Still holds up as one of the best of all time for me. In 99-2000 this was the first game I ever beat without using cheat codes and changed how I viewed playing video games forever.
Hideo Kojima's first installment in his Metal Gear reboot is maybe the coolest video game of all time.
Snowy Alaska. Secret military operation. Badass action hero. That's what pulls you in. But what's gonna keep you there is an intriguing story with its own twists and turns and level design that is masterfully crafted around the stealth mechanics of the game.
Creeping past cameras and sneaking around enemy soldiers has never felt more heart racing. Any sighting means an instant exposure to all enemy forces in the area, so there's no room for mistakes: only natural in an operation like this. When it comes to the combat aspect of the gameplay however, not much positive can be said. There is a good variety of weapons at your disposal, but its using them that is the issue. The game is painfully dated. Shooting is a severe nuisance no matter the weapon. If its the rifle or the pistol, there's no telling where the bullets are going, you just gotta aim in a general direction and make micro adjustments that hopefully don't completely set you off course and earn you a couple rounds to the face. If it's the sniper of the missile launcher however, you get a scope that allows for genuine precision. The downside to this however is it seems that Solid Snake seems to suffer from anxiety when holding weapons like some teenage girl. The scope will sway out of balance unreasonably unless you consumed some diazapam which spawns just about every 1 in 100 drops. You could also engage in hand to hand combat but this is essentially useless outside of the few times in the story when it is required.
These gameplay discrepancies make what could have been great moments incredibly frustrating. For example: Both Sniper Wolf fights, the first Raven fight, the helicopter fight with Liquid, the Metal Gear fight with Liquid, the car chase with Liquid, and the elevator surprise. All of these moments, which were great and effective in the narrative of the game become unreasonably irritating to get through because of this games age. I can't hold the game back too much for this, but it's an issue that is impossible to avoid.
I know I just dogged on most every boss fight in this game just a bit ago, but I can not write a log for Metal Gear Solid and not mention Psycho Mantis. Without a doubt--one of the best boss fights in all of video games. So. Damn. Cool. Sadly, I hadn't any games on my memory card that Mantis recognized but holy shit that is so cool. I cannot even fathom what that moment felt like for a first time player back in the day. Has to be one of the most immersive moments in gaming history. From there he does even more cool shit like recite your play style and make your controller move WITH HIS MIND. Obviously it's not rocket science how this works, but that's not the point. The point is Kojima's intuitive crafting of a video game beyond the software, being one of the first (and few to do it effectively even to present day) to utilize the hardware of the system to elevate the players immersion to the next level. After Psycho Mantis blows your damn mind and cuts the signal to your TV (and cleverly displaying "HIDEO" (Kojima) (can you even trust your own system at this point, I mean how much betrayal can you take?) where the "VIDEO" (it rhymes) signal on older analog TV's (a novelty lost on any modern hardware you are likely to be playing on) was traditionally displayed) he's going to beat the dogshit out of you. Assuming you didn't use thermal vision like a little bitch, he's going to seem impossible to take down. And he is. Because he can READ YOUR MIND. It's a gimmick obviously but it's still really cool. If you don't figure it out on your own, Colonel's gonna chime in with the ingenious idea to plug your controller into port 2. Holy shit. Kojima, what can't you do? From there he's not that hard to beat, but you can tell he's not exactly the ideal soldier from his skinny stature and visual ribs so it makes sense. But that's not the end of this game's unique game design. There's a puzzle of sorts that's solved by looking at your physical CD case of the game and a moment where you use the controller in real life on yourself to heal snake, but to my grave disappointment these unique elements of design do not permeate throughout the entire runtime of the game. Once you beat Psycho Mantis its almost as if they ran out of ideas or ditched the idea completely. This takes nothing away from their effectiveness in their respective moments obviously, but it is an intense let down that the latter half of the game returns to traditional methods.
Even so, the latter half of the game can still be considered the superior portion. While I personally believe the gameplay takes a deep dive, not everyone may agree. What is not in contention however is the strength that the story picks up. The final third of the game gradually uncovers all of the mysteries the story planted through it's runtime, and concludes the story in an explosive and emotional finale that ties together the themes of the story in the same over the top tone that was carried throughout with a touch of wholesomeness to cap the thing off.
But what is Metal Gear Solid about? I think it's about a lot of things. Survival for one, glory for another, and how war maliciously entwines the two for a third, but there is also love. The "blooming of love on a battlefield." Why, in a place of drowning bloodshed and relentless destruction can love bloom anew? Why can a girl love the man who killed her parents as a brother? Why can a man and woman fall in love in a nuclear candyland? Why? Because above all else, humanities fighting spirit is unparalleled. No matter selfish gene theory nor asymmetry theory, humans will fight. Defying explanation and reasonability the human spirit will ravage through war and famine to continue to love and continue to fight. If fate was the decider FoxDie would kill Solid Snake as soon as the mission ended. If genes were the decider the clones of Big Boss wouldn't have been so different. The decider is you. You get to choose your fight, you get to choose how hard you fight. You get to choose love.
And as Naomi so aptly put:
"Choose life... then live."
Snowy Alaska. Secret military operation. Badass action hero. That's what pulls you in. But what's gonna keep you there is an intriguing story with its own twists and turns and level design that is masterfully crafted around the stealth mechanics of the game.
Creeping past cameras and sneaking around enemy soldiers has never felt more heart racing. Any sighting means an instant exposure to all enemy forces in the area, so there's no room for mistakes: only natural in an operation like this. When it comes to the combat aspect of the gameplay however, not much positive can be said. There is a good variety of weapons at your disposal, but its using them that is the issue. The game is painfully dated. Shooting is a severe nuisance no matter the weapon. If its the rifle or the pistol, there's no telling where the bullets are going, you just gotta aim in a general direction and make micro adjustments that hopefully don't completely set you off course and earn you a couple rounds to the face. If it's the sniper of the missile launcher however, you get a scope that allows for genuine precision. The downside to this however is it seems that Solid Snake seems to suffer from anxiety when holding weapons like some teenage girl. The scope will sway out of balance unreasonably unless you consumed some diazapam which spawns just about every 1 in 100 drops. You could also engage in hand to hand combat but this is essentially useless outside of the few times in the story when it is required.
These gameplay discrepancies make what could have been great moments incredibly frustrating. For example: Both Sniper Wolf fights, the first Raven fight, the helicopter fight with Liquid, the Metal Gear fight with Liquid, the car chase with Liquid, and the elevator surprise. All of these moments, which were great and effective in the narrative of the game become unreasonably irritating to get through because of this games age. I can't hold the game back too much for this, but it's an issue that is impossible to avoid.
I know I just dogged on most every boss fight in this game just a bit ago, but I can not write a log for Metal Gear Solid and not mention Psycho Mantis. Without a doubt--one of the best boss fights in all of video games. So. Damn. Cool. Sadly, I hadn't any games on my memory card that Mantis recognized but holy shit that is so cool. I cannot even fathom what that moment felt like for a first time player back in the day. Has to be one of the most immersive moments in gaming history. From there he does even more cool shit like recite your play style and make your controller move WITH HIS MIND. Obviously it's not rocket science how this works, but that's not the point. The point is Kojima's intuitive crafting of a video game beyond the software, being one of the first (and few to do it effectively even to present day) to utilize the hardware of the system to elevate the players immersion to the next level. After Psycho Mantis blows your damn mind and cuts the signal to your TV (and cleverly displaying "HIDEO" (Kojima) (can you even trust your own system at this point, I mean how much betrayal can you take?) where the "VIDEO" (it rhymes) signal on older analog TV's (a novelty lost on any modern hardware you are likely to be playing on) was traditionally displayed) he's going to beat the dogshit out of you. Assuming you didn't use thermal vision like a little bitch, he's going to seem impossible to take down. And he is. Because he can READ YOUR MIND. It's a gimmick obviously but it's still really cool. If you don't figure it out on your own, Colonel's gonna chime in with the ingenious idea to plug your controller into port 2. Holy shit. Kojima, what can't you do? From there he's not that hard to beat, but you can tell he's not exactly the ideal soldier from his skinny stature and visual ribs so it makes sense. But that's not the end of this game's unique game design. There's a puzzle of sorts that's solved by looking at your physical CD case of the game and a moment where you use the controller in real life on yourself to heal snake, but to my grave disappointment these unique elements of design do not permeate throughout the entire runtime of the game. Once you beat Psycho Mantis its almost as if they ran out of ideas or ditched the idea completely. This takes nothing away from their effectiveness in their respective moments obviously, but it is an intense let down that the latter half of the game returns to traditional methods.
Even so, the latter half of the game can still be considered the superior portion. While I personally believe the gameplay takes a deep dive, not everyone may agree. What is not in contention however is the strength that the story picks up. The final third of the game gradually uncovers all of the mysteries the story planted through it's runtime, and concludes the story in an explosive and emotional finale that ties together the themes of the story in the same over the top tone that was carried throughout with a touch of wholesomeness to cap the thing off.
But what is Metal Gear Solid about? I think it's about a lot of things. Survival for one, glory for another, and how war maliciously entwines the two for a third, but there is also love. The "blooming of love on a battlefield." Why, in a place of drowning bloodshed and relentless destruction can love bloom anew? Why can a girl love the man who killed her parents as a brother? Why can a man and woman fall in love in a nuclear candyland? Why? Because above all else, humanities fighting spirit is unparalleled. No matter selfish gene theory nor asymmetry theory, humans will fight. Defying explanation and reasonability the human spirit will ravage through war and famine to continue to love and continue to fight. If fate was the decider FoxDie would kill Solid Snake as soon as the mission ended. If genes were the decider the clones of Big Boss wouldn't have been so different. The decider is you. You get to choose your fight, you get to choose how hard you fight. You get to choose love.
And as Naomi so aptly put:
"Choose life... then live."
Charismatic and surprising, especially if one goes in not knowing what to expect. Kojima is a master troll. Has more echo and reverb than a Battlefield game with the wartapes audio setting enabled, which adds to the foreboding and alienating mood of Shadow Moses Island. I hope you like backtracking.
that metal gear sure was solid
It's honestly surprising how good MGS transitioned the 2D gameplay from the original games into 3D. There is definitely some jank in the controls (especially in the CQC and some bossfights) that made for some frustrating moments, but overall this game did impress me with all the different mechanics & creative boss ideas. I also really like how this was more streamlined in its level design as I never really felt like I had to use a guide.
The story and characters are definitely the reason why I played this tho since the storytelling is incredible. They really flesh out all of these characters and make them feel real and grounded in this world. The story starts of with what seems like a simple mission but you slowly realize that there's something wrong here & something doesn't make sense. Which makes it really satisfying and interesting to see the game uncover all the different conspiracies going on until it all comes together in the end.
The story and characters are definitely the reason why I played this tho since the storytelling is incredible. They really flesh out all of these characters and make them feel real and grounded in this world. The story starts of with what seems like a simple mission but you slowly realize that there's something wrong here & something doesn't make sense. Which makes it really satisfying and interesting to see the game uncover all the different conspiracies going on until it all comes together in the end.
For a PS1 game, this was surprisingly fun to play! Really good story, and the gameplay didn't get tiring at all in my experience
Some jank bogs this down but the core gameplay and cutscenes had my snake solid.
احسن لعبة لعبتها في حياتي
كوجيما سابق عصره
كوجيما سابق عصره
Played this on a emulator but I realized while playing it that big boss isn't solid snake so lost all interest sadly not a metal gear fan I literally just like 5 and big boss and I'm sure revengance if I could find a fucking physical copy dawg
fantastic game that still holds up well with how much it pushed the medium forward.
with that being said, it controls like ASS
with that being said, it controls like ASS
Amazing
Whoa!! Very cool game--the story was super interesting and very well executed all around. Gameplay was mostly really fun, especially the exploration aspect. However, controls feel super dated and some bosses felt miserable
good story, but made me want to kill myself with how it plays
NO THAT IS NOT SOLID SNAKE🐍🐍🐍🐍
o melhor jogo de play 1, bizarro como eu joguei tanto jogo de play 1 e nunca toquei nisso, mas se tivesse, eu nao teria nem conseguido sair do inicio, e muito menos entender a historia.
FOX....////// DIE
IMagina se o otacon se trancasse numa sala e se matasse sem o lugar ser bombardeado..... ,,, bioa
FOX....////// DIE
IMagina se o otacon se trancasse numa sala e se matasse sem o lugar ser bombardeado..... ,,, bioa
за что люди любят Метал Гир? история? или, может, геймплей? или все те странные но крутые штуки которые могли оказаться в ААА только с легкой руки гения?
для меня - все вместе!
да, игра с пс1, но до чего красивая временами! и очень кинематографичная.
да, ии глуповат и противников избегать легко. но черт возьми я все равно много раз попадался и много раз умирал. игра сложная кста, намного сложнее мгс 3 на нормале.
сюжет великолепен, персонажи хорошие, боссы мне тоже понравились очень (как драки, так и раскрытие их персонажей)!
музыка, саунд дизайн, внимание к деталям - все как всегда на высоте.
единственные два объективных минуса, которые я нашел: стрельба (боже почему нет прицеливания от первого лица!??!) и та часть ближе к концу игры о которой все знают.
и все же это шедевр, неограненый алмаз!
для меня - все вместе!
да, игра с пс1, но до чего красивая временами! и очень кинематографичная.
да, ии глуповат и противников избегать легко. но черт возьми я все равно много раз попадался и много раз умирал. игра сложная кста, намного сложнее мгс 3 на нормале.
сюжет великолепен, персонажи хорошие, боссы мне тоже понравились очень (как драки, так и раскрытие их персонажей)!
музыка, саунд дизайн, внимание к деталям - все как всегда на высоте.
единственные два объективных минуса, которые я нашел: стрельба (боже почему нет прицеливания от первого лица!??!) и та часть ближе к концу игры о которой все знают.
и все же это шедевр, неограненый алмаз!
Awesome, absolutely in love with its aesthetic and level of detail which i initially underestimated. Kind of frustrating at times but probably because im a baby gamer. A lot of heart in this, always prioritizing human connection in its ruminations on war, characters are simply pawns within bigger games, every fight culminates in empathetic reflection of the ‘enemy’, who most of the times are revealed to be not so different from Snake. Def looking forward to playing the sequels. Also i can see a lot of what were the seeds for Death Stranding here.
This review contains spoilers
Absolute classic, the temperature shit at the end sucked but thats about it, loved this game
Not as huge a step forward as I thought after playing the MSX Metal Gear, but graphically impressive for its time and the refinements to the stealth are great. That said, it doesn’t actually matter that much because this game is basically just a boss rush, the sequences between bosses are much shorter than I remembered. Still a fun espionage story and some classic characters that managed to be cool or cooler through subsequent games.
Jogo absurdamente inovador. KOJIMA GÊNIO
An absolute trip of a game. Are the controls out dated now? Yes. Is it nonsensical? Yes. Is it enjoyable? Yes.
İlk oynadığımda beni çok etkilemiş, benim için seriye çok iyi bir başlangıç olmuştu. Serideki diyaloglarını ve konuşmalarını en sevdiğim oyun bu olabilir. Codec'i kullanma gereğini en çok bu oyunda hissettim.
The gameplay was fun an particularly innovative or atleast interesting at times, some people might call some things closer to "gimmicks" but man it was just cool
I feel like the story and messages in this game are going to be something that stick with me that I think about often
I feel like the story and messages in this game are going to be something that stick with me that I think about often
you can definitely feel it's a ps1 game gameplay-wise, but it's still an all time classic and a very worth playthrough
The Metal Gear franchise is something that I’ve been wanting to get into for several years now. What do I even need to say that hasn’t already been said by multiple different people? This is one of if not the most iconic franchise in all of gaming, I’d even go as far to say it’s revolutionary for the entire industry as a whole. And honestly I really am kind of jealous of the people who were able to play this game when it first released back in 1998.
I’m glad I finally got to play this game though. Sure it’s definitely not aged well in the gameplay department & the controls are frankly pretty bad but everything else in MGS really works for me. The story is genuinely excellent & Shadow Moses for me really works as a setting. I love the atmosphere a lot & found that learning more about the world was genuinely fascinating. The voice acting for over 20 years ago still sounds fantastic whether it’s in the cutscenes or the codec conversations. Now I know people have issues with Kojima’s cutscenes being too long & expedition heavy but I personally think if you have an issue with that then his games really aren’t for you. I definitely respect him for his storytelling & find that it really benefits the games he makes.
Solid Snake is a fantastic protagonist but again that should be common knowledge. And I really love the arc he goes through in this game, learning to let people in & trust in others after so long of going it alone. I really like his dynamics with Meryl & Otacon especially & his codec conversations with the Colonel & Mei Ling are particular highlights for me. The writing in this game is just really really great.
Honestly I don’t really have a lot more to say that hasn’t been said by multiple different people already. This is just a very solid (ha see what I did there) time. Even if it is rough around the edges in places & definitely feels like a first game in the series, I cannot deny that MGS is more than worthy of its place in gaming as one of the most influential titles in the entire history of the PlayStation.
Final rating: 9/10
I’m glad I finally got to play this game though. Sure it’s definitely not aged well in the gameplay department & the controls are frankly pretty bad but everything else in MGS really works for me. The story is genuinely excellent & Shadow Moses for me really works as a setting. I love the atmosphere a lot & found that learning more about the world was genuinely fascinating. The voice acting for over 20 years ago still sounds fantastic whether it’s in the cutscenes or the codec conversations. Now I know people have issues with Kojima’s cutscenes being too long & expedition heavy but I personally think if you have an issue with that then his games really aren’t for you. I definitely respect him for his storytelling & find that it really benefits the games he makes.
Solid Snake is a fantastic protagonist but again that should be common knowledge. And I really love the arc he goes through in this game, learning to let people in & trust in others after so long of going it alone. I really like his dynamics with Meryl & Otacon especially & his codec conversations with the Colonel & Mei Ling are particular highlights for me. The writing in this game is just really really great.
Honestly I don’t really have a lot more to say that hasn’t been said by multiple different people already. This is just a very solid (ha see what I did there) time. Even if it is rough around the edges in places & definitely feels like a first game in the series, I cannot deny that MGS is more than worthy of its place in gaming as one of the most influential titles in the entire history of the PlayStation.
Final rating: 9/10
Es un poco jodido ponerse a hablar de un juego de 1998 con la visión de 2024, sobre todo cuando la experiencia va cargadita de feels y encima estos pueden jugar en tu contra. Pero ahí va Metal Gear Solid, de la Master Collection Vol.1, que ha sido el decimoséptimo jueguito pasado en lo que va de año 📦❗
Para empezar diré que me ha sorprendido cómo un juego que tiene tanto tiempo aguanta tan bien el paso del tiempo. Obvio que tiene algunas mecánicas ortopédicas (me quería cotar los huevos en los momentos de acción), pero en conjunto es increíble. Más mérito todavía pensando el año en que salió.
Pero hay cosas que han envejecido de manera regulera. Sobre todo la manera de narrar algunas escenas o algunos diálogos que dan puta risa. Pero bueno, hay que entender los años que tiene y el contexto en el que salió. De hecho el propio juego te hace un aviso al respecto al iniciarlo, cosa lógica.
Pero a grandes rasgos lo he gozado como el primer día. Es increíble la cantidad de ideas BUENÍSIMAS que tiene el juego para sacarle todo el partido a una PS1 incluso a pesar de las claras limitaciones técnicas del momento. Puto Kojima, lo quierodio.
Ahora a por MGS2, del cual me acuerdo de: NADA 👀
Para empezar diré que me ha sorprendido cómo un juego que tiene tanto tiempo aguanta tan bien el paso del tiempo. Obvio que tiene algunas mecánicas ortopédicas (me quería cotar los huevos en los momentos de acción), pero en conjunto es increíble. Más mérito todavía pensando el año en que salió.
Pero hay cosas que han envejecido de manera regulera. Sobre todo la manera de narrar algunas escenas o algunos diálogos que dan puta risa. Pero bueno, hay que entender los años que tiene y el contexto en el que salió. De hecho el propio juego te hace un aviso al respecto al iniciarlo, cosa lógica.
Pero a grandes rasgos lo he gozado como el primer día. Es increíble la cantidad de ideas BUENÍSIMAS que tiene el juego para sacarle todo el partido a una PS1 incluso a pesar de las claras limitaciones técnicas del momento. Puto Kojima, lo quierodio.
Ahora a por MGS2, del cual me acuerdo de: NADA 👀
This review contains spoilers
Somehow, a game from 1998 is still lots of fun to play today without any hassle. This games gotten a heap of re-releases, but I used the original discs on my PS3. I remember the Psycho Mantis fight, and putting my controller on my desk to have it rumble off onto the floor! Absolutely amazing, and worth your time if you have a passing interest in the metal gear series. My only complaint is that the game can be really slow to start, but after the Grey Fox fight it's at a tight pace. All in all, this game showed off the sheer power of the PS1 in strides!
incredibly solid game. the fact that a story this complex and nuanced can be told on the PS1 of all systems is a testament to how massively ahead of its time this game always was.
the game itself hasn't aged all that gracefully as a whole though. it's a fun time, and a really solid foundation that MGS2 would build upon, but this was the one MGS game where i started playing it to experience the story and didn't gain an appreciation for the gameplay later on. still a very good game nonetheless, and definitely worth revisiting.
fuck the twin snakes btw
the game itself hasn't aged all that gracefully as a whole though. it's a fun time, and a really solid foundation that MGS2 would build upon, but this was the one MGS game where i started playing it to experience the story and didn't gain an appreciation for the gameplay later on. still a very good game nonetheless, and definitely worth revisiting.
fuck the twin snakes btw
Legendary game; replay for the first time since I was a kid. One of the most unique gaming experiences in history. Sets the tone for the rest of the series. NEEDS A REMAKE!!
[6/13/24]
Started playing this on my birthday. Go me!
Disc 1 and the initial prowl around Shadow Moses Island is some really good shit, and I can't believe they got this shit down in 1998. Footprints, certain surfaces creating noise when walking, human shields, and really creative boss fights that focus on one or two of the things you pick up during the game. I didn't mind the late '90s-isms of the game. The forced action sequences sucked though, in the same way Hitman: Codename 47's forced action sequences sucked; the two weren't made to be guns blazing action games and so moving and shooting on a whim wasn't the main focus. The game starts to stagnate around Disc 2 and it's home to the shittiest escape sequence I've ever played because Snake fliches for 3 seconds every time he gets hit.
Being set in 1998 and after the fall of the U.S.S.R. the constant threat of nuclear war still rings true 26 years later. Wasn't born until '03, so I can't really corroborate if whatever was left of the Soviet Union were referred to as "terrorists", wouldn't be surprised if they were, but the events that happened 3 years after this game came out present a strong case for Kojima being a prophet. Alongside the main message of how nuclear bombs harm everyone who isn't at the very tippy-top of the food chain, there's also talk of trying to find one's own purpose in life amid being commanded all the time and genes being passed down to preserve a way of life. All concepts that I'm sure will have much more relevance in what I've heard is one of the biggest mindfucks in gaming ever.
Started playing this on my birthday. Go me!
Disc 1 and the initial prowl around Shadow Moses Island is some really good shit, and I can't believe they got this shit down in 1998. Footprints, certain surfaces creating noise when walking, human shields, and really creative boss fights that focus on one or two of the things you pick up during the game. I didn't mind the late '90s-isms of the game. The forced action sequences sucked though, in the same way Hitman: Codename 47's forced action sequences sucked; the two weren't made to be guns blazing action games and so moving and shooting on a whim wasn't the main focus. The game starts to stagnate around Disc 2 and it's home to the shittiest escape sequence I've ever played because Snake fliches for 3 seconds every time he gets hit.
Being set in 1998 and after the fall of the U.S.S.R. the constant threat of nuclear war still rings true 26 years later. Wasn't born until '03, so I can't really corroborate if whatever was left of the Soviet Union were referred to as "terrorists", wouldn't be surprised if they were, but the events that happened 3 years after this game came out present a strong case for Kojima being a prophet. Alongside the main message of how nuclear bombs harm everyone who isn't at the very tippy-top of the food chain, there's also talk of trying to find one's own purpose in life amid being commanded all the time and genes being passed down to preserve a way of life. All concepts that I'm sure will have much more relevance in what I've heard is one of the biggest mindfucks in gaming ever.