Metal Gear Online is bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4, exclusive to PS3. MGO is the second Metal Gear game to be online. The first attempt at online was released back in 2006 on the PS2 with Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence.

MGO runs off the same engine as MGS4, delivering an ultimate MGS experience. MGO gives online gamers and die hard MGS fans a fresh and new online experience. MGO could be the next Counter Strike.

At first glance the game bursts out with an assortment of different features, such as the SOP system. This allows players to basically keep track of all other players. For example if there's a player at the other side of the building, SOP will allow you to see them through the wall. You can activate SOP by pressing the triangle button near a teammate.

It also shows if they're stunned, sleeping, looking at an adult magazine, or just dead. It shows this by displaying a line from you to the player, and an icon next to it describing their status if in danger.

Another great feature is creating your own character. Yes, now you can change your character's clothing, face, headgear and voice. Although there aren't much options in these categories, it's still a start, and we'll most likely see more in the future.

Adding on customization, you'll also be able to give your characters different skills. You get four empty slots for skills, you can choose skills for different weapons e.g. Handgun+, SMG+, Assault Rifle+; choosing a weapon skill usually reduces the recoil and takes up one slot. You don't have to choose only weapon skills, you can also go for techniques, like Surveyor (extends lock-on distance) and Hawkeye (increases zoom in FPS). There's a lot more, and you can level them up, level 2 of any skill would take up 2 slots.

The interesting thing about MGO is the incorporation of different camera angles. You get a choice of first-person view, the traditional third person view and the Resident Evil-esque over the shoulder view. It's clear that Kojima Productions were thinking about every type of gamer when creating MGO.

MGO will need some practicing before entering the realm of online gaming, it cannot just be picked up and played. That's why KP have incorporated a training mode, where it'll explain the controls or you can just free roam.

There's currently five maps, Bloodbath, Grozny Grad, Urban Ultimatum, Midtown Maelstrom and Ambush Alley. Though these may seem like few, it's made up for, with the varies types of game modes. You get:

Team Deathmatch: Kill as many people as you can on the opposite team
Deathmatch: Kill as much people as you can
Capture Mission: First out of the two teams to capture the designated objects and bring it back to the base for 30 seconds wins
Rescue Mission: One team must bring an object back to their base for 30 seconds whilst the other team tries to stop them
Base Mission: Different points across the map are laid out to be captured, both teams must capture as many bases as they can. The team which captures all or the most bases wins
Sneaking: Team Deathmatch but with Snake and Mk. II (a small robot which aids Snake). Snake must try and capture as three dog tags from any other the players without dying a certain amount of times. The team which kills Snake the most wins, unless Snake wins. Mk. II can go around stunning players unseen, with it's camoflauge.

Although the game is near perfect, it still is in it's early stages, meaning the game suffers from a few glitches. For example, I was sniping on top of a building when someone managed to grab me from right below that building. These are rare occurrences, but still manages to annoy.

Another flaw in the game is the process of kicking a player. It's so easy to do. You simply go into the options and vote to kick a player, and if enough votes are taken, you will be kicked. This may seem well and good, however you may find yourself simply being kicked for no reason whatsoever other than owning all other players. Not only that but you can join a game with just the host on the server and kick him without any other votes.

You've got to remember that the game is at it's early stages, and these small quirks will all be fixed very soon. Also, expect a load of downloadable content, new playable characters from the MGS universe, new maps and new game modes. All of this should be here very soon.

This is definitely worth a buy if you have a PS3 or not, I'd recommend buying one for it. You'll be getting it free with a 10/10 game, you can't go wrong! It'll last you long, and provide addictive fun for years on. If this was sold separately, I'd still buy it.

9/10