Gamers would be forgiven for wondering how they missed the news on the latest Syphon Filter game. The reality is that Syphon Filter: Combat Ops isn't the latest and greatest, it's more of an exceptional add-on. Attentive players and core fans of the series will remember that a preview of Syphon Filter: Combat Ops was included in the recent Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. The finished version of Combat Ops is more of the same since no major changes have occurred on the front end. The game's engine is what we saw in the Dark Mirror installment, not the best graphics you've ever seen on PSP, but certainly not the worst. The smooth switching between third- and first-person makes it a breeze to control perspective as you move through levels and use different weapons. The information displayed on-screen tells you what you need to know about your opponents and the landscape, including special items. Voice chat is a huge bonus for players that have the necessary equipment and a far better choice than texting or sending saved messages across to other players. There isn't much in the way of music, but the sound effects for weapons and events during missions are realistic. The game's voice acting is pretty poor and suffers from frequent repetition in segments where items are trading hands frequently, such as the Rogue Agent challenges. You'll reach a point where you feel certain you'll bash in your brains with your PSP if you hear a voice utter, "There's a new Rogue Agent," one more time. Sheesh...

The biggest mistake you'll make is to think that Syphon Filter: Combat Ops is intended as a new installment in the series. This is a scaled back online battle game that includes a neat editor of sorts. That is all it intends to be, so you won't find mission briefings, cut scenes, or character development. This is all about getting into a multiplayer fracas and tearing it up with a friend or seven. The "other kid on the block" at this point is obviously Metal Gear Solid and its Portable Ops Plus. The differences between these two are many but the foresight award must go to Syphon Filter: Combat Ops. For one, this is a download title. Gamers already on the PLAYSTATION Network can use their ID in the Store to purchase and download a copy of Syphon Filter: Combat Ops for only ten clams. That's $10, for the non-clam spenders out there. Accessing the game via PC and transferring it to your PSP means that you don't actually need a PS3 to play Syphon Filter: Combat Ops. The fact that this is a download-only title marries up with how you'll play the game. The majority of the time you'll be connected through Infrastructure Mode in multiplayer as opposed to slogging through single-player missions. There are no single-player missions, actually. Think of Syphon Filter: Combat Ops like the topless, sporty version of the Metal Gear Solid sport-coupe. Shedding most of the single-player comforts for a lean and mean multiplayer experience was the right move for Combat Ops. The other great aspect unique to Combat Ops is the ability to change the parameters of missions and upload them to the 'Net for other players. This takes the replay value into the stratosphere, even if the depth of customization available is still somewhat limited. It includes a rating system for user-generated levels that will give already competitive gamers more to love.

Mission Modifier Mode allows you to work from a mostly blank slate. You can also further customize something that was created by another player or by Sony. When we say "blank slate" we mean that there are four slates available with some level of customization, the Fortress, Village, Aerospace, and Ruins. It's not quite fair to say there are only four maps, since each area is then broken down into a handful of different configurations. You'll assign teams to the level and customize your combatants from a list that is wider than it initially appears; most of the good stuff only appears after your ranking increases. Little touches, such as the ability to rename teams or provide a short text intro to your custom level to set the scene, are what make the Mission Modifier great. The customization continues when you have the option to select what overall style of play should happen in your level. The options are the same as in the online multiplayer. You can build a Deathmatch or Team Deathmatch level, or give players goals for Retrieval or Sabotage of an item. The Rogue Agent option mentioned above is cool because it combines the style of play in Retrieval with the typical Deathmatch. The character that grabs Rogue Agent status suddenly gains the ability to take out all the other players and gets points as long as he remains Rogue Agent. Not being Rogue Agent sucks, basically.

The multiplayer through Infrastructure or Ad Hoc is basically a live version of what you spend time building offline. The official or downloaded missions are available for play and with just a few customizations you are off to the races, provided you have one or two or seven friends around. The Infrastructure Mode play requires your password and login to the PLAYSTATION network, since you are playing for points and ranking. Once in the main lobby, you can view all the official mission types in each category along with the user-created missions that have been uploaded. You can also scan the leaderboard and look at player profiles. The lobby is pretty full-featured with the option to send messages to other players, scan their past performance and any of their favorite missions. You can invite them as friends or send messages to them before or after play. The message boards are filled with inane chatter that won't appeal to anyone over the age of ten. So you're left with a lot of running, hiding, shooting, sniping, respawning, and other pleasures of online play with which we are all well acquainted. The x-factor is the fact that each mission may have some slight twist, thanks to Mission Modifier. The Achilles' Heel of Combat Ops will be how much content makes its way to Sony's servers and how many players participate. As these numbers go, so goes the success of the game.

The beauty of online play against other people is that you really can't make excuses for bad A.I. or development quirks. Combat Ops is a game where you'll learn your way around a level by trial and error, sampling various respawn points along the way. There is a ranking system built in that allows seasoned players a slight edge, but the biggest difference is how strategically placed you can make yourself and how well you master the controls. Consoles were (and still are) derided by PC gamers that feel a Dual Shock will never take the place of a keyboard and mouse, but portable gamers are further downstream. The headset makes for a real edge if you have a team with voice-chat capability, but the text chat is all but worthless. The controls are a hindrance more than a help for the most part, but they're adequate. If you feel the controls are getting in your way or making the game unnecessarily hard, you can customize them to your liking. The real pain in your ass is going to be the guy or gal that stays up late practicing headshots and knows every hiding place in the level.

The most interesting aspect of control in Syphon Filter: Combat Ops is the Mission Modifier. The history of editing levels outside of a PC keyboard is not exactly illustrious. We've all seen the good and bad of trying to translate titles like Sim City to smaller platforms. The spirit of the original may be preserved by the execution, but still leaves much to be desired. The Combat Ops Mission Modifier is nothing more than a robust editor cloaked in the mechanics of the original game. You go through a long list of options and finally drop right into the level with all your stock options. You see your character in the familiar over-the-shoulder perspective and proceed with running around the level in exactly the same fashion you would in the "real" game. The immediately obvious difference is that the level is empty and full at the same time. Empty of characters or objects, but full of placeholder boxes to which you can assign various resources. This system works perfectly but takes some time to master. Once you design your first level and run a play-test on it, you'll learn a lot. The real test is to upload your level or invite some friends over to play through it with you.

Syphon Filter: Combat Ops will stand as an interesting experiment in both game design and game delivery. Rather than hedge bets and provide a retread of an earlier game with some new features, the decision was to focus on online play and player-content. The download itself was a little obscure and doesn't work at all with a Mac. After a quick download, you can then access the game from the Store - the actual download of the game happens only after you connect your PSP to the PC via USB, which is either an attempt to simplify the process or prevent theft. If lots of people sign on and grab the game, it is easy to imagine Syphon Filter: Combat Ops attaining a semi-permanent place in the PSP lineup. If players don't find the game or don't take to Mission Modifier, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops will go the way of the dinosaurs very quickly. In the interest of rewarding creativity and innovation on the part of developers, we're pulling for the latter.