Metal Gear Solid

Alongside Pokemon, I count Metal Gear Solid as the number one franchise that got me into video games. As much as Pikachu shocked me into awareness, Solid Snake called me out and helped me hide from the outside world.

Providing stories that spanned decades and wars, the franchise provided us with a far fetched narrative that was as convoluted as it was entertaining. Between the cardboard boxes, love and commentary on the futility of war, Metal Gear Solid, offered the audience a blend of Hollywood meets videogames.

Metal Gear Solid

The Shadow Moses incident. The catalyst for my love affair with Solid Snake and his adventures across the world. A man for whom cardboard boxes form a romantic attachment and stinger missiles can be steered at the turn of an analogue stick. The first game brought with it groundbreaking visuals and a story that slapped you to attention.

It is the perfect blend of film and game, one that pulls me back every few years, with the desire to play again. Only recently have I booted up the PlayStation Mini in order to appreciate Solid Snake once again in widescreen, as my other copy has been relegated to the past with the loss of my PlayStation Portable.

For its time it was a great leap forward with the story at the forefront, pulling you in and making you want to play on. The deception is conveyed through the codec moments, cut scenes and mortality lines of the soldiers you are facing.

Metal Gear Solid is my favourite game of all time for a reason. It delivered on every level possible, offering you a controllable stealth game that changed the challenge as you went on and offered memorable moments. The battle with the genome soldiers, as you are running as fast as possible, stopping every few moments to slow them down is one of the top parts. It is a game that will continue to deliver for years to come.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

The second game was released more than twenty years ago. It was a visual leap, from PlayStation to PlayStation 2, a tease for the ages as the demo and first part of the game featured our eponymous hero, only to 'kill him off', to be replaced by the much unloved Raiden. A move that brought with it descent amongst the ranks, alongside the extra-long cutscenes.

It is a sequel that is loved as it is discussed, for the overly long cut scenes, slipping on bird poo and effeminate hero. It is not that the game suffered due to the addition of Raiden, it was that it is a shock to the system. After listening to David Hayter's emotional and manly portrayal of Snake, the switch to the complete opposite was an adjustment more than anything.

Whilst I love it less than the first game, there is still love there. Not as emotional as the first game, yet it still tugs at the heartstrings and after the first hour and your encounter with Pliskin (Snake), you feel reassured that this is a game worth playing, every bit as much as the first.

You can also choose to play through this game without killing anyone. Something that I never chose to pursue as it seemed much more of a hassle, but the tranquillizer darts could be used to take down enemies and then hide them. It was an evolution and one in which many fans attempted, with videos today still showcasing this unique fact.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

After the progression of the story between the first and second games, we were all expecting a sequel with Snake and Raiden teaming up to take on the Patriots, yet what we were provided with was a prequel. Taking us back to the Cold War, I remembered looking at the dates and thinking, 'He looks like Snake, talks like Snake, yet cannot be Snake'.

It embodied that spirit of investigation that personified the first two games. Adding new challenges through a lack of soliton radar, relying instead on Sonar or Motion sensors that were battery operated. It was much more of a pure stealth game, with the first two focusing more on an arcade style. It provided us with as many weapons as the first two but added the extra stipulation that silencers could run out.

It was the tying of the threads together with the end of the game providing us with answers. This was Big Boss' storyline (Solid Snake's father), rather than the consideration that Snake is immortal. It was the story of how everything was set in motion, proving to be so popular that sequels to the game were released on the PlayStation Portable, as well as the Vita, even taking the focus of the fifth game, with the fourth being the current conclusion of Snake's story.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

The conclusion of Snake's story, which pulled in with it many of the faces from the first two games. Meryl, Naomi, the Colonel, faces that were missing from the second game returned here. Much like an overdue family reunion, Guns of the Patriots continued the trend of endless cutscenes, with the final lasting up to an hour in length, offering you a chance to save halfway through. Something that famously caused me to be late for work the next day, as I finished in the early hours.

Guns of the Patriots took us into a future of nanomachines and numerous variants of the deadly Metal Gear system. It pushed forward with Hideo Kojima's obsession with technology fusing with humanity and provided us with the next chapter of the never-ending war. Alongside this is a prematurely aged Snake that is tired, eager for one last battle with his old nemesis, Liquid Snake.

It was a great end and one in which I want to come back to one day, if only for the battles with the Beauty and the Beast unit. These tied into our memories of the first games, with a Mantis, Raven, Wolf and Snake. Nostalgia through and through, that pushed you to keep going, even if the cutscenes were a little overindulgent.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Big Boss' last outing and a game that was released more than six years ago. It is a game that was given a perfect ten by IGN and heralded as a must-play experience, yet I have never got around to playing it, despite the fact that Metal Gear Solid is one of my favourite videogame series of all time.

It is an experience that I need to tick off before my PlayStation 4 spins its final disk. It is something that this year I need to take to heart, as the reviews all showcase perfection and Metal Gear Solid always has and always will be the perfect videogame series.

A Final Thought

This November I am playing tribute to my favourite videogame series of all time, Metal Gear Solid. The story of Big Boss and his 'son', Solid Snake and how they keep fighting despite the betrayals all around them. How they know the truth that their leaders make deals behind the scenes whilst they are forced to inevitably kill their friends on the battlefield.

Metal Gear Solid offered me a powerful story that whilst being a little self-indulgent and keeping me away from work, provided something unique. It was the first of its kind (for me), to bridge the gap between film and game in order to create the perfect hybrid, a story that drew me and offered an addictive tale sandwiched together with action that blew you off the screen.

The unique humour that added additional flavour was the cherry on the cake. The Metal Gear Solid games are great and something that I never wish to lose from my memory banks. Films and games combined together into one essential experience that will never be forgotten and always heralded. They span decades and take us through the ages, providing an essential experience that will never be forgotten.