Metal Gear Solid V

[Sarge]

I'm all for making a product the best it can be, but if you are, or know, artistic types, they will often keep tweaking until the end of time. At some point, something has to be "finished", and it sounds like Konami was getting tired of bankrolling his creative vision with nothing to really show for it.

Mad respect to Kojima, of course, but we've always complained in the past about his excesses, and it looks like Konami finally got tired of it, too. Especially when it hits their bottom line.

I expect this might be the last MGS game we'll ever see, though. Unless we get some sort of crappy mobile MGS card game with microtransactions. You know it's coming.

[isiolia]

I expect this might be the last MGS game we'll ever see, though. Unless we get some sort of crappy mobile MGS card game with microtransactions. You know it's coming.

Konami still owns the IP, and had job listings up for positions working on new titles in the series.

With MGSV presumably bringing the series full circle, they could probably do well with just remaking Metal Gear and going from there, if they wanted to.

[Exhuminator]

I expect this might be the last MGS game we'll ever see, though.

I seriously doubt that. It may be the last one Kojima directs though. But that doesn't mean a Metal Gear game he doesn't direct won't be a great game. For example he did not direct or design the following:

Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (GBC)
Metal Gear Acid (PSP) *
Metal Gear Acid 2 (PSP) *
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP) *
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (PSP)
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (various)

But all were well received critically and commercially. I've personally beaten the games with the * mark and they were great. Metal Gear can exist and excel without Kojima at the helm believe it or not.

[Blu]

I remember the Acid Games not getting critical acclaim, despite commercial success. I think they expanded how you could play a Metal Gear Game, with an entirely new system of controls and play. I think the branding of Metal Gear at the time was so strong that anything could've been carried by recognition alone. I have the first one, and it's alright--the second I hear is way better. Portable Ops and Peace Walker were amazing for the constraints of a portable system.

[Sarge]

Isn't Konami really sliding away from console development at this point, though? They're making more profit in other sectors, it seems. I hope I'm wrong! (I probably am.)

[Exhuminator]

I remember the Acid Games not getting critical acclaim, despite commercial success.

As far as Metacritic goes, the first game sits at a 75 and the second at an 80. I guess they got "mild" critical acclaim then. But given how different they were from the standard formula, and the lack of direct Kojima, that's still pretty impressive.

I have the first one, and it's alright--the second I hear is way better.

The second is more polished, but I still believe the first game's worth playing for its OST and challenge. I just went back and checked my HLTB reviews for these. I'll spoiler them below for the web crawl bots to archive:

Metal Gear AC!D (7/10)
If you're a Metal Gear fan, a card battling fan, and turn based strategy fan... you may enjoy Metal Gear AC!D. The core strategic combat gameplay of AC!D is certainly plenty of fun, once you get past the learning curve. However... slow pacing, occasionally terrible mission design, a clunky movement system, and a seriously bad plot sap some of that fun. Stellar music and a rich technoir atmosphere will help draw you back in though. Truly Metal Gear AC!D is not for everyone, but for open minded strategists this is a unique trip.

Metal Gear AC!D 2 (8/10)
Metal Gear AC!D 2 outclasses its predecessor in almost every way. A faster pace, more logical game design, nicer graphics, equally excellent OST, and even a plot that a human can understand. New systems are introduced such as partner reaction fire support, automatic Link Action cards, an ecchi factor, and even a stereoscopic 3D viewing mode. That said, AC!D 2's atmosphere is weaker than the first game, and the challenge level has been greatly reduced. The AC!D series is truly weird, but AC!D 2 manages to be truly fun, so give it a chance even if you didn't find the first game very welcoming.

[isiolia]

Isn't Konami really sliding away from console development at this point, though? They're making more profit in other sectors, it seems. I hope I'm wrong! (I probably am.)

They're shifting more towards mobile right now, yeah - and DLC, etc. The kinds of stuff that every big publisher is doing, because money.

Console, PC, arcade, and so on are still mentioned as targets though. Probably just not what they'll be banking on.

[Snatch1414]

Ground Zeroes free on Xbox One for August.

[SamuraiMegas]

Pre ordered collectors edition for PS4. Can't wait for it to come out. Anyone want to team up and protect each others FOB's?

[Jmenglan]

I really hope that limited edition console gets released in the states, that thing is gorgeous