REVIEWS Resident Evil: Revelations Review
While 3DS gamers have been enjoying the franchise's best game in years for some time now, does the experience translate for Resident Evil fans on console?

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Review
Gamers have gone bananas for Nintendo's 3DS, but can this port of Retro Studios' 2010 Wii game make the jump to your portable?

PREVIEWS The Last of Us Preview
With Naughty Dog releasing a new IP in just a few short weeks, we got hands-on one more time. But don't worry: This is a spoiler-free preview.

The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot Preview

Watch Dogs (PS4) Preview

Release Dates

NEW RELEASES GRiD 2
Release date: 05/28/13

Fuse
Release date: 05/28/13

Remember Me
Release date: 06/04/13

The Last of Us
Release date: 06/14/13

Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops: The Game Where You Just Can't Lose

Posted on Friday, September 21 @ 09:37:00 Eastern by Heath_Hindman

Tap the screen to win in Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops. Mei Ling spoke, Snake listened. I tapped the screen of my Docomo smartphone to move the dialogue. Snake had to sneak up behind a dangerous armed man and hold him up—a tricky task for most soliders. Not Solid Snake though. The only thing I had to do was tap the screen. Flawless victory.

After the successful disarming and silencing of the sentry, Snake needed to sneak carefully from one hiding spot to the other. I tapped the screen, and Snake did this quickly. I'm going to repeat that: The only thing I did was tap the screen, and Snake was suddenly in the next hiding place. No skill or planning involved at all.

After another run-through of tapping to hold a man up and tapping to sneak—by hitting the same exact spot on the screen, no less—a tank appeared in a CG cinema. I fought it with icons that were on the screen, representing a card deck that I presumably have to buy. My guys beat the tank in their autobattle after I tapped the screen to start it. I also tapped the screen to end it. I also threaten people now by telling them, "Don't make me tap your screen, homie."

After the fight, I was greeted with a Level Up screen and the game told me I had cleared the chapter. I seriously just tapped the bottom right corner of the screen, exclusively, from beginning to end. That was it. That was the whole thing. That's how I beat the Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops demo. "Well, it was getting really rough there until I decided to tap the touchscreen, eh heh heh heh. Thaaaaat turned the tide." I can't think of a way I could have lost this game. I don't think I could have died if I tried.

As you probably expected upon first hearing of this title, Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops is not the Metal Gear Solid you've come to know and love. It's Metal Gear characters and concepts intertwined with everything that makes "social gaming" and phone gaming a little ridiculous. That's not to say phone games are bad by default; there's just an awful lot of shovelware "tap the screen to win" crap for them. Sadly, Snake is now a part of the scheme.

Tags: Tokyo Game Show

Comments

darkvictory
Joined: Apr 2011

Posted: Sep 21st, 2012 at 9:52 am
When I first heard about this, I knew it was a terrible idea. This cements the fact. There was potential, but it looks like they just pissed it away.

0 1

danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Sep 21st, 2012 at 11:07 am
Sounds right. They're trying to expand the brand a more visible platform, but you can't do that unless you have a good game to back it up.

0 1

Bras
Joined: Jul 2008

Posted: Sep 21st, 2012 at 11:09 am
So this is why they developed the Fox engine.

0 1

Mi_llamo_es_Loco
Joined: Mar 2012

Posted: Sep 26th, 2012 at 9:13 am
Pooooooooooooooooooor Queeeeeeeee?

0 0