Metal Gear Survive Launch Delayed to 2018
During their E3 2017 conference, Konami announced that they’re delaying the launch of Metal Gear Survive to 2018. The reason behind this is the usual: the developing team needs more time to polish the game before it’s ready to launch. This doesn’t bode well, considering the general negative reception from the community so far.
Players looking forward to Metal Gear Survive were certainly disappointed to learn that Konami will be postponing the game to 2018. The release will be “pushed back a few months”, because the devs need more time to perfect the game. As I always say, better to be patient an extra few months than suffer through a product that they rushed out the door.
However, one should note that this move will probably do no favors to the community’s already negative perception of Metal Gear Survive. To say that Metal Gear fans haven’t been very welcoming to the new installment in the franchise is putting it mildly. Most of them heavily criticize the new direction Konami is taking with the series. It has always been about tactical espionage; making such an about-turn with the tone angered a lot of people.
For those that don’t know, Metal Gear Survive is a multiplayer co-op zombie survival game. Players will work together, using various weapons and gear (and, of course, stealth) to take down the undead menace. The game takes place in an alternate timeline between Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain. Konami also promises that Survive will have a “dense single-player mode”, where players will explore what caused the zombies to rise.
The problem behind the concept is that it’s about as stale and bland as you can get. Zombie games are a dime a dozen, and if you want to succeed, you really have to bring in something new and fresh. Putting it in the Metal Gear universe isn’t nearly enough of a change. Not to mention that multiplayer co-op survival games are well past their prime; the formula is done to death. Konami will really have to knock it out of the ballpark for this Metal Gear Survive to make it. However, considering the recpetion so far, and Konami’s ailing PR situation, even that might not be enough.
