Metal Gear Acid Sneaks Up to Euro Launch

New English screens and details for Konami's strategic take on the Metal Gear mythos.

In Konami's new Metal Gear game for PSP, Snake must use his wily ways to infiltrate an African island to eliminate a faction of mercenaries that have taken a presidential candidate hostage. Metal Gear Acid still relies on stealth, fancy weapons and gadgets and slick footwork, but that's about where the similarities with the popular franchise end.

Metal Gear Acid is a card-based strategy game that plays out much like a virtual board game. You and the enemies you're up against have turns during which actions laid out on cards are performed. So to shoot a gun, you don't pull a trigger - instead you use an action card to fire. Think of it as virtual Magic: The Gathering with high-tech weaponry and other spy stuff.

This doesn't mean that stealth is out the window, though. Much like the Metal Gear Solid series, it's still in your best interest to keep out of your enemies' sight, and proper planning is vital to getting rid of baddies.

For most of the game you'll play as Snake, but there are missions where you'll have to control a second character named Teliko as well. And while the singleplayer game is the focus, a wireless multiplayer mode lets you test your skills against other PSP owners.

Metal Gear Acid has already been released in both Japan and North America, where it has received good reviews. Konami is preparing the game for release in Europe during the PSP launch window - whenever that may be. Sony is still tight-lipped with PSP launch details, so for now you'll have to imagine playing the game using these screenshots as inspiration.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games