Based on a good game; new unlockable characters; great style.
Cheap content; no story; requires hours of tedium to excel.
Konami, working with Kojima Productions, has done a fantastic job with every Metal Gear Solid re-release or collector's edition to date. Sadly, MGS: Portable Ops + abruptly ends that tradition. We're not sure why Portable Ops + not only doesn't improve substantially on its predecessor, but actually trims off numerous features. The game is only twenty dollars, but it's a dubious value.
The graphics and controls of Portable Ops + will be instantly familiar for Portable Op vets. That means a smooth -- if inevitably awkward at bad moments -- control scheme, and a graphics engine that looks great but pays the price in jaggies and visible seams. Not much on the PSP really looks better than Portable Ops' engine, to be honest, but we'd hoped to see a tighter, more optimized version of the visuals for this expansion.
The cruelest jab at fans is that Portable Ops + has no story mode. Rather than continuing to tell the story of Big Boss in any way, we get "Infinity Mission." Infinity Mission is the MGS equivalent of a random dungeon hack, existing only to let you level up characters, get new characters, and level-up characters yet more. While a good grind can keep you occupied, that's never been the draw of the MGS series. At this point, it's safe to say that MGS fans are interested in the story, and MGS:PO + doesn't have one. And to be frank, it isn't a great grind.
The mechanics of Metal Gear Solid were translated brilliantly onto the PSP with Portable Ops, but we really don't want to spend dozens, if not hundreds of hours, with no goal in sight but more leveling and soldier abductions. It's a stealth action title, not a tactical grinder. The gameplay doesn't grow past the first dozen or so hours; it just boils down to capturing more and more faceless guys and hoping you find a rare. There is one benefit to absolutely owning the single-player: owning multiplayer. Unfortunately, it creates a substantial barrier to entry as well.