In most games, it’s common to have a number of save slots available. The idea was popularized due to multiple people playing the same game on older consoles, so families and friends would work out which save slot was “theirs.” After more recent consoles divided saves on the hard drive by profile logins on a console (no more need to use a memory card!), those extra save slots stuck around, often used as redundancies by gamers for a variety of purposes, like trophy hunting, save scrumming, and having a “just in case” fail-safe against game-breaking glitches.
A single save slot is available to players at the start of the game, with three additional empty slots looming in case players want to start another character. The catch? Unlocking each of those save slots costs 1000 SV Coins, Metal Gear Survive’s in game currency that can be purchased using real-world money. Pricing starts at $0.99 for 100 coins and runs all the way up to $49.99 for 6000 SV Coins. The closest option you’ll find to 1000 is 1150 coins for $9.99, which basically equals an extra save slot with a 150 coin bonus.
SV Coins can be used in Metal Gear Survive for a variety of cosmetic items and limited-time boosts, but Konami does not allow players to earn them through normal play. SV coins are granted in small amounts as a daily login bonus (though it’s not certain this practice will go on ad infinitum), in addition to the purchase options outlined above. Restricting a Metal Gear Survive save slot to an unlockable microtransaction is sure to cause an uproar in a time when gamers are paying close attention to what developers are charging them for. SV Coins are also used to unlock additional loadouts in multiplayer and increase storage options for custom weapons, so the monetized save system is far from the only big microtransaction that directly impacts how players can play the game.
It was also discovered that a hidden message exists in Metal Gear Survive, offering a shout out to Kojima Productions and lamenting the death of the Metal Gear series. Metal Gear Survive is currently receiving mixed reviews from critics, though our own Tyler Treese really enjoyed the game once he accepted the craziness for what it is.
