Update:

We played MGO at Tokyo Game Show some weeks ago, but with the The Phantom Pain's multiplayer launching this week we wanted to remind you that this game is incredibly promising. Check out our earlier impressions ahead of playing the full game for a refresh on what you need to know.

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“ MGO demands you use its tremendously deep set of sandbox systems in new ways.

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Metal Gear Online is the only competitive multiplayer game I can think of that actively rewards players for not killing each other.I played my first round of the Bounty Hunter mode like I would any other team death match mode. I focused more on depleting enemy respawn tickets as quickly as possible, running around and firing a machine-gun like a madman. This did not work, because Metal Gear Online is smarter, better, and deeper than that, and I'm already in love with what I've played.Each kill I earned increased my bounty, making me a more meaningful target for my opponents. Likewise, my teammates in their Gear Walkers racking up the kill count became a huge priority for the enemy team, who focused on using Fulton devices to extract our KO’d bodies out of the battlefield.It felt a lot like playing Metal Gear Solid.That’s something MGO has always lacked. Competitive multiplayer in this world felt out of place and like a different game. Metal Gear Online is the best parts of The Phantom Pain with friends and enemies, each of which is equipped with great gadgets and gear you’d use in any Side Op or campaign mission. Everyone is equally capable of killing or extracting you.I extracted three enemies back to back in my non-lethal round, and bringing them back not only got them out of play and earned me bonus points for securing my high-priority bounty target, but it added to my team’s respawn tickets. Putting someone to sleep and stealing them for yourself keeps your team sustainable, and as the game’s menu suggests, can indeed turn the tide of a doomed match.Carcboard boxes have very little utility given it’s so immediately identifiable as a bad guy’s mobile home, but that’s the beauty of MGO — it’s a different kind of Metal Gear Solid experience, and it demands you use its tremendously deep set of sandbox systems in new ways, or let go of old (even bad) habits that a player can exploit better than an A.I. might.16 players seemed like a lot going into our series of Bounty Hunter matches, but it felt right. Maps are large and open-ended enough that players can scatter like leaves in the wind, regroup when necessary, or even respawn on each other Battlefield-style if two players willingly link together. Things can get loud and busy, for sure, but that’s the necessary release of tension caused by 16 sneaky players trying to outsmart (and kidnap) each other.I am excited to play more of MGO, and I'm glad it's coming next year. I'm still honing my skills in The Phantom Pain, trying out varying tactics to siege outposts or sneak by guards. The more time I sink into the single-player stuff, the readier I'll be in next month when it puts me against other players who've also obsessively stolen prisoners back, slaughtered entire armies of enemies, and airlifted zebras out of Africa.I can't wait to not-kill everyone.For all our news, previews, interviews, and more coverage from Tokyo Game Show, check out IGN's TGS 2015 Hub

Mitch Dyer is an Editor at IGN. Talk to him about Dota 2, movies, books, and other stuff on Twitter at @MitchyD and subscribe to MitchyD on Twitch