It took a dozen attempts, but I finally figured out how to quietly strangle someone.
Ahem, maybe I should explain further. I've been playing Metal Gear Solid, my first try at this game from 1998 and it doesn't disappoint. For a 15 year old game, it's a lot of fun.
The game environment is large, spanning several buildings, each with their own floors and rooms you have to navigate through. By stealth. Solid Snake is pretty fragile and the fist and foremost the game is about stealth. Guards have line of sight and will spot foot prints in the snow or hear the sound of footsteps on puddles of water. Pretty advanced for a game made in 1998. Straight on gun fights are not advised.
The game environment is large, spanning several buildings, each with their own floors and rooms you have to navigate through. By stealth. Solid Snake is pretty fragile and the fist and foremost the game is about stealth. Guards have line of sight and will spot foot prints in the snow or hear the sound of footsteps on puddles of water. Pretty advanced for a game made in 1998. Straight on gun fights are not advised.
So it's no surprise that MGS is a hard game. As well as requiring stealth, it tests your problem solving skills. It's also very detailed and expansive. That's what I like about it and why it holds up well.
For example, near the start I'm tasked with rescuing the DARPA chief, one of the hostages on Shadow Moses Island (MGS continues the tradition of giving the locations weird names. Outer Heaven, Zanzibarland...). I start off with nothing but over the course of the game I gain an ever increasing inventory of weapons and gear. One of the first things I notice are the locked doors. I need key cards to access them. After rescuing the chief, I receive his key card. Now I can go back and explore places previously denied to me. As I progress through the game, I realise how big it is. There are many more buildings to explore, ventilation shafts to crawl through and doors to unlock. And I can return to previous areas. In a way, MGS sits well alongside the likes of Final Fantasy, Zelda and Deus Ex.
For example, near the start I'm tasked with rescuing the DARPA chief, one of the hostages on Shadow Moses Island (MGS continues the tradition of giving the locations weird names. Outer Heaven, Zanzibarland...). I start off with nothing but over the course of the game I gain an ever increasing inventory of weapons and gear. One of the first things I notice are the locked doors. I need key cards to access them. After rescuing the chief, I receive his key card. Now I can go back and explore places previously denied to me. As I progress through the game, I realise how big it is. There are many more buildings to explore, ventilation shafts to crawl through and doors to unlock. And I can return to previous areas. In a way, MGS sits well alongside the likes of Final Fantasy, Zelda and Deus Ex.
The plot? Cliched.Voice acting is also hilariously over the top. Notice how after Revolver Ocelot is defeated, a cyborg ninja appears and slices his hand off. He clutches at his pixelated bloody stump and shouts "my hand!" I respond the only way I can, by laughing. Poor Ocelot grabs said hand and runs off. Put it on ice and it'll be fine. Spoilers in the next video.
I die a lot. I forget how many times I've seen the Game over screen, with poor Mei Ling or Naomi screaming "Noooooooo, Snaaake!" Again, over the top voice acting (but I love it).
A fine, challenging experience.
A fine, challenging experience.
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