As video games move from a physical-based platform, with data held in cartridges, CDs, and DVDs, to a digital platform, preservation becomes more important for fans of games that are “time-limited.“Metal Gear Onlinewas one of many online-only multiplayer titles to suffer the inevitable fate of its servers shutting down in 2012, leaving its fans without a properMetal Gearmultiplayer experience until2015’s version based onMetal Gear Solid 5.
The originalMetal Gear Onlinereleased on the PS3 was bundled withMetal Gear Solid 4and offered players classicMetal Gear Solidgameplay with others across various modes, including Team Deathmatch and co-op. As reported by PCGamesN, nine years after Konami shut down the servers, modders have found ways to bring back theMetal Gear Onlineservice, largely due to advancements in PS3 emulation within the span of a decade.
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TitledMetal Gear Online 2, the project uses the RPCS3 emulator and its online capabilities to create custom servers forMetal Gear Onlinein which players can connect via the emulator. Officially announcing the release of the project, the gameplay trailer featuring online multiplayer is impressive as it shows remnants of thebygone era ofMetal Gear Solid 4that players can enjoy from the convenience of their PC. As of right now, there are three servers for players to join according to the project’s website.
Players who are familiar with the RPCS3 emulator or PS3 and Xbox 360 emulation, in general, will quickly realize that players will need quite a beefy rig to play the game without major hiccups. On the website, the modders behind the project recommend an AMD Ryzen 3700x CPU, comparable withspecs relative to the Xbox Series Xand other demanding current-gen games. While the GPU is lenient as “anything with Vulkan support” will do, those interested inMetal Gear Online 2will need to be aware of how much CPU the RPCS3 emulator requires to run without a hitch.
As more developers, like Ubisoft as of recently, areshutting down its serversfor older titles, modders, and long time fans of the games they’ve spent hours, months, and even years players are finding new ways to preserve the multiplayer aspect of these titles for years to come. While PS3 emulation may be demanding for many gaming rigs, those who have the specs or are willing to dive into classic, oft-forgotten,Metal Gear Solidgameplay will want to try outMetal Gear Online 2for nostalgia sake.
TheMetal Gear Online 2project is currently available.
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