Metal Gear Solid

"Action-packed, Emotional, Involving - A Beautiful Cinematic Experience. I truly fell in love with this game."

Mere words cannot describe the pure excellence that Metal Gear Solid achieves in storytelling. It is an enthralling tale that manages to capture the heart of even the most seemingly hardcore individuals. I tip my hat to Hideo Kojima for making a definitive game that no person should be without.

Story:10/10---This is definately the best part of Metal Gear Solid. The player controls the legendary Solid Snake, hero of the past games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2:Solid Snake. This time around, Snake has been contacted by his old friend Colonel Campbell and is briefed about a new mission that the Pentagon has hired him for. It appears that a group of rebel FOXHOUND operatives aong with many Genome soldiers have taken over an Alaskan Nuclear Weapons Base and are demanding billions of dollars along with the remains of the legendary Big Boss's DNA. To back their demands up, the FOXHOUND terrorists have the ultimate weapon-Metal Gear, a walking invisible to radar nuclear equipped battle tank, capable of launching a nuclear warhead from any terrain. Snake must infiltrate the base, acquiring weapons and equipment OSP(on-site perimeter) and meanwhile has a very limited idea of the terrorists he must deal with. Unbeknownst to Snake (or the player for much of the game) there is a lot more trouble brewing then he could have imagined. I can honestly say that I have never played a game with a more involving story. The action is there, oh yes there is plenty of action to keep the hyperactive gamer happy. But, much of the game is incredibly heartbreaking and emotional. In addition to the main mission, each character has a personal conflict revealed as the game progresses. None of the character's personal stories are lighthearted or happy in the least. Snake is a lonely man, living for himself, never caring for the lives of others, meanwhile all of the FOXHOUND terrorists have their own tales of sorrow, their personal reasons for fighting, tales of past events that turned them into the way they are-this is even true for those helping Snake by CODEC. The story of Metal Gear Solid is absolutely enthralling, fillex with sadness and misery, hardly any of the game can be called happy. But this equates to a tragic, yet brilliant story thanks to the writing techniques of Hideo Kojima. Yet Metal Gear Solid is not one giant pot of misery. There are many bits of humor and suspense that keep the gamer on their toes. To put it best, it is the perfect blend of sadness, action, and humor-although definately leaning towards sadness.

Music/Sound:10/10----Whoever did this score is unbelievable. As soon as the opening credits role, we are treated with a beautiful opera composition, then suddenly the music shifts to an edge of your seat mood that just gets you pumped. The muic is perfect for every environment and none of the music is forgettable or boring. When spotted by the enemy the music becomes fast paced, rythmic, and exciting. When a boss character is dying, it shifts to gloomy and depressing. The composer succeeds in stirring up a range of emotions from excitement to sorrow. I cannot count how many times the music has made me come close to shedding tears. The music definately adds to the story and makes for a touching and riveting experience at the same time. The sound is great as well. The snapping of a guard's neck sounds almost too real it hurts, the footsteps are simulated nicely, as well as explosions, gunshots, wolf-dogs howling, knocking on the door, slaps. Everything sounds as it would in real life. The voice acting is also spectacular, they seriously acted as if Metal Gear Solid were a live-action movie and put effort into their roles. Everything is top notch.

Gameplay:9/10---The gameplay is perfect for this game and does not suffer from any flaws. While there is no first-person view shooting, dragging the bodies of soldiers, hiding in lockers, or sniping while standing/crouching, it proves to work fine and does not hinder the gaming experience. Quite honestly, I believe the absence of the gameplay features seen in MGS 2 and 3 make Metal Gear Solid more challenging and nerve racking. Weapons and equipment are easy to use, crawling can be done by pressing the x button and a direction, climbing ladders is as simple as pressing circle, and Snake can see what is ahead of him by pressing triangle. The great thing about Metal Gear Solid is that one can approach the game how he or she wants, either plowing through enemies and killing them or being stealthy the entire time-although stealth is the way to go since enemies spawn when you kill them and sometimes things such as elevators are not accessible when seen. Navigating is easy, there is a radar on the top-right corner that allows you to see where enemies are, as well as their field of vision, as well as the location of stairs and rooms. However, there are times when the radar is jammed, such as when spotted by the enemy, meaning it is that much tougher to escape or avoid being spotted adding to the games tension. Snake has a full arsenal of weapons and equipment from minde detectors, thermal and night vision goggles and cardboard boxes and cigarettes to automatic machine guns, sniper rifles, remote-controlled missiles, stinger missles, a wide array of grenades, and even the simple handgun upgradeable witha silencer.There are items Snake can obtain to make another playthrough different from the first experience, but more on that later.

Bosses:10/10---I must make a separate category for bosses as they are one of the best things about Metal Gear Solid. Each boss has their own unique story and abilities that make each boss fight a new experience from the other. From classic sniper fights, to hand-to-hand combat, to firing at each other with an automatic on a truck, to dodging spinning chairs and deer heads, each boss encounter is memorable and exciting. I always looked forward to fighting another boss in this game, whereas in many other games I dreaded boss fights either for their stupidity or their lack of real purpose. The bosses in Metal Gear Solid are truly excellent gameplay wise and you are forced to pull out all the stops as some are incredibly hard at higher difficulty settings. Story wise the bosses are especially important as they add so much depth to the story and emotional experience. I even felt quite sorry for some of the bosses and hated having to kill them, while at the same time incredibly excited to fight them because of the sheer awemone personalities of the FOXHOUND unit.

Graphics:10/10---The graphics may be dated now, but that is obvious as new technology such as the PS3 is already out. But, anyone who complains about graphics now while playing a PSX game is a real moron. For its time, Metal Gear Solid pushed the PSX to its limits, everything was distinguishable, Snake's breath was seen while in cold environments, bullet wounds are seen on boss characters, and the environments all looked beautiful. There are also cinematic cut-scenes to vary the graphic experience. For a PSX game it is definately a 10/10 and only help to make the Metal Gear Solid experience that much more of a masterpiece.

Challenge:10/10---The challenge level is perfect. It is not impossibly hard nor is it a breeze to walk through. While controlling Snake throughout the game it is essential to be aware of surroundings and enemy position, utilizing the environment and planning what weapons to use and how to make your way around the guards. Bosses can also be pretty difficult as they progressively get more challenging. It does not take long to get used to the controls, although if you have been playing a later version of MGS, you might stumble like I did and press the wrong button for an action resulting in more health lost than wanted. The challenge is the perfect level, not too hard and not too easy. Also, for those wanting a challenge after completing the game you can try extreme mode which really tests your skills in difficulty. Do not try if you are an amateur.

Replay Value:10/10---Metal Gear Solid is a short game, about 5 hours on average although a skilled gamer can beat it in 2 hours if the cinematics are skipped. After beating the game you are given a ranking depending on factors such as how many rations were eaten, how many times you saved, how many times you have died and continued, and how many times you were spotted. Those wanting to improve their ranking to try and get the highest rank of FOXHOUND will find a lot of replay value. Depending on certain actions made during the game, you can either get stealth camouflage to become invisible to the enemy or an infinite ammo bandana allowing you to never run out of ammo. Equpping these on a second playthrogh definately gives you more room to have fun killing and experimenting. Even without these, the story is just so moving that it is unfathomable to imagine that after playing the game you will not pick it up again.

Conclusion:---I fell in love with this game. A beautiful and unforgettable story and soundtrack along with great gameplay blend to create the gaming experience of a lifetime. Only a fool passes by such a wonderful game as this. Mark my words, you will not regret this purchase.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/02/08

Game Release: Metal Gear Solid (US, 10/21/98)