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Metal Gear Solid

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Review by Underdogs:
Metal Gear Solid is a solid PC conversion of a hit Playstation game, in itself a hugely popular console series designed by Hideo Kojima. GameSpy's comprehensive review of this "definitive" version to own says it all about one of the best cross-genre thrillers on PC:

"A nuclear weapons disposal facility located in Alaska has been attacked and captured by ex-members of FOXHOUND, a Special Forces unit designed to deal with counter-terrorism. These former-allies turned terrorists are making outrageous demands to the governments of the world, and should these demands not be met in 24 hours, they will launch a nuke and begin to destroy the planet. Our hero and former member of FOXHOUND, Solid Snake, is wrangled back into action by the Roy Campbell--the retired FOXHOUND commander--and is sent to Alaska to infiltrate the base and stop the terrorists from launching the nuke. There are one or two tricky obstacles thrown into the mix, such as Meryl Silverburgh--the commander's niece, two other important government hostages, and the ominous Metal Gear Rex--a huge robot-style weapon with nuclear launching capabilities --for Snake to overcome. This only marks the beginning of the fun as a vast story of power, betrayal, and espionage unfold as you play.

Controlling Snake on his adventures is a very unique experience. He'll encounter many different characters, have access to insane hardware and equipment, and most importantly, he'll have to act like a spy--dodging guards, avoiding cameras, using stealth, and hiding in shadows. You can take a more direct approach to tackling the puzzles and battling the bosses and enemies if you like, but more often than not, you'll really need to plan out your strategies if you want to live more than 2 minutes.

Snake has a bunch of basic moves and attacks until he starts to progress and pick up weapons. He can crawl along the ground, hug walls, knock on solid surfaces causing aural distractions, and even grab and choke individuals then drag them around using them as human shields! Everything and more that you would expect from a decent, hardworking spy. Weaponry and equipment give Snake even more options of disposing of enemies, and with incredible attention to real life weapon models, physics, and functionality, Metal Gear Solid allows you to really submerge yourself into the character and storyline. Some of the equipment includes stuff like cigarettes. Snake's health even goes down when he uses them, but they allow him to detect infrared alarm beams etc. making them useful in certain circumstances. He'll find night vision goggles, cardboard boxes (which can be used a stationary cover to avoid detection by guards and cameras), security key cards, rations, and even a bottle of ketchup which will all aid him throughout the game.

The array of weaponry is pretty stunning and includes silenced pistols with laser sights, FAMAS assault rifles, sniper rifles, remote controlled missiles, and C4. It's even possible to sneak up behind someone and stick a lump of C4 on their back then back away and detonate it! Great stuff indeed.

One of coolest gameplay features is the radar located in the top right corner of the screen. It shows the visual fields of cameras, enemies, and Snake as well. By using this, you'll be able to sneak up behind people like a pro. Again, attention to detail means that if a lazy guard decides to yawn and stretch, his vision closes with his eyes for a short amount of time. Run on past, or watch him take a little nap on the job. Either way, you'll be able to get behind him and snap his neck like a twig! Overall, the gameplay remains identical to that found in the PlayStation version, and that's just the way it should be.

The PC version is actually based on the Japanese PlayStation re-release called Metal Gear Solid: Integral. The difference over the US PlayStation release includes over 300 brand new VR Training missions. Completing all of them is a massively enjoyable undertaking that will tax even the stealthiest of would-be Snakes. A first-person play mode, and many more little extras like the "Photo Shoot" mode allows you get up close and personal with some of the more sexy female members of the cast!

All in all, this is the definitive version of Metal Gear Solid and it's only available on the PC. Go tell your console owning buddies and watch 'em cringe. If you enjoy playing games and haven't already played it on the PlayStation, then Metal Gear Solid is a fantastic title to own. Even if you have played through it once, it looks so much better on the PC that it's certainly worth playing all over again. The extra VR missions will give you several added hours of enjoyment outta this one. The only downside to the proceedings is that some may feel it's a little bit on the late side. Go get 'em Snake!"

Average Rating:8.91 [576 votes]
Genre:Action
Designer:Hideo Kojima
Developer:Konami
Publisher:Konami
Year:2000
Software Copyright:Konami
Theme:Organized Forces
Multiplayer:
Related Links:
More Info:Mobygames | The Web
System Requirements:Windows 95/98
If you like this game, try:Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, No One Lives Forever, In Cold Blood
Thanks to...Oyn 
Technical Notes: