Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced that SCENE EXPANSION – the latest downloadable content for its Metal Gear Online title for PLAYSTATION 3 – is scheduled for release on March 17th in Europe priced 7.99 Euro. Metal Gear Online fans will be able to pre-purchase the SCENE EXPANSION from March 10th. Those who pre-order will receive an exclusive ‘Cardboard Box Man’ head gear for use in the game. The new expansion pack can be purchased from the game’s built-in MGO Shop.The latest addition to Metal Gear Online adds further stages, options and content elements to the basic game, further demonstrating the versatility of its dedicated online gameplay. SCENE EXPANSION adds three all-new maps to the game, with the industrial wasteland of Outer Outlet newly available, with its above and below ground areas suited for long-range attacks, while Hazard House is three-storey building which favours close kills. Finally, SCENE EXPANSION also includes the Ravaged Riverfront Clock Tower, wherein the battle rages across above and underground and underwater.
The download also adds more well-known members of the Metal Gear Solid universe as playable characters, with Raiden and Vamp joining the player roster – and both equipped with the skills that made them so popular in the series. Both have supernatural jumping abilities, and Raiden can use a High Frequency Blade to attack and block damage. Vamp is equipped with different knifes, and his special ability is to respawn at the same spot he was defeated.
Kojima Productions has also introduced another new Solo Capture mode, wherein players are charged with holding on to a set target for a specific amount of time. Rival factions must attempt to seize the hostage, with a strict time-limit ticking away at all times. Other new elements include humorous elements such as a bikini, a wig, and hockey mask – and a subtle reference to Konami’s Silent Hill series in the form of Robbie’s head gear.
A full trailer detailing the download’s many new additions will be released via the PlayStation Store this week. Other changes with immediate effect are reduced prices for existing add-ons users can buy in the game’s built-in MGO Shop. From mid-March onwards, the PlayStation Network Wallet system will be supported as an optional payment option, allowing players to purchase all additional MGO content using their existing PSN account.