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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

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!

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.

Portable Ops is a monumental achievement in story telling.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: February 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Metal Gear is a video game series that has stood the test of time better than alot of other video game franchises. Its games have gradually matured and grown into a complex world full of political drama and interesting characters. That's not to say the attributes that make it a video game have not improved as well, as its gameplay and graphics have reached cinematic levels not yet reached by many games. All these qualities apply to the latest cannonical installment in the series, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.

The story picks up six years after the previous installment, Snake Eater/Subsistence, with Naked Snake (now known as Big Boss by many) being kidnapped by his ex-unit FOX in South America. Breaking free from his cell he encounters a young green beret called Roy Campbell (who many fans know will become the Colonel Campbell of later installments) and so with his help, Snake must find out what is the reason for his ex-unit's rebellion and subsequently put a stop to their plans. Of course, this description reallys sells the events of the game short so as not to spoil anything important but rest assured, if you are a fan of the series or even a rookie in the Metal Gear mythology, you will definantly enjoy the story.

The gameplay is the big deal to many about this game. It is a return to the tried and true gameplay of the the first 3 installments in the 'Solid' series (as opposed to the card based strategy AC!D games that were previously released on the psp) and so it involves plently of sneaking around enemy guards and grueling boss battles. However, a key difference in this game is the addition of the recruitment system. While on a mission, if a guard is knocked out and taken back to the base of operations, this enemy will eventually become a fully playable member of your cause and you can make this character either a member of your sneaking squad or spy or tech engineer or medic, each with varying purposes. Despite the initial learning curve that the psp controls might place upon first timers (trust me, I had some trouble initially as well), the game is very addictive once the controls have been mastered and so I don't really see them as a hinderance of any kind.

Graphics wise, this game is amazing for a psp game. Kojima Productions somehow managed to shrink the Subsistance game engine for the psp and so with it comes a 3D camera (a second for the Metal Gear series) and so angles are never a problem. Granted, while the psp may be powerful, I doubt it would be able to handle the cutscenes that previous games of the series have established as the norm and so to make up for this fault (if it could even be regarded as that) Kojima and co. hired famed comic book artist Ashley Wood to create the cinematics for this game and I must say they are increidibly meshed with the rest of the game.

In sound, this game excels. The voice acting is done by returning actors of Snake Eater and new actors and each have their great moments. David Hayter as always delivers a great performance as a man thrust into a leadership position in the global arena, fitting for the eventual events of future games and Steven Blum is execellent as Gene, the leader of the new Fox Unit. Voice acting aside, the sounds for this game are great (and might I add very loud for a psp game). The score is remarkbly good and the theme song for this game, Calling to the Night, is something I hope video game music fans will have a chance to listen to at some future vg music concert.

Overall, this game delivers everything a Metal Gear game is supposed to and even adds a gameplay quirk of its own to the series, and that's saying alot considering the platform upon which this was released. Indeed, perhaps the recruitment system of this game might even play a hand in the forthcoming Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. But until we get that game in our hands, rest assured that Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is an excellent game that will surely entertain on its own right.

Excellent PSP Title

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: February 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Even though the PSP lacks the 2nd analog controller as well as the 2 trigger buttons, the game plays well. It still maintains the MGS feel and draws you into the game.

Portable Ops Rivals MGS3!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

To put it simply, Portable Ops is as good as MGS3! The graphics are almost as good as the PS2 game, which is saying a lot for the PSP system, but the game play makes up for it all ten-fold! The ability to recruit soldiers and make up your own teams (all in-game) and send one team at a time on each mission is the major characteristic behind the game. You can drag enemy soldiers back to the truck to recruit them. Over a short period of time, the soldier will be recruited and can join you by fighting in your "sneaking team", spying for you in the "spy team", making medical advancements in the "medical team", or making technical advancements in the "tech team".
The bosses are as difficult to beat as in the 3rd MGS, so it does provide a good challenge. The same weapons are utilized, in addition to a few more like UZI's and wind-up distraction ducks. The same moves as in MGS3 are used- grabbing, throwing down, interrogating, crawling, and CQC.
The only cons that I would give the game are the four weapon/item slots (there is no backpack, and weapons, ammo, and items will each take up one slot). Also, the camera has to always be moved with the directional pad, and cannot just follow your back. And the last thing is that when one of your recruits, who, in the eyes of the red army, is still one of them, makes the slightest noise (e.g. footsteps) and an enemy near by hears it and sees you, then they automatically know that you are an enemy unit. But, I suppose, it makes the game that much more challenging.
Despite the cons, the game is one of the best in the MGS series (matching MGS3)! It is definitely worth the price! Even if you haven't played any Metal Gear Solid game before, go for it! Make this game the first! Given, references are made to MGS3 throughout the entire game, it nevertheless is one great action/shooter game that will get you hooked on the MGS series and almost force you to try the others!

"Gotta catch 'em all"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops(MPO) brings exactly what fans of Metal Gear have been longing for, on the PSP. Stealth/espionage gameplay has been reintroduced, since the failed attempt of Ac!d to gain success in Metal Gear fandom.

MPO may take several days, to a week to finish, depending on how fast, or how slow, you wish to play through. The Subsistence engine has been beautifully translated to the PSP (with some very minor graphical instabilities). The in game camera, works a bit similar to Subsistence, except now, the directional buttons are used to pan the camera.

Most mission levels may last a maxium of 10 minutes - short and appropriate for a portable experience. Also, since this is a portable game, expect the gameplay to be slightly different from what's been currently experienced on Metal Gear. For one thing, instead of Snake "gunning" it on his own, he now has the ability to capture and recruit enemy soldiers. The amusing thing is, EVERY soldier, or personel captured, will agree to join your group. One can't help but wonder, if there's a correlation between this game, and Pokemon. Well, by capturing more Pokemon, err... soldiers, your job becomes much easier on missions, as you can now establish teams to cover much of the mission maps.

Well, here's the break through of my ratings for MPO:

Graphics: 9
An almost perfect translation of the Subsistence engine onto the PS2. Some minor pixilation problems might occur, when panning the camera.

Sound: 10
Excellent sound quality. You can also connect your PSP to Dolby 5.1 speakers for a greater MPO experience.

Music: 9
I was a bit disappointed that Harry Gregson-Williams, was not involved in the musical score, as he was with the previous games for the Playstation 2. However, Konami produced a beautiful score, and the soundtrack is worth getting.

Controls: 7
It may take several hours to get used to the controls of MPO. Regardless if you've played Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, you will have to learn controls all over again. I was disappointed that MPO did not incorporate the "pressure sensitive" features of the analog stick. Slightly pressing the analog, will cause your character to run. In order to walk, the Triangle button must be held down, while simultaneously pressing the stick. Also, this lack of pressure sensitivity can be EXTREMELY annoying, when trying to aim precisely with a gun. If you were an ace sniper in Subsistence, expect your talents to drop, when playing this game.

Overall Score (not an average): 8.5
The game lasts roughly 2 days if you speed through, but the side quests, and finding hidden characters, will take a while to complete. Besides a buggy camera, and slightly problematic control issues, MPO comes highly recommended. Metal Gear fans owe it to themselves to get this game.

Well, that's it for my review. I hope you found it useful. :)

A Great Addition to the Metal Gear Series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: March 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The game helps fill in some more missing information about how Big Boss turned away from FOX and how he amassed an army to command. The controls are a little difficult to master, especially the use of CQC, but it is a very well done game.

GREAT GAME

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: March 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

THIS GAME IS GREAT. THE GARPHIS ARE VERY NICE. THIS GAME IS QUIT HARD TO MASTER. THE GAMEPLAY IS EXTANSIVE.

Does Snake ever get old?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Hideo Kojima shoots another one out the whazoo,better than ever.This time Snake wakes up in a South American prison with Campbell(Snake's first partner) in the next cell.I dunno if he's the real Mccoy,though.Snake learns of FOXHOUND*'s betrayal, and goes on a campaign to stop em'.Go through the prison, comm base,supply depot,Soviet patrol base, hospital,& more,recruiting as you do so. The similarities between this and MGS3 are amazing(in a good way).DEFINITELY worth 40 big 1's.Buy it n' have fun!

*Snake's former group.

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