Metal Gear Acid 2
When Metal Gear Acid (MGA) came out for the PSP last year there were several fans of the franchise that were a little skeptical. How could you take a stealthy action thriller and turn it into a turn-based card battle game? I do have to admit that I too had my reservations at first, but once I picked up MGA and got used to the basics I was in love. There were enough elements of the Metal Gear series intact that even though the gameplay was radically different; the action kind of felt the same.
The concept for MGA was taken out of context from the Metal Gear saga and is really considered a side story when looking at the whole franchise. The only key icon sticking around is Solid Snake who is much younger than we've seen him to date. The presentation was also changed with some elements of manga tossed in for the cut scenes. Naysayers will probably still "boo" the sequel for being so different from the main series, but if you liked the original Acid then you'll be pleased to know that this one is just as good.
Well, I suppose that I should use the term "sequel" loosely because this one doesn't really have anything to do with the first. When MGA2 starts off Snake is suffering from amnesia and a part of some resistance cell. As he and his buddies are on their way back to America though they get intercepted by the FBI and placed into custody. The only way out for Snake is to work with the FBI and help with an investigation into the SaintLogic company. Thing don't go exactly as planned and the operation is overthrown by a mysterious military official. Snake has no choice but to do what this guy wants and it eventually leads a trail of breadcrumbs straight to a new metal gear.
Gameplay:
Just in case you missed the first MGA you are probably wondering what this whole card battling deal is all about. The fundamentals of it are quite simple if you get right down to it, but those of you that have never played a CCG or game of this nature may be left out in the dark. You basically start out with a deck of 30 cards. Each of those cards in the deck does something different as you play. Some may allow Snake to attack or heal himself while others may act as equipment such as body armor. Sometimes the action the card provides you with is as simple as letting you move, though nearly every card can be used for movement.
Combat is based around these rules in terms of who gets to attack when, so it's prudent to keep an eye on your cost as much as possible. It's also a good idea to learn a thing or two about deck construction, though you can let the game automatically build you a deck from your card stock if you're feeling unmotivated. Having a good balance of weaponry, attack cards, skills, and healing is key to winning fights. Of course a lot of it comes down to luck of the draw, but if you structure your deck right you'll almost always have a useful hand.
Also in MGA there are a few concepts from its bigger Metal Gear brother franchise that port over. On the playing field there are elements of stealth, action, and suspense, though they are obviously to a lesser degree. You have to constantly maintain vigilant awareness of your surroundings and instead of having radar at your disposal there is an overhead view of the immediate area. Guards have a field of vision and react to knocking against the wall in much the same fashion, though there is more of an emphasis on action here. Going at a mission completely stealthy can often be cumbersome and much slower compared to just killing everyone you meet. Then again that has always been the beauty of Metal Gear; you usually have the choice of how you want to play.
If you happen to have played the first MGA then at this point you're probably wondering if anything has been changed. For one thing the feel of the missions is much better since changing objectives do certainly break up the monotony of things. The adventure is still fairly linear with a little bit of backtracking, but things move along at a very brisk pace compared to the original.
Speaking of movement there have also been some changes to the way that snake maneuvers. You still use cards to get around, but instead of fighting with the game in order to turn to the right direction, you are given much more freedom. With every movement in the game you have the option to crouch, turn, and place your back against a wall. If you're close to an enemy soldier you can even execute a little CQC (Close Quarter Combat) for some damage and a potential knockdown with a faint. These are certainly welcome additions to say the least.
Also if you are returning to the series I hope that you have your save handy because you can port over some of your old cards and points. You can't bring your whole collection which is unfortunate, but you can pick some of your better ones. As you complete stages and save some points it may also be a good idea to hit the card upgrade section during intermission. By dropping a fair amount of points you can improve the usefulness of most cards dramatically, though sometimes the improvement is negligible.
Yet another new feature that makes its way into MGA is the inclusion of an Arena to fight in. You can square off against old bosses from the Metal Gear franchise here and win some major points to buy cards with. You're going to need all of the points you can get too considering that there are now 500 cards to collect. Sure most of them are not useful, but having such a variety is definitely a nice thing compared to the original game.
If you have seen the game in stores you may also have seen something advertised on the back of MGA2's packaging stating that there are "3-D Glasses Included". There is something included with the disc called "Solid Eye". It's a cardboard thingamajig that you fold together and place over the PSP. During intermission and play you can use the special theater mode to enhance the graphics to the third dimension. After a couple of minutes though my eyes really started to hurt looking through the glasses, so I wouldn't use it for too long if I were you. On the other hand in the theater mode there are some nice "cheesecake" video shots that look pretty cool in 3-D.
Yet again I find myself addicted to Konami's acid trip. It may just be the CCG fan in me, but I couldn't stop playing this game to save my life. Sure it's linear and the improvements over the previous game aren't too significant, but I just can't get enough. Say what you will about this game not being a true "Metal Gear" my opinion won't be swayed. Solid is solid and Acid is acid. They are two different franchises and thus two separate entities. Here's hoping for Acid 3 next year!
Graphics:
The dark and gloomy atmosphere from the first MGA has been lifted in favor of a cel-shaded and colorful presentation. For the most part this new style works though it's quite the diversion from every other Metal Gear game before it. It's a good thing in the sense that it helps to separate the two franchises, but bad because most every game these days is cel-shaded. The animation and character design is superb though as you'd expect and the manga inspired cut scenes feature some great artwork. Overall it's a nice, but different presentation (see. Polarizing) that works well.
Audio:
With no voice work, techno renditions of the theme song, and familiar sound effects, this is a Metal Gear game with a twist. In many ways it sounds nearly identical to the first MGA, but there are a few subtle differences here and there. Not hearing David Hayter's voice takes away the impression that you're playing as Solid Snake, but then again this is a different franchise.
Conclusion:
I applaud Konami for taking such a risky endeavor with the Acid series. Fortunately the gambit paid off and the first game sold well enough to keep their interest in producing more of them alive. The card based battle system is a welcome change of pace for the PSP and the sequel helps refine the gameplay even more. The cel-shaded presentation is a nice change for the series though to be fair it's a little over done these days. If you enjoyed the first MGA you'll love the second, but naysayers will still be party poopers and sticklers for tradition.