Though it's not traditional Metal Gear fare, if you're looking for an engaging, lengthy strategy game, look no longer.
I must admit to being prejudice against card-battling games; normally I see the anime/manga crowd going ga-ga for the latest Yu-Gi-Oh or DragonBallZ installment that is card-based, and when I heard Metal Gear was changing to this format for the PSP, I was unjustly turned-off. Acid was actually a present for Christmas, and I probably would not have ever played it had it not been for my brother. So thank you, Andrew, for introducing me to this wodnerful game.
In order to avoid sounding like a crazed fanboy drooling over his latest obsession, I'll concentrate on the bad aspects of this game, which are admittedly sparse. Be reminded that although I'm focusing on the bad, I was raised a perfectionist and am putting this game up against stringest standards and by no means is this game bad.
The most glaring annoyance in Acid is the text-driven storyline. The plot itself is standard Metal Gear esponiage deciet and trickery, but the cartoon cells and text bubbles made it feel cumbersome and me feel lethargic. At times I had a strong urge to just skip all the text so I could get into the actual mission. I haven't read a great deal about Acid 2, but I'm hoping the developer modifies this part of the game, for it truly is a blemish on an otherwise wonderful game.
The other complaint, while minor, is still a component which can make or break a game: the sound. In the case of Acid, it neither makes nor breaks it, but rather it seems lackluster when compared to the other components. There is little to be said for it because there is little music to begin with. Rarely does the music noticeably change during the missions or in the menus, and the sound effects, again while not terrible, aren't stunning either.
Because of time constraints and the aformentioned fear of overdone flattery, I did not write about the high points of the game. Suffice it to say, there are many. I could have written multiple pages on the successes and plusses, but let's be honest: this is a reader review, and not many people are even still reading at this point, let alone five paragraphs down the line. In short, anyone with a passing interest in video games of any sort should try Acid out; anyone with a passing interest in strategy games doubly so.