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Metal Gear Solid 4 on a handheld. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops isn’t a numerical sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3 but it does continue the storyline begun in that game. Besides the excellent story, the (single- and multi-player) gameplay in Portable Ops should be familiar to any MGS and retains the top-notch quality that the series is known for. We’re looking at the best PSP game of the year.
Portable Ops’ 1970 story takes place a few years after Metal Gear Solid 3. We are given more information on the Snake (Big Boss) as he takes a mission in South America. The mission doesn’t go so well and Snake is captured but is able to escape. Snake then works with his new friend, Roy Campbell, and begin recruiting new soldiers to help them. The story takes a few twists and turns, as we’re introduced to new characters, old familiar characters and disentangle what is really going on. The story is well-done with excellent dialogue and interesting characters. In typical Metal Gear Solid fashion it does try to answer some of life’s more fundamental questions. The story is told through animated comic book panels, which work well but are different than the typical 3D cutscenes found in other MGS games.
The core gameplay in Portable Ops will be familiar to fans of the series. Portable Ops still focuses on sneaking, shooting, and outsmarting the enemies in the game as you try to get to your next destination. The game uses the new third-person camera introduced in Subsistence, which works very well especially on the handheld. Some of the survival elements from Snake Eater were cut from the game but they aren’t missed. Portable Ops borrows the strategic elements from other MGS PSP games since you can view a tactical map with the game’s regions, allowing you to warp there or deploy your soldiers to help in particular regions.
The game even lets you bring some of these soldiers to missions with you (they hide in a cardboard box if you aren’t controlling them), and lets you play as other soldiers besides Snake. Most of the missions in the game are short and to the point, which may have seemed like a detriment but is perfect for a PSP game. The missions are occasionally interrupted by story missions which help propel the story forward as well as boss fights, which are just harder to beat enemies.
Aside from the singleplayer portion, the game includes a full-fledged multiplayer portion. Technically, Portable Ops is a marvel thanks to its six-player ad hoc and infrastructure, as well as game-sharing support. The actual multiplayer portion is very similar to Metal Gear Online from MGS 3: Subsistence. The multiplayer modes include deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag. This doesn’t compare with all of the modes found in Subsistence but is more than enough for a portable game. The game includes “virtual” and “real” online battles. In real battles, any soldiers you lose online will be gone in the singleplayer game, as well.
The graphics in Portable Ops, are among the best on the PSP. The character models are excellent and easily rival those found in the PlayStation 2 games. The primary characters, in particular, are amazing with a lot of attention to detail and great textures. The game’s environments look pretty good—especially for a PSP game—but there is a noticeable difference in quality when compared to the characters. Nonetheless, this is a great-looking game and fits the series very well.
The audio in the game is equally impressive. The background music sounds like it could be taken from any major blockbuster film. There is a lot of original music in the game and all of it sounds as great as the music in the console games. The voice acting is top-notch, especially that of David Hayter who once again brings Snake to life. The primary villains sound excellent, too.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops helps propel the series forward with new strategic elements. Its excellent presentation and quick missions make it a perfect fit for the PlayStation Portable. There’s a rather steep learning curve, especially if you are new to the series, but it is worth diving into. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Jan 3, 2007
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