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Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
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Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

200690/100
ShooterTacticalAdventure

Military · Stealth

Portable Ops distilled the Metal Gear formula into a handheld package, emphasizing squad-based tactical espionage. The core gameplay loop revolves around recruiting soldiers with unique skills to build an army, sending them on missions, and expanding your base. Its recruitment system, a precursor to later base-building mechanics, and the mission structure's focus on short, replayable objectives, made it a compelling experience for players on the go.

About Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Details
Portable Ops takes place in 1970, six years after Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It follows the soldier Naked Snake (David Hayter/Akio Ōtsuka) who is forced to fight off his former unit, FOX, after they instigate a revolt in a South American base. In his fight he meets Roy Campbell (David Agranov/Toshio Furukawa), a surviving member of the Green Berets team that was sent to investigate the affair. Snake's former teammates including his commanding officer Major Zero (Jim Piddock/Banjō Ginga), Para-Medic (Heather Halley/Houko Kuwashima) and Sigint (James C. Mathis III/Keiji Fujiwara) return as the support crew as they are suspected for treason alongside Snake. The main antagonist is Gene (Steven Blum/Norio Wakamoto), the current commander of the FOX unit who seeks to establish his own military nation. He is a product of the Successor Project that aimed to artificially create the perfect commander, patterned after The Boss. He is assisted by Lt. Cunningham (Noah Nelson/Daisuke Gōri), an expert in interrogation techniques. (who is later revealed to be a double agent of the Pentagon sent to tarnish the CIA's reputation) Gene also has a protégé named Elisa (Tara Strong/Saori Goto) who is gifted with extraordinary psychic abilities, implied to be the result of exposure to nuclear fallout during the Kyshtym disaster. Elisa suffers from dissociative identity disorder and has a developed a second personality called Ursula', whose psychic abilities are stronger than her "Elisa" personality. As "Ursula", she works as a member of FOX, while her "Elisa" personality is a medic who takes care of Null and an informant for Snake. Snake meets Elisa, who initially tells Snake that she and Ursula are twin sisters, only to later learn the truth. Two FOX members previously associated with Snake include Null (Larc Spies/Jun Fukuyama), a teenage assassin trained to be the perfect soldier. and Python (Dwight Schultz/Yusaku Yara), a former war buddy of Snake who was previously presumed dead during the Vietnam War. Other characters include Ghost (Brian Cummings/Naoki Tatsuta), an informant who comes into contact with Snake, revealing the existence of ICBMG, the new Metal Gear prototype, Ocelot (Josh Keaton/Takumi Yamazaki), a former Spetsnaz Major who assists Gene from behind-the-scenes, EVA (Vanessa Marshall/Misa Watanabe), a spy for the PLA who assisted Snake in Snake Eater and Raikov (Charlie Schlatter/Kenyu Horiuchi), a GRU Major. Teliko Friedman (Kari Wahlgren/Yūko Nagashima) and Venus (Kathryn Fiore/Rika Komatsu), the heroines from Metal Gear Acid and Metal Gear Acid 2 respectively, can both be added to the player's squad by either: completing certain side-missions or by starting the second playthrough with save data from their respective games.

Top 4 Alternatives to Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

1
Rating
Critic & community
93
Match
Recommendation strength
89%

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

2015 · Action

While not Portable Ops directly, this entry expands on the tactical espionage action with unparalleled freedom, allowing you to approach missions with stealth or all-out assault, much like the varied approaches encouraged in Portable Ops.

Why recommended

  • Offers deep tactical stealth gameplay with a vast array of gadgets, weapons, and buddy systems, evolving the core espionage mechanics seen in Portable Ops.
  • Criteria — Action is central, with intense gunplay and close-quarters combat, alongside a 'Challenging Difficulty' that rewards meticulous planning and execution over brute force.
  • Features a robust 'Multiplayer' component (Metal Gear Online 3) which allows players to engage in competitive espionage and combat scenarios.
2
Rating
Critic & community
82
Match
Recommendation strength
85%

Step into the shoes of Sam Fisher for another high-stakes espionage mission. This game delivers a blend of stealth, action, and tactical choices that will resonate with fans of Portable Ops' strategic warfare.

Why recommended

  • Emphasizes tactical stealth and infiltration, providing multiple paths and approaches to objectives, similar to the mission design philosophy of Portable Ops.
  • Criteria — Features intense 'Action' sequences and a 'Challenging Difficulty' that punishes mistakes, encouraging players to master stealth mechanics and gadget usage.
  • Includes a strong 'Multiplayer' component with both co-op missions and competitive Spies vs. Mercs modes, offering diverse tactical engagements.
3
Match
Recommendation strength
78%

If you crave the intense, high-stakes tactical combat and challenging difficulty of a military shooter with deep progression, Tarkov delivers a brutal and rewarding experience reminiscent of Portable Ops' unforgiving nature.

Why recommended

  • Features highly tactical and realistic combat encounters where positioning, gear, and careful planning are paramount, echoing the strategic depth of Portable Ops' warfare.
  • Criteria — Offers relentless 'Challenging Difficulty' with permanent consequences for failure and a focus on realistic gunplay, alongside core 'Action' elements.
  • Primarily a 'Multiplayer' experience, forcing players to constantly adapt their strategies against other human players in a hostile, loot-driven environment.
4
Rating
Critic & community
83
Match
Recommendation strength
70%

For a different flavor of tactical warfare, Helldivers 2 throws you into chaotic, cooperative battles against alien threats, demanding coordinated action and strategic use of stratagems, much like the squad-based tactics in Portable Ops.

Why recommended

  • Emphasizes tactical squad-based combat where players must coordinate and utilize various stratagems and weapon loadouts to overcome overwhelming odds.
  • Criteria — Core 'Action' gameplay is intense and satisfying, with a 'Challenging Difficulty' that requires teamwork and strategic thinking to survive.
  • Designed as a cooperative 'Multiplayer' experience, where up to four players work together to complete objectives and spread managed democracy.

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