Must Have

Reviewed by tyranny22 on December 07, 2006  |  report this review

Just what the PSP needed, this latest Metal Gear delivers on all fronts with an excellent story, a deep campaign, and a complete set of multiplayer features.

The story alone makes Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops required playing material for fans of Kojima Productions' long-running, memorable stealth action series. This isn't called Metal Gear Solid 4, but this PlayStation Portable game is a direct continuation of the moving, thought-provoking storyline presented in 2004's MGS3: Snake Eater, and in turn, it sheds new light on some of the mysteries of the previous games in the series. That's the good news; the better news is that Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops also takes the series in some interesting, new directions from a gameplay standpoint. This game has it all, featuring not only a great, open-ended solo campaign, but also some extensive multiplayer options and plenty of other surprises. Complicated controls and a storyline that doesn't waste much time on exposition mean Portable Ops will take a while for inexperienced players to get into, and even though it's amazing how much of the visual detail the series is known for got crammed into this game, fans will note that this isn't as lavish of a production as the games in the series proper. But this is still an all-around outstanding experience, especially since you can play it on the go.

Portable Ops takes place in 1970, some years after the profound events of Metal Gear Solid 3, and it chronicles another important chapter in the life of the legendary soldier called Snake, also known as Big Boss. A soldier through and through, Snake's latest assignment takes him to a secret Soviet base in South America, and at the beginning of the game, he's captured and detained there...by members of his own former FOX unit. He escapes with the help of a young Green Beret named Roy Campbell, and they decide to work together to put a stop to what's shaping up to be a very bad situation between American forces and rogue Soviet militants. Snake and Campbell soon agree that they can't succeed in this situation on their own, and they begin recruiting some of the enemy soldiers to their cause. As the story unravels, Snake will meet up with some faces from his blood-soaked past and discover the true nature of what's happening in that South American base. Snake is an already likable, complex character and winds up all the more so at the end of this game.

Much like the story in MGS3, the story in Portable Ops sometimes grows dense with double-crossing and second-guessing and breaks into some philosophical discourse on the meaning of loyalty. It's heady stuff, but at the same time, it's presented in an over-the-top way that makes it exciting rather than ponderous. Of further note, the main villains of this story are much more compelling than those of MGS3; they're intriguing, memorable characters, some of the best bad guys this series has ever seen. Unlike previous games in the series, though, the major story s

Best PSP game ever, and makes good use of the PSP's features

Reviewed by Death_In_A_Can on December 13, 2006  |  report this review

The PSP has always been criticized for having no killer games, and mainly consisting of ports and remakes. With Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, the PSP finally gets its killer app.
If you've ever played a Metal Gear Solid game, you know to expect an amazing story, and Portable Ops delivers. If you've never played a Metal Gear game before, you may have a harder time with it, but you won't be completely lost. Still, I'd at least play the prequel, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence first.
Metal Gear Solid controls have always been awkward because they never seemed to utilize the second analog stick on the Dualshock. Turns out the PSP doesn't have a second analog stick, so MGS: PO should be right at home for any PSP shooting fan or MGS vet.
Not only are the controls improved over previous games and designed just for the PSP, but the game's many other features are made with the PSP in mind. Your radar now shows you where sounds are coming from, to make up for the PSP's tiny speakers. Levels are short and tense. Cutscenes are done Digital Graphic Novel-style, and look great. Most important is the feature that allows you to download a new character when passing by any wifi hotspot in the world. You use this to find rare soldiers, and then battle with them online. The catch? If your guy dies online, he DIES. For GOOD. But if you win, you capture your opponent's characters, so it all works out.
Another great feature is the ability to play as boss characters. Instead of getting dogtags or a costume or a weapon, tranquilizing a boss gives you the option to play as him! This includes the badass Revolver Ocelot.
So, why should you buy this game? Is it for the single player campaign, or is it all about online multiplayer? It's really about both of them, and both modes interact with each other, so that guy you captured online can be used to fight alongside Snake in Single Player, or vice versa. If you're afraid of being late to the party and facing hardcore gamers online, don't be; there are fair and honest ways to beat anyone here.

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Reviewed by ThEoNe88767613 on May 02, 2007  |  report this review

BREATHTAKING... for a PSP game, it has more features in it than some current-gen games do for current-gen consoles. The graphics are incredible for a handheld, the gameplay completely immersive, everything in this game is tuned to perfection. There are plenty of extra gizmos and gadgets to use, like the access point scan and GPS scan, online deathmatch and Cyber-Survival, but if you aren't all into social living, the story in this game reveals and futher shrouds some important secrets in the Metal Gear universe. Snake is back, this time not "solo" at all, and he's kickin' ass and takin' names.

Best PSP game yet

Reviewed by MarcusMang on June 23, 2007  |  report this review

With all of these long reviews, I feel bad doing a small review.

+ Looks & Sounds excellent
+ Recruiting enemies
+ It's Metal Gear
+ Excellent controls
- Flat storyline
- Off & on voices

Awesome game

Reviewed by msmurder667 on October 26, 2007  |  report this review

If you're big on the MGS series and you own a PSP this game is a MUST HAVE!