3. Bring in co-op
As the Horde style mode has infiltrated nearly every shooter game since 2008, it has become alarmingly clear that co-op is the way of the future. Stealth games are no exception to this. Last year demonstrated this clearly with the fantastic co-op modes in both Splinter Cell Conviction and the excellent Metal Gear on PSP, Peace Walker. Imagine Peace Walker’s co-op on the big screen in MGS5. You know you want it.
2. Bring back the soliton radar
The stealth action genre is now a certified classic, but there’s one inherent problem with it that only the best games are able to overcome. That problem is how you are detected by your enemies. Too many times I get spotted by a guard and have no idea how. I’m almost positive I had the right camo on, was in darkness or was out of their line of sight. The older generation Metal Gear titles solved this with the soliton radar in the top right of the screen, which showed enemy positions and their respective cones of vision. It was removed from MGS3 due to the whole 60’s time-frame, but MGS4 also didn’t have it which seemed odd. It would be nice to see it make a triumphant return in MGS5 and, once more, let it show us where we went wrong when sneaking up on that apparently unsuspecting guard.
1. Fewer cut-scenes
This is a criticism that gets bandied about a lot in relation to the Metal Gear series, so I wouldn’t want to jump on the bandwagon and bring it up unless it was essential. Normally these criticisms are unjust, as the Metal Gear games have fantastic plots and very cinematic narratives. In the case of MGS4 though, even I felt the cut-scenes were a little too drawn out. I’m all for cinematic gaming, as in the case of the original Metal Gear Solid. The series has taken it a bit too far recently however, turning it more into mildly interactive cinema. I’m all for story and narrative, but not when it is so extreme that it means you don’t get enough gameplay. Let’s hope Kojima will be able to strike a delicate balance once more when it comes to Metal Gear Solid 5.
