Let us just be real for a second…if it isn’t Kojima, than it isn’t Metal Gear. This is what hurts this series mainly, no matter what you think of the game play. Gone are the long-winded cut scenes and voice-overs, and the story itself is just so-so when compared to the ‘great ones’ execution over the last decade or so. Which leaves the question, if the story is passable, the controls are a mix of real time and card battle, then is this trip necessary? I guess in the end, that all depends on you.

Visually the series takes another turn for the worse, as now Snake is cel-shaded! I mean hiding a card battling game is bad enough, but now you are hitting below the belt. Is this new radical look the way to show off your 3D technology? If so, screw 3D! Yes folks, packed in with MGA2 are a set of 3D glasses that you put over your PSP to bring the game to ‘life’. Whatever…I hate gimmicks, and folks that is just what MGA2 is, just one big freaking gimmick. For what it’s worth, the new characters are well designed, the new enemies and bosses are cool, and the weapon set is vastly greater to allow you to kick some virtual ass with Snake. Overall the new look is bright, colorful, and not what the fans of the series are used to. The story and mood for the series has always been dark, and it feels as if Sesame Street has visited the land of Metal Gear to lend some color to their bleak world.

Audio is very disappointing. Once again if David Hayter isn’t performing as the voice of Snake, then the game looses a ton of appeal. As with the first MGA, there aren’t any voiceovers whatsoever. The music is very MG like, and sets the mood for those close quarter battles quite well. Sound effects are genuine, so expect those familiar Metal Gear sound effects here as well. As far as overall production quality goes, without the voice, the game loses a big chuck of its appeal.

Game play is a quaint mixture of real time “movements” and tactical card battling game play. It is true that this time around you do have a bit more freedom moving about place to place, but once you engage an enemy, the game can only be controlled by moves, actions, and attacks performed by cards. I will admit that the enemies are far more intelligent, which will cause you to think out your strategy even before you select your first move more times than not. You have over 500 cards this time for use, which means more moves, more weapons, and more options. Even cooler is the weapon set comes from MGS 3, which many gamers will already have that mindset if they are playing Subsistence as we speak. The set up, enemy A.I., and overall strategy works well, but I can’t help but say it…it is not Metal Gear.

If you are a fan of the first, you will be happy to know that you can import a card from the first MGA title. If you are a photo fanatic, you can take the photos shot in Subsistence and view them on the PSP, and what’s more in 3D! There is a multiplayer Vs. mode, which you can unlock, but without infrastructure game play, the option is weak.

Metal Gear Acid 2 is over the top, with its visuals and substance. Fans of the original will like the new additions and expansiveness over the first, but there isn’t enough here to draw haters of the first game to try it. It is more than obvious that you can put me in that hater category. I’m not very big on change, and this series for me, is a change for the worse. I hope when Kojima finally retires, he leaves his beloved series in more competent hands. If the game didn’t have the Metal Gear name on it, then military strategy fans would at least be happy as it does deliver on this style of game play. The fact of the matter is that it does have the Metal Gear name, which makes it harder to swallow. Without the name, I wouldn’t play a military, strategy, card game, so that ponders the question, why should I want to play this?