Snake? Snake?! SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKEEE!!!
I'll be frank: I never heard that phrase until Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I didn't know the significance of the giant orange exclamation point, what the headband was all about, or even who Snake was. I just knew that this guy called Kojima was friends with a guy called Sakurai, and Sakurai was the guy who made Smash Bros, so Kojima asked Sakurai to put Solid Snake in. Snake was too late for Melee but Sakurai gave him the thumbs up for Brawl. Oh, and there was one game from his series on the GameCube, I guess I knew that.
So, out of curiosity, one day while browsing the local videogame joint, I found one of Solid Snake's games. I just thought it was "another Playstation-grade First Person Shooter", but I picked it up regardless, since I wanted to actually understand who Otacon was, what the significance of Naked Snake is, and why everything in the series is just so darn confusing. So I booted up the game to my old PS1 and decided to give this game a shot.
So, how'd MGS stack up overall? Well, that's what I'm going to divulge to you right now.
This is just a note: Metal Gear Solid is a MATURE game, intended for gamers 17 and up. So no kids stuff... all right, a little kids stuff, but if you prefer to stay away from blood n' guns, I suggest you look away from Snake.
This Review will be based on one to
five stars, with one being a failed mission and five being a phenomenal
success.
Graphics: ****1/2
All right, so the graphics aren't that pretty today, but for the time, they looked absolutely phenomenal. Not only did the game feature actual realistic, stylized models of humans, but they actually ACTED human. They didn't just float in place or move awkwardly, they did every action from backflipping in the air and doing a kick toward the floor to each guard moving uniquely. In fact, at one point in the game, you have to actually observe the way the guards move their body to find your disguised ally (of course, I just ran around randomly and knocked out the guards and set off the alert, but... that's just me). Red lights brightly flash in heavily-guarded hangers, snow covers the ground in a freezing field, and even the explosion effects seem very realistic. However, some of the coolest features involve just subtle details that Kojima Productions (yes, the director named the company that made the game after himself... though it is a cool name) entered into the world. Solid Snake makes footprints in the snow, makes puddles ripple when he steps into them, and you can actually see his breath in the freezing temperatures he works in. There are even some clips of real life footage of nuclear bombs going off and radioactive waste seeping through barrels, adding layers of depth to the storytelling taking place (see "Story"). While these seem more like a standard today than amazing technical prowess, for their time, these graphics were absolutely astounding.
There's only a few complaints I have.
First off, you'll notice that either all of the characters have really
thick eyebrows, or they don't have eyes. I know that actual human eyes
would be difficult to pull off at some points, but it was noticeable throughout
the game. Another gripe I have is how unnatural Snake looks when he's firing
a gun. I mean, I know that he's a hardened agent and really skilled with
it, but he's practically frozen as he aims his weapon around. Finally,
even though there is voice acting in the game (see below), there's no movement
of the lips, which is a disappointment. Well, all right, there is slight
lip movement in the radio conversations called "Codec Calls", but as for
the main cutscenes, there's none to be found. Crash Bandicoot had a lot
of lip synching and lip movement, but was considered graphically inferior
(by many critics) to MGS. However, these gripes weren't really THAT big
of an issue, and for a Playstation game, this was, overall, quite impressive.
Especially the cutscenes, where the blood effects, one of the bosses (Psycho
Mantis), and a specific ninja character (if you played Brawl, you'll know
which Cyborg Ninja I'm talking about) are incredible for their time.
Sound: *****
The music in this game... it's just absolutely beautiful. I'll admit that there are some really boring and pathetic throwaway songs, like the Nuclear Warhead Storage Building's music. However, each piece of music hits its mark extremely well. When you're creeping along through a minefield, the music just adds to the overall atmosphere. In short, the music does what it sets out to accomplish: it's so good, you don't even realize it's playing. You're just completely sucked into the scene in front of you, and the music just adds to that experience. However, the Metal Gear Solid theme is an absolutely astounding piece, and overall just amazing to listen to. There's also one piece in particular that is actually one of my favorite songs of all time in this game. It's just... so overwhelmingly sad, yet sweet, it's truly beautiful. That song, along with the scene it went along with, actually reduced me to tears. That's quite an accomplishment, I have to say.
This game features a rather all-star voice cast, consisting of people like David Hayter, Paul Eiding, and Greg Eagles. Wait, what, you've never heard of those guys? Oh... oh well... I guess I'm just fans of them. Anyway, the voice acting, unlike most games, is actually realistic. In fact, it's more than that, it's... well, EXCELLENT, to tell you the truth. It's very close to animated movie-quality. The words hit hard, the characters are portrayed exactly how they should be, and the voice actors overall do an awesome job conveying their character through the pitch in their voice. The hotheaded and cocky Meryl Silverburgh has a real "tough girl", tomboyish attitude, while the manipulative Revolver Ocelot sounds cold, cocky, and deceptive. David Hayter also reached fame in the voice acting business for his portrayal of Solid Snake in this game, and he did an excellent job. Really, I WANT to criticize the voice acting, I want to say it's just as bad as one of the Fire Emblem games with voice acting (which just felt EXTREMELY annoying). However, I just can't find a fault, Metal Gear Solid's characters are all so extremely well done. I guess I could pick out the guy with the weakest voice acting (Vulcan Raven), but even he does the job with great success. Even the generic guards are portrayed well with full VA. Really, an excellent, excellent job, that's all I can say.
The sound effects are spot-on, a gun
actually sounds like a gun when it's fired, and an alarm sounds like an
alarm. But there's not much else to that...
Story: *****
Movie-grade writing. And I mean GOOD movie-grade writing, not writing like you'd find in, say, the Star Wars Prequels. Yes, this mov... excuse me, game, is much better than most movies and TV series I see nowadays as far as its cinematic presentation goes. The story plays out as Solid Snake, a legendary war hero who has shut down two bipedal nuclear tanks called "Metal Gear", is called out of retirement. He is sent to infiltrate the Alaskan base of Shadow Moses Island, to rescue two hostages. He is alone on this mission, with no reinforcements and no chance of survival if he messes up too badly. All he has is a pair of binoculars, a pack of cigarettes, and a couple of friends to support him as he fights a rogue special-forces unit called FOXHOUND (which Snake himself was once a part of) and takes down genetically upgraded soldiers, the Genome Army. Eventually he picks up a few allies, like new FOXHOUND recruit Meryl Silverburgh and anime fan/scientist Dr. Hal "Otacon" Emmerich, but they aren't by his side for long. The story takes tons of twists and turns, from the new Metal Gear REX being activated to Meryl being possessed by FOXHOUND operative Psycho Mantis to the true secret behind Snake's birth and life as a soldier. Though the story carries a rather obvious anti-nuke message, it's told in a way that keeps you totally hooked from beginning to end. I really don't want to spoil any of the story, as every scene is just so dynamic and amazing, carrying a plot point or recurring element that is not revealed until late in the game. (Note: After you figure out how to get all three card keys, then whatever you do, do NOT take a bathroom break.) The dialogue near the end is absolutely mind-blowing, and you wouldn't expect this from a game, but it actually TEACHES YOU A LESSON at the end, yet you're left to decide what you get from that message. Really, when we come to a time when a video game becomes nearly indistinguishable from a movie if it weren't playable in some portions, then we've come to an absolutely amazing point in time. And this was made back in 1998! There's even some fourth wall-breaking humor to be found in this surprisingly deep game. (Sooo... You like playing Castlevania?). There's even two endings, depending on a single choice you make in the game. If not for anything else, buy this game for the story. Please... the story is MIND BLOWING!
Also, Revolver Ocelot is one of the
most awesome characters ever made. There's... He's just... Oh... Just play
the game, his performance is awe-inspiring.
Control: **
Aaaand... now we come to the more negative
side of things. I'm not saying that the control in Metal Gear Solid isn't
responsive, in fact, it follows your actions to the dot. It's just... confusing,
that's all. First off, most Playstation owners assume that the X button
is pretty much the button you rely on most in the game, as it's usually
jump or shoot or something. But no, the X button is to crawl, which makes
you move slower, but can get you to hide under certain things and is necessary
for getting past laser traps. However, it has very limited usefulness.
The weapon button is Square, which makes a bit of sense, and the punch/action
button is Circle, which is pretty much useless for anything but activating
elevators and detonating C4. Quite frankly, I'm not big on the whole thing.
The R2 button lets you cycle through your weapons, pretty self-explanatory
(though it does freeze time for some reason), and the L2 button lets you
cycle through key items, like card keys, thermal goggles, and ketchup.
The start button pauses and the select button brings you to a radio screen
where Snake can call his friends for advice (or occasionally a funny conversation).
The R1 button allows you to go into a first-person view, but it is COMPLETELY
POINTLESS, as you have a separate item, binoculars, to activate a much
better version of first-person view. Also, you can't fire any weapons while
in a first person view, instead you have to fire from a very awkward view
that reminds me of the 2D Zelda games with a sort of bird’s-eye view. However,
shooting in this way is extremely awkward on a 3D plane, and it's really
hard to hit ANYTHING without trying to line up your shot for two seconds,
at which point you'll most likely be found and have a nearly endless stream
of guards with machine guns chasing you. There's a lock-on feature the
game included, but still, it's very difficult to hit your target half of
the time. These controls make the first boss fight extremely awkward, as
you're confined to a small room with a hostage in the center who you often
accidentally lock onto. However, the boss can fire at you, and even has
an added bonus of being able to bounce his bullets off of walls to hit
you, a feature that you lack. This makes the entire boss fight very awkward.
Fortunately, the sniper rifle controls well and has scopes for first-person
view, which is mostly where these two stars are coming from. Well, that
and Snake's excellent running control.
Gameplay: ****
Well, the control issues get in the way, but otherwise, the gameplay is very solid. It's a very unique style, where you don't actually go charging into enemy lines, slaying everyone in sight. This game is focused on stealth, where you have to avoid guards, security cameras, spotlights, and even, at one point, a massive tank from detecting you and ripping Snake to shreds. Snake is aided by two tools. First is his radar, which shows enemy guards' and security cameras' field of vision. Stay out of that field, and you're pretty safe. However, the guards and cameras take patrol routes, some of which are pretty complex, so you have to time yourself just right in order to avoid detection. If a guard or camera sees you, every guard in the area will be alerted to your presence. You then have to dispatch the guard that saw you (either by running away like a maniac, or knocking out or killing the guard), and hide somewhere. But be careful: reinforcements actually LOOK for you in this game, and hiding underneath a cardboard box in the same room where you killed a guard is most likely going to get you caught. However, you have a second tool to help you avoid these guys, which comes in two forms. Stun Grenades release a blinding flash that knocks out all guards for about five seconds, giving Snake a chance to escape if he's trapped. Chaff Grenades release a substance into the area that temporarily disables security cameras and things like the electronic homing systems on tanks, but also disables Snake's radar for about six seconds. However, I was surprised at the intelligence of the AI in this game at some points, as they'd react if Snake ran on a metal floor or left footprints in the snow, and they're even drawn by the sound of gunfire. However, as I stated before, the controls are difficult to get used to and generally hard to manage when shooting. Fortunately, if you do well, you will rarely have to use your rather inaccurate guns and will simply use them in boss situations.
Boss Battles are close, one-on-one encounters with bosses. These bosses can range from anything from a western gunslinger to a massive tank to a crazed psychic. However, it's how unique these boss battles are that really draw you in. Each boss is packed with character and has his own story to tell, instead of being just "that boss". For example, Psycho Mantis was an ex-KGB and FBI psychic who extracted information from the minds of criminals, before he dove too deep into a criminal's mind and became a psychotic killer himself. And he's just one boss with a dark past for you to reveal through the course of the game. Each of the bosses offers up unique challenges and requires unique, thoughtful ways for you to defeat them. However, the most unique of all is the guy I just mentioned before, Psycho Mantis. He actually forces THE GAMER, rather than Snake, to fight him by doing a technique that must be done IN THE REAL WORLD rather than the game. Never before did I see this level of gamer-to-gave immersion, even if it breaks the fourth wall! Metal Gear is known for its memorable boss fights, and these will NOT disappoint.
Finally, Metal Gear Solid comes with
a selectable difficulty setting, ranging from Easy to Extreme. However,
even the Easy difficulty is rather... well, difficult, especially for newcomers
to the series, so expect to die. A lot.
Replayability: ***
Metal Gear Solid is a rather short game,
when it comes down to it. On your first playthrough, considering that you’ll
watch every cutscene and probably die very often, you should clock about
12 hours into Metal Gear Solid. However, if you take out the cutscenes
and death time, then this game can be finished in under three hours. Admittedly,
it is really fun for speedruns, and you even get rewarded with different
emblems for how quickly, efficiently, and steathily you finished the game.
There are also two different endings depending on how you react to a certain
scene, and you're rewarded with a "God Item" depending on your ending (one
gives you infinite ammo while the other makes you invisible to all but
bosses, NPCs, and guard dogs) . There's also a mode called "VR Training",
which puts you in several training scenarios. After you clear those, you
open up a few more modes like Time Attack and Gun Shooting mode. There's
also a mode where you can view all of the cutscenes in the game in a row,
like an actual movie (though infiltration and boss fights are, unfortunately,
told through text), as well as read up on Snake's first two games, Metal
Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. But, otherwise, there's not much content
to explore in Metal Gear Solid, other than getting to see Snake in a tuxedo
or a red ninja suit instead of a grey one. Overall, Metal Gear Solid's
just like a movie: you see it once, you know what's going to happen, but
it's good enough that you want to see it a few more times.
Fun Factor!: *****
Yes, despite lackluster controls, despite
the difficulty, despite the lack of replayability... this game is just
a thrill to play. Try beating the game without getting seen once, besides
when you are forced to be seen. Or how about doing it without a single
Game Over? Without using anything but mines and C4 to destroy guards? Really,
it's just so much fun to mess around in Snake's world, see the story, watch
the characters, and contact them at every opportunity. There's even some
secret dialogue that you can find if you mess around hard enough, which
I find really entertaining to uncover, even if it only appears for a moment.
Quite simply, this game is just fun at one of its purest forms.
AND THE VERDICT ISSSS...
AMAZING!
OVERALL: ****1/2 out of five
Trust me, I WANT to give Metal Gear Solid a lower score. With difficult-to-understand controls and an average shelf life, I didn't think a game like this would ever be so beloved by me. But... it's just absolutely amazing. It's not a flawless game, but it's an excellent breakthrough in storytelling, music, and graphical achievement for video games. It's really more of an art than a game; an art that you can play with, but an art nonetheless. Snake's most famous adventure on Shadow Moses Island is a tale that should not be missed by anyone... if you're old enough to witness it.
If you want this game and are old enough to handle the mature content, please, go out and BUY THIS GAME. The original Playstation version is available in a set called the Metal Gear Solid Essential Collection, which also contains Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 for the PS2 (both of which I might review eventually). There's also a remake of this game for the Gamecube called Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, which actually improves on the controls and hides Mario and Yoshi somewhere in the game. The game's story and sound are masterpieces in themselves, and it's just a blast to play. So, for all of you Snake fans out there, buy this game, because, "It's Showtime!"
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