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Big Boss is Portable!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I didn't see that many reviews up yet for this game, so I will just give you a quick run down about what I have seen so far.

Single Player.

This is true Metal Gear sneaking action. Just think of the previous Metal Gears and you have it. Hiding under the beds, trucks, boxes, (Yes the cardboard boxes are here!) Knocking on walls to get soilders to come investagate. Choke holds... The whole nine yards. This game does it well. The only grip is the camera. I still have a hard time getting use to only having one analog stick, but its getting better. Its the basic PSP *hit the left shoulder button to straighten camera*. But you learn to use it. (There were countless times where I would walk around a corner right into an enemy) You just have to learn to be more patient and look around before you move.
The way you can capture people and have them join your force is a really neat consept. If you need a medical person, go to the hospital, grab one and drag them back to your truck. You get to micro-manage your little army which I personally enjoy. You set what weapons you can have, items, rations, etc.
Besides the "little army" you can amass, the only difference between this edition and the normal console metal gears is that the environments are much smaller. You move to areas on the map and there is a small environment with soliders and buildings that you work through.(Unlike the console metal gears that have vast open levels that you move through) I believe they worked the game like this so people could pick at the game in small pieces if they wanted to. So if you have a short break at work, you can pick it up and play a few levels and then shut her down.

Online -
Finally a PSP game that uses the internet instead of just the ad-hoc mode (which I still have never used!) I haven't played to much of online play, but what I have has been great. Good game types, and no LAG at all. The cool thing about online play is that you use your small army from your single player. So what your guy uses in the single player, you use in the multi-player. Thats a really cool decision in my book, because it rewards the people that actually play the single player, and it make people play the single player so they understand it, before they jump online.

Overall a great game that is worth the price of admission. I know that some PSP games have let you down in the past, but if you are looking for a SOLID title, do yourself and your PSP a favor, and pick this little bad boy up!

All in all...It's a Metal Gear game... they haven't let us down yet!

A Metal Gear, but Solid?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: December 12, 2006
Author: Amazon User

i would like to just start by saying this is a breathtaking psp title and i would recommend it to fans of the series as well as psp owners despite the missing aspects from classic MGS games.

No this is not an "Acid' game like the previous metal gears for psp but is it really quite so much a classic metal gear game? To be perfectly honest, its a mix of a metal gear acid and metal gear solid game. Although the transition of graphics and sound from the ps2 is absolutely amazing, (the graphics pushing the limit of the psp system to the max) it is missing key elements that veteran MGS fans like myself will be be dissapointed not to have.

First off, the only true MGS element in the game is the gameplay. For the most part, all the classic moves from MGS on the playstation consoles is there (do i even need to go over all of them?) with a different control scheme. (controls refitted for the psp) For this, the game is worth getting for the gameplay is fun, at least the classic MGS elements are. As far as classic MGS gameplay, the thing that takes away from that is the enemy AI. you can literally run 10-15ft in front of them and they will not see you unlike other MGS games where they will see and hear you from 50ft away. The un-fun part for me is the new recruiting system. This is where Konami dissapoints me. Konami for some reason feels that they have to change the classic MG style just because its on the psp instead of a console system, hence the new recruiting system. Now instead of Snake having a good ol' mission to stop terrorists with the elements we have all come to love, you have to play through some of the same mission areas, (yes, the game is divided up into mission levels like the acid series instead of classic MGS games where you just naturally transition through areas) you play through some of the same areas over and over again to recruit soldiers that have specific traits. (Which can be difficult to find sometimes and just ends up feeling like busy work to make the game longer) This can be very frustrating boring and by the time you get enough soldiers with that specific trait, you just want to turn off the psp and play a real MGS game. You can send these soldiers, depending on their traits to do different tasks such as spying and making equipment which is enjoyable at times but overall is not necessary for the already great MGS gameplay and overall takes away more than it gives.

The biggest thing to me thats missing in this game is the classic MGS cutscenes that the console versions are known for. Instead of full motion graphic cinematics, you get comic book drawing scenes that dont get close to bringing that same level of enjoyment and excitement that you get from the iconic MGS cutscenes. Although there are all new voiceovers for these comic book sequences, its just not enough to give them life. Now maybe there isnt enough room on the psp disk to fit the iconic cutscenes (in which case im happy to get what i can), but there are still no in-game cutscenes which takes a chunk away from the advancing story and character development.

Now to the story. The story isn't too bad. (much, much better than the acid stories) it ties into the MGS timeline (with a MGS3 feel) which does give it more depth but while playing through the game, i couldnt shake the feeling that it was more forced into the series just for the sake of making a psp title instead of an actual MGS game that has true meaning and place in the series. While the story does have familiar traits such as bosses with weird abilities and help from other characters using nanomachines,(by the way, none of the conversations using nano are voiced which takes away from it as well, for that can be alot of words to read) you do get a feel of a MGS game somewhat and it is for the most part enjoyable. Another thing that does add to the story is the strong musical score.

Alot of people are automatically giving this game great reviews bacause they're so impressed with the transition from the ps2,(Which, again does look incredible, nearly flawless in terms of graphics/ framerate) and are so happy to have MGS gameplay on a psp that they are blinded by what the game is missing.

Overall, i think this is a good game a an impressive PSP title. Any fan of the series will enjoy it, just dont expect the whole package you'd get from the console version. Can we please just have a regular ol' classic Metal Gear Solid title on the psp??

Portable Metal Gear...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: December 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

...although you get to take Snake anywhere, this game is far from perfect. One of its primary flaws is the exclusion of a second analog nub. This makes the controls a little difficult to get used to, and annoys when in certain angles (the camera). Another drawback is the fact that it does not feel or play like a Metal Gear Solid game. It is still pretty fun, especially since you can switch back and forth between characters, and you have the ability to recruit new allies. It's great for on the go fun, but falls short of an exemplary Metal Gear title. Give it a try, rent it first, if you like it then invest in it...

Canon Content with Nice Graphics

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 28 / 31
Date: December 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

"Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops" for the Playstation Portable is the first PSP Metal Gear game that is actually a part of the story. In it, Big Boss must lead a unit of comrades against his former unit, the now-rogue FOX Unit.

Most of the gameplay is similar to Metal Gear Solid 3 and its stealth-based gameplay, with a few new weapons added. Some things are limited by the PSP's buttons and systems, but for the most part it plays and looks like Metal Gear Solid 3. The camera is taken from Metal Gear Online, included with MGS3: Subsistence, and can be alternately helpful and annoying. A new sonar has been added, which shows the sound that both you and those near you are making, and gives a rough estimate of their position. The camouflage system is gone, now replaced with the "blending system".

The main concept of the title is the "Comrade system", where you can acquire new allies to use in your fight against FOX. In early trailers, it seemed like Snake would be leading a squad (and thus multiple people would be active at once), but in truth, it is closer to other games of the series. Only one soldier can be active at a time (and thus player-controlled); the others wait in cardboard boxes hidden around the level. These soldiers can be switched to for the use of specific items (as each soldier has only four slots for weapons and items) or if the current soldier is hurt. Soldiers also have different "sense" levels, which is represented by a blue circle around their location. If an enemy moves into that circle the soldier will detect them and they will be marked on the map. Thus, scattering your soldiers around a level can create a sort of "net".However, the emphasis is still on single infiltration, and is supplemented by a new form of sneaking: soldiers can "blend in" with other soldiers in similar costume. For example, a standard orange-suited guard could blend in amongst similarly suited guards. This does not work when approaching an enemy of a different class; the same guard would not be able to get past an officer or even a scientist. Suspicious activities (like crawling, sneaking, or pointing a gun) will also cancel blending.

A new map interface is used; different areas are marked on the map similar to Metal Gear Acid. Going to a level takes one half-day, and it switches between day and night. The game starts in November of 1970, and as far as is known there is no "time limit" for missions.

A large part of the system is acquiring and using your comrades. Snake begins alone, but can subdue and drag enemy soldiers back to his HQ (a truck, which his support on this mission drives). Between missions, Snake can manage his comrades, assigning them to different units. The Sneaking Unit accompanies Snake on his mission (or in some cases goes on the mission by themselves) and consists of four four-man teams. One team can be deployed in an area at a time. Spy Units report on events in different areas and will inform Snake of weapons and comrades that can be picked up in areas. Sometimes the spies will bring storyline-important data (the location of a hidden base or the location of a certain individual). Certain spies can also help map out an area and locate items, or reduce the health of enemies in that area. The tech unit researches new gadgets for Snake and his team, much like "Q" from James Bond. Scientists and mechanics are best for this role. The medical unit not only provides medicine, but they also heal units who are recovering from missions (IE at the base when another team goes on a mission).

There are many different types of soldier to recruit in this game. Standard grunts, officers, female soldiers, and elite FOX Unit members. There is even a way to recruit some bosses by using a tranquilizer gun. This contrasts with other Metal Gear Solid games, where tranquilizing a boss would still end up with them dying and the story remaining the same. Soldiers also improve their maximum HP and Stamina levels as they go on missions. There are different levels of proficiency with different weapons (C, B, A, and S, from worst to best) that are ingrained with soldiers (so having a person who is bad at shotguns use a shotgun a lot will not help). A large concern is that if a character dies, they are dead forever (unless you restart a level) so taking care of your soldiers is important.

The storyline has many twists and turns, some of which are important and some of which seem like they fall under George Lucas' Episode II problems (fitting in characters from other parts of the series in a place where they don't really fit).There are references to other games even in the clothes the people wear; the FOX Unit soldiers wear the uniform Snake wore in Metal Gear Solid 3 (with Tiger Stripe camo) and the FOX Unit's leader wears the same trenchcoat that Big Boss and the rebellious members of FOXHOUND wear in MGS1.

There is a great deal of online connectivity in this game. The first kind, for the more casual player, is using Wireless Connections to gain new characters. The network doesn't even need to be connected; the PSP just needs to see that there is a wireless connection there. Some characters are accessible from this process that can't be gained through the normal game, such as members of the Ocelot Unit or KGB. If these characters die, they're gone, and a wireless connection can't be used twice. There are also ways to get soldiers through a GPS Scan (which requires a not-yet-released peripheral) and Passwords (which will be released through "media outlets").

There are online and local death-match modes. A team is taken from the player's single-player game and put online to fight enemies with their equipped items. Some games can result in the loss of a character to an opponent or the gain of a character if you win, while others are just friendly games with no stakes. There is also a "Cyber-Survival" mode in which a squad is sent off onto the Internet and fights other squads automatically. This only requires connection twice: the first time to drop off the squad, and later to pick them up. Once they are input the squad is automatically in the system. Through this, as with the death-match modes, squad members can be won and lost. There is some strategy, essentially focusing on which characters are where and who has what.

The graphics are based on MGS3's graphics, with some minor reductions (no bullet casings, no blood, some less-detailed textures). The cutscenes are done in a stylized comic book manner, similar to the Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel, and it switches between looking amazing and being annoying.

Overall, this is a fun game to pick up for the PSP. The multitude of characters is a plus, but the squad-based gameplay seems wasted. Early videos showed a team supporting each other directly, with Snake giving commands to his two allies. In contrast, the "one person sneaking and three people hiding" mode doesn't seem as exciting. The storyline was also disappointing in several areas. However, if you are looking for a fun extension of Metal Gear Solid 3 and its online mode, this is a great game.

Solid

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: December 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

When Metal Gear first came to the PSP with Metal Gear Acid, the result was widely mixed. Metal Gear fans waited for a true game worthy of the Metal Gear name on the PSP. Now we've got it. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Which is everything a handheld Metal Gear game should be and more. There are few PSP games out there as good as this.

Six years after the events of Snake Eater, the U.S. government has secured half of the Philosophers legacy. The other half, however, is still out there somewhere. The FOX unit believes that Snake knows the whereabouts of the other half, and so they capture him. There's a lot of gold here. The story is everything you expect from a Metal Gear game. Deep. Enduring, and full of plot twists and conversations that will blow your mind. Portable Ops, like other MGS games, is a very memorable story that will beg for you to play through the game again.

The game has a breathtaking look to it. It looks almost exactly like the MGS games on the PS2. There aren't that many PSP games out there that look this good. It is a great looking game, that doesn't falter too much when running. It's also a great sounding game too. Technologically, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops is a huge advancement in portable gaming.

The story isn't told by traditional means, though. Normally, a Metal Gear Solid game is told through fantastic cutscenes with great voice acting. Portable Ops isn't able to present this entirely. Instead you've got still-life cutscenes similar to a comic book. This carries the story on. At first it feels strange, but in the end it works really well for Portable Ops. The artistic style is amazing, and the story is still really deep. However, what's more astonishing about Portable Ops is that because of how the cutscenes are done, there actually is more time to actually play the game. That's a treat because Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops has fantastic Gameplay mechanics.

Portable Ops feels like your typical Metal Gear Solid game in severals ways. You sneak around, outwit your guards in ways such as knocking on walls or incapacitating them. Most of the mechanics found in Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 are here, but there's a twist to the gameplay that certainly works for the better. As you go through the game, you'll have to recruit soldiers who support your campaign. You'll then send teams to certain areas to fulfill certain objectives.

Most characters feel the same, but some of them use different types of weapons and armor. Everyone can pull off the same moves, but their arsenal may differ from character to character. As you go through the game you'll take control of more than just one character. This not only adds variety to the gameplay, but strategy as well.

One of Metal Gear Solid's highest points is its epic boss battles. Portable Ops certainly has some memorable bosses, but these boss battles are no where near as satisfying as Metal Gear Solid 3's intense battles. They're fun, but there's not so much strategy required as you might think. There's nothing in this game that gives you the feeling of fighting "The End" or Psycho Mantis, but they are indeed some of the games highest points.

Online play works similar to Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. It's very fierce and intense, but if you ever need a break from the main story, it's there for you. There's a deathmatch (as well as with teams) and capture the flag. All of it is some fun stuff. There's also a strategy game called Cyber-Survival where you'll assemble a team and take on an opponent in a strategy based setting. The Cyber-Survival may very well be one of the finer aspects of the online play.

It's about time a portable Metal Gear game was done right. From its absorbing story to its fantastic gameplay, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops is the portable Metal Gear game that Metal Gear fans have been waiting for. This a portable Metal Gear game done right.

The Good

+Beautiful looking game
+The art style used in the cutscenes is greate
+Addictive online multiplayer
+Absorbing storyline
+Fantastic new gameplay mechanics

The Bad

-It isn't really all that bad, but the game doesn't feature the visually striking cutscenes that are used in the Playstation 2 games

Essential Entry in the MGS Catalogue

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I wouldn't call myself a Metal Gear Solid fanatic, but I enjoyed MGS2 and really really enjoyed MGS3 for the PS2. MGS3 just had all the elements of a great tactical sneaking game with its addition of a camoflauge system, which made up for the lack of radar. MGS: Portable Ops takes place just after MGS3 (1970) so you've still got no radar (sound sensor instead), but you also don't have the camo aspect, which is mildly disappointing. The camera is more tricky to control here, so I've occasionally run right into enemies I didn't even know were there until it was too late. However, with practice, you'll get used to tapping the left trigger to auto-center the camera over your shoulder. That tends to work pretty well, and after a few hours with this game, the camera ceases to be a noticable issue. As a somewhat unfortunate result of the graphical standards set by MGS:PO's console brethren, you may not realize that the graphics on this UMD are phenomenal. The textures aren't as sharp, there are more 'jaggies,' and the environments are quite a great deal smaller. But, this is a PSP game we're talking about. The truth is, Portable Ops manages to look as good as many PS2 games of the same ilk, and I have yet to experience noticable frame rate issues. That, people, is an achievement.

The recruitment aspect of the game may seem tedious and somewhat contrived at first. However, it quickly becomes one of the most addicting aspects of the entire game. You can recruit soldiers in-game by dragging their unconscious behinds to your truck, sure. But every unique wireless access point you find will yield you a new soldier as well, whether it be your router, your neighbor's router, the wireless signal at Starbucks or Borders, etc. Just select 'AP Scan' and stroll around the mall, hit the downtown streets, hell, sit on a freaking bus and just watch your new soldiers roll in! Not only do you use new recruits in your single player sneaking missions, but they can be placed in various specific groups in your 'army,' which will in turn yield other benefits, such as weapon/item development, intelligence reports, etc. In short, MGS:PO adds a new strategic layer to the series, and feels like a natural progression in the context of the epic Metal Gear saga, which already spans about half a century.

Although the single player campaign is very well done, and very engaging, the real meat and treat of this game is its online multiplayer suite. THE MULTIPLAYER PORTION OF THIS GAME WAS MADE FOR THE PSP. That's all there is to it. Yeah, so maybe you've still got a frustrating camera, but wifi battles have never been this lag free, or this intense. The catch is, to unlock the match play, you have to beat the first couple of missions in single player. But you will really want to complete the game at least once before trying to seriously compete in the cutthroat online environment. You'll have unlocked more powerful characters, increased the life/stamina of the ones you used the most, and picked up the more powerful weapons/items, which are all essential to survive against the many headshot assassins you will encounter. But encounter them you must, if you are to glean the full potential from this monumental handheld achievement. It is undeniably the finest multiplayer experience to be had on the PSP, and arguably the finest all-around PSP game to date.

May your headshots be abundant, and your deaths less so.

Happy sneaking.

Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops Review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: January 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This was a gift for my husband. He's played all the Metal Gear games and loves this one. Shipping took a while, but it was worth it.

AN EXPERIENCE IN FRUSTRATION

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 11 / 45
Date: January 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Some background about my past experiences with Metal Gear games are as follows, plus some other notes:

- I am ONLY INTERESTED in single-player games/features only! So this review is based upon the single-player aspect of MGS:PO.
- I returned the game prior to level 3 (after the communications tower level), because I couldn't stand the controls. So based on that...

-I absolutely LOVED METAL GEAR SOLID for the PSX. It was challenging, but not overly crazy impossible. There were so many cool, and new gaming techniques (like the controller up to the arm part) that set this game in the upper echelon of game development. The story, the different methods to get past certain areas, etc...A TRUE METAL GEAR CLASSIC!

-METAL GEAR SOLID 2 for the PS2, tried to emulate it's predecessor, and came up short, but was still a fun game (albeit one that many fans were upset about...Raiden...) Overall, not nearly as good as the PSX game.

-METAL GEAR SOLID 3 SNAKE EATER was a pure BOREFEST. Sneaking around the jungle feeding on various vegetation and animals was tedious. Where did all THE FUN AND ACTION GO??? Very big disappointment.

So now on to PORTABLE OPS...you can see where this is going, and why I bought this game is beyond me. I will probably never buy another MGS game again.

The controls are an absolute disaster! I consider myself pretty good at gaming, but this just did not translate to the PSP very well. When I needed to make quick kills or was in a shootout...forget it! A wrong button or a wrong turn and you're spotted; and once that happens, it's over for ya! Again, the game is not very fun. Graphics are subpar, and most environments appear very empty and bare.

I did dig the cutscenes, though! They are in a comic-book style fashion, and definitely kept me interested in the game.

There is a Metal Gear digital comic available and I would recommend that one, as well as either METAL GEAR AC!D games, both of those are good, as well.

Sorry, MGS fans...this one's for the bargain bins!!

metal gear ops

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: February 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This was bought as a gift for my husband and he seems to really like it!!

Not bad

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Very different from previous MGS games since you can control your team now. Overall, it's kind of fund.

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