Metal Gear Acid

Reviewed by Leland Bonaparte
November 17, 2005

Developer: Konami Japan Publisher: Konami Website: www.konami.com Consoles Available: PSP Number of Players: 1 to 2 (wireless multiplayer) ESRB Rating: Mature 17 Review Rating: 8 out of 10

The situation is a very difficult one, or else you wouldn't be here. Two hijackers take over a plane with a powerful nerve gas at their disposable. Just when you think that your day was going to get better, our next president (Senator Viggo Hach) is aboard this plane. It is imperative that he is saved and the hostages are rescued. Though the hijackers used a muscle relaxant to take over the plane, a direct attack would be too risky. When asked if the hijackers had any demands, they replied, “ we want Pythagoras”. It's your job to find it and identify it.

Over the years we played Metal Gear and not once has Konami let their fans down. A lot of gamers didn't welcome the game with open arms. I really think this is a sleeper hit. Metal Gear Acid uses turn-based strategy through a card system. Playing with snake feels different without actually controlling him. Konami has opened up a whole new way of using him in a nontraditional way. Gamers who are not comfortable using the analog stick will feel right a home with this one.

On the PSP the graphics are crisp and details are very realistic. Shadows are dark and hiding in them really gets you into the stealth mood. The card system look complex but is very simple to use. The game play is basically the same as any other card game. You have a choice of moving or using the card effect on two turns. When using a card effect a beautifully render Yugi- Oh-style cut scene takes place. The camera view often changes to make battle scenes more dramatic. Environments are nice to look at, and have the same visual style of previous Metal Gear titles. The compass will keep you in the right direction, no matter where you point the camera. Your job is to get snake through the area to his mission objectives using stealth and killing guards only when necessary, while picking up items and weapons scattered around the area. Its more like I hit you and you hit me back. A lot of gamers might have mixed feelings about this game, but I think most gamers will accept it.

I know I gave this game an 8, but I'm giving it a medium evolution factor. Strategy fans will jump all over this, but hardcore gamers might have a different opinion about the game because they are not actually controlling Snake. The main draw of Metal Gear is taking Snake and putting the enemy in a chokehold. I guess they didn't include that card huh. With over 200 cards in your arsenal, there is still a lot of game play left. If you are new to strategy, you might want to really think about it. With the addition of Acid 2 coming out soon, this is a must have for strategy fans.

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