go online. 22 maps are available from online play, including the 10 that were included on the original SOCOM. They are based in the same sort of environments that the single-player missions are in, ranging from jungles and forests to more urban environments. One team of players acts as the Navy SEALs while another group acts as terrorists. There are different types of goals for each depending on the map. In one map the goal may be to breach an area, while in another the goal may be to demolish certain areas. In general the terrorists are in defensive mode, trying to stop the SEALs form achieving their objectives.

The large scale of the maps, and the interactions amongst teams make the online game almost infinitely replayable, as evidenced by the high numbers of players SOCOM II gets on the servers. There are always different tactics that can be employed, and by going through the single-player missions more weapons can be opened up. This is one of the best online experiences available on the Playstation 2 at the moment. We would have liked to have seen some sort of custom map-maker available for creating multiplayer maps, but with the lack of a built-in hard drive that may not have been so feasible.

Graphically SOCOM II seems to be a little sharper than its predecessor, with more detail throughout the levels. There are some nice lighting effects now present as well, making hiding in the shadows a little easier. The soundtrack is again perfectly adequate, but the tracks still sound like cast-offs from the Medal of Honor games. The rest of the ambient sounds remain similar to SOCOM, with the enemies speaking in the local tongues adding to the realism. It is quite rewarding to be able to judge what noise a character is making just from listening to the action. Soft or hard footsteps can be distinguished, as can faraway shouts from the enemy if discovered.

The similarities between SOCOM and SOCOM II make it feel like this game is almost an expansion pack. While it comes with improved graphics and a new set of missions, the same control system, voice commands and general gameplay make it feel like this is not a fully-fledged sequel. But the addition for Kiwis of being able to play the game in multiplayer for the first time opens up a whole new world of playability. The addition in multiplayer of the ten online maps from the first game just sweetens the deal. While we still have some reservations about the single-player missions, for a gamer hooking up with PS2 Online SOCOM II comes highly recommended.