Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Unlike PSP games Metal Gear Acid and Metal Gear Acid 2 , which are made in the genre of turn-based tactics with elements of stealth, MPO is an action game using a 3D camera ^[6] .

The main feature of MPO is the command system ^[7] . Instead of single-player missions, as in previous Metal Gear Solid games, Snake now works in a team consisting of several people ^{[8] [9]} . Before each mission, the player must form a squad of four fighters ^{[9] [10]} . Each member of the squad has its own advantages and disadvantages ^{[9] [11]} . So some soldiers have excellent command of weapons, while others may specialize in the use of useful objects, medicine, and working with maps ^{[10] [11]} .

During the passage, the player can control only one member of his squad ^[11] . The remaining members of the detachment at this time do not use camouflage means; the player can switch between fighters in those moments when his current character will find shelter.

Soldiers who died in battle are removed from the list of the detachment, with the exception of only “unique characters,” which include the protagonist in particular ^{[9] [10]} . In addition, bosses act as unique characters ^[9] . If the level of health of a unique character drops to zero, he is placed in a hospital for treatment ^[9] . The player has the ability to interrupt the mission at any time ^[12] .

The player has many methods available to replenish his squad ^[13] . If the enemy soldier is euthanized or stunned, then he can be dragged into the vehicle, thereby capturing ^{[5] [13]} . After a certain playing time, the captured soldier becomes a member of Snake’s squad ^[13] . Also, the enemy character can be attributed to one of the waiting allies, and then by radio transmitter or directly order him to take the enemy ^[13] . Using access to the Wi-Fi system, a player can capture both ordinary soldiers and bosses ^{[8] [13]} . The GPS device ^{[9] [13]} also serves for the same purpose. Former enemy soldiers, now under the control of the player, can go unnoticed among enemies until the player performs suspicious actions ^[13] .

Another innovation is the environment indicator ^{[11] [14]} . By analogy with the radar from previous games, it allows you to determine the relative proximity of enemy soldiers by the noise they make ^[14] . The indicator consists of two circles; the outer circle reflects the level of noise made by opponents, and the inner circle reflects the sounds made by the player ^{[14] [15]} .

The game also has a multiplayer mode via Wi-Fi , expanding the capabilities of "Metal Gear Online" from the game Subsistence ^{[8] [16]} . Achievements in online mode can be transferred to single-player campaign mode - the player can hire soldiers from the squad of defeated opponents ^{[6] [9]} . Similar actions affect the results of a multiplayer game ^[10] . Unlike previous console games of the series, in-game scenes do not work on the game engine, but are presented in the form of an animated comic book by Ashley Wood ^[8] . Previously, this style was used in Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel ^{[3] [5]} . The characters in the game were voiced by both actors who previously worked on the Snake Eater project, and new ones ^{[1] [17]} . In this case, the number of cut scenes with dubbing is minimized, which is associated with a limitation in the capacity of the PSP set-top box ^[9] .

Characters

• Naked Snake is the protagonist of the game. Although he already has the title of “Big Boss,” he prefers to be approached by his usual nickname, because he believes that he has not yet surpassed his former mentor. Snake is forced to fight with his former FOX squad, whose members provoked an uprising at a base in South America.

Voiced by: Akio Otsuka , David Hayter

• Roy Campbell is Snake's main ally. A surviving member of the Green Beret Detachment sent with an intelligence mission ^[18] .

Voiced by: Toshio Furukawa , David Agranov

• Gene is the main antagonist . He became the leader of the FOX squad after the departure of Snake. He wants to create his own military nation ^[19] . It is a product of the “Heir” project, the purpose of which was the artificial creation of the ideal commander ^[20] .

Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto , Stephen Bloom

• Lieutenant Könnigham is an expert in interrogation ^[21] . He is a double agent working for the Pentagon; his mission is to discredit the CIA ^[22] .

Voiced by: Daisuke Gori , Noah Nelson

• Zero is a teenage killer who has trained and become an ideal soldier. Once, as a child, he met Snake in Mozambique (there he was known by the name of Frank Jaeger) ^[23] .

Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama , Lark Spice

• Python is the first boss in the game. Former comrade Snake, who was considered dead during the Vietnam War ^[24] .

Voiced by: Yusaku Yara , Dwight Schulz

• Eliza is a girl of German descent, the adopted daughter of Gene. She has powerful extrasensory abilities ( predognition , telepathy and telekinesis ), which she developed under the influence of radioactive fallout during the Kyshtym accident . Eliza suffers from a split personality ; her second personality is Ursula, and she is significantly stronger than Eliza in terms of telepathic abilities. Like Ursula, she is in the FOX squad, and like Eliza, she is a medic who takes care of Null and informs Snake. When Snake first meets her, she says that Ursula is her twin sister, but later the truth is revealed ^{[1] [25]} .

Voiced by: Saori Goto , Tara Strong

• Ghost is an informant who comes in contact with Snake when he finds out about the existence of a new prototype of Metal Gear.

Voiced by: Naoki Tatsuta , Brian Cummings

• Ocelot is a former GRU special forces major who secretly helps Gene.

Voiced by: Takumi Yamazaki , Josh Keaton

• Major Zero is the former commander of Snake. He was arrested by the Pentagon on suspicion of treason.

Voiced by: Banjo Ginga , Jim Piddock

• Para-Medic is a former member of the Snake Support Group. Helps him now.

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima , Heather Holly

• Sigint is a former member of the Snake Support Group, currently working for DARPA. Helps Snake.

Voiced by: Kenji Fujiwara , James Matis

• Eve , the spy of the People’s Liberation Army of China , helps Snake during the assignment. Joins the squad after completing several additional missions.

Voiced by: Misa Watanabe , Vanessa Marshall

• Raikov - GRU Major. Joins Snake's squad after completing an additional mission.

Voiced by: Kenyu Horiuchi , Charlie Schlatter

• Skovronsky - Colonel of the Red Army, overthrown by Gene.

Voiced by: Tetsu Inada , Nick Jameson

History

In 1970, 6 years after the events of Snake Eater , the FOX detachment, previously subordinate to Naked Snake, broke off relations with the CIA and deserted. Snake, the target of his former squad, is attacked and captured. The game begins when Snake is tortured by Lieutenant Cannigam, who wants to find out the whereabouts of half of the Heritage of the Philosophers (the US government has already acquired the other half). After interrogation, Snake is placed in a prison cell next to Roy Campbell, the only surviving member of the Green Berets. From Roy, Snake learns that they are now located on the San Hieronaimo Peninsula, on the site of an abandoned Soviet missile storage in Colombia .

The two of them manage to escape, and Snake goes to the communications center, where he tries to contact his former commander Major Zero. However, his old friends - Para-Medic and Sigint - get in touch. From them, Snake becomes aware that he and Zero were charged with treason and are wanted, and now for Snake the only way to justify is to find and neutralize the uprising leader Gene. The situation is aggravated by the fact that Jin lured the majority of Russian soldiers to his side. To complete the mission, Snake must convince the enemy soldiers to join his squad.

Snake and his comrades destroy the leaders of the FOX squad and eventually infiltrate Gene's shelter. Snake learns many things along the way. The Pentagon-based Cannigam wanted Snake to provoke Gene to launch a nuclear strike against Russia, which would tarnish the CIA’s reputation and extend the Cold War. Gene at the very beginning of the game learned about this plan from Ocelot. He, in turn, wanted to deliver a nuclear strike against America in order to destroy the Philosophers and create his own military nation, Army's Heaven. Snake destroys the experimental Metal Gear RAXA model and defeats Gene. After the defeat, Gene gives Snake money, equipment, personnel, and all information related to Army's Heaven. Upon completion of the mission, Snake is rewarded for his services and soon establishes FOXHOUND. Meanwhile, Ocelot kills the Director of Central Intelligence and takes possession of documents with information about the identities of the Philosophers.

In the epilogue, Ocelot talks to the unknown on the phone; they plan to use Heritage for their own needs. Ocelot agrees to join the new Patriots organization, provided that Snake / Big Boss also joins it.

The game was first released in North America on December 5, 2006. ^[26] The release of the game in Japan took place two weeks later, on December 21; complete with a limited edition, a set of three badges and a special package for the PlayStation Portable set-top box were delivered ^[27] .

The European release of the game was supposed to take place in April 2007, but it was postponed for a month ^[28] . In the UK, it was only able to be released on May 25, 2007; the reason for the delay was problems with the BBFC rating ^[29] . The European version of the game included new maps for both single-player campaign and multi-player mode, as well as a new “Boss Rush” mode ^{[30] [31]} . On November 1, 2009, the game was released for the PlayStation Network service.

Portable Ops Plus

July 17, 2007 Konami announced the release of an independent addition to the original game called Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus ^[32] . New characters were included in the game (gene soldiers and Gurlukovich soldiers from the MGS and MGS2 games, respectively). Also, new missions were added, the training mode, single-player game mode was called "Infinity Mission" ( Russian Eternal Mission ) ^{[32] [33]} .

In Japan, the Portable Ops Plus game was released on September 20, 2007 in two editions: the regular edition and the edition that included the original game and the Portable Ops Plus add-on ^[32] . On November 13, 2007, the game was released in North America ^[34] , and on March 28, 2008, in Europe ^[35] . This is the only Metal Gear Solid game to be rated Teen by ESRB.

The game contains 4 difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, Hard and Extreme. The main emphasis is on the online game in several modes.

Since 2009, the game has been available for download on the PlayStation Store.

The musical accompaniment for the game was created with the participation of Norihiko Hibino , Takahiro Izutani , Yoshitaki Suzuki, Kazuma Hinnouchi, Nobuko Toda and Akihiro Honda.

The final musical composition “Calling To The Night” was created by Akihiro Honda with the assistance of Norihiko Hibino (vocals - Natasha Ferrow, lyrics - Nobuko Toda). The song subsequently entered the game Metal Gear Solid 4 as a music track for the iPod , it was also included in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl as one of the songs played at the “Shadow Moses Island” level. "Calling To The Night" appeared in the game Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker .

The soundtrack of the game was released in Japan on December 20, 2006.

The game Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops has been favorably received by critics. On the GameRankings website , the average rating score based on 43 reviews was 87.3% ^[41] . On IGN ^[9] and GameSpot ^{[6] the} game was rated 9/10.

• Game on the official Konami website