I appreciate this game's influence and ambition, it may be the definition of aiming for the moon and in that respect, most of it lands, some of it feels like it should've waited a generation or two. as someone completely unfamiliar with the MGS series, I started here, of course, playing on original hardware. it's probably the most advanced PS1 title I've played so far, it's a hell of a thing to me - it feels so ahead of its time with parts that have aged terribly at the same time, with no middle ground.
the story and characters, though, are arguably what make MGS, and in that respect, I think it's a story that's so dynamic that it's very easy to take it at face level. in fact, if you did take it at face level, there'd be nothing wrong with that, it still makes for a great story, but in my opinion, the powerful ending scene and credits hammering home the political message, and what would set the tone for the other games to follow, is the icing on the cake of everything we'd previously seen
how I feel about the story and characters, weirdly enough, is almost a reflection of how I feel about the gameplay - there are parts that have aged incredibly well - material that, in this medium, have yet to be topped or matched, but there are a few things (i.e. meryl's characterization) that I feel are definitely products of its time. even so, those products of its time parts aren't quite enough to turn me off because of how good the rest is.
what you get wrapped up is one of the most unique, enthralling video game experiences you've ever had. it's the first game I've played in a while where each session was over 2 hours, so there's something to be noted.
onto MGS 2!
the story and characters, though, are arguably what make MGS, and in that respect, I think it's a story that's so dynamic that it's very easy to take it at face level. in fact, if you did take it at face level, there'd be nothing wrong with that, it still makes for a great story, but in my opinion, the powerful ending scene and credits hammering home the political message, and what would set the tone for the other games to follow, is the icing on the cake of everything we'd previously seen
how I feel about the story and characters, weirdly enough, is almost a reflection of how I feel about the gameplay - there are parts that have aged incredibly well - material that, in this medium, have yet to be topped or matched, but there are a few things (i.e. meryl's characterization) that I feel are definitely products of its time. even so, those products of its time parts aren't quite enough to turn me off because of how good the rest is.
what you get wrapped up is one of the most unique, enthralling video game experiences you've ever had. it's the first game I've played in a while where each session was over 2 hours, so there's something to be noted.
onto MGS 2!