The cell shaded look is certainly different.
If you're not familiar with the concept of the Acid titles then you may be in for a bit of a shock. The game is played with cards, so you need to plan your moves carefully. When a level loads up it is entirely viewable and you can see everything, which is how you plan your strategy. You can only pull off moves if you have the required card. There are several different types of cards (movement, item etc..) and there are options like use, equip and move. To determine who goes first you go by the cost of your moves. Each card has a set cost and for each of the cards you use the cost is added up. At the end of the turn, the player (the AI or you) with the lowest cost will take the next turn. Finally, at the end of your turn everybodies cost has two points removed, until the points get to zero. It seems rather complex, and it is but once you've got the hang of it it will be second nature.
If you're expecting an indepth detailed storyline from the game then you're likely to be sorely disappointed. Snake and company are returning to America and Snake is suffering from amnesia. When he comes home he is arrested by a fake FBI agent and has to complete a mission to survive. Snake then ends up in a weapons research facility and he needs to infiltrate the complex and gather intel. The story does go on, but it's not as long winded as the Metal Gear Solid titles.
The game also comes with a black box that you place over the PSP's screen, it's called a "Solid Eye" enhancement and if lets you see parts of the game in 3D; These range from cut-scenes to boss battles. There are also some 3D videos (such as some women playing with guns) that you can watch once you've unlocked them. The Solid Eye enhancement really doesn't add much at all to the gameplay and is more of a ten minute gimmick. In fact if you use it for too long your eyes will probably hurt (or at least ours did) so it's not even a practical enhancement. We don't know of any other games that support this enhancement either, so it's definitely not a dealbreaker when considering whether to pick this game up or not.
A lot of the game feels very similar to it's predecessor.
Overall the game really isn't that different to it's predecessor. Speaking of which, if you have a Metal Gear Acid save on your memory stick then you're allowed to import one card onto this game, which is certainly a nice reward. There are over 500 cards in the game now which means there is a bit more variety. Each individual card can also be levelled up, which changes the advantage that each card has. You need points to upgrade cards and you get points by completing missions and defeating enemies. Most of the time you will get your cards from battle, but you can also buy them from the card shop (which is err.. in the game, not down at your local shop).
In game, the pacing is a little bit quicker in battle as well. It's possible to fast forward the movements of the AI and this speeds things up. You don't have to waste cards opening doors at Snake does all of this automatically. Unfortunately weapons are still equipped in the same way, which is a little bit disappointing. Equipping a gun is actually quite daunting for beginners. The game would have been a lot better if it was a little easier to equip weapons. Anyone who has played the original extensively will feel at home though.
The game also contains multiplayer, but it's not as entertaining this time around. Both players need to have a similar deck otherwise the player with the most domineering deck will win easily. There is no way to set restrictions on the deck types or ways to customise a deck so this means the multiplayer is often unfair. It's a shame that such a simple option has been excluded because it's very rare you will find players with a very similar deck.
The visual look of the game has had an overhaul. The game is now cell shaded, which actually looks better. The characters are a lot more colourful and the detail is rather impressive. The original Ac!d had a stuttering frame rate and we thankfully never encountered any frame rate issues at all, which is a big improvement. Most people are likely to be disappointed by the voiceovers (or lack of). For some reason there is no voiceovers in cut scenes which a serious disappointment. We know PSP games can handle voiceovers and it takes away from the authenticity of the game without voiceovers. The music in game is a lot more intense this time around.
The storyline isn't as involving as other Metal Gear titles.
Completing the game in story mode can take about fifteen to twenty hours, but even then you wouldn't have covered every aspect the game has to offer. It's possible to replay through any stage and collecting all the cards is a mammoth task. The multiplayer could have extended the lifespan but it's likely to only get a play through once because of how unfair the battles end up.
Metal Gear Ac!d 2 is unquestionably a title that is better than it's predecessor. The combat is a lot faster and there are more cards, but some of the problems that plagued the original title (like the annoyance of equipping weapons and the dodgy camera work) are still present. Metal Gear Ac!d 2 is an okay title if you're after a turn based strategy game, but PSP games have come a long way in nine months; this game has only made short steps.
Loading...
