Metal Gear Solid

"Truly inspiring - Metal Gear Solid is a masterpiece."

Metal Gear Solid, is not just a game. It’s so much more – more then any game has ever offered, period. The Metal Gear series is known for its unique stealth type of gameplay – if an enemy sees you, they’ll all move away from their position to attack you. If you manage to get away – the timer will countdown and the enemies will return to their positions. But it goes far deeper then that. You have an enthralling story, familiar friends and some new ones, many weapons and items to help you out – and of course the return of the famous Solid Snake. What would a Metal gear game be without him? He’s unlike other ‘heroes’ of video games – it seems as if he doesn’t give a crap about anybody.. he just wants to get the job done. But Snake is more complicated then you think. You’ll unravel some of his past while playing the game – and it helps if you know some Metal gear history.

I hear MGS was excessively hyped – but I hadn’t the idea the game existed [give me a break – I was very busy during that time] until it was released here in Canada. So… the hype didn’t raise my expectations – I played this game fresh, without hearing a single thing about it. I knew this had to be great, but MGS blew my expectations away. I was hearing voices all the time – something new to me. I moved around quickly, always eyeing my radar – making sure I wouldn’t get caught. I snuck up behind the enemies – planted C4 on their back and ran away – pushing the button. I spoke with Mei Ling, Naomi, Colonel Cambell, Nastasha, Master Miller, Otacon, and Deepthroat when I could. They always provided me with advice, and encouraged me to go on when it was getting tougher. I fought Psycho Mantis and loved every moment of it. Metal gear solid is a thrill ride from beginning to end. And trust me – you’ll want every moment of it to last.

Hideo Kojima pulled off a masterpiece – perfectly balancing action, story, and excitement. Metal Gear Solid would make the perfect movie – play through the whole game and you’ll understand why. Whether it be Sniper Wolf and Otacon’s moment, wolves ‘marking their territory’ on your precious cardboard box, the Cyborg Ninja’s mysterious story, or the spectacular ending[s]. It’s far from a game… if you want to impress someone – bring out Metal Gear Solid. It’s the king of all games – absolutely the best on Playstation. MGS has everything you’d ever want in a game. Why wait now? It’s available in the Greatest hits collection – so pick it up for a low price! It’d be a crime to own a Playstation and not own this game.

MGS has an exceptional cast of characters. You’ll meet them all – the mysterious Deepthroat is an especially interesting one. Who could he be…? Of course there’s Solid Snake – the legend. He’s the best of the best, and in retirement. But who else can they call upon for such an important mission? If you flip through the instruction manual you can see all of the characters and read a bit about them. But the best way to meet them is through the game itself. They all have their personalities – and interesting names. Thankfully, MGS wasn’t cursed with horrible voice acting. That could’ve easily ruined the overall experience. Meryl is another important character – she’s the colonel’s niece and you’ll meet her early in the game.

The music is great – every time you get caught it’ll feel like you’re getting an adrenaline rush. The combined effect of the spectacular music and amazing sound effects will have you sweating. It’s such an incredible experience – knowing the enemy is right behind you. Where can you hide? The music helps create a frantic feel – you’ll either be clenching the controller, saying to yourself ‘come on, come on!’ or you’ll be so startled by the sudden change of pace you’ll drop the controller struck with fear. It all depends on how much experience you have with the game. There’s always a tense tone to the music. You never know what lurks around the corner… but if you’re too alert a simple codec ring will give you a heart attack. You’ll need to find a balance so you’re ready for combat without getting startled – but you can’t be too careless.

The controls are great, and better with a dual shock controller. The layout is simple and you’ll be an expert in no time. Square is to strangle, throw an enemy or to use your item. Circle is to use your hand to hand combat skills and is also your ‘action’ button. Triangle is used to view through first-person mode, and X is used to crawl. R1 changes your weapon selection, and L1 changes your item selection. Select activates your codec [a special communicator device] Simple, isn’t it? : )

If you’ve beaten the game – try again on a harder difficulty. You can play without a radar [that’s TOUGH] or without a radar and with few rations [very tough.] If you like a game with challenge and wouldn’t mind playing it over – play again! And then you can also do the VR training missions which will help you improve on your skills. Even after that there’s hordes of extra secrets to see in the main game. Especially with the camera! Metal Gear Solid will keep you occupied for a long time – but this is not the kinda game you throw away after your done with it. It’s the kind of game you’re proud to have – and wouldn’t dare sell. And if you made that foolish mistake and sold or lost [I lost my MGS once! I nearly died!] Metal Gear Solid – and wish to buy a new one, just wait a few months. A port of Metal Gear Solid is being prepared for the PC. Also, bleemcast will also be released soon enough – either way you get a somewhat improved version of metal gear solid.

You must play this game. It’s a spectacular gaming experience that you should not live without. I can’t believe some people could possibly not love this game – but I guess no game, not even Metal Gear Solid could be enjoyed by every single gamer out there. At least give it a rent if you don’t buy it right away, I’m begging you. It’s phenomenal, amazing, spectacular, fantastic, perfect, whatever adjective related to excellence you have. Metal Gear Solid is truly a big step forward in the gaming world. Its fantastic storyline and stealth gameplay will always be remembered – and who knows what Sons of Liberty has to bring?

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Sushi’s Quick Sheet™

Gameplay : Unique, and fantastic
Graphics : Just fine.
Sound Effects : Brilliant!
Music : Exceptional!
Controls : Perfection!
Storyline : Amazing
Replay : Not bad at all!
Overall : You absolutely must own this game… : )
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Scores

Gameplay : 10+
Graphics : 9.5
Sound : 10
Music : 10
Controls : 10
Storyline : 10+
Replay : 8.5
Overall : 10

Sushi Says : “Excellence at its best.”

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(( Metal Gear Solid has been the first game ever awarded..))

[[Sushi’s Mighty Rare award of Pure Excellence]]

-Congratulations!-

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Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/14/00, Updated 06/14/00