Metal Gear Online: exhilarating, rewarding and a little broken

Metal Gear Online 3 is live, and if you have a copy of The Phantom Pain and haven’t given it a go I strongly suggest that you do. Apart from lag and disconnections, this is one of the most exhilarating and rewarding multiplayer experiences of 2015.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - Metal Gear Online - Hands-On

You’re a bit of a motley crew, but you will all need to blend your skills together to ensure victory.

The multiplayer of MGSV plays out much like the older ones’, but with TPP’s added bells and whistles. There are now also three classes to choose from: Infiltrator, Enforcer and Scout. There are 16-player matches for PS4, Xbox One and PC, and 12-player matches for previous-gen consoles.

The ‘buddy’ system has been introduced for this installation of Metal Gear Online. You can now pair up with a team mate and share enemy markings on-screen and occasionally be allowed to teleport to each other’s locations during a match.

Grab him; make him talk; slit his throat.

The introduction of classes is an excellent boosting of fundamentals. Each class possesses unique traits and skills as well as perks and equipment. As one levels, new gadgets, weapons and gear will be introduced to personal load-outs.

Infiltrator is my favourite class. Equipped with stealth camouflage which enables short periods of invisibility, your role is to sneak up on enemies and interrogate them in a choke-hold which will reveal the rest of the enemies’ locations on the map.

After that, simply slit the throats of your victims or extract them using the ‘fulton’ balloon.

Stop your buddy from becoming part of the atmosphere by popping the attached balloons.

The infiltrator is also the nimblest and lightest member of the team. CQC (Close Quarters Combat) is the name of the game here as you weave through the map undetected and intelligently get behind your target without being spotted.

The Scout is the sniper and enemy marker of the team. This class involves finding an advantageous crow’s nest and then proceeding to reveal enemy locations to the rest of the team, as well as popping heads with high-powered rifles.

Bringing a box to a gunfight.

The Enforcer is the grunt of the team, rooting out sneaky little Snake-wannabes and riddling them with bullets. This class gets many perks to shooting and accuracy. You’ll also receive staunch vitality and defence, which certainly comes in handy.

There are three game-modes available. Bounty Hunter is my favourite and the most exciting. The aim is to reduce the other team’s tickets from thirty to zero.

This is done by killing other players or fultoning them which will also add points to your own team score. A bounty is received on a player for every kill they nab, one bounty point for each victim.

If a player with a bounty is extracted, the numerical value of the bounty score will be added to the opposing team’s score.

Cloak and Dagger involves each team taking a turn attempting to retrieve one of two Data Discs containing confidential intel which the other team must defend.

Once a player snatches a disc, it’s a mad yet tactful rush to the extraction zone which will grant victory for the team.

Comm Control is basically Capture the Flag. Players take turns attempting to secure a Comm Link which downloads as the attacking team stands in its little zone.

The defending team must stop attackers from downloading the Comm Link at all costs.

Jump in a D-Walker and turn the enemy team into spaghetti.

This is frantic yet thoughtful gameplay, which is why it is so enjoyable. The game combines strategy and tactics with furious combat.

There are also many silly gadgets to use such as a plush puppy which enemies can’t help but play with at the expense of a leaking skull and fulton traps which when stepped on will automatically elevate targets for profit.

The issue spoiling the fun though is of course wonky servers typical of a new multiplayer. Lag will often hamper combat and being disconnected from a match is only too common.

Hopefully the team will pull finger and smooth out the debilitations as soon as possible, but in the mean time we’ve all been donated 3’000 in-game currency and a one-week extension for the double-experience point unlock. How kind of you, Konami.

Played the new Metal Gear Online? Let me know what you think in the comments’ section.