Customer Reviews

Metal Gear Solid

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This game is one of them. Revolutionary gameplay/interface never seen before, excellent voice acting, fabulous music/effects, and most of all, a gripping story that immediately hooks you in, and develops more and more as you play. Many purchased a PSX just for this game, and many will surely buy a PS2 just for MGS2.

** To all gamers - if you've never played MGS before, you REALLY should. Unlike most other brainless killing games, this game teaches you that avoiding battles through clever tactical choices is wise -- and that death is scary, painful, horrible, and sad.

** To all parents - like I stated above, the game has a pretty vocal message about death. I would rate it M for Mature, but if your child is already blowing out enemy brains in Quake-type games, this game may end up teaching more of a lesson than anything.

** To PSX owners - it's a near-perfect port, so you won't find too many things that are new. Storyline, gameplay, and all secrets (bandana, stealth suit, etc) are preserved. Still, being able to play this game in stunningly clear 1024x768 resolution graphics without the tedious CD read/load time made this worth my($). (not to mention the included VR pack)

Longevity: Replay value is not *that* high, since it is a "beatable" game. Still, most people will find themselves going through MGS another round and trying new things. Also, the VR pack helps you satisfy those times when you just want some action, but don't have hours to spend on the mission, so in that sense, it's value-packed for ($).

Advice#1: A 10-button PSX-style gamepad is STRONGLY recommended, unless you are comfortable with the keyboard. My Gravis Gamepad Pro (($)) works perfectly - and really, you need all 10 buttons.

Advice#2: If you have two CD-ROM drives like I do, leave both CD's in there. That way, you won't have to swap CD's at all. Of course, doing this may be bad for your health, as you may "forget" to take a break. =)

Advice#3: Savor it. Enjoy it. Don't rush through the game, but instead, explore, talk to everyone -- enjoy the game..

Snaaaaaake!

Go buy Metal Gear Solid. That's really all I have to say. Go buy it.

Although the game looks a bit dull from the cover of the box, it is most certanily NOT. Metal Gear Solid combines an action-packed detailed story with with stunning visuals, great characters, and a bit of human drama. Also, the game is almost like a movie. The plot unfoldes into a heart throbbing suspensful plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. From a daring jail brake to a breathtaking battle with Metal Gear itslef, Metal Gear Solid is a totally emersive experiance.

And it'n not just a shooting game. In fact, 20% of the entire game is shooting. The other 80% includes stealth, strategies, puzzle-solving, and more. Whether you liie shooting games or stealth games or strtegy games, Metal Gear Solid is guranteed to please just about everybody.

PROS: Great gameplay; Enemies are very smart; Breathtaking action sequences; Great character development; A touch of drama makes it a sometimes depressing game; Good script; Nice graphics.

CONS: THERE ARE NO BAD THINGS ABOUT THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!

BOTTOM LINE: No matter what genre is your speciality, Metal Gear Solid is guranteed to please just about everybody.

I have had metal gear solid for my playstation game console for quite a while. It had always been my favorite game because of its stealth/action/adventure/shooter/puzzle theme to it. Yesterday I saw a demo for the PC version which I downloaded to see how pitiful it was compared to the PS version. To my suprise the game was stunning. Delivering more polygons and better rendered backgrounds delivering a sharp and crisp lookto a game that was choppy and not as smooth on the PS. I am going to buy this because you can relive the game that started all in a new format in a prettier world.

There are virtually no flaws except that pesky walking in walls thing that cant seem to be avoided. Other than that get ready to take a wild ride through the most promising game of all METAL GEAR SOLID.

HAIL, SOLID SNAKE!

I loved this game. I have never played a third-person shooter before and I was extremely impressed with the games graphics, storyline, and gameplay. I am no newbie that gives games 5 stars just because of its graphics. This game truly deserves the 5 stars. The storyline is excellent and the gameplay is addictive. The pixelated graphics was also a nice touch. This was my first third person game, and the only other games that I would ever give a perfect rating to would be any one of the Final Fantasy games. Metal Gear Solid was an awesome and kep[t me playing for hours and hours. This is one game that I will never forget.

I have always loved Metal Gear games. Having followed the franchise from it's humble beginnings on the MSX in 1987 (and later on the NES where it was also highly innovative, and groundbreaking for it's time), this installment became my favorite game for the PSX back when it first came out in 1998. Because of it's numerous innovations, groundbreaking gameplay, gripping story, and cinematic presentation, Metal Gear Solid was widely hailed as a visionary masterpiece, and quickly cemented a place in videogame history as a milestone in gaming, one of the PSX's top-selling titles, and one of the best games of it's time. So despite Konami having a dubious track record when it comes to the quality of their console ports, I was pleased to see them bring it to the PC where fans could enjoy an upgraded experience courtesy of the PC's higher resolutions, and superior gaming hardware. Also pleasantly surprising was that Konami included some bonus content (the VR Missions game on the second disk), and touched up the graphics a bit. Nonetheless, the key question for many fans and potential buyers will undoubtedly be: "how well does it stack up against the PSX original?" My answer is that while I believe this PC version could have been improved in some ways, it is completely authentic, and does still contain key improvements, and enhancements over the PSX edition. This review is fairly lengthy, so if you're looking for a quick overview of what this game has to offer, you're in the wrong place. Also, FPS fans should think carefully about whether or not this game is really for you. There is a first person mode, and it is technically possible to play the game using it, but (to me) it feels (perhaps intentionally) very clunky and unrefined. This is first and foremost a thinking man's stealth game, and as such, it does not reward typical "run and gun" FPS tactics, or playstyles.

Though unspectacular by modern standards, there is an immediately noticable graphics upgrade. There's still quite a bit of clipping just like the PSX version but it's only reeeeeeeally noticable in certain areas, and it even runs smoother than the original. You might be tempted to think Konami might have done some touch-up work here to eliminate some of the clipping, and make Snake's facial features a bit sharper as MGS's character models are quite primitive. In some games, clipping can be reduced, or toggled on and off (sometimes via a cheat), but there's nothing like that here. It also would have been nice if Konami had added some high resolution textures, but no; you're getting a basic port of the original game with few technical enchancements of this nature. To be fair, they did bump the pixel count a bit, but not as much as one would expect or hope for in a PC conversion. Nonetheless, the graphics are still vastly sharper, and less muddy, and pixelly looking than the PSX's paltry 320x200 graphics with support for resolutions right on up to 1024x768; and that alone almost single handedly makes it worth the cost of admission. While somewhat below what you expect from a PC port, when compared to the PSX version, the difference is simply astounding; looking much more smooth, and crisp than anything the PSX could have delivered. Bonus content comes in the form of 'VR Missions' being included on an extra disk just like as it was with Japanese versions, but this is as far as 'bonus content' goes (more on that later). This fun little game is an expansion of the virtual reality missions included in the training segment of the game, and originally launched seperately for the PSX, enjoying mild success for a few months after launch. While it's inclusion in this package is a welcome, and appreciated bonus (think of it as getting a free game), it's somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that even though Konami did include native gamepad support, they left out rumblepad support which seems more than a little conspicuous (to say nothing of disappointing; even PC Gamer mentioned this when they reviewed it), as it was such a such a heavily lauded (and applauded) feature of the original, but what can you do?--at least you're getting a gamepad compatible front-end menu, and in-game interface; features you come to appreciate when playing the game on a TV using a gamepad. That said, keyboard/mouse controls feel pretty clunky to me; the game seems to clearly prefer a dual analog gamepad, and I strongly recommend using one given that it will feel much more natural.

Metal Gear Solid's story is a gripping cold war-era espionage epic about an isolated nuclear weapons disposal facility in Alaska's Fox archipelago being attacked and captured by next generation Special Forces, being led by rogue members of an elite Special Forces black-ops unit called FoxHound, and threatening to start a nuclear war by seizing control of a prototype nuclear-equipped walking battle tank called Metal Gear REX and using it to launch a nuclear weapon. They're demanding that the government turn over the remains of former FoxHound Squad Leader Big Boss (final boss of the first two games, and generally regarded as the ultimate super soldier) within 24 hours. This already tense situation goes from bad to worse when the military is informed that two high ranking military officials (DARPA Chief [Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency] Donald Anderson, and President of ArmsTech [the military sub-contractor who designed and built Metal Gear REX], Kenneth Baker) who were present for a demonstration excercise of Metal Gear REX have been captured, and are now being held hostage. Since these men had the PAL cards for overriding the safety systems, knew the detonation codes for arming the nukes, and were not trained to resist torture, and coerced interrogation, the possibility of the terrorists being able to launch a nuclear strike is very real. Frantic and desperate for a solution to the situation, Solid Snake is the military's best hope of stopping the terrorists, rescuing the hostages, and averting an incident which could spark an all out nuclear war. Snake is a highly trained, and experienced Special Forces soldier, retired FoxHound member, and unsung hero of two previous covert FoxHound operations (Metal Gear 1 and 2 for MSX, and NES) which makes him the only remaining Foxhound member (aside from his retired mentor, "Master" Donnel Miller) who hasn't gone rogue, and the only one with the experience and expertise for such a mission. Recuperating from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) in the deep seclusion of the Alaskan wilderness, Snake is recruited out of retirement by longstanding friend and mentor Col. Roy Campbell to go on a one man infiltration mission into the facility, rescue the hostages, investigate whether or not the terrorists have the ability to launch a nuclear strike, and stop them if they do.

Throughout the convoluted story (which is full of plot twists and surprises), Snake will confront startling revelations about his origins, battle FoxHound's rogue hierarchy, unravel some dark, and closely guarded FoxHound secrets, find romance, and ultimately, as in all Metal Gear games, battle this newest Metal Gear incarnation it's self. The story also contains a good dose of human drama, and political intrigue which (to me) helps flesh out the characters, and keep the story interesting. The codec dialogue with your support crew is where a good portion of the games' backstory unfolds, and can get a bit lengthy at times, but overall, most of the dialogue is reasonably well written, and acted except for just a few parts where some lines come off awkward. Many have complained that the human drama, codec conversations, and character back stories can get a bit overblown, and while I don't personally agree with that complaint, I can respect it. In addition to being a fan of the franchise, I'm a fairly patient gamer, and I readily admit to having a mild interest in psychology, so to me, the back stories, and human drama made the characters interesting, and relatable, in addition to seperating MGS from other stealth, and action games alike with it's own unique style, and presentation. Many games that strive for cinematic presentation usually feature a flimsy framework of a story which is quickly discarded after the action starts, and the ones that don't typically devolve into a melodramatic, poorly plotted mess. While MGS doesn't completely succeed in avoiding that problem, it doesn't fail by any stretch either. The only part I thought got a bit juvenile, and melodramatic was Snake and Meryl's budding romance. I must not be the only one who felt this way, as Meryl never reappears in any subsequent MGS installment that I know of. Otacon also grated on my nerves a bit; his idealism was overplayed, and I thought he was portrayed as being a bit too sappy and naive. I found the notion that he didn't know Metal Gear Rex would be nuclear equipped highly far fetched mostly because of the railgun incorporated into Rex's design. Railgun technology is being dabbled in today (the Navy test fired one in 2008), but in the mid to late 90's, it was conceptual (if not theoretical), so it's incorporation into Rex's design should have been a dead giveaway. Why? The reason is revealed in-game (and going into it here would force me to hand out a major plot spoiler), but we will suffice to say that it makes Otacon's assertion he didn't know extremely hard to swallow. You can only ask the audience to forgive such obvious plot holes, and suspend the element of disbelief for so long. So as with any movie or videogame, there are some obvious plot holes. That said, it's still worth your time to watch the cutscenes as they often advance the plot with crucial tidbits of information about the story, and MGS has a better than average story.

Gameplay is just like the original, complete with all the secrets from the PSX original. Throughout, there is a big focus on stealth tactics; you'll spend the majority of the game in stealth mode; avoiding guards, and sneaking past security systems. You will also have access to a good assortment of both real world, and fictional weapons, and high-tech gadgets. The levels are large, and cleverly designed which really brings the stealth aspect out with white knuckle moments when a guard may patrol right up to your position only to walk away without seeing you; or when you need to grab/strangle a guard without setting off an alert. This keeps you alert, and thinking carefully about how to work your way through each area. When you do set off alerts, you have the option of retreating from engagements, and trying to hide until the alert expires, but this isn't always easy. In some segments, and particularly on higher difficulty settings where the enemy AI is better, the guards search more thoroughly, and may find you or try to flush you out with grenades if they see you try to hide in a duct, or under a vehicle. As mentioned, the guards and genome soldiers become more intelligent on the higher difficulty settings; they are more alert, their patrol routes more varied, they have a larger cone of vision, hear better, and in the outdoor levels, notice your footprints in the snow, and can even notice your breath pluming in the cold if you're hiding too close to a corner. So the improved enemy AI combined with fewer item pick-ups, and not having any radar makes the higher difficulty settings much more challenging when you're re-playing to improve your rank; thus extending the game's replay value. Though it's not the preferred method, you CAN fight your way through some engagements, and it simply won't be avoidable in others, but in almost all cases except boss fights, you're going to be relying on stealth tactics, and your wits to pull you through. The combat system could have used some polish (this was addressed in MGS sequels), but I can appreciate that combat isn't what the game is really about, so it isn't surprising that Konami has done everything possible to discourage the use of typical "run and gun" shooter tactics, right down to retaining the isometric third person view used in the originals. It's my personal theory that this is why trying to play the game in first person view feels so clunky. I can easily imagine Hideo Kojima thinking people would be too tempted to play it using FPS tactics if FPS conventions were introduced. This is also the most likely reason for the game not having mouse support which FPS fans always criticize it for. The game is also well paced, has a reasonable learning curve, and the action is interspersed with very challenging boss fights. There are also developer's cheats available to get you past the toughest parts if need be. For fans really into niche peripherals, the game is even supported by PC Gameshark 3.0 (still readily available, and cheap here on amazon) with infinite ammo cheats (though there's a trick involved with getting them to work in conjunction with developer's cheats--see comment). The save system is one of the game's few weaknesses as it has a very 'tacked on as an afterthought' feel to it in that it's not a true 'save anywhere' system. While you can save anywhere, anytime, you re-start at the beginning of an area (minus any items collected before your demise) regardless of where you save.

Speaking in terms of production values, they are decidedly middle of the road as well, and sadly lacks the excellent presentation quality of PSX Metal Gear Solid. PC Metal Gear Solid was developed and launched as a low budget value title, and it's in this area, that this is most obvious. The jewel case has the same screen shots etc on the back as the PSX jewel case, but they're very dark, and the jewel case it's self is quite plain and generic looking (due to it being a slim type, and lacking double sided inserts). Even the discs are plain silver discs with the Metal Gear Solid logo screen printed on. You get a manual (console style, but does not fit in the jewel case as it should), 2 disc jewel case (PC style, not Playstation style)--so the overall outward presentation isn't quite as good as the PSX's. To me, these minor complaints are forgivable as they aren't the meat and potatoes of the game, but still, a game as successful and influential as Metal Gear Solid deserved better treatment. Die hard fans (of which I consider myself one) I'm sure will quibble over things like this all day, arguing that PC fans should be happy we got a PC port of the game at all, and were foolish to hope it might get the full blown, A-list treatment. Which may be true to a point, but the game still could have been much nicer, and (probably) more successful with higher production values, and a better advertising campaign.

In what seems is a time long past, it was pretty common for console ports to sport additional or expanded chapters, or some sort of 'director's cut' content. Unfortunately, short of the 'VR Missions' game on the second disk, there's nothing of the sort here-- what's being offered here is a basic port of the original game; which is midly disappointing, but it's more than made up for by the fact that even without any, or the VR Missions, if you're playing on a high difficulty setting, or replaying in persuit of a high rank, the criteria for completing the game with a high rank adds a whole new dimension of challenge to the game, so you're still getting allot. Ultimately, the 'no bonus or expanded content' complaint ends up being more of a caveat than a criticism; such content would have been welcome and appreciated, but I've yet to see a console port that gets everything right. It's also noteworthy that there is no reward aside from bragging rights, and a warrior's pride for completing the game with a high rank, but for those who fancy themselves 'the elite of the elite', it's a high bar goal to strive for which lends the game replayability (reference the strategy guide [which I would assume avid fans like myself will have anyway] for ranks, and the criteria for acquiring them).

All in all, though visibly dated to the modern eye, Metal Gear Solid stands as a brilliantly innovative title, and a stunning achievement considering the ambitiousness of the game, and the limitations of the platform it was designed for. It's fun, and addictive gameplay went on to set a precedent that all stealth action games since then are measured by, and offers a cinematic experience that remains compelling even by modern standards. Sadly, there are some issues which prevent PC Metal Gear Solid from earning a five star rating. While the original was groundbreaking for it's time, and marked a milestone in gaming, Metal Gear Solid hasn't aged as gracefully as other games of it's era, and primarily because of it's lack of technical enhancements, and support for high resolutions, it only looks good by console standards--not PC standards. This is where it's lack of unlockables, or any sort of director's cut content hurts it the most. On a widescreen monitor or television, 1024x768 resolution will result in a "pillar boxed" picture with black bars on the sides without some sort of stretching, or overscanning. I've seen other console ports released around the same time offer higher resolutions, and in some cases, even native support for HD resolutions, which makes their absence here conspicuous, and highly disappointing. Without these elements, there is little incentive for fans who have already completed the original to buy this aside from being offered a graphically enhanced version of the game--and for fans, that may be more than enough, but most folks expect more bang for their buck. Another drawback is that Metal Gear Solid does have some issues with newer operating systems, but they're pretty easy to work around with only mild tweaking. Vista and Win 7 players will likely need a user-created fixed executable (which also works as a no CD patch) available on the Metal Gear Solid internet forums, and Sound Blaster owners (or users with onboard Sound Blaster chipsets) will likely need to use a utility called "Creative Alchemy" (or the universal version of it for non Sound Blaster owners) to restore hardware accelerated sound, and EAX (environmental audio extensions) when running the game on Vista, or Win 7. Nonetheless, the game is a bonafide classic, it sports a very nice graphical facelift, is usually offered as a value title, and in my experience, is typically stable, and well behaved. Also, it's specs are so laughably low by modern standards it's hard to imagine anyone with even an entry level gaming computer having trouble running it. This classic is definetely worth picking up, and will easily re-pay it's self many times over; especially if you never played the original. All said and done, I'm happy with my purchase, and don't see myself selling, or trading this game. I'll have to ding it a little for sparse technical enhancements, AWOL rumblepad support, lack of unlockables, and bonus content, but it offers a tremendously enhanced experience over the PSX original. So overall, it's a decent (if basic) port, and a good buy if you can find it cheap.

UPDATED EDIT: Metal Gear Solid is Win Vista/Win 7 compatible with mild tweaking.

Absolutely. This is a high-powered, high budget technical thriller, with amazing visual and great acting. Oh, and the thing plays like a dream, too.

MGS starts as you swim into an terrorist base in Alaska via submarine insertion. The music and Hollywood-quality cutscenes will draw you in immediately. You must use stealth and your intelligence to sneak your way into the heart of the base and prevent a nuclear war. And the deeper you go, the stranger everything becomes...

The game plays beautifully. You are usually in stealth mode, trying to figure a route past the guards and security systems. If you are spotted, you don't die, but rather must fight your way to a safe, hidden spot, and after 30 seconds, the guards relax and you go back to stealth mode. This dual-nature is the perfect compromise, punishing you just enough to push you in the right direction, but never at the expense of fun. This also adds a puzzle-aspect to the game. You must use your head, and thankfully, the plot always keeps you in that state of mind by never insulting your intelligence. The encounters with the more powerful terrorists will change the game completely, and I certainly won't ruin the surprises, except one. At one point, your partner is shot down in the open, and you must engage in a sniper duel to save her. The screen shakes with the beat of your heart!

Overall, the story is exciting and very mature. This is a big-budget action movie along the theme of Tom Clancy tech thrillers like "Clear and Present Danger". Older adults will easily be interested. The only (minor) complaint I have is that some of the dialog get long-winded. You character will have a 10-minute conversation on his radio, flirting with some lab-technician, while the enemy is patroling only 10 feet away.

This PC version is a basic port of the playstation game - you don't get anything extra over the most recent (japanese)version. That is still alot, though - the complete game, plus hundreds of VR stealth missions (which are a blast) and first-person mode available only in Japan. The graphics are good, even for being a straight rehash of the 2-year-old playstation graphics. This is the only true improvement provided with the PC version - you can increase the resolution from the terrible 320x200 Playstation resolution. With FSAA on, the game looks great. However, you will definitely notice the low-resolution textures, and the rather primative models. The developers should have taken the time to at least deepen the major character models, and make Solid Snake's face not look so blurry. An improvement over the PS version, but beneath what you expect from a PC game these days.

If you still haven't played this game, do. The PC version is now definitely the way to go.

The PlayStation classic that reinvented video game cinematics, storytelling, and gaming as we know was faithfully ported over for PC gaming in 2001. This PC version even adds a nice bonus by having the "VR Missions" disc added; "VR Missions" was originally a seperate game that featured an expanded version of the "Metal Gear Solid" training levels. But just how good is this version compared to the PlayStation edition released in 1999?

STORY
---FOXHOUND agent Solid Snake is brought out of Alaskan retirement to take down terrorists who have taken over a Nuclear Weapons Facility at the nearby islands. Six renegade soldiers --- one of them Liquid Snake, who has an uncanny resemblance to Solid Snake --- are leading the takeover. Along the way, Snake communicates through satellite radio with mission-leader Col. Campbell, and other specialists who assist him through the arduous operation. Betrayal, love, philosophy, and political intrigue all strike a powerful chord throughout the story. It might feel imbalanced once in a while when bosses like Psycho Mantis reveal a troubled childhood, or when the gatling-gun toting Vulcan Raven begins to delve into Sioux heritage. Also, some of the cutscenes run a little too long. Minor complaints aside, the story & characters are top-notch.

GRAPHICS / ANIMATION
---The PC improves the jagged-polygons from the console version, and it even runs smoother. But this game didn't look great as far as PC games go; instead, it was good by console standards. However, the cutscenes are real-time, and are actually very nicely animated. There aren't any sudden glitches when Solid Snake, or any other AI enemy, change movements. Instead, they move naturally and fluidly. "Metal Gear Solid" was a great-looking PS-one title, and its look is mostly unchanged on a computer.

SOUND
---This is a split-decision. The voice-acting is excellent, but the dialogue isn't always very natural. It's a little too philosophical and...beautiful. The dialogue-writers couldn't find the right balance between reality and poetry --- one glaring example is when our gruff hero starts to reflect on friendship & the future while gazing at a sunrise. The actors are actually better than the Nintendo GameCube's new voice actors for "The Twin Snakes," but the written words in that version come off more naturally. The music is also hit-and-miss. The music is excellent, but when you're hearing the same track OVER & OVER again during a 15-minute CODEC conversation between characters, it becomes annoying. Just listen to the conversation when Snake is locked in his prison cell, and try to block out the musical score.

GAMEPLAY
---First off, for those who've played or seen this game already...the Psycho Mantis battle is sadly downgraded because the mind-reading segment is completely removed. Now, for the uninitiated, this game relies on stealth. Hiding from the enemy is much wiser, but not simply because alerting the terrorist soldiers will call in infinite reinforcements...but also because the combat is not that great. I can respect that negative, because combat is not the key strategy to success. However, there are scenarios when combat is unavoidable, and most gamers will have trouble battling the bosses and enemies properly because of odd controls. Also, there's a backtracking section at the end that would rival "Metroid". The stealth portions of the game are still amazing after all these years, but the combat always needed work. But the level design is genius, and also some suspensful moments --- such as when a guard patrols so close to your position...only to turn and guard opposite direction.

EXTRAS
---The VR Missions, which are on a 2nd Disc and help you improve your tactics and maneuvers, are all here, and wonderfully ported. Even the crazy MYSTERY and VARIETY levels are here, and are also excellent. There are a couple of training missions that will drive you bonkers with their puzzles.

IS THIS WORTH THE MONEY?
---Although "Metal Gear Solid" is a classic milestone in all of gaming, it hasn't aged as well as others have. The graphics don't look great, the gameplay has vastly improved in later iterations of this series, and replay value is lacking because there's little to unlock. Because the Nintendo GameCube now has the revamped version of this game ("The Twin Snakes"), plus since this game hasn't improved much over the PlayStation version, I can;t give this 5 stars. For those who have never experienced this game and don't own a GameCube, pick this up right now. I'm lowering the grade as a "Metal Gear Solid" fan. As far as gaming goes, this one is a classic.

I'm a big fan of the series, and this game is no exception. MGS is beautifully ported from the playstation game system to PC. A combination of one of the most incredible stories in video games out there, and fantastic gameplay makes this game one of the greatest classics of all time. The resolution is so much higher on the PC version and the added bonus of all the VR missions is the icing on the cake. Even if you own the original playstation version, this is a great buy for all the extras.

...it's technically not a tactical shooter as much as a straight-up shooter. I like R6, but the whole "mission planning" thing is boring and tedious. (but the gear selection is cool, though) MGS cuts the sissy [stuff] and gets down and dirty. You play as Soild Snake, the government's "secret weapon" against terrorists. The fairly deep plot unfolds slowly, with some text involved, but it's very easy to follow. I'm pretty sure every MG game has a continuing plot about Metal Gear, the Army's nuke-armed mobile battle tank thingy. (think bad ass Battle Mech) The best part of the game is the tense gameplay, deciding on the fly how to run for cover to hide from enemies, as the game relies on stealth (you don't even have to fire a gun until third "area"; there aren't really "missions" or "levels", per say) for your survival. The game is loads of fun and the demo left me wanting more, which is a good thing.

Now, the bad stuff. This game has some very minor details that annoy me.

1. The character's mouths don't move when they talk; their heads skip around to identify who's talking.
2. The graphics, especially character faces, show their age.
3. AI is decent, but not superb. They can look right at you and not see you if you aren't in their "cone of sight"--a cone of light on the radar to show where they see. The "cone of sight" system makes the game much eaiser and makes you snicker more when you evade a guy that's trying really hard to be professional.

Other than those few gripes,the game is definitely worth checking out.

Metal Gear Solid was the best RPG I have ever played! It was very realistic in such way the the gards go on alert when the see you or here you splashing in the pudles. They can even track your footsteps in the snow! To any of you who have played the PSX version of it you are probably fimilare with the cool secrets, like the bandana or the stealth suit, wich you can not get in this game. It is a different verion called Metal Gear Solid Integral. It has the same story plot but with a couple new features. If you start the game on Very Easy you automaticly get a Silenced MP5 with unlimited ammo, and if you press X twice quikly you can move and shoot in 1st person veiw mode. I honestly don't think it should of been rated Muture. It is violent but not much blood at all. Sort of like Golden Eye for 64. There is a little swering but it is not very bad (words like hell or damn but no worse). I don't know what the cridics consider sexual content. There is just a little bit of flirting witch you can skip right through by pressing shift. If you like this game and you want more Fox Hound action, get Metal Gear Solid for game boy Color or if you have PS2 get Mtal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.