Konami’s Metal Gear Survive | First Look

The Metal Gear Solid series is one of my favorite series’ of all time. Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain was my favorite game of 2015, and its probably my favorite game of this generation. When I walked into my appointment with Konami for Metal Gear Survive, I was expecting to hate it, but I can honestly say that I didn’t. This game is probably a year out from now, but it made a good impression on me. Here’s a first look of what I encountered from this polarizing game.

Metal Gear Survive is a survival action game that is a spin off of the Metal Gear series as it takes place in an alternate universe but with … wait for it … zombies! As if the Metal Gear series didn’t need any more strange things, they just added zombies to the mix, and it actually fits in the world that Kojima built. This game is going to offer a single player experience the revolves around a mysterious adventure that will involve survival, crafting, and warfare.

They are also offering a co-op multiplayer mode that has you and three friends fighting off hordes of zombies. This was the part of the game that I was able to play during my time with Konami, and let’s talk about what this game is. The round begins with each group of zombies being dropped a distance away from your base, and they will progress, rather quickly, to you, and it is up to you and your team to come up with a strategy on how to fend them off. Each player is equipped with multiple weapons, that can be changed depending on your load out.

For me, I had a pistol, shot gun, bow and arrow, and a cross bow. I also given the ability to lay out barriers and oil spill traps, which you and your team can slip on. Yes, I may have experienced that a few times Thankfully, you can turn around and set that oil trap on fire which will kill some zombies but also cause a barrier for you and your team for a few moments. The game also equipped me with a mortar, so I was able to attack bigger groups of zombies. You and your team use their assorment of weapons to fight off the zombies that come in two types, so far: fast moving zombies or fat zombies that will explode and cause major damage. From what we were told, there will be more types added as we get closer to launch.

There is crafting in the game. You can collect items from the map or just from the zombies you’ve killed, and you can craft better weapons or ammunition. I wasn’t given too much time to delve into this, but from what I can gather, you have work benches that are available in between rounds of play. One of the best gameplay mechanics from Phantom Pain was the fulton balloon, and I can confirm that it is back in this game. I never thought it would be so great to watch a zombie fly away on a balloon, but it was quite rewarding. The other weapon that was brought over from Phantom Pain is the mech you can use to mow down zombies.

The concern I have with this game is obviously the narrative. What in the world is it going to be, and who is it going to follow? Because I didn’t see a Snake anywhere in sight. The other concerns I have following this game are replay value and depth that the game offers. The game did look very nice, but you can still tell that they are some months out from releasing.

Metal Gear Survive offered me something that I love to play with my friends, and it made me want to go back and play Phantom Pain. It seems like it could possibly have legs, but they need to show us a lot more than just the hour I had to play. I am a purist at heart, but I am going to give this game a chance because they are trying to do something new that what has been done before. I walked in expecting to had this game, but I walked out actually wanting more.

Check out the announcement trailer below.