Metal Gear Acid is a rather interesting product. In recent years, we've seen many of our beloved franchises break out of their traditional genres. Mega Man X Command Mission, for instance, turned a pure side-scrolling action game into a Final Fantasy-esque, turn-based RPG. Other titles that have recently shaken things up are Onimusha Tactics and Paper Mario 2: The Thousand Year Door. While Metal Gear Solid was never a cookie-cutter action game, Metal Gear Acid pushes the series further from its roots than ever before. It takes the familiar Metal Gear elements and squeezes them into a turn-based card game. The concept may sound odd, and it will likely be limited to a niche audience, but the game can be a real gem for those who love both Metal Gear and turn-based strategy games.

The first thing anyone familiar with the Metal Gear series will notice is that this title was not directed by Hideo Kojima. He surely had some input, but the fresh development minds behind this entry have resulted in some definite changes. For starters, the story is odd... very odd-even for a Metal Gear title. Sometimes, in fact, it is downright disturbing. The music and plot elements-while enjoyable-are much more akin to something like Parasite Eve than Metal Gear. Snake isn't the Snake we've come to understand and love, either. He has been burdened here with an inexplicable naiveté that doesn't mesh well with the games that have come before. For instance, his codec partner throughout the story is a young woman named Alice who happens to be psychic. Despite the fact that Snake has previously battled the telekinetic wacko, Psycho Mantis, and witnessed the hand of his genetic twin controlling and communicating through Revolver Ocelot, he consistently doubts Alice's abilities for a very sustained period of time. Remember, this guy met a man who could deflect bullets with a knife and a woman who could deflect any projectile just by standing in its line fire. Why would a psychic girl surprise Solid Snake at all, especially so many years after all of the events that we've experienced along with him?

So, the story isn't the game's strong point. This is somewhat of a problem, as the intrigue and suspense of the series have always been popular assets. Outside of the story problems, however, Metal Gear Acid is an extremely solid and ultimately fun turn-based tactical game. Players begin the game with a deck of 30 cards, each of which belongs to one of three main categories and has a different function: action, support or weapon. A player's hand consists of six cards, and up to two more will be drawn from the deck at the beginning of each turn to refill the hand to its maximum. Some cards represent an item that can be equipped, while others may signify an action or effect. The Action+ card, for instance, increases Snake's two actions per turn to three. However, acting three times in one turn will increase Snake's "cost," resulting in turns that are farther apart.

Cost is the element by which turns are dictated, and it defines a rather effective and intelligent turn-based system. Each card has a specific cost attribute, and certain actions require more cost than others. It is easiest to think of each cost point as one second. Cost accumulates throughout a turn depending on which cards were used and which actions were taken-e.g., shooting a gun may cost six seconds, while moving only costs four. On the outside of the curve, using a very advanced and specialized action may cost as much as ten seconds. Players can also wait, which increases Snake's cost by four, allowing him to pull two cards from the deck while the enemy takes an action. Forfeiting a turn in this manner can be a helpful way to force an enemy into a more advantageous position before proceeding on the map.

Most cards, in addition to having some primary function, will allow Snake to move a certain number of steps. A lot of Metal Gear Acid's action-most of it, actually-involves movement. This is slightly inconsistent with the card-based nature of the game, as players will predominantly be sacrificing cards for movement instead of using them for their designated actions. Movement doesn't necessarily have to be the focus-it is possible to play offensively and blow your way through most maps-but players are rewarded for completing maps quickly, silently and without killing enemies. This results in a preferred victory condition that doesn't mesh well with the card theme, especially since the limited save system makes it even more difficult to accomplish. Much like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, players can only save once within a mission and are booted to the main menu when they do so. Though, thankfully, these save files aren't automatically deleted when they are loaded, silent espionage is made exponentially more frustrating by the inability to experiment.

The standard rules of the Metal Gear universe also apply in Acid, though the increased focus on strategy has resulted in some tactics becoming more useful than in previous iterations. Sound, in particular, plays a much larger role. Making noise still attracts the guards, and the ability to knock on walls or throw grenades to attract a guard's attention is invaluable. In an important twist, these diversions now only attract one guard at a time, and the alerted guard will always take the shortest path toward the disturbance. Thus, players are able to specifically manipulate opponents toward an area of the grid, avoiding detection. Snake can also crawl, allowing him to avoid alarms and suspicious guards by hiding out in certain nooks and crannies.

In all, Metal Gear Acid is a Metal Gear game-but it is also quite different. The story and characterization could be a bit better, but any great amount of disappointment in this area is likely to be the result of unfair expectations. In essence, Acid is a tactical espionage game. Those that love card games will enjoy the 200+ cards available throughout the game, and fans of turn-based strategy will also find a lot to like here. The experience is analogous to an elaborate board game in which the board and architecture change from mission to mission-much like Hero's Quest (fantasy setting notwithstanding). It may not be a typical Metal Gear title, but it is a very robust game and it is worth a look for those yearning for something different.

Mar 30, 2005 | 0 comments
Roger Helgeson