Metal Gear Online is a strange beast, as is anything MGS.  Konami’s flagship online version of Mr. Kojima’s world is not as ubiquitous as its big MGS4 brother.  It seems completely polarizing, as most people who experience MGO seem to either love it or hate it.  A slower, more tactical game with a somewhat steep learning curve, it is essentially the move set from Metal Gear Solid 4, used in online matches between 2-16 players.  The SCENE expansion DLC follows that aesthetic and, like the MGO team’s other efforts, there’s a lot of value in the content; if you can ignore technical setup annoyances, which can mar the overall excitement of getting some new DLC.

It’s important to note how MGO expansions work technically.  There are five maps on the MGS4 bluRay disc (starter pack), and nine additional maps via DLC expansions.  The SCENE expansion, or other ‘individually wrapped’ GENE or MEME expansions will run you ten dollars each.  Players who have bought the set individually have spent almost $40 USD.  Right now all three expansions are available together as a bundle with the entire set of maps, characters, and game modes, at $20 USD.  I couldn’t recommend a new player buying all of these separate being some sort of value.  However, since you need each successive expansion to use the next, you will need the first two (GENE & MEME) in order to play SCENE.  The bundled expansions are a value at the current price and do certainly extend the life of the coveted MGS4 bluRay.

The SCENE expansion marks the third add-on DLC installment for Metal Gear Online, and like all previous expansions, contains three new maps, two additional characters and access to new earnable gear based on ranking and performance. The current update adds the Solo Capture game rule mode, along with 3 new Skills and two new Emblems. Those are Fighting Fish (play a series of Deathmatches to win) and Arctic Skua (earned by playing a series of Solo Capture games). If both Emblems are won, players recieve a free in-game shirt for their character!

Like the new gear, the SCAP rule, new skills and emblems all come with the actual update, and can be utilized without purchasing SCENE. Solo Capture is exactly what it sounds like, just like capture-the-kerotan, but you are alone in your endevour. The new skills will come in handy but will take some grinding: CQC EX is earned by perfrorming a CQC attack 200 times with CQCMasteryLvl.3 equipped. When equipped, CQC EX automatically counters enemy cqc attacks.
Toughness can be earned by getting owned, as it is earned via recieving knockdown 100. Toughness skill helps resists knockdown and reduces recovery time when knocked out. Charm is another useful tool: the skill is earned by getting 'distracted' (i.e. by a magazine) 100 times, and with Charm equipped, a player causes distraction, in the way the Mei Ling's special attribute will do the same. Its like being a walking magazine, and Charm not only causes the effect upon holding a salute, but also randomizes Salute animations.

SCENE’s new maps are focused a bit more on interior space, flanking, and chokepoints than previous map packs.  This does not eliminate sneaking.  On the contrary, the interior spaces in all of the three maps are primed for sneaking soldiers through twisting multiple flank paths for some fun results.  There are still open areas in these new maps but they balance (and sometimes tip over) via a heavy dose of indoors run-n-gun.  The new environments aren't nearly as visually stunning as the starter pack or previous expansions, but they are top notch in technical build and level of detail.

‘Hazard House’ is a large, three level mansion which encourages close combat.  While there would be an emphasis on sneaking here, it actually pans out to become more frenetic, choke-point combat.  Run-n-gun style players may enjoy this map, but opponents playing as Vamp or Raiden can quickly end campers and snipers outside the walls of the Palace (more on those later).  “HH” is a fun map for certain styles of play and has insane interior detail. While Im not a run-n-gun player, this one is more tactical than Outer Outlet and I had alot of fun with it.

‘Ravaged Riverfront’ is essentially two towers on opposite sides and a series of twisting paths buried beneath the whole affair.  While it seems small at game start, the large amount of interior space soon makes for some interesting options.  RR will satisfy any style of player.  It’s a natural for snipers, but they will need to remain alert, as they will often abandoned by their respective teams while ground runners fight over control of the central bridge.  If you enjoy the thought of swimming underwater to the enemy side, sliding silently out of the river and cutting someone’s throat before they turn around, you will enjoy this map quite a bit.

‘Outer Outlet’ is a commercial mall of sorts, and is a good mix of short and medium range combat, although It feels rather generic in layout. While O.O has a great sense of verticality within a closed space, this unfortunately does not translate well into the actual firefights, as shooting from higher up is thwarted by a lack of sightlines. Discouraging repetetive camping may be the point here, but spawnpoints right behind barely-closed doors cause alot of 'surprise, your dead!' moments and so that plan backfires. If hosts dont select this map for too long, it can be fun, but O.O. is currently my least favorite map in MGO. Good for Timebomb missions, but again, use sparingly.

 

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