10 things we want from Metal Gear Solid Touch 2

It's no secret Snake's iPhone adventure is a bit geriatric. Metal Gear Solid Touch lacks the spirit for which the series has earned so much acclaim, trading it in for mediocre touchscreen shooting.

That doesn't mean it fires a complete blank, though. The potential for a compelling game is right there, waiting to come to light in a sequel. We lay out the top 10 things we'd like to see out of Metal Gear Solid Touch 2, but we're also keen to hear your suggestions - make sure to comment below.

1. An original story
Revisiting the plot of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots only served to highlight its convoluted twists and turns. Instead of making it easier to follow, the summary Metal Gear Solid Touch offers is even more confusing because you're given fewer details.

Forget rehashing past plots and give us something fresh. Perhaps a dive into the period between Metal Gear Solids 2 and 4, an exploration of how Raiden became the second cyborg ninja, or even an episode in the earlier days of the Snake saga.

2. Animated cutscenes
As great-looking as the static story scenes are in Metal Gear Solid Touch, animated cutscenes would up the cinematic quality of the game.

Either graphic novel-style panels with animated touches and sound effects or pre-rendered cut-scenes would do wonders for the game. In fact, Konami should employ the talented artists who worked on the fabulous Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novels on PSP.

3. Tap to shoot, no finger-slide aiming
Here's a simple fix: if Kojima Productions wants to go the route of touchscreen shooter, go for the gold and do away with aiming. The action would be better served in a sequel by allowing direct tapping of targets, instead of sliding to aim then tapping for the shot.

4. Ability to move behind cover
Cementing Snake behind cover gives Metal Gear Solid Touch a very restricted feel that can easily be changed in a sequel.

The ability to reposition Snake behind cover by tilting the handset left or right would add more interactivity. Even better, it would add a tactical element to combat in allowing you to decide the best position for firing on enemies.

5. Ability to switch between weapons
Perhaps the greatest disappointment of Metal Gear Solid Touch was the surprising lack of weaponry. Beyond Snake's default M4, there's the SVD sniper rifle and RPG-7 - that's it. No tranquiliser pistol, shotgun, sub-machine gun, revolver, grenades - nothing.

A sequel needs to pack in more weapons, perhaps even opening up Drebin's Shop for the purchase of new firearms and upgrades mirroring the system used in Metal Gear Solid 4. Not only would it add much needed variety to the game, but it would encourage replay to try out different weapons.

6. Support for Solid Eye peripheral
For all that the game does to follow Metal Gear Solid 4, where's Snake's Solid Eye peripheral in Metal Gear Solid Touch? The option to toggle infrared or night vision views would add a dynamic element to combat, opening up the opportunity for compelling new enemies encounters.

Night stages could have you switching on Solid Eye night vision, taking out PMC soldiers in the dark. Battling in snowy environments may have you leaning on infrared sight to pick our enemies at a distance. The potential here is enormous.

7. Touchscreen flashback sequences
Among the coolest features in Metal Gear Solid 4 are the flashback sequences that have you jamming on the Dual Shock 3's X button to access Snake's memory of characters and events.

Replacing the X button with taps of the screen, Metal Gear Solid Touch 2 could fill in backstory and details using stylish flashbacks integrated into the flow of the game. Not only would it flesh out the story, but it would add a lot of much-needed interactivity.

8. Bonus unlock for original Metal Gear game
Unlocking wallpapers is okay, but not exactly the most compelling of bonuses. Throwing in a port of NES classic Metal Gear would do much to sweeten the deal, particularly for long time fans of the franchise.

There's plenty of other potential bonuses worth considering: Metal Gear Solid ring tones, extra modes, and so on.

9. Sneaking suit camouflage
Snake's suit in Metal Gear Solid 4 had the unique ability to take on the appearance of the surrounding terrain. Bringing that into Metal Gear Solid Touch 2 would introduce another welcome layer of complexity to combat.

If you activate camouflage, enemies could have a harder time hitting you. A shake of the handset would reset the suit's camouflage, preserving its energy.

10. Incorporation of stealth
Metal Gear Solid Touch unfortunately lacks the true spirit of the series, which may be a result of omitting stealth as an element of gameplay. There are ways to incorporate it in a sequel, leveraging the device in a meaningful way that doesn't have to force it or make stealth tactics difficult.

Sandwiching shooting stages with stealth sequences would help conjure the Metal Gear spirit, for starters. Top-down stealth-action levels might be an option or even a full 3D take. The potential here is enormous.