Version needed: 1.00
Players: 1-2
Wi-Fi Compatible: Ad Hoc and Infrastructure modes
Instead of a new game from the Metal Gear Solid series, Konami started on a whole new Metal Gear series exclusively for the PSP: Metal Gear Acid. Solid Snake is brought out of retirement to find out more about ‘Pythagoras’: a mysterious project that terrorists are trying to get hold of. In order to get this information, they’ve hijacked a plane and are holding the Senator in the running for President to ransom. With the help of Teliko, a soldier from the Special Forces unit, Snake has to find a way to save the president and keep Pythagoras out of enemy hands.
Unlike the Metal Gear Solid series on Playstation 2, the game plays less like a third-person shooter and more like a turn-based strategy game. You use cards, like in one of Konami’s other popular series, Yu-Gi-Oh!, to move Snake and Teliko; and with specific cards you can perform actions such as using guns, throwing grenades and setting explosives. Once your turn is over, the game displays your enemy’s movements and activities. With the Metal Gear Solid series you could run around freely and attack without putting too much thought into it, but with Acid’s gameplay, your moves are more restricted, in a good way, so that you’re planning your moves strategically. And when you plan well and finish the level quickly you will be rewarded for it, so stealth is the key.
The first level acts as a tutorial to ease you into Acid’s new controls. With this, you’ll get the hang of using the cards to control Snake as well as learning other functions such as crouching, climbing ladders and knocking, which will all come in useful later in the game. Once you’ve mastered these controls you’ll see that the majority of the game is similar to the Metal Gear Solid series. You’ll recognise cards of weapons and characters that you may have encountered in the other games, the soundtrack stays faithful to the series, and even the graphics look as though they could be from one of the Playstation 2 games.
Metal Gear Solid fans may have difficulty switching to Acid’s unique gameplay style, but the espionage storylines are still there, and once you start to get into the story you’ll find yourself hooked. Metal Gear Acid has a lot of originality, but at the same time, has a lot of familiarity, which makes for a very impressive launch title, and one of the best PSP games to date.
Overall: 89%
Posted on 01/02/07 by Steph
Linear Mode
