Metal Gear Online

"Pales in comparison to other online games"

When I bought MGS4, I was very excited to get my hands on MGO. From the previews, it looked like the game was going to incorporate a new method of cooperative gaming with the SOP system. This system was intended to enhance the quality of teamwork and improve upon the original MGO game released with MGS3:Subsistence. This was supposed to be one of the top tier online games for the PS3. However, things didn't turn out like I hoped.


Graphics- 6/10
The graphics in MGO are decent, but don't come close to MGS4. The maps lack the detail and color of the missions on MGS4. Some of the maps even appear dull and lifeless. It would have been nice if some more maps were included that contained areas of the main game. This probably would have enhanced the visuals and made the maps a lot more exciting

Sound- 8/10
This is probably my favorite part of MGO. The sound is terrific. You can choose at the beginning of each spawn what song you want to hear while you play. This helps change your mood while you play and provides a better atmosphere. Its always great to listen to the older songs from MG1 and MG2.

Gameplay- 5/10
Here is where the game really takes a hit. The controls are decent, but far from perfect. Aiming in this game is too difficult. If you line up a perfect shot, sometimes it misses due to lag. Or other times you sneak up on an opponent and start firing away, only to be killed by a cheap headshot. However, the biggest issue with gameplay is the lack of teamwork. The SOP system was designed to encourage cooperation, but it fails miserably. Far too often people run off and do their own thing and fail to attack the enemy together. This usually results losing a round. It would have been nice to see the SOP system work out a little better. The game does feature a level up system which allows players to unlock new abilities. However, this fails to really improve gameplay. If you are like me and don't play the game on a regular basis, then it will be pretty difficult to play against players that are ranked higher than you. You can play against lower level players, but its a shame that there is such a huge gap between casual and hardcore players.

Replay Value- 5/10
I bought MGS4 the day it was released, yet I only have 3 hours logged on MGO. The problem is that it is just not that fun to play for a prolonged period of time. The game tends to get repetitive rather quickly. You run around, kill or be killed, then rinse and repeat. There really isn't much variety in the different game modes. They all feel the same. The game plays too much like a run and gun rather than a MGS game with stealth.

Final Verdict
Obviously this game is free, so you aren't faced with the issue of buying or renting. If you are a huge fan of MGS4, you might want to try this out. However, there may be some better choices of multiplayer games for PS3 owners. COD4, Warhawk and the newly released Battlefield: Bad Company all provide more variety and are probably better online games

Overall - 6/10

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/25/08

Game Release: Metal Gear Online (US, 06/12/08)