Let me start off by saying that I am a big fan of Metal Gear; the series' blend of stealth/action gameplay and epic storytelling is arguably unmatched by any other game. However, I'm not a big fan of card-based games. In fact, I have never played Magic: The Gathering or any other similar game. I was thrilled when I heard that Metal Gear was coming to PSP, then after discovering it was a card game, I was one part shocked, one part intrigued.

Anybody who has played any other game in the series will feel right at home with the story in Metal Gear Ac!d, which takes place in the future. A plane has been hijacked that happens to have a very important senator aboard. The hijackers apparently want something called "Pythagoras" (hmmmmm, what could that be?) or everyone in the plane dies. And what do you know, the government decides to call on their favourite bandana-wearing hero, Solid Snake, to save the day. It's a standard movie plot, right? Well, Ac!d takes it a step further by throwing in twists and turns; most surprising, though, is a new companion; Snake now has a female sidekick to sneak around with. Her name is Teliko and she slips right into with the rest of the Metal Gear world. Newcomers to Metal Gear won't feel left out either, as this game doesn't really hold too many ties to the rest of the Metal Gear series, other than the presence of everyone's favourite serpent, of course.

MGA starts off with your standard tutorial level, teaching you how to use the cards to move, climb ladders and use weapons. While sufficient, I must say that the game doesn't do a very good job of explaining the use of some of the later cards and features (most notably the advanced weapon cards). Each level is composed of several seamless "tiles". You don't notice they are there at first look, but once you start to move, it's pretty apparent. At the beginning of every level, Snake (and in later missions Teliko as well) starts with six cards in his hand. There are several different types of cards and each does different things. For instance, some cards are used as weapons, while others are used as items (such as a keycard to unlock a door). It should be noted, however, that while there are specific cards that allow you to walk, almost any card in the game allows you to move around, so you won't be stuck standing still while holding only a bunch of chaff grenades.

Every card in the game is assigned a cost, which determines the amount of time a certain action will take. This is where the real gameplay strategy comes into play and managing cost is really what the game is about. You see, once you're done moving, you'd better make sure that the enemy soldiers can't reach you before you can move again, or you're pretty much a sitting duck (or Snake if you prefer). You could also think of cost as seconds. For example, you want to walk from point A to point B and then shoot at an enemy. You will use two cards to accomplish this, your walk card (with a cost of 4) and your weapon (SOCOM pistol in this example), which has a cost of 5. Once you are finished using the two cards, your total cost is 9, meaning that you have to wait until the 9 cost (or seconds) goes back down to 0 before you can make your next move. Now, if your enemy has only used up 8 or less cost, then he will get to move again before you do, while if your enemy has used 10 or more cost, then you will get to move before him. Cost is reduced by ending your turn or resting and fortunately you can see the enemy's cost as well as your own, allowing you to plan ahead and use your cards wisely. Cost is probably the most difficult aspect of the game to comprehend, but it really is much more simple once you start playing the game!

Most missions simply require Snake to get from point A to point B, although there is some mission variety, such as trying to find a certain character to advance the story, or defeating characters (mostly boss stages) to move on to the next level. Pacing is sometimes a problem, as more than once during the game I felt that the story was moving too slowly. Be aware also, that some (most in fact) of the later missions take well over an hour to complete. This isn't exactly the best situation for gaming on the go, but a save feature is included that lets you save at any point in the mission. I have one minor complaint about the save though; instead of giving you the option to continue after you've saved, the game simply quits back to the title screen, requiring you to reload if you wish to continue and were just saving in case things are about to go wrong.

Metal Gear continues its tradition of collecting items, with over 200 cards available in the game. New cards are either purchased at the end of levels with points you gain based on your score of the level, won by completing certain goals (finishing the level quickly, no kills, not found by the enemy, etc.). Later in the game, Teliko becomes playable and opens up even more strategy, as she can use three cards per turn, as opposed to Snake's two. Because of this, she is better suited for certain tasks, such as moving across long distances. Again, the game mechanics are about as deep as a skyscraper is high, but average gamers will pick up the system and be sneaking around like a pro within the first couple of missions.

Visually, the game looks like any other recent Metal Gear entry - which is a good thing. From the detailed office environments, to the well drawn outdoors, this game is definitely Metal Gear. It is mostly shown in a 3D perspective, though the game does zoom in during action sequences. Camera control is good, letting the player move around the map at will when making their move. Enemies' point of view is portrayed by small yellow dots that appear on a tile; if you are standing in that tile, then the enemy can see you. Character design is pretty good, too. All the characters have nice details and even some good facial features. Most of the animations are decent, but at times, the game feels a bit stiff; animations when a character gets shot, for example, remind me of someone trying to madly stomp on cockroaches! Other times, a character might be thrown to the floor and then just get up as if he meant to fall (all without noticing Snake, mind you). It does make the game a little weird and sometimes hilarious at the same time, but doesn't take away from the experience. Overall, you won't be disappointed in the visual department.

Sound wise, all the normal effects that Metal Gear fans have become accustomed to are here; from the alerted guard noise to the twinkling of chaff grenades. Throw in a decent music track and you have a complete package that audibly reconfirms that you are, in fact, playing a Metal Gear game. The game is, however, sorely missing its voiceovers. Long regarded as some of the best, if not the best, game voice work, Metal Gear has built a legacy around the amount of quality voice acting in all of its games since the PsOne original. That said, voice acting has almost become expected of a Metal Gear game and the lack of it in Ac!d is definitely missed. Reading a compelling story just isn't the same when you don't have actors to accommodate the suspense.

Memorable characters, excellent story-telling, plot twists, collecting (cards, of course), cardboard boxes, girly pictures; MGA has everything that a Metal Gear connoisseur has come to expect in the series. Add in excellent presentation and you should have a complete Metal Gear experience, right? Well, almost, but the lack of voice acting and some pacing issues detract from the overall Metal Gear experience. Some added extras would have been nice, as well; other than collecting all the cards, there's not really much incentive to go back and play the game through again.

Metal Gear Ac!d is definitely an acquired taste and even long time fans of Metal Gear may shun the direction that Ac!d has taken. What can't be denied, however, is that MGA is definitely a Metal Gear game. Personally, I enjoyed the gameplay and story and upon completing it I was left with both satisfaction and the want for more. While MGA is definitely not for everyone, I would recommend at least trying it before totally brushing it off.

Reviewed by Phillip Tang for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).