1998 was without a doubt a very important year in video game history, as some of the most well-known, and well-liked titles of all time were released for the very first time. Final Fantasy Tactics, Parasite Eve and Tekken 3 were all released for the Playstation 1, with other massive titles such as Starcraft, Pokémon Red/Blue, Half Life and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time being released on other consoles, including the recently launched Gameboy Color. For any game to stand out during this period would rightly be seen as a massive achievement, and Hideo Kojima’s ‘Metal Gear Solid’, a follow-up to the original Metal Gear games created many years prior, is seen by many as not only the best game released on the Playstation 1, but one of the greatest games of all time.
Metal Gear Solid was incredibly well received by critics, and sold over 6 million copies worldwide. There have since been expanded versions of the game, and a remake on the GameCube, but for many, the original title is seen as a personal favorite. The game has recently come back into the spotlight, as it was released in America on the Playstation Store for a bargain price of $9.99.
Metal Gear Solid HelicopterDeveloped and published by Konami, Metal Gear Solid features a clever combination of action and stealth gameplay, which was a huge step forward from the original Metal Gear games, yet remained faithful the these previous titles. Voiced by David Hayter, the enigmatic protagonist Solid Snake (a retired soldier) is on a mission south-west of Alaska in the Bering Sea, as he aims to end the threat of terrorist organization FOXHOUND, a group Snake had formally been a part of that had since turned rogue, who aim to launch a nuclear strike. Gameplay is open in that you have the ability to complete the entire game without killing a single enemy (except for the bosses), but you are also offered a range of weapons enabling you to kill anything that moves. Weapons in the game include a .45 caliber pistol, a FAMAS and a stinger amongst others. Each of the weapons is useful in respective areas, particularly in boss fights. For example, when Snake encounters his arch enemy Liquid, who is controlling a powerful HIND D Russian attack and transport chopper on the roof, the stinger (a heat seeking missile) is incredibly useful in winning the battle.
You control Snake with the left joystick, but with no control over the fixed camera – except when you’re in first person mode. The stealth mechanics involve Snake taking cover on the corner of any object, peering round the corner to check for enemies and other obstacles ahead. The rigid and often predictable enemy AI is one of the most charming factors of the game, as large exaggerated question marks appear above an enemy’s head if they hear a noise or find unknown footsteps. If they encounter Solid Snake face to face, a large exclamation mark appears in the same manner (before they start shooting wildly at you, that is!). Enemies enter alert mode when they encounter Snake, causing a 99.99 timer to appear on screen. When this timer runs out, the enemies will forget about ever seeing Snake, and will return to their normal patterns. However, if Snake successfully eliminates all of the enemies in close proximity without dying himself, then the timer will end immediately, allowing him to continue on his journey. There are other methods of not being seen however, such as equipping the now infamous cardboard box (night vision goggles) which enable Snake to see enemies hidden in the shadows. In addition, close inspection of the radar shown in the top right side of the screen proves to be a very useful tool in both sneaking past your enemies and remaining aware of just where they’ve slinked off too during a boss battle!
Whilst the gameplay in Metal Gear Solid is varied and action packed, it is the cutscenes and incredibly in-depth storyline plots that have been the appealing factor to many down the years. Cleverly intertwined with gameplay, the cutscenes help introduce and explain the character’s personas, as well as help the storyline progress. For the time period, the cutscenes were impressive, especially considering they were using the in-game engine. Codec conversations also take up a good chunk of the time you’ll spend playing Metal Gear Solid. They feature Snake and another character talking, with a written log of the spoken dialogue under pictures of the characters. These conversations can range from 20 seconds to several minutes, yet remain interesting throughout, with the help of a genuinely intriguing storyline.
Metal Gear Solid Gas MaskOne of the most memorable scenes is the boss battle with Psycho Mantis. You enter a seemingly empty corridor with newfound acquaintance Meryl, only for her to become possessed shortly thereafter. When you enter the next room, an office, Meryl proceeds to seduce you (albeit while aiming a gun at your face). You soon discover that Psycho Mantis, a floating man who wears a gas-mask to help him to prevent people’s thoughts from “forcing their way into his mind”, is behind the attack. He proceeds to ask you to put your controller on the floor, as he moves it from side to side with the power of his mind. “Big whoop, it’s not that cool”. He then reads your memory card, commenting on your saved games – Awesome. It’s one of the most creative boss battles I’ve ever encountered and amazes me to this day. I’ve had people tell me they bought the game simply on a whim after having heard about this particular boss battle.
As well as the impressive story mode, Metal Gear Solid offers a training option. This gives players the chance to improve and perfect their sneaking skills, use of weapons, and other hiding techniques. There are many challenges in the standard version of the game, but more VR (virtual reality) tasks were made available in the updated version. Also, as much as I want to go into great detail about the storyline and fascinating characters, both on Snake’s side and against, I really don’t think I could do it justice in just a few short lines. They have been created with great care, and characters like the aforementioned Psycho Mantis, Sniper Wolf, and Otacon really break the barrier between a game for a child, and an adult-experience, causing the player to feel sorrow, joy, or anger on the character’s behalf.
You can’t have a review for this game without discussing the music. Much of the music was composed and performed by the Konami Computer Entertainment Sound Team Japan (consisting of Takanari Ishiyama, Gigi Meroni, Kazuki Muraoka, Lee Jeon Myung and Hiroyuki Togo). Released as a separate CD, the music has a fast-paced synthesized feel to it and is very catchy and memorable. The music featured in cutscenes was more cinematic, with orchestral elements. The main theme song proved to be a big hit, with the talented ‘Video Games Live’ orchestra recreating the music live on stage.
Metal Gear Solid holds up very well to this day, with the unique gameplay still proving easy to play, but hard to master. The series has continued to gain popularity, with further games in the series continuing to be released on a fairly regular basis to very impressive critical reception. Definitely worth buying at just $9.99, and the ability to take it on the go via the PSP/PS3 connectivity is just another added bonus. You’d be mad to pass this one up!
