Retro Review: Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear series is one of the most popular and influential series made by Konami and Hideo Kojima. Metal Gear series was released on wide variety of platforms like MSX2, NES, PS1, GBC, GC, PC, Mobile, PSP...

Metal Gear series are based around mechs, more precisely a walking tanks with capability to launch ICBMs anywhere in the world and they were called "Metal Gear", trough series Metal Gears are important part of the series and our main characters deal with them. Kojima designed Metal Gear as an fictional weapon.

Hideo Kojima was interested into illustration, he wrote stories with 400 pages, he was interested in movies and he wanted to be a film director. He played games on Famicon and decided to join video game industry while his decision shocked his colleagues, he applied to various companies and was rejected ultil he applied to Konami. He was sent to MSX home computer division in position of designer and "planner".

Kojima´s gameplay ideas were rejected since he had lack of familiarity with programming and was repeatedly snubbed for his failures in the first couple of years at Konami. Afterwards he got a chance to work on Penguin Adventures as "assistant director" and vastly improving it over its predecessor.

After Penguin Adventures he was developing his first game called Lost Warld, but Kojima´s superiors rejected his game. Kojima was asked to work on Metal Gear, because of limitations the game was not possible as an action shooter and he decided to turn it into a stealh oriented game, it was released on MSX2 and later on NES in 1987. NES version was considerably diffrient, in 1990 it was ported to Commodore 64 and PC MS-DOS with some improvements while still being true to MSX2 version of Metal Gear.

Hideo Kojima developed numerous games like Snatcher and Policenauts. Kojima participated in development of every Metal Gear game except unofficial sequel called Snakes Revenge. Development of Metal Gear Solid started as Metal Gear 3 and it was suppose to be released on 3DO, it was changed to PlayStation since 3DO was in decline and because Konami and Kojima leaned towards recently released PlayStation. Kojima thought that Metal Gear 1 and 2 were not well know so he decided to use word "Solid" over number 3 to indicate this was the third game, also because it was decided to turn it into a 3D game rather than being a 2D. Development of Metal Gear Solid was started in mid-1995...

Kojima wanted to make the best possible game for PlayStation, he was dedicated to create a masterpiece, a true work of art. He and the development team had aimed for realism and accuracy, they were educated by Huntington Beach SWAT with demonstrations of tactics, explosives, vehicles and weapons. Kojima wanted some features like hiding bodies, dynamic soundtracks, greater interaction with object in Metal Gear Solid and even thought it was not implemented in MGS it was implemented in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty.

Metal Gear Solid has a great and complex storyline, alot of turn and twists, uncovering the truth.. Solid Snake gots "invited" by Colonel, trought briefing you found out about situation on Moses Island and about  renegade Next-Gen Special Forces. You are sent to infiltrate the base, rescue DARPA chief, acquire information and possibly eliminate threat, the terrorists demand remains of the Big Boss or they will launch ICBM in next 18 hours. You found out from DARPA chief that you can stop the launch and that Metal Gear Rex is in the base, he suddenly dies and as you get out you find yourself at the trigger of a woman disguised as a guard.

Eventually you found out that Liquid Snake is your sibling brother, you and all genetically and nano modified soldiers are infected with a strain of FOXDIE that could kill anytime. In short, the storyline is a true masterpiece as the rest of the game and it has great cutscenes that can easily suck you in...

Gameplay of Metal Gear Solid is improved to its predecessors, since its MGS is in 3D you can go first person to see what is in front of you, hide inside boxes, cameras turn 90° left and right, mines, traps... Its true to its predecessors and it adds and improves features. The details of MGS is absolutely stunning, animations are smooth, great effects, soundtracks give right felling and wibe for each situation... Controls are great, easy to remember, the camera is great and with option of going into first person view you can see further.

Metal Gear Solid has couple of version including a PC port and a remake called Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes for GameCube. GameCube version introduced various improvements and implementation of features from Sons Of Liberty that was originally to be implemented in Metal Gear Solid. Twin Snakes represents everything what Hideo Kojima wanted in PlayStation version.

Overall you need to have it, you will have a blast and ride of your life. Every gamer should have one, its a work of art and check predecessors and sequels, they are great as this one. Seriously... Get it... NOW!

(10/10) It is worth every single cent, it would be criminally to own it and not play it at all...