Hideo Kojima seems to have an obsession with pleasing gamers. First, he announces that MGS4 has an online component. Then, he announces it's a separate online action game, Metal Gear Online, which will be bundled for free with MGS4. Finally, to top it all off, Kojima Productions & Konami announce that those who pre-ordered MGS4 before a certain time would gain access to a private beta of MGO. Well, after what seems like eons of eternal wait, the beta has finally arrived. How is it? What is it like?

In a word, awesome.

Let's get a few things straight about Metal Gear Online. This is not a sort of Metal Gear "war games," where everybody plays as Solid Snake or a game where players pit Solid Snake against Metal Gear. This is not an afterthought or some crappy extension of the main game, nor is it a "preview" of MGS4. Metal Gear Online is its own full-fledged third-person deathmatch-focused online shooter, built from the ground up on a combination of the philosophies of Metal Gear and online deathmatches alike. It's built to appeal to Metal Gear fans and shooter fans alike--everyone should be able to find something they like about MGO.

However, this is not your father's online shooter. Metal Gear Online has a very slow, deliberate pace that emphasizes stealth and on-a-dime kills as opposed to a "twitch" shooter environment where everybody's running around, hoping to frag something. That isn't to stay that MGO is a slow to a fault, though. Like I said, this game is a fusion of the stealth elements of Metal Gear and the intensity of shooters alike. At first, you will feel hindered by a lack of speed. However, give it a few matches and you'll feel instantly enabled.

Before you can jump into the action, you have to get three IDs. The first two are your Konami ID and GAME ID, which you need to get from Konami's web site. The Konami ID is your "account" name, which you'll use to enter and edit sensitive information on your Konami ID profile. Your GAME ID is what you'll use to log in to the MGO beta--and, eventually--MGO. Once logged into MGO, you'll have to install any necessary updates. The updates used to take as long as three hours, but now wrap up in thirty minutes max, which isn't so bad by comparison, but still a royal pain. Finally, once you've logged in and installed the updates, you'll get to the Character Creation screen, where you'll input your Character Name (your third ID.)


Metal Gear Online
It must be said that what Konami is doing by setting up three IDs is protecting your personal, private information. Identity theft is no joke and a very serious matter that ruins people's lives forever without proper protection. Konami and Kojima Productions' efforts to protect our personal data should be commended and well respected. After all, if your personal data was at risk, you wouldn't want to log in and play the MGO beta in the first place. However, that being said, I don't understand why the process can't be more streamlined. It's not a "one stop" process by any stretch of the imagination, which feels like an inconvenience to the beta participant, especially given the amount of time spent downloading updates.

Anyhow, now that you've got your three IDs, you're ready for the Character Creation screen. You'll build your own character, which basically is a modified Metal Gear guard, from pre-assembled options and colors. There's not very much by way of customization or variety there, which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on where you're sitting. You see, I've been accustomed to Create-A-Wrestler modes in the WWE games, where you can create anyone or anything until your heart's content. However, at the same time, I see that Konami & Kojima Productions want you to leap into the action as quickly as possible. It's not by any means a necessity, but I'd love to see more customization in the final version.

Once your character is built, it is highly recommended by both myself and the MGO beta software that you undergo Novice Training. You'll struggle with the additions to the controls and the finer points of the game without playing Novice Training. Novice Training will not teach you any advanced tips or anything beyond the basics, really, but the basics enable you to do everything else. After Novice Training, you'll need about four to five matches before you'll be ready to attack the MGO community at large, but at no point will or should you feel lost or inferior. It feels slow to learn the ropes and the finer points at first, but once you get it, you've got it. Now, that's not to say that you'll turn into a dragon slayer overnight, but you will be a better fighter and be ready for what comes at you.

Before you'll jump into a match, you'll have the ability to alter and edit your skills. Skills are enhancements that you want to bring into combat with you. Some are simple aids, like Fast Movement, which makes you walk faster. Some can seriously help you turn the tides in battle, such as selecting a Mastery in a certain weapon, which will reduce reload times and recoil. You can select skills at will, having the option of changing them and altering them before every match. This is a nice touch and a great way to get more involved with your soldier, separating them from the pack. Are you a sniper? A CQC master? An assault rifle Rambo type? MGO lets you be any of those things or all of those things, provided you're willing to put the time into making them happen.