Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker is a fine addition to the franchise. It tells the untold story of the creation of Outer Heaven as well as the back story of Naked Snake (Big Boss). This is the direct sequel to MGS3: Snake Eater and MGS: Portable Ops and it completes it rather well. Hideo Kojima both directed and produced this game so I was very excited to see what he could do with it. This game combines all the elements of previous MGS games such as the camoflauge system from MGS3, the gameplay mechanics of MGS4, and the system of Portable Ops. But what Peace Walker accomplishes is not gameplay alone, but storytelling. The trilogy of Metal Gear Solid 1,2 & 4 goes through the philosophies of modern warfare and human instrumantality. But the trilogy of Big Boss's story is a more emotional and personal philosophy of how a man goes through war and can overcome himself. The story of Peace Walker revolves around Big Boss as he encounters a tape which contains his dead mentor's (The Boss) voice on it, but she is still alive. As well as encountering that mysterious tape, Big Boss also must stop a nuclear warhead from launching, which is a typical story for Metal Gear.

The story itself is good. The sound is what makes this game very special. For a PSP game, this is really an unbelievable milestone. The musical score is great but I feel that they could've done a bit better. The voice acting is up to standard with previous Metal Gear games with the returning voices of David Hayter with his signature Snake voice, as well as Christopher Randolph as Huey (no spoilers). Sometimes I feel that the voice acting was a bit rushed but the quality of it can make a nit-picker like me to look pass it. For a PSP game, this is probably the best sounding PSP game of all time.

The gameplay in this game is the least to say, very very difficult. I found myself having to repeat various missions because of little mistakes I made. I'm not saying the game requires the player to be perfect but, it does require a lot of stratgy and planning. Since there is only one difficulty setting you don't come to expect this game to be very easy. Although the game doesn't emphasize running and gunning, you can do that it you will but I suggest stealth. This game requires a lot of patience and if you don't have that, than you will be punished throughout the game. The game emphasizes Co-Op, and believe me you will need it because the boss battles are crucial. Although I havent done co-op yet, I am starting to need it. I am about half done with the game and its only getting harder. Among main missions, there are extra ops which are similar to VR Missions which can help level up weapons as well as pass the time when you don't feel like going straight into the story. The game has a very deep operations system which is basically controlling Outer Heaven, you get to capture people like Pokemon and sort them out to what their specialties are. You can also deploy teams to do missions that destory enemies, capture more troops and recieve items as well as parts to building your own METAL GEAR, haha yea I said it, you get to build Metal Gear ZEKE which will be seen in the original Metal Gear game if you know the chronological story. I highly recommend this game to the PSP owners who have been craving for a good game, and Metal Gear fans NEED this game in their collection. Just be aware of the difficulty of this game, its a game thats worth playing and worth your time.

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There's not much to say about Peace Walker that hasn't already been said... if you like MGS, this is a required play! It combines the best elements of the last few MGS games into a perfect package. The control scheme is based on MGS4, which really plays a lot smoother with a walking crouch and a third-person shooting stance. Gone are the days of having to switch to first-person mode every time you want to take out an enemy...

Also, the meta-game of capturing enemy soldiers is vastly improved from Portable Ops. Instead of having to drag soldiers back to your truck, you hook a balloon to them and your helicopter automatically picks them up. Also, you can send your army out on operations while Snake does the missions, allowing them to acquire extra items for you. You can also research new weapons and items... the selection compared to the bland offerings from Portable Ops is astounding. There are so many guns and upgrades, you'll never see them all in a single go. This game demands multiple playthroughs.

The only weak point (to me) is the story. It's a bit better than Portable Ops, but as with all MGS games some convoluted schemes will leave you scratching your head. I don't want to spoil anything though. Peace Walker takes the best elements of MGS3, MGS4, and Portable Ops and slams them all together in a way that works. Not only is Peace Walker a great MGS game, it's the finest PSP game to date. This is what you bought your PSPs for, ladies and gentlemen.

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I won't say anything to ruin the game for anyone until two weeks goes by. After two weeks I'll get right into it, but all I can say is If you like the Naked Snake/Big Boss side of the saga better, the game is TOP of the heap, easy. Single player is awesome, but CO-OP cannot be matched. If anyone plays Metal Gear Online and knows what it's like to team up with friends and work out a strategy, imagine playing an epic game and being able to share guns and ammo, revive each other and the "Snake Formation" feature is an unrealized dream come true. The only thing I saw that no one is agreeing with me on, is the graphics. The graphics are really detailed, but seems a little rough. It's like smearing an edge to smooth it out. And I didn't really like how when you go over the shoulder the camera falls like steps taken. I liked the look and feel of Portable OPS and thought they would just carry this game over with that engine. They made a new one that is as close to Metal Gear Solid 4 as they could get on a PSP. If you are reading this looking for advice on buying it or not, I'll try to forget how much I love Metal Gear and help out. If you like "Snake Eater/Subsistence" and "Portable OPS" because of the storyline, then you'll like this. If you like all Metal Gear games, then you are not reading this and you already bought it. If you like "Guns of the Patriots/Metal Gear Online" because the game play is your thing and you enjoy a shooter with some lore, then go for it. If you are picky about the Metal Gear series and like certain ones, but not everything about them, then I'm not sure what to tell you. You can take a chance and you'd at least be able to re sell the game easily if you end up NOT liking it. I hope this helped you decide, see you in 2 weeks.

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I have always loved the metal gear solid universe. I have immense respect for Mr Kojima out of all the game designers directors producers he is on top of the list he really shows that he care's for his game there's so much quality that all game developers should look at him for inspiration i did have my reservations about this one even thou i really loved the story of portable ops the gameplay i must admit just felt crap there was for me at least to much compromise with the control that it felt awkward! But Hideo has mastered the controls in this game by adding all the best bits from all the previous installments. Storyline wise it's just as good as the rest very engaging and big boss is always a pleasure to play his such a badass overall this game is a must have for any fans of the series

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The stealth genre is an odd duck, as it is too slow paced to appeal to most action fans and too linear to appeal to most WRPG fans. There's only 3 or 4 major stealth franchises, which stop by every other year to remind us that the genre still thrives despite its niche appeal. We here in Massachusetts we have our local-favorite, the THIEF series, whose fantasy-based stealth sets it apart from fellow genre entries, and Canada brought us SPLINTER CELL, marked by the militarist protagonist Sam Fisher. Both are terrific series, but neither invoke the near-universal appeal of Japan's METAL GEAR saga, which has been re-birthing itself again and again since its debut on the MSX over 20 years ago.

Though I make an effort to remain objective, I can't seem to control myself around METAL GEAR. There's something about the series' unique combination of over-the-top political sci-fi, pitch-perfect stealth, and quirky comedy that just keeps tugging at my heartstrings (and my limited finances). I was young when I picked up METAL GEAR SOLID 2, and it was love at first sneak. I've been following the series ever since, picking up every damned release and re-release like Gibson to Salinger in "Conspiracy Theory". It is, in my opinion, the fillet of the genre.

And, with one notable exception (where my GHOST BABEL fans at?), the series' quality has floundered on the handheld. Desperate to adapt to the PSP's limitations, entries like AC!D and PORTABLE OPS did their best to shrink SOLID's pedigree to pocket-size through heavy redesign. Though the result was usually overall good, these games weren't fit to wipe the shoes of the canon console entries. Enter METAL GEAR SOLID PEACE WALKER.

PEACE WALKER succeeds not only as a canon entry to the saga's lore, but as the best of sequels do: by completely reworking the franchise. The sneaking mechanic - the true heart of the game - is largely unchanged (but say goodbye to "crawl"), though just about everything else has been tuned to fit portable gaming. Rather than having a continuous narrative, gameplay is broken up into chapters which are then broken up into missions. Missions vary in length - usually the side missions take about 5 minutes, while story entries can take upwards of a half hour. Almost every one of these missions can be played either by yourself or with up to 3 friends. I haven't touched AD-HOC multiplayer, but it's quite clear that certain missions have been programmed with multiplayer in mind. The boss fights in particular are absolutely brutal. Much like my experience with MONSTER HUNTER, taking down these mammoth mechanical beasts took me many attempts, each swing taking around 20 minutes. It can be pretty frustrating; the boss battles are an impressive spectacle, and yet still the low-point of the game. Outside of the missions, there's a lot of micro-management to do. As Big Boss, you are charged with running MSF, and from forming and sending out small strike squads to managing your food supply, constructing your army is a significant portion of PEACE WALKER's gameplay offerings. Much like GRAND THEFT AUTO: CHINATOWN WARS' drug-running feature, managing MSF is tremendously satisfying and productive while lending itself to short-bursts of portable gaming.

I'd be happy to yammer on about how this is the best game on the PSP, the best METAL GEAR game since SNAKE EATER, and a serious candidate for GOTY, but I'd hate to risk credibility with hyperbole. Gaming-on-the-go can be a trying experience, but with PEACE WALKER, you're in good hands.

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Ive always been weirded out by the, all hail Hideo comments i've seen online, but ALL HAIL HIDEO! This game is amazing. Controls are alot better, to me, then that of Portable Ops, if PO's controls where good for you, you can still use them in this game too. The story is easier to follow then previous Metal Gear titles, and man is it a good one, Im not going to give anything away.

You have alot of freedom in how you and your soldiers expand and work. You have complete control over the base that will become, Outer Heaven. Everything from Research and Developement, to Mess Hall. Weapons can be leveled up in R&D, making them more powerful, heads up, tranqs don't last very long at the start of the game, so until you get your R&D's level up and upgrade your gun, don't stick around too long after you tranq someone. You can assign soldiers to go out and earn GMP, the games currency, which have to be spent on various things like, weapons and such.

Missions are broken down, so you are always ready for whats next. You can complete one segment of a mission, return to Mother Base (Outer Heaven), change your weapon loadout, and face the next challenge. I haven't run into a problem a little weapon level grinding and R&D couldnt fix but im not quit finished yet. This game has it's hard moments so be warned, but nothing I couldnt handle by myself. If level grinding isnt your thing though, your going to have a tough go at this game in my opinion.

This game has stealth, and action, with some RPG and Pokemon (recruiting soldiers) elements to it. Hands down the best game on the PSP, and this is coming from a man who has 180 hours of total Dissidia playtime. This is a must own. This is a Game of the Year contender for sure, at the very least, it's got Handheld Game of the Year in the bag, or will Birth by Sleep give it a run for it's money? I don't know, but if any handheld title wants to take the title, they better come out swinging hard, Peace Walker isn't playing around.

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I had my PSP for four years and enjoyed many great games. This by far is the most fun, engaging and technically polished game I ever played on this system. The designers seem to finally get around the limitation of only one analog stick, the controls are really that good! The game is very deep due to some RPG elements introduced by Mother Base concept, where you develop a whole army. I'm not yet half way through the game and the difficulty seems to be ramping up. If you never played a Metal Gear game, you might find it quite a challenge, since there isn't much hand-holding from the game itself. Be sure to have extra room on your memory stick, as the optional install makes the game load fatser, so it's totally worth doing.

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Best PSP game hands down, pure metal gear solid experience. Right up there with the console numbers, kojima shows that he is one of the best. A must get for any metal gear fan, and any psp owner.

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Let me preface by saying that I am a huge Metal Gear fanboy starting from Metal Gear Solid on the PS1. The thing that sets Metal Gear apart from others is that the sequels kept getting BETTER. MGS < MGS2: Sons of Liberty < MGS3: Snake Eater < MGS4: Guns of the Patriots. So now we have an official Hideo Kojima game on the PSP. I was a bit reluctant at first because its played on a handheld, but I was wrong to be. This game is addicting and fun!

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Peace Walker is a full fleged MGS game, and the fact that Hideo Kojima worked with the team really shines through. The main missions take a bit over 24 hours to complete and the extra opps could last twice as long. This is one of the only shooters on the PSP that actually has a good aiming system that doesn't just auto-track your opponent. Besides this the story is great and the graphics are fantastic. There is quite a bit of humor also.

Story: 5/5

Controls: 4.5/5

Graphics: 5/5

Music: 6/5

Etc: ITS OVER 9000/5

Just buy it.

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After several hours into the game, I will go ahead and say this is one of the best MGS, handheld or not, ever.

There is a decent amount of install time if you wish to have the lease amount of load time when you are playing the game, I believe the install file was about 800 MB. You also have an option of not installing or installing a smaller 200 MB file, but I would imagine the load time would increase significantly as this game is really pushing the hardware limit of the PSP.

The graphics are superb for PSP games, not sure about the best ever, but it is on par with God of War - Chains of Olympus, and that's probably the best compliment a PSP game can have with its graphics.

The gameplay is classic MGS, with stealth easier to perform than I'd imagined with the tricky analog stick of the PSP. The camera angle can be configured to be controlled with either the directional pad or the 4 buttons on the right (triangle, X, circle and square). I opted for the latter, and was far more intuitive than I thought.

I do recommend getting a nice set of headphones as the sound and music from this game is classic Hideo Konami, masterful. PSP's speakers are a joke.

Some missions are pretty difficult solo, but since I haven't had a chance to play Co-Op via AdHoc, I cannot tell you the difference in gameplay yet.

There are tons of side missions in addition to the main story line missions, and the whole capture the enemy and convert them into part of your squad is a fun task on its own.

I know people are probably divided on the comic book style cut-scenes a la InFamous, I personally like it, though since Snake and Cole from InFamous is voiced by the same person, it doesn't feel as innovated as it's intended to be.

One thing I have to say for those who are skeptical about MGS on the PSP system, the controlls are customizeable as far as buttons and sensitivity goes, so once you find your sweet spot, you'll never look back.

I would say so far, despite being a PSP game, is in the running for my Game of the Year along with Heavy Rain and Red Dead Redemption.

Now I just need to find a comfortable neck pillow to relief the strain on my neck constantly looking down at the game.

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I just recently ended Peace Walker and let tell you I Loved it. Kojima continues to amaze me with his great storylines and action packed MGS games. Another prequel with the legendary Big Boss has the main character and just like portable ops you can create an army of your own. What I really liked about this game is the fact that you can create your own metal gear, which I still haven't completed but soon will. Overall, I give this game 10 Stars. Also, I can't wait for MGS: Rising to out I know it's going to be great.

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If this game was called Metal Gear Solid 5: Peace Walker, I would not hesitate to call it that. This game is astounding. It's a technical marvel. A feat on portable platforms. There was not a single time where I said I wanted this game to be on a console. In fact, if this was on a console and cost $60, I would buy it in a heartbeat. From the gameplay, to the graphics, to the sound, to the length of the story, this is a huge console adventure, right in the palm of your hand. It's absolutely amazing that so much could be crammed into a little disc. I still can't get over it.

Unlike Portable Ops, the controls did not hinder the gameplay. Apparently, the developers learned from their mistake and made the controls work. Not once did I wish for a second analog stick. It works. It's Metal Gear Solid on a handheld. No exceptions. Do you remember the ability to recruit soldiers and use them in Portable OPs? Well, that's now more streamlined, it's improved, and overall more enjoyable. Knock out a soldier, hook a Fulton Recovery System balloon onto him, and continue your mission. No more dragging across the map anymore. Just pop on on there and continue your mission. When you go back to your Mother Base (GEE I WONDER IF THIS COULD BE THE START OF OUTER HEAVEN) you can put them in different units (such as combat and engineering) to have them do missions or build weapons or do other things of great wonder. However, you mainly want to build up your engineering (called R&D) sections. This is highly improved, because instead of getting random weapons ever so often like in Portable Ops, you choose which weapons to develop, and you can upgrade them. You can even upgrade your items, like your sonar system and Fulton Recovery System. It's awesome, useful, and you actually want to spend the time to upgrade it. And not only do you have this wildly improved Portable Ops system, but you have the main story missions, which are on-par with the likes of any of the console predecessors, and you have side-missions as well, which you can complete at any time. Let's just say this game will last for a long, long time.

The graphics are without a doubt amazing. I honestly kept forgetting I was playing a handheld. There is a ruddy texture or two, but let's cut the PSP some slack, eh? The graphic novel cutscenes are not only well done, but they fit the game. They don't feel out of place. Also, there are quicktime events inside the graphic novel cutscenes, which are beautifully animated. Also, did I mention the quicktime events don't suck?They're (shock and awe) fairly exciting, and do not seem forced at all.

The sound is also wonderfully done. Usually, I hardly ever pay attention to the sound when playing handhelds, because it usually ranges from 'alright' to 'mediocre'. Or maybe I don't even notice it at all. Well, I did this time. Do yourself a favor, play this with headphones. You won't regret it.

Storyline is your typical Metal Gear Solid fare: unmanned robots, nuclear weapons, Snake grunting in agreement, remembering the basics of CQC, etc. For those of you who have played Metal Gear Solid from the beginning will enjoy many plot points that tie in various people and objects from different games. Overall, very enjoyable, but I presume many will prefer the story lines from the console brethren.

I have only one gripe with this game: co-op. Now, usually, I would be extremely happy with having co-op for the game, but the developers put so much emphasis on co-op that some missions nearly require it, even if they don't say so. This can lead to frustration, but it is not impossible. Prepare for some difficult times, but most of the time, you will be having a blast.

Buy this game. It's only $40. $40 for one of the best video games you can get your hands on. Do it.

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Gonna make this short... This is one of the best PSP games I have ever played and also a great Metal gear solid game! So if you ever played metal solid at all this ones a must have in your collection or just your psp case.

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For me this edition is up there with MGS3 and MGS1 as the best in the series (in my humble opinion anyway)

This game which truly feels like it should be called MGS5 is like is MGS Portable Ops and MGS4 had a love-child. The result is this great game! Unlike Portable Ops, which I quite enjoyed, this game really feels like its a part of the MGS narrative, where as my biggest disappointment with MGSPO was that it felt extraneous, nothing story wise is really that important about it, except maybe introducing Col. Campbell. Basically it felt like: "hey, enjoy your favorite series on the go!" where as this feels like it's a true part of the series.

In terms of story though, this game is a lot easier for player's unfamiliar with MGS to pick than PO was, or really any game other than MGS3 or MGS1, so if you never played the series but want a great PSP game, don't worry, anything you needed to know about the events of MGS3 are tactfully summarized. It's def a spoiler-fest if you ever want to play that game tho. If you haven't played MGS games before you might be kind of confused, "all I need to know about MGS3? What about 1 and 2?" Well MGS3, MGSPO and Peace Walker (this game) are set in the past BEFORE the other games, hense they are not needed for UNDERSTANDING, although I still recommend you paly the games in the order they are released if you really want to do it right.

Speaking of filling in the story for new-comers, the story cut scenes are great! They are the same comic-book style as PO but I think the character designs are more similar to the in-game character's this time, and they have added QTE and other interactivity actually looks great-same style ( I hate tacky looking button icons in QTE) and really work well, it's kind of amazing to experience and took me by surprise. All in all the comic-scenes are a lot more fluid this time around, the characters really move properly, none of this disjointed marionette-looking arm movement or slow zoom-in on a still image. And there are other types of in-game cut scenes too to help tie the story together better then in PO where it abruptly went from in-game to comic-book.

Worth mentioning though I can't confirm it, I believe that an item I CHOSE to equip before the mission without any instruction to do so, just an impulse thing (I don't want to say item or when for fear of spoilers) actually CHANGED one cut-scene. Maybe it was just a really weird coincidence but if not it's truly amazing because the cut scenes are drawn not rendered... just wow. And it is the kind of thing Hideo Kojima WOULD do.

They took a lot of the game elements of MGSPO and really expanded them like they did with the cut scenes, now you have a real base that you build up, where you do a lot of the stuff you did in PO in terms of recruiting people and assigning them tasks, but the whole affair is just more carefully crafted then before and much less confusing. You can assign what you want your tech people to make instead of it being a weird surprise. And recruiting soldiers in game is SO MUCH better than before!

In terms of game play it also plays a lot like MGS4, there are other control schemes (including a Monster Hunter style one, how cute) I tried them and decided to stick with default, with a couple tweaks I highly suggest such as lowering the sensitivity on the camera, and setting first person to be in relation to character direction NOT camera direction. Once I did this I could not believe how fluid the games controls were, not even just by PSP standards but MGS standards.

They are actually the most fluid controls with the exception of MGS4, but more fluid then all the others; seriously, anyone who has played MGS games knows how cumbersome they can be. I am not even criticizing them, it's just one of those love it or hate it things about the series and this one is no dif, but it is better AT WHAT IT DOES than others. It's confusing, but you'll get it when you play it.

Basically this game is even more then it promised to be for long time fans, and even new-comers can enjoy it too! A lot of the staples from MGS games of the past are here. I hesitate to say anymore for fear of ruining the surprise for you but suffice it to say: this game has a glut of novelties which we have come to love about the MGS series!

For PSP owners there's not much of a good reason NOT to own this game unless the premise of the game is not your cup-of-tea. But anyone intrigued by Amazon's product description or if you have ever enjoyed a MGS game and you are dying for a UMD to get your PSP running again. This is the game! It almost feels like it was made as a personal favor to PSP owners because let's face it, sometimes we get the shaft. NOT this time!

Great game, 5-5 stars without hesitation, no hurry up and order it already!

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