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Now I know there are many of you who’ve been waiting for
this review. After writing my article Metal Gear Ac!DS many
of you responded with much criticism, both creative and otherwise,
and many more have asked for the full in-depth look at the title.
So with the Metal Gear series expanding it’s horizons on
SONY’s  PlayStation Portable (PSP) we now have a title that could
both distance many fans whilst attracting plenty of new ones.
Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear’s daddy, had plenty of
input in the title which, whilst maintaining the inherent
traditions of the much-loved series, changes the gameplay quite
drastically. The stealth, bosses, guns and Snake return –
but turn-based-card-play is now the order of the day.
Offering a side-story for Metal Gear akin to Resident
Evil Gaiden and Resident Evil: Dead Aim on the Game Boy
Color and PlayStation2 respectively, Metal Gear Ac!d sees
Solid Snake infiltrating a facility captured by terrorists – but,
as expected, these are no ordinary terrorists. More of Snake’s
past is revealed and a few interesting new characters are
introduced as you are presented with an inked-storyboard cut-scene
before and after each mission. Comm. Talk still features quite 
heavily, too little surprise.
The play proceeds as turns between yourself and the AI
“team” with each-and-every action being dictated by the cards
in your hand and deck. You can create a deck of thirty cards
(expanding later) from which your hand (typically five cards) is
dealt. Each card has point values and abilities and, whilst Genome
Soldier and other cards are used specifically for movement,
most cards can be used as a move action also. Each card has a basic
set-up. There are immediate action cards such as mines and
disguises, and there are also cards which come into play when
required including dodges, weaponry and body armour – these cards
are placed in the top-right corner of the screen as your equipped
items, and each can effect the others both for the better or
adversely, dictated by the coloured lines on such cards.
The map for each section is divided into a grid, with each
square counting as a space for movement and distance for weaponry.
The enemies’ line-of-sight is viewable creating a much more
strategy-based approach than in previous titles, where occasionally
stealth is not necessarily the best option.  The combat featured in
the game is very tidy, with a cut-scene depicting the damage being
done after selecting which attack you wish to perform. The enemies
and other characters all have the same limitations as you do, as
far as the totally-card orientated play goes, and so move and
attack in the same way. Every card has a cost, which will determine
how long it will be before your next turn – the higher the cost
of this turn, the longer you’ll have to wait. As stated, the
enemies have the same limitations, so some may not use weaponry one
turn in order to get to their next quicker whilst others may decide
that they can take you this turn, and so having their next
turn after yours.
There are many twists and turns in the formula and a second
controllable character is thrown into the mixture fairly early on
just to spice things up. Once played through a little the card-play
feels reminiscent of the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire
Emblem and, to a lesser extent, Phantasy Star Online:
Episode III. The variety of cards has obviously been well
thought through and the system works  incredibly well – giving you
the traditional Metal Gear Solid feel whilst placing itself
in an altogether different genre.
The presentation graphically is nice, but not exemplary for
the power-hungry portable. Nicely crisp polygons and a large
variety of backdrops are marred by a lack of textures and much
polygon pop-up. The special effects however are very satisfying,
with bullets zipping around lighting up the environment. The
character animation is generally above average and the inked
cut-scenes look very nice.
Aurally, Metal Gear Ac!d does little to complement
the PSP’s higher-end Stereo sound with basic
“stealth-ditties” and an overly reused series of bullet-based
weaponry effects.
Konami have brought Metal Gear kicking and screaming
onto the PSP. Whilst drastically changing the formula, they’ve
managed to keep the feel of the series. Though many of you may
remember me stating that the series was in need of a drastic
overhaul during my Metal Gear Solid 3 review, I can’t help
but feel that Konami had the same idea, but went a bit far. Metal
Gear Ac!d is by no means a bad game, but I can’t see it
achieving the same market acceptance as the Metal Gear Solid
series due to it’s seemingly slow and limited gameplay.
 
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