The SOCOM franchise is a long and storied one, and today we’re very happy to announce that we’re revisiting its past and bringing back what is perhaps the series’ most popular mode, “Demolition”, alongside this much loved mode you will get new maps weapons and character skins as well!

For those that haven’t experienced “Demolition” before, each team vies for control of a bomb placed on the map. Once a team grabs the bomb, they need to carry it into the opposing team’s base, arm the bomb and defend it until the base is destroyed.

The Demolition Pack includes four new maps, two of which are returning classics — “Bitter Jungle” and “Ruins”. All four of these maps support not only the Demolition game type but many of the retail competitive modes as well. Additionally, six of the existing maps will support the Demolition game type, making for 10 total Demolition maps. Additionally, the Demolition Pack also includes two new weapons, the HS-C3 and 552, as well as six new multiplayer skins to choose from.
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I’m pleased to announce that SOCOM: Special Forces launches this week in Europe!

So I’m sure you’ve seen quite a few posts over the last few months from the guys at Zipper but, just in case you’ve missed anything, here’s a quick recap on what to expect.

In the solo campaign, players will guide the Operations Commander and his squad across 14 missions set in war-torn Southeast Asia and a country on the verge of civil war. Fans can also expect exciting competitive 32 multiplayer battles with all-new maps, original gametypes and numerous modes of play. In addition you can hook up online with a great five player co-op mode…

If that wasn’t enough the game is also compatible with the PS Move controller, Sharpshooter and in gorgeous stereoscopic 3D (for those lucky enough to have a 3D TV)

You also might have seen a post on the U.S blog by me from Zipper Interactive mentioning SOCOM PRO which gives access to some great content and benefits.

I can confirm that SOCOM PRO Access for PAL regions will be available to download for PlayStation Plus subscribers at no extra cost from tomorrows store update for one week (20th April) Following that it will be available to everyone from the 27th April, free of charge.

So what can you expect? To begin with you’ll get PRO custom game types that were tested in the SOCOM: Special Forces beta period.

• Community Day Classic – Suggested by members of Zipper Community Day 2011, CDC offers a medley of different maps that support 8-vs-8 “Classic” variations on Suppression, Uplink, Last Defense and Bomb Squad with faster movement and no ranged explosives of any kind
• Last Defense Run ‘n Gun – Our incredibly fast-paced deviation from our Last Defense gametype that includes speedier player movement, reduced weapon damage, and limitations to sub-machine guns and shotguns only
• SCRUM – A Suppression mod that offers a “Classic” rules-inspired list of features that includes no respawn, no Sniper Rifles, no Concussion, Poison Gas, or Frag Grenades, higher damage and faster character movement
• Sniper Alley – Another 8-vs-8 variation on “Classic” Suppression that boasts higher damage values and weapon restrictions that allow players access to only Smoke and Poison Gas Grenades, Shotguns, and of course, Sniper Rifles

Following that SOCOM PRO players will get a set of weapons to wage warfare with.The M-16 (for Spec-Ops) and the AK-47 (for the Insurgents) assault rifles! Expect to see those within the first 30 days of SOCOM Special Forces release. Additional benefits will include access to exclusive multiplayer maps, various co-op additions, dedicated leaderboards, and lots more.

Hope you enjoy the game and any feedback for the guys then please let me know.

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We want to give you a sneak peak at two SOCOM: Special Forces multiplayer maps that haven’t really been seen outside of Zipper Interactive yet – Von Heine Express and Cesspool.

Von Heine Express was actually one of the last MP maps we finished; the idea behind it was to create an environment that captured the spirit of our classic SOCOM II map, Fox Hunt, but was built on the themes of SOCOM: Special Forces and made for great sniping scenarios. Set on the coast of Southeast Asia in a makeshift military base that comes complete abandoned train cars, Von Heine Express is a favorite here at Zipper and has only been seen publicly once – at PAX East 2011 where it was part of that event’s SOCOM: Special Forces Championship Tournament. Check out the video below for a flythrough.

Another map that we’re happy to unveil is Cesspool. Cesspool was one of the earliest MP maps developed for SOCOM: Special Forces and it came about because of how much we loved the thematic from our “Means to an End” single-player mission. Set about half-way through the game, “Means to an End” takes place in a city slum currently under siege by the insurgents lead by SOCOM: Special Forces antagonist, General Razad. That SP mission was only an inspiration, though, and Cesspool was created entirely from scratch and is excellent for close-quarters combat-oriented players. Check it out for yourself in the video below.

While these two maps aren’t available in the beta, you’ll be able to experience Von Heine Express, Cesspool and seven other multiplayer maps for yourself when SOCOM: Special Forces hits stores across Europe from 20 April. Of course, competitive multiplayer isn’t all SOCOM: Special Forces has to offer, as it also includes our robust 14-mission cinematic solo campaign and our five-player custom-campaign cooperative missions as well.

If you haven’t tried out SOCOM: Special Force’s multiplayer and can’t wait until April 20, be sure to download the beta, already available to PlayStation Plus and the voucher folks mentioned above, when it opens up to everyone starting April 6.

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Our first week of private beta testing for SOCOM: Special Forces has been incredibly helpful. Though the participants were limited to the “invite only” crowd, their feedback has been phenomenal — with tens of thousands of posts filled with opinions, suggestions, comments and more pouring into our beta forum. Starting today, it’s time for PlayStation Plus members to get their turn as they join the existing testers for the next phase of our pre-release examination.

Though similar to last week’s schedule, this week’s agenda is a bit different from what we had before. Here’s what game-types you can expect to see starting today:

• Wednesday (3/23) – Uplink, Classic Uplink, Suppression, Classic Suppression
• Thursday (3/24) – Last Defense, Classic Last Defense, Uplink, Classic Uplink
• Friday (3/25) – Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad, Last Defense, Classic Last Defense
• Saturday (3/26) – Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom), Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad
• Sunday (3/27) – Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom), Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom)
• Monday (3/28) – Suppression, Classic Suppression, Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom)

If you missed last week’s post, the multiplayer beta includes two maps, Port Authority and Assault & Battery, and offers a variety of built-in game-types and custom game-types:

• Suppression: The SOCOM take on team deathmatch.
• Last Defense: Capture controls points, discover the enemy base and destroy it.
• Uplink: Steal enemy data and deliver it to your base.
• Bomb Squad: Defend your bomb technician while he disarms enemy explosives.
• Sniper Alley (Custom): An 8 vs. 8 version of Classic Suppression with higher damage. Weapons are limited to sniper rifles, shotguns, smoke grenades and poison gas.
• Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom): Faster movement speed and reduced damage are applied to 16 vs. 16 Last Defense with weapons restricted to only shotguns and SMGs.
• Scrum (Custom): Suppression is given rule tweaks of no respawn, faster movement and higher damage, while sniper rifles, frag grenades, concussion grenades and poison gas are disallowed.
• Community Day Classic (Custom): A medley featuring Classic versions of all four game types (Suppression, Last Defense, Uplink and Bomb Squad) with increased speed and weapon restrictions placed on ranged explosives. Each game type is played over 11 five-minute rounds.

All built-in game-types (re: not “Custom”) will be playable in both the Standard and Classic variations. Standard mode closely mimics the single-player experience, while Classic harkens back to older SOCOM titles with increased movement speeds, round-based play, no player respawns and the lack of health regeneration. Our Custom types mix and match a number of game settings, delivering fresh takes on our core rule sets.

As before, after you’ve had a chance to play the beta, we’d love to hear your feedback! Once you’ve downloaded the beta and played a complete match, you’ll then gain access to our private beta forums on SOCOM.com where you can share your stories with other players and leave us your feedback. SOCOM has always been a very player-driven franchise and your opinions are very important to us, so please let us know what you think!

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Outside of our gameplay features, one of the most asked questions we get about SOCOM: Special Forces these days is, “what kind of trophies can we earn”? Well, ask no more! Listed below are all of the visible trophies you can earn along with the number of hidden trophies you can earn per category.

Bronze

• Elite Ops – Complete a Story Campaign mission on Elite Difficulty
• N00b – Complete a Competitive Multiplayer game
• Good Game – Complete a Competitive Multiplayer game of every gametype
• Combined Assault – Complete a Custom Campaign mission in Co-op
• Extra Credit – Complete a Custom Campaign mission in Single-player
• Government Spending – Call in a total of 10 airstrikes during your career
• Death From Above – Eliminate 5 enemies with a single airstrike
• Repo Man – Destroy a total of 50 vehicles during your career
• Unseen Strike – Stealth kill a total of 10 enemies in a single mission
• Grenadier – Eliminate a total of 25 enemies with explosives during your career
• Crowd Control – Eliminate 3 enemies with a single explosive
• Century Slayer – Eliminate a total of 100 enemies during your career
• Melon Hunter – Eliminate a total of 100 enemies with a headshot during your career
• Hat Trick – Eliminate 3 enemies in a row with headshots
• Vorpal – Eliminate a total of 25 enemies with melee attacks during your career
• Combat Medic – Execute a total of 25 teammate revives during your career
• Armed to the Teeth – Unlock all weapons for use in Campaign Mode
• I Call Her Vera – Master a weapon in any mode
• Oracle – Collect an Intel item in a Story Campaign mission
• Hidden Trophies (15)

Silver

• Covert Ops – As Forty-Five, successfully maintain stealth in a Story Campaign mission
• Over Achiever – Complete a Custom Campaign mission on every map in either Single-player or Co-op
• Millennial Slayer – Eliminate a total of 1000 enemies during your career
• Expert Tactician – Complete a Story Campaign mission using only your teammates to eliminate enemies
• Information Warfare – Collect all Intel in the Story Campaign
• Hidden Trophy (1)

Gold

• Best of the Best – Complete the Story Campaign on Elite Difficulty
• Above and Beyond – Complete a total of 100 objectives during your career
• Shiny! – Master a weapon of each class in any mode
• The Elite 45th – As Forty-Five, stealth kill a total of 45 enemies in the Story Campaign

Platinum

• All is Said, All is Done – Obtain all Bronze, Silver, and Gold Trophies in SOCOM 4

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