Introduction:

Every once in a while, a game comes along that revolutionizes gaming. Metal Gear Solid- those three words combined arguably the most hotly anticipated PlayStation game. Created by the all-brilliant, uncanny, veteran Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid reaches and exceeds expectations smashing through wall of normalcy and delivering the best game on the playstation ever. It revolutionizes in terms graphics, characters, storyline, sound, heck to put it short this game revolutionizes in all facets. Konami where right in saying that this was “The Best Game ever made”.

Storyline:

You assume the role of Solid Snake (the baddest mother-shut-your-mouth) a retired special forces operative who is called back to duty. You have 24 hours in which you have to infiltrate a heavily guarded Alaskan base and stop terrorists who are planning on launching a nuclear strike if their demands are not met. You have to do all this alone and unarmed. The storyline in Metal Gear Solid is by far the best I have come across and it is the vehicle that drives Metal Gear Solid past the rest.

Gameplay:

The main concept behind the gameplay is stealth. This is demonstrated in the beginning when you’re supplied with only a pack of cigarettes and binoculars, and no, you cannot burn the enemy’s eye out with the cigarette. I strongly recommend you playing the VR training before you start the game as it teaches valuable techniques like pressing your body against the wall; this enables you to see around the corner. Also while pressing against the wall, you can knock against the wall to distract the guard, and while he stands there wondering what the noise is you can sneak behind him and put him out of his misery. You should also get used to the radar screen, which is positioned, on the top right of your screen. This is your biggest asset as it shows you were enemies are positioned and their line of sight, as well as the positioning and line of sight of the cameras. This is only a taste of the many utterly creative ways you can sneak around in Metal Gear Solid.

The emphasis is on stealth in Metal Gear Solid, but all heroes got to have some weaponry. Along the way, Snake can pick up some deadly weapons and items. From the trusty socom pistol, to the heavy-duty rocket launcher. Each weapon is unique and has it’s own purpose. I can tell you now that by the end of the game you will have used all the weapons for some specific reason. Snakes no weakling either. Look away for a split second and he can knock you out with his punch-kick combination, or if you’re more unfortunate then he’ll snap your neck like a twig.

Even though I may have portrayed the enemies as rather weak, they are most certainly not. They can follow your footprints in snow, and they are alert to any unusual noises, e.g. running through a puddle of water. And if you so much as step into their field of vision they will be forced to deal with you, they meaning a whole horde of them arrive after you have been detected. However, the single factor that makes Metal Gear Solid’s gameplay so good is that you really feel as if you’re Solid Snake. For instance there is one scene where you’re trapped in a room full of poisonous gas and you have to find your way out. I almost passed out because I was holding my breath thinking I was really in a room full of gas. Just Brilliant

Sound:

“This is Snake”-Our protagonist utters he’s first words that set the level of brilliance in the voice acting section of the game. The voice acting in Metal Gear Solid is the better than the voice acting in most movies. You could take away the pictures and you would still be able to paint your own picture in your head because the voice acting is of such an immaculate quality that every emotion is projected. You can identify the personalities of some of the characters just by what they say. Music has always been a key figure in Japanese made games such as The Final Fantasy VII & VIII and so on, and Metal Gear Solid doesn’t fall short. Hideo Kojima uses the right music at the perfect time to enhance the feeling. Kojima only uses 2 techniques but uses them superbly. There’s the kind of soft and sad music, used when something tragic happens and then there’s the quick paced, adrenaline pumping music, the kind of music, which is laden with foreboding. The sound effects in Metal Gear Solid were also quite impressive. For instance each surface has it’s own sound whereas you get other games where the floor on each level has the same sound even though it looks completely different. Another thing I also liked about the sound effects was the enemy sound effect. Some enemies are impossible to kill and so with the aid of the sound effect, you can determine when they were asleep so you can take them out.

Graphics:

You’d think that because the game is based in Alaska, where everything looks the same, that the graphics would get boring and repetitive. Think again. The amount of detail in this game is absolutely amazing. I could go on about the lighting and textures and all of that, but essentially it’s all the little things that most games ignore that make the graphics great. Footprints on the snow, the drops of water jumping up as you run through puddles and so on. Konami stretched the playstation to new limits.

Another part of the storytelling part must be the cut-scenes. Steven Spielberg, eat your heart out, Kojima is brilliant in the way he engages you and how he uses the camera angles like no other game before. Kojima could take any Hollywood director to the cleaners.

The Low Down:

There are not enough words in the world, which can describe how good this game is. There are brilliant games and then there is Metal Gear Solid. If you have not got this game, then finish off my review and go buy it now! The best game I have ever played.


Recommended: Yes