Metal Gear Survive (for PS4) Preview - Review 2022

Konami's Metal Gear Survive is the outset official Metal Gear game to appear in the series after the controversial departure of creator Hideo Kojima, but fans of the franchise should still requite it a fair shot. This entry takes place autonomously from the master Metallic Gear storyline, chronologically between the events of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Hurting storylines. Y'all take on the role of a soldier sent on a rescue mission into a mysterious wormhole that swallowed soldiers and Mother Base of operations debris subsequently an enemy XOF unit of measurement destroyed the military machine platform towards the stop of Ground Zeroes.

I had the run a risk to go easily-on with Metal Gear Survive'southward single-actor campaign and co-op mode via a preview build running on a PlayStation 4 at a Konami event in New York. Full disclosure: I am most comfy on a PC with a keyboard and mouse, then some of my difficulties can certainly be attributed to my awkwardness with a controller. Thankfully, the game volition besides launch on PC, and the Xbox One, when it comes out in the U.s.a. on February. 20, 2022 (and everywhere else on Feb. 22, 2022).

Traversing Metallic Gear Survive's world isn't simple. The game relies on persistent survival and crafting mechanics, and yous always need to be on the lookout for Wanderers (mortiferous zombie-like creatures infected past a mysterious affliction). In this alternate universe, your chief goals are to build and defend a base military camp, rescue the survivors who were sucked into the wormhole, find a cure for the mysterious disease that likewise infects your character, and ultimately notice a way dorsum dwelling house.

Metal Gear Survive

Survive on Your Ain

The single-player campaign preview begins at the base of operations camp, which serves every bit your center of operations and (by and large) safety oasis. The base army camp is also where yous larn nearly the game's crafting and survival mechanics. There are various workbenches for constructing weapons, gear, and structures, all of which you lot volition need to master to defend yourself and the other survivors from Wanderers, as well as ensure your day-to-mean solar day survival.

I didn't get the chance to explore the entirety of these systems, but from what I did run across, the mechanics seem diverse enough to appoint players for a lengthy time period. The real test will exist Konami's ability to convince you to spend enough time learning how to employ the various systems effectively. On another note, everyone isn't stuck with the same protagonist; you tin can customize your character's look, weapon loadout, and the equipment you bring on missions.

For the first mission, I was tasked with scavenging for food and water at a location nearly the base camp. After a few tries, I successfully hunted down a sheep; later on, I came across some slightly more vicious wolves. I collected some clean water from bottles but had to resort to drinking muddied water from a pond to stave off my thirst at other times. As you progress through the game, yous can build facilities at the base camp to rear animals, grow crops, and store clean water. Maintaining hunger and thirst levels certainly required my full attending in these early sections, simply it's unclear how this dynamic will play out afterward I build relevant base camp facilities. This organization could become tedious if information technology'due south not properly integrated.

In another mission, I had to retrieve information chips from a couple of different locations that were heavily infested with Wanderers. I died a couple of times trying to fight off each creature individually, but I was more successful when I picked my battles wisely on my fashion to the objective. A after event required me to defend a defense point in the mysterious (and daunting) mist that surrounding the base camp. I promise that Metallic Gear Survive does not fall into the trap of too many "Call back/defend X detail at Y location" type missions, because that could go repetitive speedily. Exploration and world-building volition be key to making this an enjoyable experience. I practice appreciate the aggressive AI of the Wanderers and hope the difficulty does not change from the preview.

On another note, it'south of import to ever keep an eye on the map and rail your destinations. You tin can signal important places on your map with a stamp or just fix a temporary waypoint. When you go exploring into the poisonous mist (with your trusty oxygen mask), you'll need to proceed an centre out for the base camp'due south lights for perspective so that you lot don't go lost. In my experience with Metal Gear Survive, it'due south non difficult to die of hunger, thirst, or lack of oxygen, especially if yous don't actively check on your health levels before setting off on long missions.

Metal Gear Survive

Survive With Others

It is worth noting that both the single-thespian campaign and co-op mode are online-just diplomacy. In other words, you cannot play the game unless you have an cyberspace connection. The ane do good of this system is that your progress, likewise equally whatever weapons or resources y'all craft, are interchangeable between the two modes. Playing multiplayer matches also opens the possibility of winning resource, materials, or blueprints for crafting purposes (in addition to what you can find while exploring). Konami too plans to host events called Orders on a regular footing that cyberspace similar rewards.

During the preview result, I got a chance to try out the co-op mode aslope three other teammates. The mode we played pit the states against waves of oncoming Wanderers, after an initial setup menstruum for establishing defenses and collecting materials scattered throughout the map. In add-on to trying not to dice, we had to protect a defense signal. My biggest takeaway from the first circular was the importance of bringing ample resources and a weapon you lot are comfortable using into the battle. Teammates who had crafted bows and arrows had an easier time picking off creatures from a distance than I did up close with a machete. And no, my apparent disability to utilise a controller effectively didn't help out here.

Metal Gear Survive

Graphics and Performance

In my experience, the game ran well, and I didn't notice any significant functioning hiccups. Of class, the concluding word on stability volition have to wait until the final version is released. Since all of the gameplay modes crave an internet connectedness, Konami needs to make certain it dedicates and maintains the necessary servers to keep everything running smoothly.

Metal Gear Survive's sprawling, desert-similar environment maintains a consistent, though slightly monotonous, await and feel. Mayhap there are more varied environments to explore later in the game, only that remains unknown until the full release. In terms of texture details, the surrounding rock structures and buildings await fine, but they aren't particularly groundbreaking.

Homo characters and wild animals are too appropriately detailed and look anatomically correct. Again, this is not the final build, and then the graphics can certainly improve between now and the fourth dimension of release. Visually speaking, I most enjoyed the glowing crystalline heads of Wanderers and the brilliant red light they emit. The effect is simultaneously eerie and alluring, and contrasts nicely with the otherwise tedious colors of the base camp surroundings.

Fight to Survive

The Metal Gear Survive preview primarily showcased the game'southward focus on survival and combat mechanics, both of which seem promising. Obviously, I will need to see how the final game shapes up before reaching a verdict, but I look forward to unraveling the narrative and spending more than time with its many systems.

In the concurrently, I accept a couple of thoughts on some things I'd like to see in the final release: Get-go, the combat and survival mechanics need to remain difficult to principal, but simultaneously off-white and rewarding, since these are the core aspects that can pique player interest. Farther, in club for the game to remain highly-seasoned, it needs to send players on varied missions (in both single and multiplayer modes). Missions that encourage exploration and creative approaches will assist build out the world.

Stay tuned for our full review of Metallic Gear Survive. In the meantime, bank check out our roundups of the all-time PC games and Xbox I titles you can play right now.