May 21, 2008

Metal Gear Online - Impressions - Part 3

It's less than a month to go until the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 and I'm chomping at the bit! I was too busy running around in the MGO beta, blowing up barrels and chucking grenades to really explore the skills.
Besides the various weapon mastery and agility skills there is 'enhanced lock on'. This 'lock on' mode basically aims your gun for you once near enough to the enemy and facing his general direction. It was apparently created for the Japanese gamers who aren't as hard core as their western counterparts. Only later on was the alternative manual aiming mode added for us rabid console-slaves, and a good thing too! Anyhoo, 'enhanced lock on' increases the maximum distance of your 'lock on'. I'm not sure how this works with sniper rifles, probably not at all, seeing as you have a scope.
The 'Zoom Up' skill increases the zoom rate when aiming weapons in First Person View. It doesn't work when using a scope.
One of the skills I'm eager to try is 'Enemy Exposure'. No, it doesn't involve jumping out of the bushes in an raincoat and flashing the enemy. This one displays enemies you've attacked on your map, which you can share through SOP with your team members. That sounds like a handy skill but I'm wondering will it work with mines? If an enemy soldier triggers one of my mines on the other side of the map will he suddenly show up on my map as an orange triangle? Or hitting an enemy with a long sniper shot just before he disappears around a corner?
Now I should have been using this skill while playing the beta. 'Aware' displays nearby traps. This data can be shared with your team members through SOP. Considering the number of times my own crew stepped on mines I'd planted and were slammed into walls or mown down by enemy fire, I shouldn't be surprised a couple of them came after me! Sorry fellas! I'll be using it next time I play MGO foh sho!


"Who keeps planting mines??!!"

'Target Alert' displays an attacking enemy when locked-on and damage is taken. You can share this data through SOP. I'm wondering if this display lasts for as long as that attacking enemy is alive or if it's lost outside a certain range?
The 'Scanning' skill is one that most players with CQC mastery will probably try at least once, if only as an added insult to grabbing you in the first place. Once you've captured an enemy you can inject him with a data plug that will scan his nano-thingies and give you all his SOP link info, allowing you to see where all of his team mates are. Nice! It only works if their team was linked up through SOP at the time though. And by the time you've injected them another of the enemy may have found you! A couple of magazines on the ground would take of that though ;) The info disappears after a time but levelling up displays it for longer.



Well, that's my Metal Gear Online beta experience. Can't wait to play the final product, maybe I'll see you online. Just mind your step! ;)

No comments: