Metal Gear Solid

I felt like reviewing an older game title. So, I decided to sit down and look around at what I had, and it hit me: As I'm currently gearing through MGS2 and MGS3 for reviews on each, I should introduce Gametrash to the king of the series- the game that started it all, and CREATED the stealth genre as we know it today- Metal Gear Solid.

Metal Gear Solid is the brainchild of Hideo Kojima, genius and Konami developer, who decided to create the Metal Gear series on the NES way back when we all thought "The Legend of Zelda" had good graphics. The game was rudiamentary, the fighting engine was easily exploited, but the game was fun, and the story even rivaled Final Fantasy in level of depth and enjoyability. Needless to say, this started what is now known as the "Outer Heaven" chapter of Metal Gear, and then, Playstation fans were introduced to Metal Gear Solid.

Metal Gear Solid re-introduces Solid Snake, hard-broiled covert puppet of the government as you try to stop what is known as the "Shadow Moses" incedent- where Terrorists take over huge Nuclear-Armed tank Metal Gear REX and threaten to blow up key locations unless the Government gives them the only thing they demand: The remains of Big Boss, ultimate solider of the Cold War. As Snake, your job is to infiltrate the base, rescure two Arms dealers who built Metal Gear REX, and prevent the Terrorists from using the Metal Gear to blow up Washington DC, or whever they feel like.


As I mentioned above, Metal Gear Solid was the first to present the "Sneaking System"- that is, the concept of the game being not to kill every enemy in sight, but to find your way around them and engage them only when you must. This makes the game interesting, because what it means is that as you progress through the game, you are essentially left with the same setup as you are in the start of the game- just get through, no superweapons or levelling up. Metal Gear Solid provides you weaponry and gadgetry to get through the base on Shadow Moses where Metal Gear REX is being held, but it stresses sneaking, even so far as to somewhat humorously call Snake's attire the "Sneaking Suit".

Through the game, it is eventually discovered that there are a set of people, known as FOXHOUND, who are manning the base along with leader Liquid Snake. These people, ranging from a Shaman with a tank to a female Kurd with elite sniping skills. These enemies, who generally serve as bosses throught the game, generally provide an interesting turn to the story, as they provide their own interests and goals into the mix, and you will honestly have no clue what it all means till the end. From the issues surrounding you with the bosses to the enemies you find in your close allies on your Codec (The radio you contact your allies with), the game has one of the best stories I have ever seen in a video game, period. Unfortunately, this tends to mean that, while Metal Gear Solid is plentiful in action, you better grab popcorn- the game's cinemas also tend to be very long and action filled. Except you don't play them.

The gameplay in Metal Gear Solid, even on the Playstation, is sharp and easy to control. While the controls take time to accustom oneself to, I found myself very easily integraded into the system Metal Gear Solid provided me, and I was crawling through vents and hiding behind boxes in no time. This is no Splinter Cell- all of the controls have been refined and perfected in order to make the game as easy to control as possible, and all of the actions in the game are instant and fun. However, one irritant to some is that the camera- it is fixed, much like the Resident Evil titles. You can go into First Person mode, which is nice for looking around, as well as moving the camera when you press against a wall- but for the most part, you are stuck into a certain position. I got used to this (As I'm actually quite used to this in games like Devil May Cry), but it may irritate some.



The whole game is two CDs of pure bliss, and I do not say that in the joking sense. From the start of the game to the end (Somewhere around 10 hours of gameplay), I was doing nothing but enjoying myself. This game will hook you, and I found myself (And STILL find myself) immersed in the deep story and quick action. Once you become accustomed to the game and the play style, you will find yourself unable to tear yourself from Metal Gear Solid until completion. The story progresses quickly, and with every cutscene and even Codec message you recieve, it increases your desire to figure out what REALLY happened to the DARPA Cheif, or why everything seems to be pretty simple for you to break into an armed base.

One thing about this game that makes it even more impressive is the voicework. Yes, voicework. Every single line in the game is voice acted to absolute perfection, not to mention the fact that the actors actually fit the characters. These are not shoddy Anime voice actors with bad lip syncs- these are perfect sound setups that made me actually believe the characters. David Hayter as Solid Snake is absolutely perfect, as well as having Cam Clarke as Liquid Snake- it all works together. It immersed me, I honestly would be surprised if I knew those sounds were on a Playstation game, if I didn't know beforehand.

Finally, let me address a key issue with this game, that doesn't affect the socre from me, but is important to know- this game, and all of the Metal Gear Solid games- are very very tough in some parts. Unless you are willing to play the game correctly, you will not enjoy this game. Those who try to play Metal Gear Solid by rushing/running, shooting, or some combination thereof, will find themselves caught and killed so many times it can become frustrating. These kind of games are not simplistic third person shooters, they require patience and time to understand.

But, all in all, I never had a second where I didn't enjoy myself completely with this game. The moral of this review? If you have a Playstation or PC, you must go find this game, be it used or new, SOMEWHERE. There is a reason Metal Gear Solid, among hundreds of other games, is known as the best Playstation game ever- it is absolutely phenomenal in every way, and my reason to consider Hideo Kojima with more respect and awe than Nintendo's Miyamoto. I simply cannot wait to review the other games of the Metal Gear Solid series on Gametrash.

5 star(s) out of 5

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