You’ve probably already heard it, but just to make sure: Watch out before you buy Metal Gear Solid 5, unless you’re really cool with microtransactions in full price games.
Konami is being Konami, to no ones surprise, and somewhat gated the Dark Souls like invasion mode behind a sorta-kinda premium currency. Ken-ichiro Imaizumi, Senior Producer at Konami, did mention in a tweet that you can earn so called MB Coins via singleplayer, but since those features aren’t yet completely unlocked for reviewers, we can’t say how this will affect the final experience for the consumer.
What exactly is this invasion thing?
It’s called Forward Operating Base (FOB) and, from what I understand, lets you build smaller bases in the world (or the ocean to be precise), not to be confused with your Mother Base. In fact, the reason why you would want a FOB is so you can gather some resources for expanding Mother Base. Oh, and multiplayer. You will be notified when your base gets attacked and can join the defense. If you are offline, one of your friends may jump in. The Giantbomb forum has a thread on what else you can expect from it.
The overlying concept sounds very much like The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, a F2P Uplay title in which you build a dungeon, staff it with minions and watch as other human players die in it. Unless they don’t, in which case you watch them robbing and pillaging your fortress. Anyway, FOB does pretty much the same, but to actually invade someone else’s base, you need to fork out some of the previously mentioned MB Coins. No info yet on premium units you can only buy with MB Coins.
And keep in mind: this has nothing to do with Metal Gear Online, the actual multiplayer game that is set to be released in October.
Granted, Konami might not be the first one to do this. Remember Dead Space 3? Forza 5? Any of the football games (FIFA, not Madden you American barbarian!). Hell, even Assassins Creed jumped on the microtransactions thing. It isn’t even the worst inclusion of microtransactions in a $60 game, but still… #FucKonami
WTF! Total 100% BULL SHIT! yes i used caps because fuck this!
they’re not mandatory transactions though…at least that’s the excuse. The purchasable MB coins are to help “…progress development of your FOB faster.”
It’s ok…not going to open a FOB anytime soon, if at all. I’ll be lucky if I have time to play the game through first! And then MGO starts right after that. Hopefully it is not another headshot-fest that caters to a excessively douchey, niche crowd. Seriously…I still can’t comprehend how MGS could attract together such a large community of assholes.
Still, this idea does sound intriguing, but without the help of my twinstiq brethren, I fear that my FOB will end up as nothing but a charred, empty mass after it is plundered.
And defending is hopefully still free. Doesn’t change the fact that I do not like microtransactions in games I pay $60 for. Be they from EA, Ubisoft, Konami or any other publisher.
Probably won’t be able to defend your base though. Doubt i have time myself, which sucks :/ Everything (besides this) looks amazing.
As Jim Sterling mentioned in is latest vid, mt in anygame make the game a worse experience in some way some how. And I would bet good money that Kojima might have requested his name be removed from the title to not be associated with this bullshit.