Joystiq quick visit: Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops
by Joystiq Staff 
{ Aug 23rd 2006 at 7:00PM }
Last month I was able to get my man hands on the latest Metal Gear Solid to hit the Sony PSP: Portable Ops. Lumped in with a couple other swanky journos, we were shown a quick overview of how multiplayer would work, then were handed the PSPs ourselves as we battled in a 4-person free-for-all deathmatch.
The most important aspect of any PSP game, especially shooters, is controls. They're always a concern, and more times than not, a huge problem -- I blame that stupid nub. Sadly, Portable Ops was not able to leap this tall hurdle for PSP developers. While the gameplay was nicely paced and it was fun to roam and take out my enemies, the controls were just not as solid as they could have been had the PSP been a tad more smartly designed for these kinds of games.
The controls work like this: Left Shoulder: brings up weapon; Right Shoulder: first person; Directional Pad Left, Right: strafe; Square: attack, shoot when weapon is equipped, melee when not; X: duck or tumble roll; O: switch weapons; Triangle: stealth; Analog: move around.
Even though moving your player around, aiming, and shooting were a bit on the shaky side, the game is a positive step in the right direction for PSP users. The fact that it will take advantage of PSP infrastructure play, makes the game even more of a must-have than just having Metal Gear Solid slapped onto the box.
For those interested in more screenshots and some of the features that will be included, check after the break.
The storyline will take place after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and allow players to learn more about their favorite characters and how the events of later Metal Gear games happened.
Here are some key features:
- Original storyline set in 1970 featuring Big Boss
- Returning cast of characters including Para-Medic, Major Zero, Sigint and more
- Recruit NPCs with different abilities to create a custom fighting force
- Fully voiced cinematics featuring 3D models and original artwork from renowned illustrator Ashley Wood
- New 3D camera optimized for play on the PSP system
- Connect to wireless access points to recruit new comrades -- each access point generates a unique group of allies
- Unique new multiplayer modes
- Wide variety of multiplayer-specific environments
- Use your squadron of comrades in online play and recruit new members only available in multiplayer
- New "White Flag" system -- choose to surrender and live to fight again or fight tthe death until the next game begins
- Trade squad members online with other players
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Melophonist @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:08PM
MGS is one of the ways sony is trying to forward their concieted goal of world dominance. Wait until they port it.
Jecrell @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:15PM
I hate to say it, but consoles have always had 'the problem' with aiming guns. The PSP has even more trouble because of its... well... weird portable control scheme.
And I know someone is going to bomb my house for saying it, but the Wii controller may actually provide the best accuracy as far as console first-person shooters go.
... next-gen is weird
Brad Lee @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:32PM
When will developers learn? You can't just make console games for handhelds.
I agree with Jecrell, even console controls for action games (especially FPS games) is wonky. However, it is much easier on a console controller than a PSP. The PSP only has one 'analog nub' or whatever, and the handheld itself is kinda awkward to hold. It's kinda like Metroid Prime Hunters on DS. The controls were actually a step in the right direction, but still behind consoles and waaay behind a keyboard and mouse setup.
I'm still thinking about getting a PSP, but if I do it won't be for this game or any of the other action title, it will most likely be for Fighting games (one genre in which DS sorely lacks) and Puzzle games like Lumines.
the deaf guy @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:32PM
*gets the bomb ready*.. eh wait I don't care. as far as aiming with controllers and such i get by fine. I'm gonna be buying this regardless on a sucky controls or not I'm a fan of MGS espically snake eater. I'd like to see what naked snake was up to before he became big boss. and #1 we all know EA will take over the world first.
on an weird note in the headline pic snake is looking thru the sights with his dead eye. =
Matt S. @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:39PM
Funny how back when GOLDENEYE hit the N64 and everyone proclaimed it the second coming of Jesus, no one said "yeah, it sure sucks without a second analog stick."
The PSP has one analog stick. Deal with it.
Robert Summa @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:41PM
Hey Matt S.,
A nub and an analog stick are two very different things.
Nub @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:47PM
"A nub and an analog stick are two very different things."
LOL
suicidesnowman @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:56PM
for all of the MSG-ophiles out there, isn't anyone bothered by the fact that snake can't see out of his right eye, yet aims through it, and still fires right handed? just look at the pic at the top of the post. what a joke. for shame kojima
Babylonian @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:57PM
I'm a huge Metal Gear fan and I'm definitely looking forward to this.
Plus it'll be fun getting nostalgic over when I used to actually buy PSP games.
Bernard @ Aug 23rd 2006 7:57PM
PSP continues to underwhelm me. I'll end up selling it this winter for money towards PS3 and MGS4 anyway. 8)
lackingcleverness @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:03PM
Don't quite get why they're hyping the multiplayer. The allure of Metal Gear has always been the stories - love 'em or hate 'em, they're the draw. (Personally, I love 'em. MGS4 is the only thing making my decision not to buy a PS3 difficult.)
It just seems like multiplay is the antithesis of the series. Why include it?
page @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:03PM
"You can't just make console games for handhelds"
This blatantly not true. Just because the PSP can and does in no way means it shouldn't. I have both the DS and PSP and I loath the cheap "games" for the DS whereas I am in love with the games for the PSP. The PSP is a portable console. The DS is like two GameBoys stuck together with one being quasi "touch-able" its games more on par with freebies you get in a kids cereal box, short, limited, cheap, yet sugar coated.
suicidesnowman @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:08PM
i meant MGS-ophiles. stupid typo and no edit.
Babylonian @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:15PM
I'm a huge Metal Gear fan and I'm definitely looking forward to this.
Plus it'll be fun getting nostalgic over when I used to actually buy PSP games.
bob @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:16PM
cuz if they dont include multiplayer, imagine how many more hundreds would be b*tching about it and cryin "PSP GOT NO GOOD GAMEZ"
and it seems to me this game will just be using a normal MGS control scheme, where the analog controls movement, and while you can aim in first person, you arent really meant to move around in first person view (like how MGS games have always been). dont know what all fuss is about over this
lackingcleverness @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:24PM
...But the PSP doesn't have any good games.
A table of scientists has empirically proven that only 2 PSP games are more fun than a pinecone suppository.
They declined to name those games though, because scientists are a**holes.
LaughingTarget @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:34PM
Actually, there is something called cross-eye dominance. This is where someone who aims from the right side and uses the left eye to look. This is what Snake could be...unless the other side shows him closing the one good eye.
Art Vandelay @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:26PM
Those controls actually sound pretty intuitive, and everyone bashing the the PSP do you even own one? Outside of Coded Arms the PSP's FPS have had pretty effective control schemes (Socom, Syphon Filter). Being a PC gamer also they were awkward at first but after a while they felt pretty natural and effective.
Quite frankly Joystiq's and everybody else's bashing of anything Sony is getting really tiring. About a year ago everybody was talking about how the PSP was going to trounce the DS, and how much of an technical achievement it was...now you'd think it was the Gizmondo by reading your nearest tech/video game blog.
"...that stupid nub...Why no second analog stick..." - I can remember when Joystiq and everyone else was saying how having an analog stick at all was so great. Now one's not enough? Give me a break, give these games more than 20 minutes and you may find a pretty decent gaming experience.
I know Sony left a bad taste in a lot of folks mouths with the PS3's price and the whole rootkit fiasco, but let's give credit where its due. The PSP is a darn good gaming/multimedia machine. If you can't find games you like for it, don't like it, hate Sony, how about sell it and quit bitchin' on joystiq about it.
Car2oon @ Aug 23rd 2006 11:11PM
Well said Vandelay. I dont know what it is, if it's hip to bash Sony now or what, but its really frustrating to have every Sony news article accompanied by "oh, the PSP has teh zero good games" or "Im buying the Wii, Sony is run by retards" from people who a)have NEVER OWNED a PSP, or b) are not buying the PS3 in the first place. So why bother with something you dont care about? Insecurity?
lackingcleverness @ Aug 24th 2006 1:05AM
For the record:
1. I own a PSP, and curse and lament the botch job Sony pulled on a promising system.
2. It should be clear that I was using hyperbole. Most PSP games are slightly more enjoyable than sticking a pinecone in ones nether regions. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
3. Re: Mr. Vandelay - I paid for a system I feel is receiving inadequate support. Thus, according to your logic, I should sell it, taking a good financial hit? How, exactly, is the PSP a fine multimedia machine? The library of games is dominated by lackluster ports. The movie format (UMD) is fading fast. Sony has consistently alienated homebrew developers by making the firmware more and more draconian. Does this strike you as a fine machine?
And furthermore, is Joystiq not a proper venue to complain about the PSP? I was under the impression that it was a videogame blog, and thus videogames were up for discussion. If this is not the case, and the PSP detractors interrupted a serious discussion of commodities trading, I sincerely apologize yet again.
jpxdude @ Aug 24th 2006 1:27AM
How do I give the guy above a star?
Fisher @ Aug 24th 2006 4:03AM
Dear Mr. Matt S. @ 5,
When the Nintendo 64 came out it had one analog stick. That is true. Number of analog sticks present on other systems; 0. If everyone had one leg they certainly wouldn't complain about not having two, in the same way that I hardly complain about not having a third arm.
Building a "Playstation Portable" with ports of games, such as Grand Theft Auto, which DO use two analog sticks, and then adapting it to work with one, leaves something to be desired.
Though I will concede that once that DualShock came out I did have a slight case of... analog envy.
Art Vandelay @ Aug 24th 2006 9:05AM
lackingcleverness,
Why yes, joystiq is the venue to complain about the PSP...when appropriate. My complaint is with the trolls that come out in droves everytime something PSP is posted. It could be a story about a new PSP faceplate and you'll have 20 people posting "PSP sucks"..."how about some games Sony"..."DS Rules" You post that same story on the DS and you get "Miyamoto is a genius"..."wow a new faceplate"..."Nintendo is officially my daddy" I'm for free speech but I am firmly against trolling whether it be cool or not to do it against Sony.
I disagree the PSP is receiving inadequate support. In the year plus it's been out, we've gotten a web browser, RSS feeds, AAC support, a library of games dominated by ones you don't like but pretty darn good games port or not. and as for the homebrew community allowing your system to easily be hacked is bad for business (see Xbox). Yes Sony should develop a homebrew program but letting any and every amateur game designer hack your system, means lower profit. Which, like it or not, is why Sony, Nintendo, MS...are in business.
Lastly, Why yes it is a very impressive multimedia machine UMD or not. I only have one UMD, Spider-man, that came with my PSP. But I have RSS feeds, songs, game demos, and probably 100 videos on my PSP. Any techie worth their salt can navigate sony's wonky naming structure (which was slightly corrected with the last update) and do the same.
Quit buying into the hype and give the darn system a chance. If not do as I said earlier and sell. The PSP is fetching about $165 - $188 on ebay.
Player1 @ Aug 24th 2006 10:09AM
The PSP can control fine. Syphon Filter (which is a great game btw) demonstrated a FPS-style control can work fine with the analog nub as aim and the buttons as movement or vice versa, and using the d-pad as buttons. It takes a tiny bit of practice, but if you'd played that game online with good players, you see exactly how good it can work. Though I know all the PSP haters have never actually tried one anyways, so they wouldn't know this.
ghostblur @ Aug 24th 2006 11:01AM
Metal Gear Portable Ops looks like Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence with less detail in the environments. Visually the game looks pretty amazing for a handheld game. There is nothing on the DS that can even compare to the screenshots of this game. Of course some nintendo fanboy will say, "How can you compage art styles. Mwah." Simple. I don't like everthing to have a cartoonish look to it. The pretty much somes up the nintendo ds. Wipeout looks amazing and Mario Kart looks like poorly pixelated poo. As far as the controls of the game, I won't judge until the game is in my hands.
Vincent Avatar @ Aug 24th 2006 12:39PM
You can keep your graphics and I'll just sit over here, content with a game that is actually fun to play.
Bill Pendry @ Aug 24th 2006 1:19PM
LOL @ that chick's outfit.
I mean, come on.
helios @ Aug 24th 2006 2:11PM
I've had my PSP for a while now, and I'm more or less constantly searching for decent games for it. I have around 10 now, most of which I haven't bothered to unpack since my recent move. I even bought one for my housemate, as a present, so we could try multi-player games on it.
I continue to be disappointed. I think maybe these guys have the right of it. This makes me sad, for the PSP has lots of potential. I don't know if it's too hard to program, or too expensive to license, or if everyone just hates Sony, but the games are simply *not there*.
Also, in the screen shots, why is it that all of the characters are wearing body suits complete with gloves and hats, except for the female character who has to open hers to expose her badly-rendered bra?
helios @ Aug 24th 2006 2:23PM
Looks like the link was dropped from my previous post:
http://www.duelinganalogs.com/?date=2006-07-26
Player1 @ Aug 24th 2006 2:26PM
I love it. People go nuts over these games when they are on the PS2 but when it becomes portable it's instantly "not fun". If only the PSP had a stylus which apparently makes games instantly "fun".
Brad Lee @ Aug 24th 2006 6:25PM
"This blatantly not true. Just because the PSP can and does in no way means it shouldn't. I have both the DS and PSP and I loath the cheap "games" for the DS whereas I am in love with the games for the PSP. The PSP is a portable console. The DS is like two GameBoys stuck together with one being quasi "touch-able" its games more on par with freebies you get in a kids cereal box, short, limited, cheap, yet sugar coated."
Well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. Most of the PSP games I have played just feel like watered down console games. And I think the only reason most people like the games is because they say "Oh, it's great for a handheld." In other words, they have lowered expectations for it, so it is harder to disappoint. I mean, most PSP games lack features from the console versions, the controls are usually not as good (especially camera controls because the lack of a second analog 'nub'), and the load times are usually just terrible. In other words, the games aren't made FOR the PSP, they are made for the console and then ported to the PSP. If more games were made specifically for the system, I think the PSP would have much better games.
And saying the DS is like two GBAs taped together is actually more of a complement than an insult, considering the GBA is the best selling system ever. And while you apparently hate the quick-paced, innovative gameplay of the DS, I like it. I prefer handheld games to be pick-up and play style, because that only makes sense. And I'd rather have worse graphics and zero load times than _almost_ console graphics with horrendous load times. But to each his own I suppose.
"Quit buying into the hype and give the darn system a chance. If not do as I said earlier and sell. The PSP is fetching about $165 - $188 on ebay." by Vandelay
Actually, I've been looking for PSPs on Ebay and barebones PSPs (with just the PSP and the essentials) are going for about $130-$150. Only PSPs with extras, such as games, umd movies, or large memory sticks are going for around $150-$200. At least that is what I have seen the past few days. So, if lackingcleverness bought his PSP at full price ($250), then he'd pretty much lose half his investment if he sold it on Ebay.
Also, if he did indeed buy the system I believe he gave it a chance. I don't think he would have bought the system just to prove to himself how much it sucks.
In a way, PSP delivers what it promises, a console-like experience on a handheld with some multimedia options as a bonus. I think the reason many PSP owners are disappointed in the system is simply that the 'wow-factor' wares off pretty fast. Sure, at first it is awesome playing console-like games in the palm of your hand, but it doesn't take too long to say "So what?" The DS offers something different that can't be done on consoles, which is why I think it is doing so well.
ghostblur @ Aug 25th 2006 10:23AM
Brad Lee
What no comment about the cartoonish graphics of the DS? I was hoping someone would bash my short rant and tell me that my grammer was horrible. I guess I will walk away with my head down in the shadow of pointless handheld intolerance.