A must for Metal Gear fans who can tolerate the slow pace of a strategy game.
All of the elements of this game I enjoy seperately... of course I like Metal Gear, but I'm also a fan of strategy games (even if I'm not that good at them) as well as collectable card games like Magic the Gathering. In the end, mixing these elements into Metal Gear changes the game considerably. As it turns out, it's pretty fun.
The main things I love about this game are the things I love about all Metal Gear games. The storytelling is great, the game has an awesome sense of drama and style. I'm not sure where Ac!d fits in on the Metal Gear timeline (if it does at all) but it's still works. The card-based strategy is satisfying... even when you have few cards in your hand there are a wealth of tactical options at your disposal. Items have been replaced with booster packs of cards, and the rush of discovering what cards you earned is more than enough drive to send you off the beaten path to collect them. The game is also quite challenging (especially if you try to get the extra stuff) which helps to create some of the tension that made MG's sneaking gameplay so great. Just don't get too frustrated... be prepared to start some of the missions over again, and save often.
The game is not without it's problems though. First off... this is a strategy game. Fans who enjoy Metal Gear for the action gameplay might be turned off by the large gap in pacing. Sometimes you can spend up to a half-hour in a single room, and reaction time and aiming have been replaced with statistics and die rolls. Between each mission, you have to purchase new cards and tweak your deck... tactics RPG and CCG fans know how much of a time sink this can be. Secondly, this game features almost no FMVs or spoken dialogue, so the speech in this game will have to be read. As an RPG vet, this doesn't trouble me too much... but it does destroy some of the visceral impact that I love about the MGS games.
The Verdict:
Fans of Metal Gear games and strategy games will get the most out of Ac!d. It feels as though it was meant to be played by MG fans because there are references to the old titles throughout the game. MG fans who loved the action elements of the series will find Ac!d to be a radical downgrade in pace, which might keep them away. Players who have never played a Metal Gear game before might find a good strategy stealth experience here... but I recommend playing the other games first or you'll miss a lot. Of course, for the die-hard MG fan... this is a must-buy! I liked the game a lot, and will be picking up Ac!d 2 before long. The game has good replay value and considerable lasting power... though admittedly part of this is generated by the game's pacing ~_^
If you do decide to play this game... I recommend checking online for details on exactly how to control the game before you jump in. Even with the manual and tutorials combined, figuring out some of the finer points of the game can be, well, nearly impossible ^_^
The Good:
+Deep, tense strategy gameplay
+Challenging as BALLS
+Solid Snake is in it
+Metal-Gear-style story
+Captures the thrill of card-collecting
+Tons of MG fanboy nostalgia goodness
The Bad:
-Pace can be brutally slow at times
-Steep learning curve
-Story doesn't exactly fit in MG timeline
-Lack of FMVs/Audio in cutscenes slightly weakens the narrative