Metal Gear Solid: Rising represents a bit of a departure from the standard gameplay we usually find in the franchise, and Hideo Kojima has called Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker "the MGS5 within him." …so why is Rising for the PlayStation 3 and Peace Walker for the PSP?
Many fans have asked this in the past, and thanks to the latest Kojima Productions podcast , we now have a few answers straight from Konami. There are a couple reasons why Peace Walker is going handheld and one of them centers on the social aspects of the portable unit; Sean Eyestone explained that they want "people to go out and socialize with other people." Thing is, you "physically take the PSP with you" and this causes gamers to go over a friend's house and "hang out together." It's just not the same with online co-op (like what we might've had with a PS3 version), and the guys simply wanted to promote some old-school, in-the-same-room, "enjoying a game together" multiplayer. Yeah, maybe you young'uns don't remember, but this was how all multiplayer functioned in the past. As for the other reason, it sounds a great deal like Kojima and Co.; they just wanted to create a benchmark for the PSP:
"The other reason is just that we want people to take Metal Gear with them wherever they go. This is a real hardcore, no holds barred Metal Gear game. It’s the first time anything of this caliber has ever been done on the PSP. As always with Kojima Productions, we want to be the first and we are. So you got this great Kojima Productions game with great Hideo Kojima story in the palm of your hand that you can play with friends. And, really, what more could you ask for?"
A top-notch portable game that can be played with friends. No, we're not going to ask for much more than that, and we're convinced Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker be worthy of a purchase when it finally releases some time next year. It should be an absolute must-have for all PSP owners!
Related Game(s): Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker