Most Addicting of all the Metal Gear Games
I bought the limited edition PSP that came with the game, so I think I didn't quite realise what I was getting into with respect to the console itself. I haven't played a 'mobile' game since the Gameboy Advance. I started the game briefly last year, but didn't truly pick it up again until this past May. This is why I gave the game 9.5. My only detraction is the learning curve for using the PSP. The controls are different enough to make some sections a real challenge, more so when you think about how many more buttons there are on the PS3 and XBOX360.
I think what I enjoyed most about this game is the addictive nature and the short chapters. Give it to Hideo Kojima to take advantage of a technology. What I would have considered a shortfall, Mr. Kojima turns into an advantage. The PSP is not a system that most gamers could honestly say they sit in front of for hours, though I have no doubt some do, but one that can be picked up and put down easily.
While I could blather on about the controls, what I do want to say is this is an amazing addition to the lore of Metal Gear Solid. The game takes place, chronologically, after Metal Gear Solid 3: SnakeEater, and we watch the creation of Outer Heaven, which of course plays a major role in the lore for the earlier Metal Gear games. Mr. Kojima takes this 'smaller' game and fills the holes in for a lot of plot and character questions you may, or may not, have had. There are even spoilers for future events in the credits.
What we have all come to expect and love from Hideo Kojima is ever-present in this game. Involving and lengthy cut-scenes, unique game play based on stealth and need for returning to the game to complete more missions and tasks.
There is a main storyline that the gamer needs to complete, but there are also extra missions and an entire base to manage as well. Unlike some games, this is more enticing than not and even though I've completed the game, I now want to go back and play the Monster Hunter missions or see if I can't build even more damaging weapons. Some of the extra missions are hilarious, including dates and ghost hunting that fit perfectly into the overall lore of Metal Gear, marrying the serious with the ludicrous.
This is a perfect addition to this storied franchise and I am glad I took the time, despite the unfamiliar controls, to complete this game in less than a month's worth of time. If you have a PSP or are a Metal Gear fan, this game really is a must-have. I know I will feel the lull to come back and play a few chapters here and there and Mr. Kojima is an expert in packing more into a game than anyone we will probably ever see in the gaming world. Do yourself a favour, get this game, you won't regret it.