Metal Gear Beta Details

In just under a week PS3 owners will be getting a taste of the stealth-killing glory of Metal Gear Online in the public beta test. Here's what you need to do.

The beta will be available as a free download this Thursday. It's then be playable from April 21 to May 5. To prepare you for its launch, here's a run down of what's waiting for you.

CHARACTER CUSTOMISATION
The ability to create your own soldier, from appearance to unique skills and weapon set, is a massive part of the game.

You'll get one Character Slot, a space to create just one soldier. In the character customisation mode, after fooling around with your armour and other visual touches, you can set which weapons you'll take onto the battlefield. It works similarly to the weapon settings in CoD4. Scroll down to the bottom and you'll find a full list of weapons in the beta. Call it now.

You will also be able to assign four skills for your soldier to specialise in. Close Quarter Combat (CQC), knife fighting, quickness, alertness, heavy weaponry mastery, demolition, and sniper mastery are some of the available skills, and you should choose wisely depending on your playing style.

You can imagine, in the final game launching alongside MGS4, that having multiple slots will allow you to set up very different soldier profiles suited to different levels, game modes and your mood, which'll be ace. Like CoD4.

Blood Bath

THE MAPS
The beta will contain two maps: Blood Bath, "a kill house consisting of both surface and underground areas," and Groznyj Grad, an "abandoned weapons factory that housed the Shagohod in Metal Gear Solid 3."

These maps will, according to Konami, demand players use completely different strategies and teamwork to come out victorious.

Where the Blood Bath map is small and compact, providing a more close-quarter and chaotic battle style, while the Groznyj Grad map contrasts that, containing open areas offering unobstructed views as well as indoor and rooftop locations.

Expect chaos for the first couple of hours as players find their way around the maps (and others play it like a first-person-shooter as they get their head around online stealth gameplay).

THE MODES
There will be four playable scenarios in the beta, each one giving you a taste of the different tactics needed to win. An online stealth game isn't like Halo - you can't run around jumping, throwing grenades and shouting "AVE IT!" at everyone. You'll get mauled.

Here's the official line on each of the four modes in the beta:

Death Match
Kill or be killed in this race to get the most kills.

Team Death Match
Death Match takes a strategic turn, as you enlist your team to get the most kills.

Base Mission
Various points around the map will need to be secured to achieve victory.

Capture Mission
Capture the opponents "flag" and return it to your base for points.

THE EQUIPMENT
The beta may be a little tight on the map count, but there's plenty of guns to get to grips with. You'll be able to wield selections of 13 primary guns, five sub-weapons and ten other death-giving peripherals, such as grenades and Claymores.

Want more lists? Here's a comprehensive run-down of all the items, weapons and other equipment you'll have access to in the beta.

Items
Standard issue, with character:

• CBOX
  
• Bino
  
• S.PLUG.S

In the map:

• ENVG
  
• Drum

Weapons

Primary, main weapons at base:

• vz83
  
• P90( +Suppressor)
  
• MP5, AK (+Grenade Launcher)
  
• M4 (Suppressor, Scope, Datsight, Grenade Launcher, Grip)
  
• M17 (Datsight, Scope, Grip)
  
• SVD
  
• Mosin
  
• M14EBR
  
• DSR1
  
• M870
  
• Shield
  
• RPG
  
• SOP Destab

Secondary (Sub Weapon):

• GSR
  
• Mk.2 Pistol
  
• Operator (Suppressor)
  
• G18C
  
• D.E.

Support (Others):

• Grenade
  
• WP Grenade
  
• Stun Grenade
  
• Chaff Grenade
  
• Smoke Grenade
  
• Enemy LOCATOR
  
• Claymore
  
• Sleep Claymore
  
• C4
  
• Magazine

And what about that bizarre human catapult we've been seeing in screens? To state the obvious, Konami says "you basically launch your character across the maps," explaining that it "allows for some very unusual strategies."

We see the comical side of it, but as for whether launching yourself through the air will actually cause your soldier damage (as you would expect in real life), we'll have to wait and see.

THERE'S MORE TO COME
The good news is that there's more to come from the Konami boys during the beta trial.

In addition to everything we've talked about here, Konami has promised that it has some "content surprises" lined up for release "as the MGO Beta progresses". It wouldn't specify exactly what these might be (or they wouldn't be surprises, would they?), but we're hoping for another level.

Check out our hands-on preview of Metal Gear Online if you haven't already, and check back on Monday when the beta goes live for videos and our impressions of the treats on offer.