Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus

"SINGLE PLAYER REVIEW: Complete waste of money"

NOTE: This review does not cover the multiplayer aspects of the game. This is for single player mode only.

First of all, since this is just an expansion, the graphics, audio, and controls are all identical to the first Portable Ops. And flaws found in the first one are still here (annoying camera, AI that does some weird things, and not enough slots to hold weapons and items). Nothing was done to enhance the experience: that's just something you'll have to accept. Since Konami didn't focus on fixing old problems, then did they at least build a decent game? Unfortunately, no. Portable Ops Plus is supposed to have single player missions. This game mode is known as "Infinity Mission" where you play through a series of levels. I bought this game expecting some interesting, fun, and well-designed missions similar to those in MGS: VR Missions or MGS2: Substance. What I got instead was simply a watered down version of MGS:PO, but with no story, less missions, and less objective variety.

Rather than the game designers giving you pre-determined weapons and designing levels that are meant to be played in a certain way (and adding time limits and high scores like the bonus missions of previous MGS expansions), you simply are thrown into a level recycled from MGS:PO, and you gather random equipment as you play, while searching for the level exit. There are no cool levels like fighting giant soldiers or UFOs, defending plates of curry (see MGS2:Substance), defusing bombs, or doing ANYTHING interesting. All you do is follow your radar to the end of the level, which is a place that is randomly determined, so there wasn't even any level design or thought put into how you are supposed to tackle the missions. These missions are far worse than any bonus levels of any previous Metal Gear title, and simply aren't worth playing.

There is also a Training Mode, where you choose a weapon and practice with it. But again, it's not like the missions in MGS2: Substance or MGS: VR Missions. There are no special maps designed for the weapons that would allow for any strategy, and there are no high scores to be earned.

The result is a single player experience that feels like a boring, simplified, and shorter (it takes about 5 hours if you complete all difficulty settings) version of MGS:PO. There is nothing here that you haven't already experienced in MGS:PO, but this game does it worse by reducing the amount of variety in objectives, rather than increasing it the way previous MGS expansions did. MGS:POP is just a poorly conceived rehash, and since Konami wasn't enough nice enough to include the original MGS:PO on here, there's no reason to pick this up.

Reviewer's Score: 1/10, Originally Posted: 12/29/07

Game Release: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (US, 11/13/07)