GREE and Konami Release ‘Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops’ in Japan

GREE booth at Tokyo Game Show 2012

Back at the Tokyo Game Show earlier this year, Metal Gear Solid was prominently displayed at the GREE (TYO:3632) booth, in anticipation of the upcoming release in Japan. That release – together with publisher Konami (NYSE:KNM) – is today, as Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops has finally been released.

For now, the card battle RPG rendition of the popular franchise is only available in Japanese, but it’s a high-profile addition to GREE’s gaming portfolio in its home market.

The 3D graphics look very impressive, and it includes elements that Japanese elements will enjoy, like gacha which allows you to win new cards. I’ve never really gotten deep into this franchise, but nevertheless I find it interesting to see the game presented as a card battle game. I guess it does keep the controls simple, even though the graphics of the battle scenes make the action appear complex.

Japan is pretty crazy about card battle games, with the most famous export thus far being Cygames’s Rage of Bahamut on Mobage. If you’d like to learn more about the genre, Serkan Toto has a great explanation here.

You can check out the promo video for Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops below. And if you’d like to try it out for yourself, it’s available for download over on Apple’s app store, and over on Google Play. Screenshots are below. [h/t VS Media]