RETURN,.. for Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops ( Link )
Quite possibly the biggest surprise from Kojima Productions at this year's E3 was the
introduction of a new PSP title, featuring a story that was not only canon to the series
but also a direct sequel to MGS3: Snake Eater. In Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, players
once again take control of Jack, who is now known as Big Boss. The basic premise behind the
game is that up until now, details regarding Big Boss' defection from the United States has
been left up to the imagination of the player -- now, set in the year 1970, the story behind
the creation of FOXHOUND and his eventual fall from the grace into the designation of
a full fledged "terrorist" will be elaborated upon.
Although few details regarding the gameplay system have been released, I was granted the
opportunity recently to play an unfinished build of the game in Konami's private conference
room at E3. Sitting among the game's producer and a small number of peers, I was handed a
PSP which was connected to one of four development kits, each running a beta of the multiplayer
mode from MPO. Fans will be glad to hear that the gameplay is practically identical to that of
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence's online mode, with only a few minor adjustments to the control
scheme. For example, to lean against a wall, the player must press the action button while facing it.
Also, while difficult at first to use, the directional pad controls the camera view similar to the recently added 3rd Person mode in Subsistence. While this might seem like a hassle, MPO employs a smart camera system for following the player despite erratic movements. Additional controls are as follows: The square button is used for Melee attacks, the circle button for equipment selection, and the left shoulder button for firing. All other controls are essentially identical to those in MGS3. While these might seem like overly complicated and unneccessary changes to the control scheme, after getting the PSP in your hands, the setup makes perfect sense. Within a few moments, I was fragging away at the other players without any hassle whatsoever.
An interesting addition to the multiplayer mechanic, the sonar has been modified to display
erratic waves whenever a sound is made by yourself or another player. If you choose to run and
gun your way through a level, players will see the sound you make displayed on their radar,
accompanied by a directional marker to indicate where it originated from. This definately places
more of an emphasis on stealth than that of Metal Gear Online, as any sound you make can
potentially give away your position in an instant.
Aside from this short demo of the multiplayer mode, not much has been said regarding the announced
fully fledged single player campaign. What is known is that as Big Boss, you will be able to
recruit and command various characters (both new and old) into your FOXHOUND ranks as you proceed. One of the more interesting aspects of this system is that you have the choice of putting up a white flag to surrender during a mission, preventing your troops from falling -- this is integral
to the gameplay as your troops cannot be revived when they are killed.
Speaking from a graphical standpoint, while some screenshots may give the impression that MPO
has suffered a severe visual downgrade because of the engine port to the PSP, in action the
game looks just as good as its PS2 counterpart. Essentially, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is the game that both Metal Gear enthusiasts and PSP owners have been begging for.
While no price has been announced, MPO has been slated for Japanese and North American release
this Winter, with a European release to follow in September next year.
(Unofficial Concept Design)
Page: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8
|
