Official Website

Platform: PSP

Genre: Strategy

Number of Players: 1 - 2

People love the Metal Gear series, something that when you really think about it, is quite an impressive accomplishment. When the series originally appeared back on the NES, there was certainly a core audience that was enamored with it, but the release of Metal Gear Solid on the original PlayStation created something of a legend. The follow-ups on the PS2, the Xbox, and even the GameCube brought new fans to the adventures of Snake (and sadly Raiden) and the announcement that Metal Gear was coming to the PSP was great news for those eagerly awaiting the launch of Sony's new system.

But, there was a wave of horror that shock the gaming public to its core. Fans got wind that Metal Gear Acid would feature Snake, but it wasn't the usual brand of stealth action they had come to crave. Instead, Metal Gear was going to be . . . . . a card game. Okay, now I know that many of you were hoping to get the Metal Gear that you are so familiar with, and the idea of Snake crossed with Yu Gi Oh just didn't seem appealing. I also know that there have been a few review outlets that blasted the game. Why did we take a bit longer in getting our review done? Well, first off, we don't necessarily get everything that a company releases, and while Konami has been extremely good to us in terms of getting product to us for review (and we do appreciate it) there are times when we can't get something. But, we don't mind shelling our a little extra money to support a company.

Metal Gear Acid, or MGA, is set in the year 2016 where a jumbo jet has been hijacked by unnamed forces and taken to a small island off the coast of Africa, and now the United States government is not only trying to determine whom the hijacker is, but also what the mysterious "Pythagoras" might be. Facing some resistance form the local government in the area, the US sent in their won forces to get to the bottom of the situation, but that mission hasn't gone as planned. Now, they have only one choice, and that's to send in Snake, now a retired agent, to gather information and find a rumored secret lab hidden somewhere on the island.

So, you're probably wondering exactly how this whole "Metal Gear card game" works. You've already determined that this isn't like any of the other games you've played, and yet it still is. Acid is turned based, and you will be in control of Snake, but you can't just run wildly about the screen. Each turn you will be able to perform a number of actions. You can use cards in your deck to move, you can use them, or you can equip some of them, and these are essentially the basics of the game, but it gets much more complicated.

Just like with the Solid series, part of your objective is to remain hidden, and it's not quite as easy as it was in the past. Instead of being able to run off screen, each stage is comprised of a single playing field, and Snake will have to use the cards dealt to him wisely. Each has a cost, taking away from the available number of points per turn. Let's say for example your first action is to move and at the end of that, you find a guard close by. Depending what you have, you could move again, or you could use a weapon to take them out. However, if another guard is close by, using something like a grenade or a machine gun may not be the wisest idea, especially if you're a perfectionist (like me) who wants to finish each stage without being seen.

If you choose to equip cards, there are a number of them that you can use. There are weapons, and you will find everything that you would expect to run across in any of the Metal Gear games, but there are also support cards that will increase a variety of stats, or may give your weapons an additional feature. There are also character cards that act as special attacks that can be used as well. Just like in the MGS games, Snake will also be able to flatten himself against walls, crawl on the ground, or even hang. Also like the MGS game, if an enemy or a camera spots you, you'll enter into your evasion phase in hopes of getting to safer ground.

As you progress further in the game, you will have the option to change your deck around. Finishing stages will reward you with new cards, and there are also ones that can be found as you play through. You have no control over how these will come into play, and just like any other card game, it's completely random. There is a also a store option to purchase more cards, or sell them, and the size of your deck will increase as you move further through the world of MGA. There is even another character that you will have the chance to play as. No, it's not Raiden. I'm fairly certain that the creators of designs of the MGS series understand that the dislike for Raiden is universal. If you've ever wished there was a female character in the series though, that is about to be granted.

Acid honestly has a great deal of complexity behind it, much more than really could be brought up in a single review without it being ten pages long, but for most, the real issue is if Acid lives up to what we've all come to expect for the Metal Gear games. It does actually, even though it's a card-based game, everything that we all enjoy about Metal Gear can be found in Acid. The one difference however is that there aren't any voices included for the characters. The UMD's simply can't hold enough information, and when you're talking about the Metal Gear series, there can be a lot of dialog. Instead you will get text, and it can be a little long at times, but is very in-depth and also serves as a way to explain to you exactly how to play the game.

The game actually looks much like the larger console versions as well; at least during the game play portion. Snake, though smaller, looks as he should, the usual collection of terrorist guards are present, and the backgrounds are quite similar to those found in the MGS titles. The cutscenes however are much different, and here you will find a version of Snake that looks like he belongs in some anime. This isn't a bad thing though, save for the fact that it made me wonder, "If Konami can have ZOE and Legend of the Mystical Ninja made into anime series, why not Metal Gear?" It's different, but still works quite well.

You really need to keep an open mind with this one. I know a lot of people that were already speaking out against the game before it was even released, and though it can take a little bit to get into initially, Acid really isn't a bad game at all. Think Metal Gear meets Final Fantasy Tactics and you've got a perfect idea of what this one is all about. No matter what some might say in their reviews, Metal Gear Acid is an outstanding title, and apparently Snake played his cards just right as we have a sequel to look forward to. Plus, you have a two-player mode as well, so everything in the world of Metal Gear Acid has been dealt perfectly.
 

-mike-