Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker

Another week, another PSP game to review. Just got back from New Zealand, and any time I wasn't chilling with family or friends, I was reading or playing my PSP, an activity that seems so much more enjoyable thanks to last weeks game, and now Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker.

STORY
MGS: Peacewalker is set 10 years after Metal Gear Solid 3, and players take control of the legendary soldier known as Big Boss once again. After executing his former mentor and averting nuclear war between the USA and USSR, Big Boss (though preferring the codename "Snake") has begun his own Military nation, Militaires Sans Frontieres (Military Without Borders) and is hired by a client to rid Costa Rica of an occupying force, suspected to be the C.I.A.

The story follows MGS tradition with a well written, yet overly complicated story. Though not the most convuluted in the series, it definitely needs some kind of an editor. Otherwise, the story is quite entertaining and brings the wide range of emotions that Metal Gear games are known for.

Characters are well written, and Big Boss is really well developed as a character. For those of you who haven't played Snake Eater, a warning; spoilers occur in Peacewalker, so try to play Snake Eater first.

PRESENTATION
Along with Ghost of Sparta, Peacewalker is one of the best looking and sounding games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Though not as slick and smooth as their HD, console counterparts, both games have magnificent voice acting and musical scores that set the tone for the game.
MGS fans should expect no less than the usual amount of awesome that is packed into the standard Metal Gear game.

David Hayter and Lori Alan return in thier roles from Snake eater, and are accompanied by a cast of interesting voices that add a lot of depth to the games main characters.
While the game may not look as good as its PS3 counterpart, it pretty much equals its late PS2 counterpart, which is fitting, seeing as it follows on from it story-wise.


GAMEPLAY
Peacewalker is the usual Metal Gear formula of sneaking and gunfighting, which works fairly well on the system provided. The controls are certainly more fitted to sneaking than anything else, but the lack of a 2nd analog stick affects this too. The camera is a bit awkward to position, using the face buttons instead of a second stick.
The problem with this is, while sneaking, you want to see as much as possible around you. Conversely, while gunfighting, this system doesn't provide the best accuracy possible, and sometimes makes the action sequences seem like a chore.

A variety of items and weapons can be gathered, allowing you to play your way, whether that be sneaking, rambo-style, or a mix of the two. These weapons and items are retrieved through a management-like minigame where you hire soldiers and assign them to teams within your army, whilst sending soldiers out on missions, or capturing new recruits or vehicles.
I gotta say, as fun as the main gameplay was, I found it almost as fun to just mess around with my teams, sending them into battle, rearranging soldiers, firing and recruiting all the time. It was honestly quite fun.

My biggest problem, and it may be a small problem, is that it was a rather short affair. For a Metal Gear game at least. And the boss battles lacked the flair that Peacewalkers' console counterparts almost always contained. Instead of fighting highly characterized, interesting people, it's always a mech or vehicle of some description. What a shame.

REPLAYABILITY
Though the story seems a bit short, it may be due to the fact that each of its chapters is split into around 10 missions. This allows for players to go back and attempt to better their score on a previous mission. It also encourages players to search through previously played missions for new goodies to take back to Mother Base.
This, along with the management side of Mother Base, gives players a fairly large amount of replayability, especially for a PSP title.
Along with main story missions, there are Outer Ops missions, performed by members of the MFS, as well as co-op missions to be played with up to 3 other friends. The PSP has never been known for its replayability, until now.

OVERVIEW
Were you disappointed when it was announced that the next MGS game would be based around Raiden and his ninja abilities? If so, this is the game for you. The next true sneaking/action game is on the PSP and it's name is Peacewalker. Nothing against Raiden, but if you're more into the traditional MGS experience, Big Boss has got you covered on the Playstation Portable. Despite not meeting a few of the standards of previous games (awesome boss battles, long game-time) Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker is an entertaining, well presented, epic sounding masterpiece in portable form.


Thats it for this week, next week it'll be LittleBigPlanet2. Also, just wondering, should I get DC Universe Online? It's about 20 bucks a month for the subscription, and I'd be new to MMORPG's. Anyway, I'll see you next time!