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One of the biggest epics for the PS-X and one of the best ever... Metal Gear Solid was the first game actually devoted to the series in eleven years, and there was some wonder as to how good this one could possibly be. Well, after over two years of development and a few near crashes in 1997, this game was ready for release, and the response, like the game, was truly epic and beyond proportions. Nobody had ever seen a game like this with so much dialogue (100,000) and a game that was designed to have more watching than playing, and throwing in an ingenious plot along with it. This game was one for the ages.
The story certainly doesn't have a lot of originality with a villain trying to destroy the world. The way Kojima tells it, however, makes it feel like you have never heard this plot variation before in your life, and this just proves that Mr. Kojima is the master of storytelling. The game has Snake, a former member of FOXHOUND, going up againse six madmen that were ex-FOXHOUND and next-generation special forces. Snake is sent to the freezing hells of Alaska to stop them and he soon learns that not all is what it seems. This is one of the three best stories ever told, ranking it with MGS2 and FFVII. This game has a masterful story that gets better and better as the game goes along.
The graphics are amazing, and the way they work with the sound and environment is truly great and wonderful. The controls are clunky, especially in the battle system, but it gets a little better since the last three bosses are fought with your fists or an FPS weapon. They should have had an FPS perspective with all weapons. It would have made things a lot easier. The voice-overs are nothing short of incredible and the codec scenes can be downright funny. Screenplay writer David Hayter is flawless as Solid Snake, and Randolph is just as good as Otacon, the geeky scientist and developer. The one who really steals the show is James Flinders as Liquid Snake, who has the right tone. Otacon's voice by Paul Eiding is also equally effective, but he doesn't get enough face time. The overall gameplay is smooth and beautiful but you do wish that the combat system were less clunky.
Mr. Kojima knew he had made a winner in spite of the fact that he was constantly under the gun with Konami due to major development troubles early on and it cost the company millions. Any doubts were quickly subdued when the game was a monster hit in the US and in Japan. This game went on to be nominated for 25 awards and it won four. It should have won Best Story, but OoT's story was also outstanding, so it was kind of tough. This is the true meaning of an epic. -- Chris Vavra, PGNx Media
---- Aug 26, 2002
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