Alright, alright, I admit it: I was rather glib in my initial impressions of the Metal Gear Solid Online Beta. After some more time with that game, my heart has warmed to it. Especially since it has added one new feature, and I've mastered another.

In general terms, what I do like about it is that it isn't another shooter. I got very annoyed about it trying to play it like one. The physical interactions with other players do put it on a different level, admittedly, though, one that isn't entirely functional. There is much to do in MGS Online, but not all of it is useful.

I've warmed up to the level design, and in fact, am really digging the "factory" style level, with many open hangers, rooftop hideouts, etcetera. I am a little let down that the tranq guns are so underpowered: it takes four solid hits to knock anyone out, which means that you're going to have to be sniping for a long time, while one bullet to the head is an instant kill.

The graphics? Some levels look good, but I have found that some of the buildings look "lego blocky", which I think is due in part to how your characters respond to the environment. They've sacrificed authenticity to make each level a large playset, which unfortunately means a lot of squares, chunky railings, and right angles. There are many vehicles dotted around the city map, but, shockingly, you can't crawl under them which seems like a huge oversight in the MGS universe. As for the vehicles themselves, they are crude looking, a bit too PS2ish for me to be really pleased with them. Overall it's not a bad looking game, great in parts, but isn't a huge step forward that I was imagining, and not as immediately impressive as others that have been released in the past year.

Here are some highlights I took from the beta:

Shield Bashing

Yes, the shield is my new favorite weapon in Metal Gear Solid Online. The riot shield carried in MGS2 and such is not only a solid defense, but a great non-lethal offensive weapon. Since absolutely no one was using it, ever, it was also one that people didn't know how to react against. You just keep on marching towards them, shield in front, crouching so that they can't shoot at your feet, as they frantically fire at you and back away. If you catch up to them, smash them in the face with your shield. One hit usually knocks them off their feet, and you can continue hitting them until they fall unconscious, at which point their inert body is your plaything.

Yes, you can pat them on the stomach, lift them up and use them as a personal shield, or quickly kill them with your stun knife. Or you can just pull them around for a while and keep dropping them. It's all fun, light-hearted, and reminds me of the best of Metal Gear Solid 2.

That isn't to say that the shield is an unstoppable weapon: just dive around the guy with the shield and hit him from behind if he's coming towards you, or sneak around him and shoot him from his soft, vulnerable rear. Easy. But its rarity as a used weapon (it replaces your primary weapon, so you'll be without any machine guns or sniper rifles) means that not everyone knows how to deal with it. The shield is also pretty much useless in open spaces as an offensive weapon, with only the small, confined levels suited for its CQC abilities.

No Gay Bashing

Voice chat support on the PS3 has always been a big ball of mystery for me. While I have actually, honestly got it to work in Burnout: Paradise with little problem, every other game (IE: Warhawk) will just have short cuts of conversation, people asking "Hello? Hello?" and irritating clicking sounds. This one is no different. So everyone is communicating using the canned phrases in the online beta. You know what? I like it better that way.

Yes, yes, it's archaic, and my dislike for 12 year olds yelling at me is deeply rooted in the fact that I'm not very good at video games, and that I'm old. But it's nice to play a game online without being screeched at, called "gay" or a "faggot", having to quit due to everyone telling racist jokes, etcetera. I'm sure it'll be ruined later, but for now, it's a nice online haven.

Sneaking Mode

Yes, it's a bit of a crib from Splinter Cell. But the Sneaking Mode is pretty damn awesome. Three teams, red, blue, and snake. Red and blue rack up points by killing each other or snake. Snake racks up points by holding up or knocking out red or blue guys and stealing their tags. Not only is it a nice preview for how Snake is going to play, but it's really fun. And I'm absolutely terrible at playing Snake. (Good at killing him, though.)

I'm still not entirely sure how I should be approaching holding up guys, but I was never great at it in Metal Gear Solid 2. I'm just not a sneaky guy. Still, I think with practice, even a terrible stealther like me will get the hang of it.

***

So I'm still debating the PS3 or 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV. I think that for these sort of games (3rd person), I'm going to side with the PlayStation controller, but I do like the idea of a more functional online experience. Then again, I have a deep and passionate hatred for the general public on XBox Live, so... I don't know.

And the PS3 version has like seventy less P than the 720P 360 version. Those Ps are pretty important, you know. Gotta max out your P. On my 34" HDTV, I don't know if it would make much difference. Right now I'm leaning towards the PlayStation 3 one, but I'll wait and see how bad the 60gig models like mine are faring with it.

I went back and played San Andreas for a few hours the other day... dear lord, Las Venturas is an ugly, ugly design for a city. Some parts are sub GTA III... you can tell it was the last thing that they worked on, and there's a certain lack of effort there.

Explosives and traffic pileups never get old, though. Alright. Now I'm officially excited for the new one, I admit it.