As world-dominating franchises go, the Metal Gear series has had a strange relationship with PSP. First there was the non-canonical AC!D series, which replaced the series' hallmark stealth action with turn-based card strategy. When fans cried foul, Metal Gear's unrepentant, idiosyncratic creator Hideo Kojima 'rewarded' them with a sequel. Then there was Portable Ops, which won praise for its plot and visuals, but with its awkward controls and laborious squad-based focus, it wasn't the game many MGS fans were expecting, particularly those who found Big Boss's previous outing in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater the highlight of the series.
