Gameplay MGS is a great mix of story-telling, puzzle-solving, and all-out combat. One outstanding aspect of the combat
that sets it aside from other "shooters" is that besides using weapons, Solid Snake can engage in hand-to-hand
combat. In fact, Snake must use hand-to-hand to defeat certain bosses.
The game really plays like an "interactive movie." There are lots of beautifully rendered cut-scenes
in between the action where you can kick back and relax to watch the story unfold after a raging battle
with one of the bad guy bosses. If you are playing the game for the second time (and believe, me you will),
you can skip the cut-scenes if you wish.
Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series, was truly innovative in mixing a movie-like feeling
with gripping video game action. Even with all this innovation, it's cool that Kojima has stayed true
to old fans of Metal Gear for the MSX/NES (a 13 year-old game) by keeping such things as the top-down
third-person view. Features like the cardboard box for Snake to hide under which has appeared in every game in
this series is one of the special touches that makes loyal fans smile.
Unlike in other shooters with non-stop action, you will notice that MGS has "briefings" liberally
interspersed with the action. Although these speaking parts of the game when Solid Snake is in
communication with his home base can get a little long-winded, they do serve as good hints for players
who are stuck. It's interesting too that Hideo Kojima takes the opportunity to use his game as a platform
to express his feelings on the dangers of rogue nuclear weapons. The story in MGS is fantasy, but it is also
based on current and future real-life technology. Even issues such as genetic manipulation and nanotechnology
are touched upon.
The controls are easy to use, and you get accustomed to them quite easily. Keyboard controls are customizable
in the options menu. You can also use a gamepad and play the game like you would with the PlayStation controller.
As this port was done by Microsoft, the game is optimized for Microsoft Sidewinder controllers.
My only gripe about the game is the save-game system. If you save the game in the middle of a battle
with a boss, and then Snake dies, you must start at the very beginning of the level, rather than at the
point you saved at. I was hopeful that the PC port would feature a "save anywhere" system rather than staying
with the PSX's original limited system, but no luck here.
VR Missions
With all the cool stuff in the game, I almost forgot about disc #2 which includes 300 VR missions.
Thus, there's no lack of gameplay in this product. To be honest, I was not as interested in the VR missions as
in the main game, but I found out they are quite a lot of fun. There are four modes: Sneaking Mode, Weapon Mode,
Advanced Mode, and Special Mode.
In the original PSX version, you begin with sneaking mode and work your way up to complete certain missions,
which opens up more secrets. It seems we PC gamers don't have to work so hard because options like playing
as the cyborg ninja are available right away. There's also the coveted photo session with Naomi and Mei Ling that you had to
achieve "Big Boss" status (i.e. be really good at all the missions) in the PSX version, but can be immediately accessed from the "Extra" section
on the main menu in this PC version.
Conclusion
Even if you have the PSX version of MGS, there are several advantages to playing it again on the PC.
Games will load faster than on the PSX's 2x CD drive, and saving will also be quicker than using the memory card.
If you have never played MGS before, MGS for the PC is definitely worth picking up as there's currently
nothing on the PC quite like it. However, if you are a first-person shooter fan expecting that MGS is like
Quake, Half-Life, or
even the Rainbow Six series, you may be disappointed. MGS was designed to be an immersive cinematic experience,
and if you look at the game this way, it totally succeeds on all fronts.
So was my two-year wait for the PC port of MGS worth it? Definitely. The only thing further I
can say is I hope the PC version of MGS2: Son's of Liberty, comes out a little quicker.
More Reference Links
If you still have any doubt about buying this game, then first try out the demo of the game at the official MGS PC website.
An excellent compendium of all the MGS characters can be found here.
More fantastic official MGS artwork can be found at MGS Database.
