Metal Gear Survive gameplay demo showcased at #TSG2016, but what’s it all about?

The first gameplay demonstration for the co-op survival game that is Metal Gear Survive was on show at the Tokyo Game Show.  With this being the first game using the Metal Gear name since the much loved Hideo Kojima left Konami, all eyes were waiting to see what this game is all about.  Since its reveal trailer at Gamescom, it has largely been greeted with negativity from the community and judging by the amount of down-votes in the gameplay footage below, its seems little has changed in that respect.  The footage is in Japanese, but I’ll do my best to summarise the action.

 

In the gameplay footage, the mission is split into two sections.  We also learned in the footage that Meat Gear Survive does at least have a story, of sorts. The first part involved infiltrating an area to gain access to a wormhole that will lead the playable characters home and away from this alternative reality to the world of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (which is basically the basis of its story from what I can tell).

 

The team seen in the footage consists of four players, two were held back until later on in the mission, while the remaining players led the infiltration.  During this part of the mission, we learned that gathering resources are vital in order to “survive” and these materials can be crafted to build weaponry or defence barriers to hold off the hordes of enemies while you summon a wormhole too get home.  We also saw a player getting injured, which needed to be healed ASAP before the injury had gotten worse.  Depending on your injury, will depend on the type of materials you’ll need in order to heal your wounds.

Other than the typical types of weaponry such as firearms and melee weapons, we saw a slingshot that was used to stun an enemy, which granted you a short time window to take it down, preferably quietly.  We also saw the Fulton Recovery Balloon being used to make a sheep bleat loudly, which distracted a group of enemies.  Then as we approached the end of the infiltration section, the two players that we being held back were called upon as it was now time to summon the wormhole in an attempt to get home.

 

When the wormhole was summoned, it also attracted hordes of enemies to fight off.  While three team members held back in an attempt to fight them off, the fourth member of the team went off to retrieve a legendary cardboard box, which contained valuable resource materials.  Within the wormhole base was a crafting table, which of course can be used to craft weapons and other defence items.  So with this in mind, barriers were constructed around the base, as well as weapons as the players desperately fought of the waves of enemies.  How did the team do?  Well you’ll just have to watch the video for yourself below to find out.

You may be interested to know that Hideo Kojima has expressed some of his thoughts on Metal Gear Survive.  During a Q&A at the Tokyo Game Show (thanks Kotaku), Kojima was asked if Metal Gear Survive was his idea, for which he replied “It has nothing to do with me,” said Kojima. “I know absolutely nothing about it. That’s because it’s totally unrelated to me, right? Um, how should I put this? Well, for me, Metal Gear is espionage with political fiction. Right? So, because of that, there’s no reason that zombies would show up. This is how I see it, you know?”

 

Personally, as a long-standing Metal Gear Solid fan, I can fully understand fans frustrations with the existence of this game.  It very well may be fun and I don’t think the game looks all that bad; it might be fun IF you can find three other friends to play with on a regular basis.  With Metal Gear Survive expected to sell at around $30 (£20-£25) at launch and with it being potentially a digital only game, I can’t help but think that Metal Gear Survive looks more like DLC, rather than a standalone game.

 

Metal Gear Survive will release in 2017 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.