Hey I've actually played this one! I played it a couple years ago and felt it held up really well because (as you mentioned) of the way they handled control and camera so much better than many other 3D PS1 titles. Thought it struck a good balance between stealth, boss fights and talky sections too. While the latter were often quite long, there were usually nice sizable gameplay portions in between. Wish I had made it further into the series than this one. It was a pretty great start!
Metal Gear Solid According to Greenman
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 On 02/03/2014 at 03:05 PM by Casey Curran See More From This User » |
So, you guys picked which series I would cover. So Crash Bandicoot was a landslide while number 2 was a tie between Ratchet and Clank and Metal Gear Solid. So, it was obvious that I should go with Metal Gear Solid. Ratchet and Clank is a blast to play and more consistent, but no series is really as interesting to discuss as MGS.
When Ratchet stumbles, for instance, it's because they changed the weapon upgrade in All 4 One or had a less ambitious idea like Full Frontal Assault. When Metal Gear stumbles though, you can still have discussions twelve years later. There's always a good idea somewhere with the bad ideas, and that makes that it doesn't work just that more interesting. So I'll be starting with that series. But for each game I'm going to only do the ones that interest me with a blog after on the ones I haven't played much of and just offer my thoughts on them. So here we go with Metal Gear Solid 1.
I tend to not like 3D PS1 games that much. I think they're ugly and more importantly control like ass. RPGs can be the exception to this rule, but few PS1 RPGs tend to appeal to me anyways for reasons outside of this. In fact, the Nintendo DS is pretty much what I wish 5th gen consoles were, offering mostly 2D games that look and play great with a few 3D games that work pretty well, even if they don't for the most part.
But there's something about Metal Gear Solid that just works. Most of it comes from that it's mostly designed to be like an overhead 2D game like the original Metal Gears and Zelda. But as I'll explain why later, I can't really get into the 2D Metal Gear games. Metal Gear Solid has a few little touches that just make it work here.
For starters there's the cling to cover and get a 3D view. This is just so helpful at giving you an idea of what you're up against when sneaking around. It also allows for a more verticle approach to stealth where you can have multiple floors to sneak on rather than just eight directions you can move in. The first person view when crawling underneath things also helps. It's not Deus Ex in terms of depth, but it's still plenty fun.
The thing I really love though from a gameplay standpoint is the bosses. The second I faced Revolver Ocelot I knew this was going to be very different from any other stealth game I've played. I think they're one of the biggest, if not the biggest, reason that the super long cutscenes never really get in the way for me. MGS despite its huge story emphasis never really forgets that it's a game, something even 4 remembered (though not perfectly, as I'll get to later).
It definitely helps that these bosses are a blast for the most part. They're not all insanely superpowered enemies nor are they colassal pieces of technology. Sometimes they're only challenging because the enemy's in a favorable situation, which is pretty unique in gaming.
It definitely helps, however, that the game gives them bizarre powers and abilities in an otherwise realistic world. It's something that I really wish we'd see more of in games, take a real world aesthetic but the villains just so happen to be able to ricochet bullets on walls or read minds.
I always loved these boss intros
The story starts simple as well, which kind of reflects it. A mech that can shoot nukes. All you have to do is imagine if that thing existed and you know these guys can't use it. But it's still a pretty creative idea that I haven't really seen before, without going too out there. Soon enough though, cyborg ninjas, recessive genes, and nanomachines start to creep into the plot as it takes a turn for the bizarre. I like the inclusion of these, but part of me thinks Kojima adds them in so sneaking in a cardboard box isn't so bizarre. Like these gameplay elements don't make sense in the real world, but all this other stuff I added doesn't either even though it's not going all out with sci-fy or supernatural shit.
The thing that keeps MGS so replayable is that it's just really well paced. The game's always throwing a twist just when things are starting to get boring and throwing just enough "How do I get there?" moments to keep Shadow Moses a very engaging area to sneak around in. It may not hold up flawlessly, but its status as a classic is still well earned in my eyes.
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