We start with our cover story, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. First, a quick note about what Raccoon City is not. Raccoon City is not a survival horror game. Go on—let that sink in for a second. Yes, the granddaddy of survival horror breaks from the very thing that’s defined it for over 15 years, instead delivering a wholly unique squad-based shooter experience, with the talented folks at Slant Six now handling the development duties. We saw the game in action and survived to tell a tale of shambling zombies, elite operatives, and a mission to “kill Leon.” Indeed, nothing is sacred here, including the long-standing heroes of the Resident Evil franchise. We’ve got more stunning details about the game, but you’ll have to read them in our pages when the issue hits newsstands April 12.

Our other big feature: Prey 2. (Don’t worry if you don’t remember the first game: it was an exclusive on that, uh, other system.) Bethesda’s adventure shooter impressed us with its creative gameplay and gorgeous Blade Runner-esque world, enough so that we jumped at the opportunity to give it a lavish six-page expose. Find out why we’re so excited about this game when you pick up the May issue.

Rounding out the issue: a huge reviews section, including our surprising verdicts on two major shooters. Plus, previews on the heavy hitters, including UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception, Battlefield 3, The Last Guardian and Batman: Arkham City. And then there’s my personal fave in the issue: my interview with Supremacy MMA’s beautiful brawler Felice Herrig. E3 might be right around the corner, but we’ve got you more than covered until then—only in the pages of PlayStation: The Official Magazine.

SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 features a comprehensive single-player campaign with nine campaign missions and a number of new gameplay features. The single-player campaign is supported by a brand new cooperative mode. For the first time in series history, SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 lets you call your friends to duty with a new 4-player co-op mode available in both ad-hoc and infrastructure. With all campaign missions accessible, players can choose which missions to attempt and tackle with tactical teamwork and firepower.

And of course, SOCOM wouldn’t be SOCOM without a robust competitive multiplayer component. Continuing the franchise’s tradition of unparalleled multiplayer gaming, SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 supports up to 16 players in both ad-hoc and infrastructure modes. Players will be immersed in five classic and objective based game modes across eight diverse custom maps based on the single-player campaign. If you haven’t already pre-ordered your copy of the game, be sure to purchase it from the PlayStation Store within the next 30 days to secure the exclusive, new multiplayer units: the British SAS with the AS-50 BMG sniper/anti-material rifle and the German KSK with the F2000 assault rifle.

If you’re looking for a chance to get hands-on with the game prior to purchase, then head over to the PlayStation Store to download a demo of SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3. Available now, the demo provides a sneak peek of the enhanced single-player campaign and gives players an opportunity to assemble their own 4-man fireteam via Ad-Hoc in the new co-op mode.

Still on the fence? Read what IGN, Modojo, MTV Multiplayer, G4 and Examiner had to say about the game. Better yet, see for yourself by checking out the launch trailer below:

We’re also happy to announce that a SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 demo will be available Thursday, February 11 for download on the PlayStation Store. Get a taste of the enhanced single-player gameplay, or assemble your own four-player fireteam in the new co-op via Ad-Hoc with a playable campaign mission from the game. The multiplayer trailer is also included to give you a look at the full multiplayer and infrastructure co-op features for SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3.

Don’t forget to pre-order your copy of the game today to secure two exclusive new multiplayer units: the British SAS with the AS-50 BMG sniper/anti-material rifle and the German KSK with the F2000 assault rifle. You can pre-order your copy of the game at Best Buy, GameCrazy, GameStop, Amazon.com and other participating retailers. Fans who purchase the game from the PlayStation Network within the first 30 days of launch will receive the pre-order Special Forces.

If you haven’t preordered the game already, we have some great incentives for you to do so. Two exclusive multiplayer units are available only for those who preorder or purchase the game via PSN: The British SAS with the AS-50 BMG sniper/anti-material rifle and the German KSK with the F2000 assault rifle. You can find these pre-order programs at retailers like Best Buy, GameCrazy, GameStop, Amazon.com and other participating retailers. Fans who purchase their copy of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 from the PlayStation Network within the first 30 days of launch will receive the pre-order Special Forces.

Check out what’s included in the new download pack below:

• New Russian / Eastern European Area of Operation
• Snow setting complete with snow effects
• New snow gear and camo for both the Special Forces and Mercenaries
• Thermal vision
• New ARMS RUN gameplay mode
• 5 New Maps: Uprising, Entrapment, Blizzard, Night Stalker, Vigilance
• All new mercenaries characters with new looks and new VO.
• New Special Forces squad, the Russian Spetsnaz
• Gun turrets emplacements
• New music
• All new character specialization/progression system allows players to pick a primary and secondary specialization and unlock new equipment exclusive to those specializations
• New weapons, including: 3 new weapons, 6 enhanced versions of weapons available as part of the new weapons specialization system, 2 new weapon attachments (including the thermal scope), 5 enhanced versions of weapon attachments also available as part of the new weapons specialization system.
• 2 new grenade launcher ammo types (flash and smoke)
• New Trophies

For a limited time, the Cold Front pack will be available for only $9.99. Be sure and download the pack from the PlayStation Store this weekend to lock in the low introductory price. After Sunday, December 20 the price will move to $14.99.

New Special Forces – The Dutch KCT and Italian COMSUBIN Special Forces teams are featured in this update. Each Force is provided with two new heads, a new voice and light, medium and heavy variants of their own torsos and legs (each with a unique camouflage pattern).

New Weapons – Two new primary weapons will be immediately accessible to players who select to play as the new Special Forces. The Dutch KCT will have access to the 417 assault rifle, while the Italian COMSUBIN Special Forces will receive the SPAS 15 shotgun. Additionally, four new weapons will be made available to players regardless of assigned Special Force. New weapons include the 9mm Sub Machine Gun, M82A1A, AK-74 and SR-25.

Weapon Updates – A number of weapon updates and adjustments to existing weapons have been included in the patch. Below is an overview of the updates and adjustments that have been made:

• M87ELR is given .50 cal rounds to balance it against the Mercenaries’ M82A1A.
• Shotguns are balanced to do less damage at long range but more damage at close range.
• Grenade launchers and rocket launchers have less delay in between shots.
• Front End weapons values are updated to reflect the new Cold Front DLC Pack weapons.

In addition to the new characters and weapons, the team has also added 100% Random Medleys to the patch update.

We also have some big news on the SOCOM Confrontation ‘Cold Front’ DLC Pack. To begin with, we now have an official release date: December 17th on the PlayStation Network. We want to make sure that you’re able to spend the holiday break playing ‘Cold Front’. In addition, the special $9.99 pricing will now be available from launch through Sunday, December 20.

A new developer diary will be posted on GameTrailers later this week, so be sure to check it out!

Kit yourself out in snow gear and fight your way through blizzard conditions, joining a team of mercenaries or a squad from one of the world’s top Special Forces regiments including the Russian Spetsnaz.

Try your hand at Arms Run, a new game mode that features dynamically placed missile launchers that must be activated or destroyed, depending on which side you’re fighting for.

Employ the new thermal vision scope weapon attachment to track your enemies’ heat signatures – vital in the dark and useful in daylight for picking out white camouflaged adversaries. In addition, we have new primary weapons to make use of and new attachments.

All told, this pack will have:

• New Russian / Eastern European Area of Operation
• Snow setting complete with snow effects, new snow gear and camo for both the Special Forces and Mercenaries, and thermal vision
• New ARMS RUN gameplay mode
• 5 New Maps: Uprising, Entrapment, Blizzard, Night Stalker, Vigilance
• All new mercenaries characters with new looks and new VO.
• New Special Forces squad, the Russian Spetsnaz
• Gun turrets emplacements
• New music
• All new character specialization/progression system
• Allows players to pick a primary and secondary specialization and unlock new equipment exclusive to those specializations
• New weapons, including: 3 new weapons, 6 enhanced versions of weapons available as part of the new weapons specialization system, 2 new weapon attachments (including the thermal scope), 5 enhanced versions of weapon attachments also available as part of the new weapons specialization system.
• 2 new grenade launcher ammo types (flash and smoke)
• New Trophies

This pack will be available for download via the Playstation Network for $14.99.

Stand by. More information on this COLD FRONT DLC will be coming your way very soon.

Patch 1.50 includes many new and diverse features including but not limited to: Clan Ladders, Tournaments, Calendar, Follow-A-Friend, and Private Games.

Along with these features there are many optimizations, enhancements and fixes. Included below are some of the highlights:

Crashes, Freezes and Hangs Fixed

• Players being booted out of the game to the XMB while loading into gameplay.
• Players freezing on the loading screen going into and returning from gameplay.
• Loss of input issues that occurred when using the pause menu or scoreboard.
• Low frequency freezes when creating a clan.
• Players occasionally getting stuck on the Quick Match screen after selecting an invitation.
• Rare cases where players would become stuck in Spectator mode.

General Gameplay Updates

• Numerous improvements to lag and latency, as well as bandwidth optimizations.
• To eliminate exploits where players were escaping to outside of the playable space, many of the previously found routes are now blocked off. As a further measure, the playable areas are now surrounded by trigger volumes that will kill players attempting to find new exploits.
• Players are no longer able to plant claymores through pillars, walls and other objects.
• Target spotting will now default to OFF in all ranked games.
• Fixed characters occasionally getting stuck when planting flares in Control mode.
• Made the range players could plant the satchel more consistent between levels, in both Breach and Demolition modes.
• Commando reticles now turn green when targeting a VIP in Escort mode.
• Increased the priority of picking up the satchel so it can be picked up more easily when weapons and other objects are piled around it.
• Louder and improved footstep audio for characters that are out of view.
• Limited the angle that climb prompts appear at, character will no longer turn 90 degrees before climbing.
• VIPs no longer appear on the HUD Radar after being killed.
• Added the ability to plant Control flares and Demolition/Breach satchels while prone.
• Improved grenade throws, they now more closely follow the throw arc, added better wall detection to keep players from throwing grenades through walls and other objects.
• Fixed issues where different weapons would appear in characters hands to different players.
• Players can no longer take control of VIPs/Hostages through walls or other objects.
• Improved performance for the late joiner, host and all other players when joining a match in progress.
• The satchel will no longer appear in the incorrect location for players that late join Demolition and Breach matches.
• Fixed cases where the number of rounds won by each team could become out of sync.
• The death camera will stop following the character that killed your player after 5 seconds.
• In spectator mode, the button commands will fade out after 5 seconds.
• When selecting a weapon in-game the player’s custom loadout will not be overwritten, that can only be done in the Front End Armoury.
• Fixed cases where Detonators for Key Moments could become desynced, allowing them to be used twice.
• Multiple fixes for situations where characters could become invisible.
• Drastically cut down the Fade-In time at the start of the round.
• Fixed the jittering reticle when planting C4 and Claymores.
• Improved ability to plant the C4 on Breach walls.
• Resolved issues across all maps where players could become stuck when crouching or going prone in tight spaces.
• Closed an exploit where players could shoot through walls close to windows when using a scope.

User Interface

• Improvements across multiple Front End screens to improve the look and feel for Standard Definition users.
• Fixed cases where scrolling rapidly or backing out quickly from Front End screens could lead to multiple items overlapping.
• Sort the Channels list in a more user friendly way.
• Updated several places in the Records and Statistics where the same gun would appear more than once.
• Increased functionality for customizing controls including adding Hold functions to the Analog sticks.
• Added an option to disable D-pad Lean.
• Created a new Nordisk channel.
• Fixed an issue where the Clan Mottos would sometimes be cut off.
• Added more information to the Game Details screen in the briefing room.

Weapons

• Reduced the accuracy of the FAMAS.
• Improved damage of the Desert Eagle.
• Improved damage done by all Sniper Rifles.

Crossroads

• Improved collision on railings to allow bullets to pass through them easier.
• Removed a dynamic spawn from several modes that had a player respawn in a locked room in several modes.
• Several fixes to curbs around the level so the player can traverse smoothly over them without reload interruptions.
• Updated one of the breach walls on the Overlook so player cannot get past without destroying it.
• Closed several exploit holes that allowed players to gain access to out of bounds areas including: numerous rooftops around the level and the area above the warehouse.

Quarantine

• Players can no longer swim under the platform of the main floor of the dome.
• Players no longer get stuck in the water of the main floor of the dome.
• Improved AI pathfinding with extra focus on the transitions in and out of water, including lowering the water in the dome at the start of the round in Escort and Extraction modes.
• Updated several locations inside the dome where the camera could pass through the ceiling and walls.
• Tweaked the collision on several pipes and beams so players cannot pass through or get trapped.
• Closed several exploit holes that allowed players to gain access to out of bounds areas including: the dome roof, areas past the outer fences and the submarine.

Fallen

• Improved AI pathfinding with special attention given to transitions in and out of the water.
• Aligned a dynamic spawn point with the world to prevent players from spawning halfway into the ground in Escort mode.
• Added more detailed collision to several cliffs to prevent players from clipping through the terrain.
• Closed several exploit holes that allowed players to gain access to out of bounds areas including: the cliffs above each spawn, the roof of the temple and behind fences.

Kasbah

• Aligned Demolition markers to be more visible.
• Resized one case where a Control flare could be thrown over the edge of a balcony.
• Added collision to a fence above Commando spawn that would allow players access to the 32 player area in the 16 player map.
• Closed several exploit holes that allowed players to gain access to out of bounds areas including: across destroyed bridges, outside the walls and on rooftops.

Urban Wasteland

• Aligned markers in Demolition and Breach mode to be exactly at the centre of the target zones.
• Resized two cases where Control flares could be planted behind walls.
• Several fixes to curbs around the level so the player can traverse smoothly over them without reload interruptions.
• Closed several exploits that would allow the player access to out of bounds areas including: hotel rooftops, the sky bridge roof and several buildings around the level.

FrostFire

• Fixed camera issue where players below the Watch Deck could see enemies above when standing on the pipe.
• Closed several exploits that would allow the player access to out of bounds areas including: rooftops, the helicopter and the water.

Desert Glory

• Smoothed the collision on several pieces of rubble on the ground to allow easier traversal of the level.
• Closed several exploits that would allow the player access to out of bounds areas including: the cliffs above and the winding road below.

We have a lot more coming for you all in the weeks ahead. So please stay tuned!

I wanted to check in and let you know that we appreciate all of the positive feedback that we’ve received on SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike, which launched on November 6th. Tactical Strike is a departure from previous SOCOM titles on PSP, and I know that has been a source of concern for some of the SOCOM faithful. The team at Slant made TS for fans of the US Navy SEALs, for the SOCOM hardcore, for tactical gamer and for anyone that wants a puzzle/action/combat game made specifically for PSP. We knew that TS would challenge ideas of what SOCOM is about, and it has been very rewarding to read the forum posts by skeptical gamers giving the game a chance and then realizing that TS is a deep and addictive play experience.

A demo of the game became available on the PLAYSTATION Store for PC, which was launched yesterday. Be sure to download it and try it out over the long weekend if you don’t already have SOCOM: Tactical Strike in your PSP. I also want to highlight some of the excellent reviews that we have been receiving:

GameSpy: 4/5 stars
“There’s tons of genuine pulse-racing tension to soak up as you lay down the ground work, and the deep satisfaction delivered when a plan comes together is exhilarating.”

Poket Gamer: 9/10
“…this is fact turns out to be one of the system’s finest and it’s not difficult to see why: it looks great, plays just as well, and gets an exceptionally solid job done with remarkable style.”

PSPFanboy: 95/100
“This is an easy candidate for PSP GOTY. Gorgeous, believable graphics, innovative gameplay, and massive levels are just part of the game’s unique appeal.”

Have a great weekend!