Snakes got a great hand here
MGS is a turn based strategy game in which you move and fight depending on the characteristics of the cards you have in your deck. Every card allows you to move, how many steps you can take will depend on the card you play. Much like a game of chess you make your move and then your opponent makes theirs. In this case only opponents in the vicinity will move. MGS (since the PSX game) has always been about stealth and that rule hasn’t changed here. You can still crawl under objects, hide in a box and press yourself against walls. From time to time a fight will be your only option and this is where things get interesting.
Before going into a fight (or if you just wanna be cautious) you can kit yourself out. For example you can attach a dodge, armour or even a counter attack to yourself. Each of these equips have a “chance” of activating when an enemy makes the appropriate attack. For example if you have dodge and counter attack equipped its possible that the next enemy that fires on you will miss (you’ll actually see Snake dodge the shot) and thanks to counter attack you’ll put a gun on the enemy and fire back without it using your turn. There are many cards relating to combat and it’s up to you to play the game and discover them on your own.
The graphics are very impressive for a handheld game and the sound is equally impressive. Sadly there is no voice over work here but instead the story is told through slide show of images. The story has a deliberate slow pace that should grab your attention and feed you enough here and there to keep you interested right through until the conclusion.
The controls work fine. Learning the buttons won’t take long; learning how to effectively use your cards on the other hand will take some practise but it is well worth your while figuring it out.