Disclaimer : If you have not played this game, GO AWAY. This review is fortified with spoilers. Do not say I didn't warn you.
Well, it took Kojima Productions four long years to produce a true sequel of Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater. Not to say Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops was a bad game, but it was not needed. Kojima Production really listened to their fans and corrected everything with MGS Peace Walker. I would consider MGS Peace Walker is some sort of a public apology of the latter game. And, apology accepted. PSP has become the home for Big Boss' tales, from Portable Ops to Peace Walker, thus making Metal Gear series, staple in its lineup and I would say, extremely critical in this success. Thus making Konami milking this series with a lot of collectible items such as below.
Any MGS fanboy wouldn't give two hoots in getting them. Its the ultimate bragging right among these posers. Unless you kids gets a Big Boss rating in your game, don't even bother. Okay? Lets get to it.Graphics
This is PSP's graphical power house. Big Boss is extremely detailed, you can even see his hairs and beards, sometimes they are few segments in the game, look better than MGS3 on Playstation 2. Its true. Kojipro even updated the bump engine, and each CQC performed, of performed at the correct place and time, may result in a very advantageous situation. For example, if you throw the poor guy on the wall, instant knock out. Throw him under the tank's thread, instant death for him. And look at the jungle scenery of the game. Its freaking beautiful. I really like how the jungle is fully interactive, you can see leaves and grass swaying when you walk by, the rivers run smooth, its picture perfect. I am not exaggerating, since its the truth. Its a vast improvement over Portable Ops. Big Boss moves fluidly and the enemy soldiers does the same too. Really managed to catch the scenery of the 70s. And lets not forget about those gigantic mechs. Its really amazing on how Kojipro managed to squeeze the details in a limited 1.8 gb UMD. To add to that, Ashley Wood's art made the cut scenes really alive. There are segments in the game where the artistic cut scenes contains quick time event, where you will have to punch in the sequence of buttons according to the display on the screen. This is the first time, a 2 D art given that kind of treatment, and the result is awesome. Really keeps you on the edge of your seats.
Audio
Playing this game without your headphones is an act of sin. Seriously. From the roar of the AIs and the monsters, to the chirping sounds of wild birds in Costa Rica, this game got it all. And this game contains a lot of audio clues especially on the footsteps of the enemies, the dropping of the bullet shells etc. There are parts in the game Big Boss has to use the Sony Walkman (take that you money gobbling Microsoft) to fight the bosses. Like any typical MGS game, this game too employs orchestral sounds fused by a bit of 70's music flavor to pull the players into the flower era. Big Boss, voiced by David Hayter, sounds old. Hayter really tried to convey the message to the players that, Big Boss is getting old. He is an old guy who is out for a death wish. Huey, who is voiced by Christopher Randolph, sounds EXACTLY like Otacon. wtf. At least Hayter tried to change his tone, but I am not getting that from Randolph. Seriously Kojima, I think these two fellas have over burned their roles and for the next installment, I hope you guys get different guys to voice them.Gameplay
Close quaters combat, or CQC is back, and its 'friendlier' then ever. When ever Big Boss is near a possible victim, the CQC icon lights up and its black out for the poor fella. And now, CQC throws are really close to Judo throws. I guess Big Boss really took what Volgin said too seriously when they met in Grozny Grad. Its extremely easy to pull and you newbies can be pulling CQCs like a veteran bad ass in two minutes time. This is the meat of Big Boss' combat. This game is packed with a lot of guns, but I am not too interested in them since CQCs does the job better, quieter and I hate to kill people in MGS. Also, like MGS Portable Ops, we can also deploy our soldiers to be mercenary in other countries, resulting in more $$$ for the research dept. This game is like the Gran Turismo of Private Military companies, and to add to that, getting the parts from the AIs will also result in you, making your very own Metal Gear. How cool is that. Oh ya, this game also contains co-op wifi missions as well as wifi battles. Its so integral in the game as this game is all about squad infiltration.Re-playability
This game contains a very high replay value. You will have hundreds of mercenary missions to play and monsters to hunt. Even Kojima himself is inside the game. Lots of weapons and gears to be discovered inside the game, even when you have finished the main missions. And you will have your 'Outer Haven' to beef up. Will definitely be inside my PSP for a long long time.
Minus Points
No game is perfect. This game, its the hold up sequence. I dont understand why the soldiers will lie down once held at gun point. I know it looks cool, but I really miss the ball crunching sessions like MGS4. That's it. One point.
What is next for MGS PSP?
One thing disturbs me. Please listen to all Miller's tapes, especially on how he met
Big Boss. Bla bla bla, samurai bla bla.. until one sentence that really raised my eye brow.
"You established Foxhound"
Foxhound was established in 1971. Chronology of MGS
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
That means,this game was after the establishment of Foxhound. So, we may have
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Metal Gear Solid: FOXHOUND ESTABLISHMENT
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Big Boss. Bla bla bla, samurai bla bla.. until one sentence that really raised my eye brow.
"You established Foxhound"
Foxhound was established in 1971. Chronology of MGS
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
That means,this game was after the establishment of Foxhound. So, we may have
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Metal Gear Solid: FOXHOUND ESTABLISHMENT
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Big Boss met Gray Fox (Null) in Portable Ops. So he is there. Among famous Foxhound members are Solid Snake and Gray Fox. Maybe, in the next game, we get to meet the rookie, Solid Snake. And for those of you who played Metal Gear Snake's commanding Officer is Big Boss. If that is the case, I predict this game took place between MG and MG2 Solid Snake, or MSF is Big Boss' side project. I think, the next game will be, Metal Gear Solid : Foxhound. That story is still untold. I hope, Kojima develops the next game for Playstation 3. Establishing Foxhound plays a pivotal part in MGS universe, and Big Boss is in his prime when he established it. MGS4 was a very important game for Playstation 3, really drop everybody's jaw on the floor. And I think, it still can be pushed to deliver the ultimate Metal Gear experience. To quote Zero,
" This fox is one step in front of the Hounds"
