Metal Gear Acid

"It's good, but it's not for everyone"

Just to start off, I am a BIG fan of the Metal Gear Solid series. Not just on the Playstation and Playstation 2, but on the Gameboy Color as well. On the PSP, the series takes a different and definitely unique turn in the form of Metal Gear Acid, and while some may appreciate that, others may not.

First off, this is a turn-based card game. Yes, you read that right. You use cards to do pretty much everything in this game, from moving to shooting to throwing grenades. If you're looking for the same experience the Metal Gear Solid series provided you in terms of gameplay, you won't find it here. The name of the game is still heavily reliant on stealth however. You move your character(s) with cards around “squares” on the screen, completing mission objective(s) and moving on to the next mission. Each of your cards uses up a certain amount of cost and once you've used all the cards you can use for your character, your turn ends and the total cost is added up. When your cost returns to zero, which happens after your enemies have had their turn, it becomes your turn again. You're supposed to rely on stealth but you'll inevitably be caught in a dogfight, where you can use a variety of weapons to take out your enemies. However, having to wait for your turn to attack or to run away from enemies may prove frustrating at times.

The story in this game differs from that of the Metal Gear Solid series. It takes place in the year 2016 and seems to have no connection at all with the previous entries in the series. Personally, I feel the story doesn't have as much depth as the Metal Gear Solid series, which may be due to it being a handheld game and not one to play for hours on end. However, I do not feel that this game should be bought and played for its storyline alone, as people who do will be greatly disappointed.

The graphics in this game are great, save for a few jagged edges here and there. Explosions look amazing and environments are greatly detailed. There are a few slowdowns however when a lot of activity is going on, which can be quite often considering how you play the game (guns blazing or stealthly). Also, characters animate the same way in cutscenes as they do in gameplay, which looks very un-lifelike. There's also little variation in how the characters animate. For instance, killing guards with guns causes them to fall in the exact same way every time, with the same blood stain apparent on the floor. Fans of the series however will be pleased with the introduction of cinematic scenes from their favourite entries in the Metal Gear series when they use special character cards.

The sound in this game is pretty good. Explosions are loud, guards cry out when you kill them. Nice and clear. Voice acting would have made a great addition to the game however.

Multiplayer gets really boring, really fast. Not only do you have to wait for your enemies turn, you have to wait for the other player's turn too. Combine this with the fact that you can only see enemies within your range of vision, and you're stuck staring at an unchanging screen just begging for your turn to come. The developers tried but failed miserably with the multiplayer mode.

In the end, you'll be buying this game for its single player experience. Whether this experience is for you is anybody's guess. The storyline is promising though it may fail to deliver for some gamers. If you're into turn-based games, try it. If you're into fast-paced action games, this isn't for you. Acid is a very different take on the Metal Gear series, and it's not for everyone.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/14/05