Review
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Snake creeps onto handhelds in some style - recruit this onto
your PSP as fast as possible -- Games Master
Manufacturer's Description
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Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is an all-new instalment in Hideo
Kojima’s legendary Metal Gear Solid series. Metal Gear Solid:
Portable Ops features a full stealth-action single player story
mode and key wireless features allowing players to recruit and
play as a unique squadron of battle-hardened mercenaries. The
European versions of the game include a series of exclusive
elements, including new game s, characters and missions.
Set in 1970, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops follows directly on
from the events of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, with the
player assuming the role of series hero Snake (aka Big Boss), as
he puts together the elite FOXHOUND unit made famous in earlier
Metal Gear titles, and is instigating a bloody revolt with his
treacherous FOX unit. Heralding the return of many notable
characters from the Metal Gear series, Portable Ops acts as the
climax to a major portion of the ongoing Metal Gear timeline, as
players participate in the events that directly lead into later
games in the series, including the great tragedy that determines
Big Boss’ future path.
Featuring a full-fledged story mode, Metal Gear Solid: Portable
Ops introduces a new team-building mechanic that brings
additional depth and gameplay. Players can now capture and
recruit characters they encounter and assign them to different
units that will perform different functions, such as healing
teammates, gathering intelligence and creating new items. Players
can also recruit rare and unique non-playable characters with
special abilities throughout the game. Each character is rated on
a series of more than ten attributes, giving players incredible
variety in building the ideal squad and creating different teams
that are best suited to different types of combat situations.
European users can enjoy 12 more characters than existing
Japanese and US users, while the careers of the available
characters have been expanded to highlight their key attributes
including athleticism or physical strength, for instance.
The recruiting element is unique to Metal Gear Solid: Portable
Ops, with various possibilities to increase your number of
team-mates. Making superb use of the wireless functionality of
the PSP, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops lets players scan access
points (AP) by using the game’s AP SCAN function. Depending on
the unique MAC address provided by the access point, players can
access a specific wireless AP character and recruit them as a new
team-mate. Certain rare and unique characters will be available
only via access point scanning, giving users further incentives
to play in different locations and add new members to their
squads.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops also features support for massive
online battles in ten areas specifically designed for multiplayer
encounters - two more than the US and Japanese version of the
game - letting up to six players take their custom squads online
and battle in stealthy encounters across several different modes
of play. Using a unique White mechanic, players can choose
to surrender and fight again or risk permanently losing one of
their valuable comrades. Players can also wirelessly trade
characters with others, building a squadron that is best suited
to dominate the online competition.
With the Metal Gear series famed for its incredible aesthetics,
Portable Ops continues the trend with cinematic interludes and
fully-voiced cut scenes. The PSP game also features the original
artwork of accled graphic artist Ashley Wood, with the many
animations, sound effects, and cut scenes merging with the comic
book elements to create an entirely original form of
storytelling. The voice cast of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
features veterans from previous Metal Gear Solid titles,
including David Hayter and others.
In Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima Productions has
produced a stunning addition to the Metal Gear story, and
European users are set to enjoy a game with a number of major
additions over the US and Japanese versions. In addition to the
new elements, characters and online facets, the game also
includes a new ‘Boss Battle’ mode wherein players are rewarded
with new recruitable characters on offing one of the game’s
larger adversaries.
- Extensive single-player storyline, unveiling a lost chapter in the Metal Gear Solid saga.
- New MGS gameplay elements such as the Surround Radar system.
- Online multiplayer mayhem - Team Death Match, Death Match, and Capture Mission.
- Acquire new squad members for use in single and multiplayer modes by connecting to Wi-Fi access points.
- Animated cinematic scenes illustrated by world-renown artist Ashley Wood.