Ac!d may not play like a traditional Metal Gear game, but it certainly looks the part. Many of the game’s environments take place in dark, industrial areas, bringing it in line more to the style of the first two games rather than the latest game in the series. Expect to see lots of concrete, metal, and, of course, labyrinth upon labyrinth of look-alike hallways. Character designs look like they were ripped straight out of Metal Gear Solid. As with some of the other games in the PSP’s lineup, some of the smaller details have been removed to accommodate for the PSP’s hardware, but there are still enough details to keep it looking sharp. These are especially noticeable during the action scenes that occur after playing a card.
Story elements play out through a series of hand-drawn portraits which take the place of the codex conversations found in other games. Depending on the situation, portraits are complimented by either another hand-drawn image or animated in-game images.
Camera issues are one of the biggest issues facing Ac!d’s graphical presentation. Most of the time, they are not much of an problem, though difficult-to-navigate angles aren’t all that uncommon. Camera issues don’t make the game unplayable, but a little more control over the camera would have really helped the game’s strategic elements. More control would have been especially helpful in later levels that take place in multi-tiered areas.
Following in the path of past games, Ac!d’s soundtrack is kept very low-key until the action kicks in. Even when the action is calm, the tempo is upbeat and keeps you in the game. None of the lines are voiced, so expect to do a lot of reading during some of the longer story sequences. All of the familiar blings, bleeps, and whistles carry over to the PSP as well. Though it may sound like a small thing, these elements are integral elements to past games and their omission might serve to only anger some of the series' more ardent fans who are already turned off by the change in gameplay.
