[Rating:4.5/5]

By Steven Smith

There are five things that all Metal Gear Solid (M.G.S.) veterans know about the game. The main character, regardless of his real name, will be known as Snake. He will smoke something, either a cigar or cigarette. He will love cardboard boxes, well any of the ones big enough to fit into. The cut scenes are like an action movie — a really, really long action movie. They are all anti-war.

This one is a little different. Set a few years after M.G.S. 3: Snake Eater, in Peace Walker, you play as Big Boss (a.k.a. Naked Snake) you have started a new company of mercenaries, called Militaires Sans Frontieres (Soldiers Without Borders) you are hired to defend the country of Costa Rica by a concerned third party.

Considering that the game is on the PSP, you would think that the graphics would be shoddy, but not in this game. It’s smooth, quick, and puts enough details into the enemies camouflage that unless they move you’re going to have hard time spotting them in the jungle. The game ensures that you can usually find the target in first person. It’s almost the same quality as a major console game.

The cut-scenes have sadly been redone .Most of the live action animation has been replaced by hand drawn comics; the comics themselves look dark, bloody, and grim. This change gives the game a much more somber tone, the down side being that it takes away from the reality. As any experienced PSP gamer knows, your hand tends to cramp or your battery starts to die after several hours, but the cut scenes are so well done that when this happens, you can put it down, plug it in, and enjoy the show.

The combat is unwieldy, unrewarding, and mostly a bad idea since you can’t aim while you run, and blind fire in this game is not advised. The boss fights in this game are interesting and challenging, not impossible mind you. It may take a few tries to find a weak spot, but stay determined and you will win. Remember few things can survive a head shot.

M.G.S: Peace Walker is, by far, one of my favorite of the series. The storyline, while not unexpected, completely immerses you and the flow of the music and graphics are great. Sure, combat is unwieldy but this is a stealth game, you’re not supposed to go in guns blazing. I fully recommend this game, especially to anti-war teachers. This game is rated ‘T’ for teens, so go out and play.