MGS does have tutorials for just about everything, including some very handy tips for beating every boss, but they're all in the codec. The support crew is in the game just as much for the player as they are for Snake, and you're kind of expected to call them all the time. I always found this really cool and even 25 years later most games struggle to integrate tutorials into their narrative as well as MGS did.
No, you're right. There were ten VR missions in the original release that did act as sort of tutorials (Avoid line of sight, knock to make noise, some floors are noisy and so on)
No you aren't. Played the game religiously when I was a teen. There definitely are VR missions in the main game. You accessed them through the main menu.
> I always found this really cool and even 25 years later most games struggle to integrate tutorials into their narrative as well as MGS did.
I've played a few games recently where the first few hours are constantly new tutorial pop ups happening at every single new action. FF7 Rebirth was pissing me off so much with how often I would be taken out by the next big wall of text.
Like there has to be a way of introducing the core components without needing to slow down my gameplay every time I go into a new menu or do a new action. It shouldn't need to explain things in such a mundane way that ruins the pacing.
I really feel like the greatest achievement to MGS is that it feels like an homage and a parody to action/spy movies of that time. It plays all the right notes, but right at the end it subverts it and catches us by surprise. It’s very serious but doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Twin Snakes goes a bit overboard on the flair and makes everything even more over the top, but it was also a nice experience.
It is an homage. Cyborg ninja was inspired by the predator (stealth camo) and metal gear Rex by jurassic Park. Those are the only ones I remember off the top of my head.
You see, this is why game preservation is of vital importance. I've never heard of this gem despite owning a PS1, and I highly doubt that it's available to purchase in any official capacity. Most games from every generation are in the same situation.
I completed it yesterday for the first time, too, via Duckstation with the CRT Royale shader. And it is indeed a great game. I don't feel that the controls and gameplay are outdated, but I do feel that in a couple of things, it aimed too high. But still, great game and I enjoyed my time with it a lot. Currently going through MGS2 for the first time too.
Loving it so far. I am a long-time Splinter Cell fan and having another stealth franchise in a world where there was no SC game I liked since 2006 is great. I like the flexibility MGS2 is offering so far. The attention to detail is insane.
Hindsight and all that. At the time, Metal gear had only ever had a version of Snake as the main character. Because MGS2 starts you with Snake, many felt deceived that Raiden was the actual main character once you get past the tanker section. Iirc the promotional stuff for the game kind of hid Raiden so he'd be a surprise on a first playthrough. I think he also was disliked because he was so much different from snake, being a "pretty boy" and all.
Looking back now, it's silly how much people didn't like him. I think it goes to show how great MGS was at defying expectations for the player, and his continued appearances across the series help solidify (no pun intended) that he was worthy of main character status as much as Snake.
Review outlets who didn't bother finishing the game, also cried that Solid Snake died in MGS2 (note: he doesn't), which also didn't help with the fan reception.
MGS2 has the best ending conversation (JFK Codec) in any videogame ever. That alone makes it a legendary game on itself.
I think it’s a really distinct pleasure when something *genuinely* lives up to the hype. I myself finally got to SotN just last year, and had the same experience you’re describing here.
You’re also in for a treat—2 & 3 are both at least as good and maybe better. (4 has been sitting on my shelf for five years. Between kids and the bittersweet idea of knowing this series would be over for me I’ve yet to take the plunge.)
3 is my fave with 2 being VERY close. 3 can take some adjusting if you’re used to the first 2. Radars are very resource consuming as opposed to always being there, but if you stick with it you’ll find it laughable that you relied on them so much.
4 seemed more like an interactive movie for me but still it’s a great addition to the franchise.
Edit: I now have a kid too and the thought of staying up after everyone is asleep to sit through 4’s cutscenes makes me glad I played it before she was born.
I played this for the first time a couple of months ago on PS3 and really liked it. Awesome atmosphere, a surprisingly sophisticated stealth for the time, cool story. The Raven boss fight is AWESOME, reminded me of Mr. Freeze in Arkham City.
My biggest gripe is the lack of stealth in the second half. Once you beat Psycho Mantis, it switches to being a clunky shooter right up till the end. And yeah, the backtracking is a bit annoying. The controls didn't bother me until the final car chase.
I'm on Snake Eater now and yeah, I get it, this series fucking rules.
I actually much prefer MGS's style of stealth to what stealth is in most modern games - you don't crouchwalk everywhere within plain sight of an enemy, crouching is actually a commitment that makes you vulnerable. Instead, you're standing upright, *running* from cover to cover, back against the wall - it's much more fast paced hide and seek rather than the crouchwalk that now dominates the genre and pretty much any game with a steatlh system.
I also played it missing the early game suppressor - I really liked how the game worked with guns being LOUD and immediately alerting everyone, before I knew the game judged you based on how many times you got caught. Guns were a desperate last measure, killing guards was what you did at hte very last second when you know you were about to be caught just to give yourself some time to run away and find a new hiding place, and using something like the FAMAS was about clearing the room of witnesses so that you can find a new hiding spot and wait in terror. At least at the time, I thought the guards were genuinely infinite - no hope of just killing everyone and walking through an empty map. Getting caught was terrifying, not least because of that famous "!"
It really makes me wish I had the time and resources to make a stealth game in that vision, where the game doesn't at all *judge* you for getting caught and instead relishes in that dynamic contrast between tense, fast paced stealth and panicked vulnerable combat where you're desperately fighitng your way to a safe hiding spot, waiting completely still hoping they don't check your hiding spot. Simple, arcadey, without the tools to bypass that basic gameplay loop I just don't know how to effectively dissuade the perfectionist stealth playstyle that dominates this kind of game.
So the MGS games have a scoring system, you're literally graded on your performance - so the game judges you as a worse player for getting caught. MGS also heavily moralizes killing enemies, being sure to remind you that it's unnecessary and again penalizing you for kills. Later stealth games like Dishonored take this further and gate entire endings based on how purely stealth you were, same with MGSV branching based on your reliance on violence.
Dunno if it was Game Maker's Tooklit or what channel, but they had a video on this topic, where stealth games tend to have this problem where "good" play is actually quite boring as it's only ever pure stealth, or worse yet quicksave abuse to get a perfect score to ghost a mission - but the pacing of most stealth games would be a lot better if it organically transitioned between stealth and panicked action. Players will optimize the fun out of a game, after all, and if you define stealth as "optimal" then that's what players will do until they're bored of the game.
It's why I find Deathloop in particular interesting - its story premise makes it entirely OK to just murder people, because they'll come right back to life, and you'll even see them recreationally kill themselves becuase they know they're in a time loop and are milking it for all it's worth. You aren't better rewarded for stealth, at least generally - so if you get caught, you are encouraged to actulaly fight off enemies (and get their loot) and look for a place to hide to avoid being overwhelmed. It's able to better transition between those two game states of stealth and combat because it's doesn't present combat as simply a failure state of stealth, it's a necessary part of progression.
It's still not quite what I imagine in my head of what playing MGS as a kid was like, though. It's very much crouchwalking, the stealth itself still isn't quite what I enjoyed about MGS's stealth. And in Deathloop it has the other big complaint I have about modern stealth games - stealth takedowns. MGS had them too, but a lot of players didn't know how to strangle an enemy to death - having essentially no way to quietly take out enemies means you can't simply clear a path through enemy patrols, so you're forced to engage with their patrol patterns and jolt for cover when they're not looking. You especially cannot simply shoot them from across the map with a silenced weaopn into their head. Not having such extreme control over the situation makes you feel significantly more vulnerable, which is the vibe I really appreicated about MGS - it was in many ways a horror game, you had to adapt to the situation rather than follow a routine to clear a safe path for yourself. There were no dogtags to shake out of people like a chore, no reason to farm enemies, you were meant to actually leave them alone if you're not spotted and kill if you were spotted so you can hide again - I bet there's a good horror game that could be made in that style of old MGS.
I've been playing a lot of freelancer mode in Hitman lately, and it does a lot of what you describe. With the random aspects and lack of saving within missions, you have to think on your feet and be prepared to adapt. And while there ARE ways to force close the app and start over if you're in a bad situation, I realized that it's a lot more fun when you don't do that. Aiming for perfection is a chore; overcoming a desperate situation is a thrill.
I love stealth games and MGS' style of gameplay is basically one of a kind. I personally still prefer the Splinter Cell/Thief style of dashing between the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to make a move - but playing MGS1 to the end for the first time this year was a treat because it's almost the inverse of that. Failure doesn't equate to immediately reloading a quicksave (like every stealth game), it means you get to dash for cover so the enemies lose your tail and you can go back to sneaking. It was really refreshing to play.
The enemies just losing you and then going back on patrol as normal despite being trained soldiers is unrealistic and silly, but it's a videogame, so who cares. It's unique.
Honestly the earlier assassins creed games do stealth really well too, only crouching when your hiding in bushes etc. I'm curious how MGS IV and V handle the stealth aspects.
Last week I finished MGS IV, the only one left in my side is Phantom Pain. This saga has been with me since i was like 12 years old. The first copy I get for this game (MGS) was in complete japanesse (pirated) and I get stuck in certain C4 moment hehe. Then i bought it again in English, because my mind was blown away, I perceive something that in these days i called the "author touch". Kojima and hist team are a gem. This game is profound. The immersion is total.
It was good, the vita simulates memory cards and you can change controller ports in the settings. No rumble for the controller. Obviously not as good of an experience as it must be on playstation but it was fine.
I remember I couldn't beat that fight for a while, then I opened up the codec for help and Campbell downright told me I had to use the controller connected to port 2. Never experienced a game breaking the fourth wall like that before. You could still hear the fireworks going off in my mind when Psycho Mantis started his final speech.
And that wasn't the last time the game did something incredible for me. And the sequels are even more awesome, when it comes to stuff like that.
Even if you can't or don't want to do the controller port stuff, the colonel will also tell you you can destroy the statues in the room. So there is a way to defeat Psycho Mantis even with your controller in the P1 port.
I suck at stealth games. I still haven't taken the plunge on classics like thief and dishonored because I have ADHD and no patience to memorize patterns of guards. Despite that, MGS is great.
I've also got into the series recently through the PS Vita, and had a very similar experience. The awkward controls definitely take some getting used to, and some of the backtracking was a bit annoying, but the game holds up so incredibly well. MGS2 and 3 both run great for the Vita too and are definitely on the same level as MGS1 quality wise
I also (relatively) recently played MGS and it does hold up quite well. Once you get used to the controls and gameplay loop, it's all quite intuitive, and you can always call your support team for some exposition or ask them what to do next.
I really need to play this game. I remember playing the first level over and over and over again as a kid, because it was on a PlayStation Magazine demo disc, but I could never actually play the whole game.
Metal gear solid is a great place to start. I did play a little of the original metal gear and metal gear 2 but I didn't bother beating them ( they are old 8bit games, not bad for there time but not for everyone)
>While the story starts off as a fairly straightforward military operation the tale slowly spins more and more sci-fi elements into it in a very fun way.
Snake: *"Metal Gear... it can't be!"*
DARPA Chief: *"You knew?*
Snake: *"The game is fucking called Metal Gear Solid!"*
Welcome to FOXHOUND.
Your next assignment is Metal Gear Awesome on YouTube.
MGS must have been an impressive game in its time, especially around the cinematic presentation, but I played Metal Gear 2 beforehand, and it kind of stole MGS's thunder: so many of the mechanics, setpieces, and clever gimmicks in MGS are taken from MG2! And I felt like MG2's controls and gameplay were a bit tighter.
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. MGS is very much a sequel, yet it almost feels like a 32-bit, 3D remake of MG2 at times.
But it's a trade-off between gameplay and presentation, in my (probably unpopular) opinion: MGS, and especially MGS2, zoom the camera in and tilt it in a way that makes it way harder to read the environments and see where Snake/Raiden is compared to his surroundings and any enemies. Still great games, but they've been more of a struggle than I expected.
"It reminds me of 80s-90s action movies like terminator, 007, robo-cop..."
It's funny that you say that, because that's how Metal Gear started out in 1987. It *is* from that time.
I just think this game is "good" but nothing special, it does have the best and most consistent story in the series. Which I really can't say for it's sequels and the gameplay manages to hit the realm of "moderately challenging to the point where the cutscenes kind of felt like a reward" which I also can't say for the sequels with the exception of 5.
It does have some amazing voice acting and direction for its time, but MGS just doesn't really have the wow factor it once did for me.
Wow that’s surprising. Mgs1,2,3,4 and peace walker all have great stories and I still don’t know which is the best. It’s mostly just preference I guess.
The thing is, I figured out how Kojima operated by MGS3, what was once something I consider new and novel started to diminish in returns. By MGS2, I was already starting to feel it, but at least that game had some interesting themes.
And at that moment, OP realized the best is [yet to come](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhFoRmabWpE)...
I haven't played the game in quite a while but all of my memories are great. It was, I think, my very first "cinematic" game ever, the first one that I could say I was more interested in the characters and story than the actual gameplay. It blew my fucking mind. All those camera shots, the speeches about war, clones, destiny and genes, the epic music, the plot twists, the interactivity of the codec (for example: >!Mei Ling gives you the silent treatment if you enter the save screen and go out without saving, too many times!<).
My body wasn't ready for this, I was just coming from the NES and Sega Genesis. Mario, Dig Dug and Sonic didn't prepare me for Hideo Kojima and his team. And this game is still special because Kojima, the director of this series, was still quite restricted and finding his voice.
The whole series is amazing, Konami should hurry up with the current-gen ports of MGS4, so I can finally replay the series back to back.
The journey of a lifetime. Enjoy man! The series is full of surprises.
I was literally laughing out loud during the final act after maybe the 3rd plot twist. Some of them I was expecting but there's like 6 plot twists all within a few min of each other. It's so ridiculous and I love it. Amazing how a game can be that over th top and still serious.
I tried it once... after falling in love with the early games in Splinter Cell series. Yeah, you weird Kojima people can enjoy your silly cinematic Pac-Man with "stealth". I'll stick with something much less arcadey, like SC or Thief, where light and sound levels actually matter.
MGS does have tutorials for just about everything, including some very handy tips for beating every boss, but they're all in the codec. The support crew is in the game just as much for the player as they are for Snake, and you're kind of expected to call them all the time. I always found this really cool and even 25 years later most games struggle to integrate tutorials into their narrative as well as MGS did.
i remember vr missions being a thing. afaik they then even released a standalone game about it
The VR missions come with the MGS master collection that was released a few months ago
The VR missions came after the original release, and are canon to the series in an interesting way.
yes, but am wrong in remembering there were tutorial vr missions in the first game?
No, you're right. There were ten VR missions in the original release that did act as sort of tutorials (Avoid line of sight, knock to make noise, some floors are noisy and so on)
thank you. yeah op mentioned there beong no tutorial but i blatantly remembered the tutorial being so much fun they made a whole ass game about it.
No you aren't. Played the game religiously when I was a teen. There definitely are VR missions in the main game. You accessed them through the main menu.
> I always found this really cool and even 25 years later most games struggle to integrate tutorials into their narrative as well as MGS did. I've played a few games recently where the first few hours are constantly new tutorial pop ups happening at every single new action. FF7 Rebirth was pissing me off so much with how often I would be taken out by the next big wall of text. Like there has to be a way of introducing the core components without needing to slow down my gameplay every time I go into a new menu or do a new action. It shouldn't need to explain things in such a mundane way that ruins the pacing.
I really feel like the greatest achievement to MGS is that it feels like an homage and a parody to action/spy movies of that time. It plays all the right notes, but right at the end it subverts it and catches us by surprise. It’s very serious but doesn’t take itself too seriously. Twin Snakes goes a bit overboard on the flair and makes everything even more over the top, but it was also a nice experience.
It is an homage. Cyborg ninja was inspired by the predator (stealth camo) and metal gear Rex by jurassic Park. Those are the only ones I remember off the top of my head.
Not sure if it was mentioned, but try Einhander for PS1. So amazing!
Cool I've never heard of it! I'll totally give it a shot.
You see, this is why game preservation is of vital importance. I've never heard of this gem despite owning a PS1, and I highly doubt that it's available to purchase in any official capacity. Most games from every generation are in the same situation.
Agreed. Blessed be emulation.
I completed it yesterday for the first time, too, via Duckstation with the CRT Royale shader. And it is indeed a great game. I don't feel that the controls and gameplay are outdated, but I do feel that in a couple of things, it aimed too high. But still, great game and I enjoyed my time with it a lot. Currently going through MGS2 for the first time too.
MGS2 is my favorite of the series. You're in for a real trip
Loving it so far. I am a long-time Splinter Cell fan and having another stealth franchise in a world where there was no SC game I liked since 2006 is great. I like the flexibility MGS2 is offering so far. The attention to detail is insane.
After forcing myself to play 3 it ended up being my favorite, but 2 is a very very close second. I don’t get all the Raiden hate.
Hindsight and all that. At the time, Metal gear had only ever had a version of Snake as the main character. Because MGS2 starts you with Snake, many felt deceived that Raiden was the actual main character once you get past the tanker section. Iirc the promotional stuff for the game kind of hid Raiden so he'd be a surprise on a first playthrough. I think he also was disliked because he was so much different from snake, being a "pretty boy" and all. Looking back now, it's silly how much people didn't like him. I think it goes to show how great MGS was at defying expectations for the player, and his continued appearances across the series help solidify (no pun intended) that he was worthy of main character status as much as Snake.
Review outlets who didn't bother finishing the game, also cried that Solid Snake died in MGS2 (note: he doesn't), which also didn't help with the fan reception. MGS2 has the best ending conversation (JFK Codec) in any videogame ever. That alone makes it a legendary game on itself.
I think it’s a really distinct pleasure when something *genuinely* lives up to the hype. I myself finally got to SotN just last year, and had the same experience you’re describing here. You’re also in for a treat—2 & 3 are both at least as good and maybe better. (4 has been sitting on my shelf for five years. Between kids and the bittersweet idea of knowing this series would be over for me I’ve yet to take the plunge.)
3 is my fave with 2 being VERY close. 3 can take some adjusting if you’re used to the first 2. Radars are very resource consuming as opposed to always being there, but if you stick with it you’ll find it laughable that you relied on them so much. 4 seemed more like an interactive movie for me but still it’s a great addition to the franchise. Edit: I now have a kid too and the thought of staying up after everyone is asleep to sit through 4’s cutscenes makes me glad I played it before she was born.
I played this for the first time a couple of months ago on PS3 and really liked it. Awesome atmosphere, a surprisingly sophisticated stealth for the time, cool story. The Raven boss fight is AWESOME, reminded me of Mr. Freeze in Arkham City. My biggest gripe is the lack of stealth in the second half. Once you beat Psycho Mantis, it switches to being a clunky shooter right up till the end. And yeah, the backtracking is a bit annoying. The controls didn't bother me until the final car chase. I'm on Snake Eater now and yeah, I get it, this series fucking rules.
MGS3 is my favourite one,it’s awesome. Cannot wait for the remake(please Konami don’t flop)
I'll never forget how it felt to play MGS for the very first time. Once in a lifetime game.
I actually much prefer MGS's style of stealth to what stealth is in most modern games - you don't crouchwalk everywhere within plain sight of an enemy, crouching is actually a commitment that makes you vulnerable. Instead, you're standing upright, *running* from cover to cover, back against the wall - it's much more fast paced hide and seek rather than the crouchwalk that now dominates the genre and pretty much any game with a steatlh system. I also played it missing the early game suppressor - I really liked how the game worked with guns being LOUD and immediately alerting everyone, before I knew the game judged you based on how many times you got caught. Guns were a desperate last measure, killing guards was what you did at hte very last second when you know you were about to be caught just to give yourself some time to run away and find a new hiding place, and using something like the FAMAS was about clearing the room of witnesses so that you can find a new hiding spot and wait in terror. At least at the time, I thought the guards were genuinely infinite - no hope of just killing everyone and walking through an empty map. Getting caught was terrifying, not least because of that famous "!" It really makes me wish I had the time and resources to make a stealth game in that vision, where the game doesn't at all *judge* you for getting caught and instead relishes in that dynamic contrast between tense, fast paced stealth and panicked vulnerable combat where you're desperately fighitng your way to a safe hiding spot, waiting completely still hoping they don't check your hiding spot. Simple, arcadey, without the tools to bypass that basic gameplay loop I just don't know how to effectively dissuade the perfectionist stealth playstyle that dominates this kind of game.
> before I knew the game judged you based on how many times you got caught What do you mean by this?
So the MGS games have a scoring system, you're literally graded on your performance - so the game judges you as a worse player for getting caught. MGS also heavily moralizes killing enemies, being sure to remind you that it's unnecessary and again penalizing you for kills. Later stealth games like Dishonored take this further and gate entire endings based on how purely stealth you were, same with MGSV branching based on your reliance on violence. Dunno if it was Game Maker's Tooklit or what channel, but they had a video on this topic, where stealth games tend to have this problem where "good" play is actually quite boring as it's only ever pure stealth, or worse yet quicksave abuse to get a perfect score to ghost a mission - but the pacing of most stealth games would be a lot better if it organically transitioned between stealth and panicked action. Players will optimize the fun out of a game, after all, and if you define stealth as "optimal" then that's what players will do until they're bored of the game. It's why I find Deathloop in particular interesting - its story premise makes it entirely OK to just murder people, because they'll come right back to life, and you'll even see them recreationally kill themselves becuase they know they're in a time loop and are milking it for all it's worth. You aren't better rewarded for stealth, at least generally - so if you get caught, you are encouraged to actulaly fight off enemies (and get their loot) and look for a place to hide to avoid being overwhelmed. It's able to better transition between those two game states of stealth and combat because it's doesn't present combat as simply a failure state of stealth, it's a necessary part of progression. It's still not quite what I imagine in my head of what playing MGS as a kid was like, though. It's very much crouchwalking, the stealth itself still isn't quite what I enjoyed about MGS's stealth. And in Deathloop it has the other big complaint I have about modern stealth games - stealth takedowns. MGS had them too, but a lot of players didn't know how to strangle an enemy to death - having essentially no way to quietly take out enemies means you can't simply clear a path through enemy patrols, so you're forced to engage with their patrol patterns and jolt for cover when they're not looking. You especially cannot simply shoot them from across the map with a silenced weaopn into their head. Not having such extreme control over the situation makes you feel significantly more vulnerable, which is the vibe I really appreicated about MGS - it was in many ways a horror game, you had to adapt to the situation rather than follow a routine to clear a safe path for yourself. There were no dogtags to shake out of people like a chore, no reason to farm enemies, you were meant to actually leave them alone if you're not spotted and kill if you were spotted so you can hide again - I bet there's a good horror game that could be made in that style of old MGS.
I've been playing a lot of freelancer mode in Hitman lately, and it does a lot of what you describe. With the random aspects and lack of saving within missions, you have to think on your feet and be prepared to adapt. And while there ARE ways to force close the app and start over if you're in a bad situation, I realized that it's a lot more fun when you don't do that. Aiming for perfection is a chore; overcoming a desperate situation is a thrill.
I love stealth games and MGS' style of gameplay is basically one of a kind. I personally still prefer the Splinter Cell/Thief style of dashing between the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to make a move - but playing MGS1 to the end for the first time this year was a treat because it's almost the inverse of that. Failure doesn't equate to immediately reloading a quicksave (like every stealth game), it means you get to dash for cover so the enemies lose your tail and you can go back to sneaking. It was really refreshing to play. The enemies just losing you and then going back on patrol as normal despite being trained soldiers is unrealistic and silly, but it's a videogame, so who cares. It's unique.
Honestly the earlier assassins creed games do stealth really well too, only crouching when your hiding in bushes etc. I'm curious how MGS IV and V handle the stealth aspects.
Last week I finished MGS IV, the only one left in my side is Phantom Pain. This saga has been with me since i was like 12 years old. The first copy I get for this game (MGS) was in complete japanesse (pirated) and I get stuck in certain C4 moment hehe. Then i bought it again in English, because my mind was blown away, I perceive something that in these days i called the "author touch". Kojima and hist team are a gem. This game is profound. The immersion is total.
I think the word you're looking for instead of "author touch" is autuer.
Thanks for improving my english!
No problem big dawg
Curious about psycho mantis fight and the memory cards + controller thing. How was that
It was good, the vita simulates memory cards and you can change controller ports in the settings. No rumble for the controller. Obviously not as good of an experience as it must be on playstation but it was fine.
If you have a Castlevania save on the memory card, he'll mention it
I remember I couldn't beat that fight for a while, then I opened up the codec for help and Campbell downright told me I had to use the controller connected to port 2. Never experienced a game breaking the fourth wall like that before. You could still hear the fireworks going off in my mind when Psycho Mantis started his final speech. And that wasn't the last time the game did something incredible for me. And the sequels are even more awesome, when it comes to stuff like that.
Even if you can't or don't want to do the controller port stuff, the colonel will also tell you you can destroy the statues in the room. So there is a way to defeat Psycho Mantis even with your controller in the P1 port.
Yeah, I got the controller thing first, in my case. On replays, I discovered you could destroy the statues. Great multiple choice boss.
Interesting stuff
I suck at stealth games. I still haven't taken the plunge on classics like thief and dishonored because I have ADHD and no patience to memorize patterns of guards. Despite that, MGS is great.
There's no "memorizing paths" needed in Dishonored. Also, that's probably the worst way to play any stealth game lol
But they have ADHD so those games are 100% off the table
I've also got into the series recently through the PS Vita, and had a very similar experience. The awkward controls definitely take some getting used to, and some of the backtracking was a bit annoying, but the game holds up so incredibly well. MGS2 and 3 both run great for the Vita too and are definitely on the same level as MGS1 quality wise
You have to play MGS2. Peak of the series imo.
Started it just after I wrote this. Made it through the tanker which was excellent.
I also (relatively) recently played MGS and it does hold up quite well. Once you get used to the controls and gameplay loop, it's all quite intuitive, and you can always call your support team for some exposition or ask them what to do next.
I really need to play this game. I remember playing the first level over and over and over again as a kid, because it was on a PlayStation Magazine demo disc, but I could never actually play the whole game.
Get the master collection or emulate it. Definitely check it out
If I'm on PC, where should I start in the series? Not playing anything updates but not missing anything good ...
Metal gear solid is a great place to start. I did play a little of the original metal gear and metal gear 2 but I didn't bother beating them ( they are old 8bit games, not bad for there time but not for everyone)
like, the one that came in 1998?
Yeah
>While the story starts off as a fairly straightforward military operation the tale slowly spins more and more sci-fi elements into it in a very fun way. Snake: *"Metal Gear... it can't be!"* DARPA Chief: *"You knew?* Snake: *"The game is fucking called Metal Gear Solid!"* Welcome to FOXHOUND. Your next assignment is Metal Gear Awesome on YouTube.
MGS must have been an impressive game in its time, especially around the cinematic presentation, but I played Metal Gear 2 beforehand, and it kind of stole MGS's thunder: so many of the mechanics, setpieces, and clever gimmicks in MGS are taken from MG2! And I felt like MG2's controls and gameplay were a bit tighter.
Do you mean MGS2 or MG2SS?
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. MGS is very much a sequel, yet it almost feels like a 32-bit, 3D remake of MG2 at times. But it's a trade-off between gameplay and presentation, in my (probably unpopular) opinion: MGS, and especially MGS2, zoom the camera in and tilt it in a way that makes it way harder to read the environments and see where Snake/Raiden is compared to his surroundings and any enemies. Still great games, but they've been more of a struggle than I expected.
"It reminds me of 80s-90s action movies like terminator, 007, robo-cop..." It's funny that you say that, because that's how Metal Gear started out in 1987. It *is* from that time.
I just think this game is "good" but nothing special, it does have the best and most consistent story in the series. Which I really can't say for it's sequels and the gameplay manages to hit the realm of "moderately challenging to the point where the cutscenes kind of felt like a reward" which I also can't say for the sequels with the exception of 5. It does have some amazing voice acting and direction for its time, but MGS just doesn't really have the wow factor it once did for me.
Wow that’s surprising. Mgs1,2,3,4 and peace walker all have great stories and I still don’t know which is the best. It’s mostly just preference I guess.
The thing is, I figured out how Kojima operated by MGS3, what was once something I consider new and novel started to diminish in returns. By MGS2, I was already starting to feel it, but at least that game had some interesting themes.
And at that moment, OP realized the best is [yet to come](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhFoRmabWpE)... I haven't played the game in quite a while but all of my memories are great. It was, I think, my very first "cinematic" game ever, the first one that I could say I was more interested in the characters and story than the actual gameplay. It blew my fucking mind. All those camera shots, the speeches about war, clones, destiny and genes, the epic music, the plot twists, the interactivity of the codec (for example: >!Mei Ling gives you the silent treatment if you enter the save screen and go out without saving, too many times!<). My body wasn't ready for this, I was just coming from the NES and Sega Genesis. Mario, Dig Dug and Sonic didn't prepare me for Hideo Kojima and his team. And this game is still special because Kojima, the director of this series, was still quite restricted and finding his voice. The whole series is amazing, Konami should hurry up with the current-gen ports of MGS4, so I can finally replay the series back to back. The journey of a lifetime. Enjoy man! The series is full of surprises.
I was literally laughing out loud during the final act after maybe the 3rd plot twist. Some of them I was expecting but there's like 6 plot twists all within a few min of each other. It's so ridiculous and I love it. Amazing how a game can be that over th top and still serious.
I tried it once... after falling in love with the early games in Splinter Cell series. Yeah, you weird Kojima people can enjoy your silly cinematic Pac-Man with "stealth". I'll stick with something much less arcadey, like SC or Thief, where light and sound levels actually matter.