Metal Gear Solid
Developer - Konami
Publisher - Konami
Players - 1
Extras - Memory card, Dual Shock Analog
The bit on the box
"Infiltrate a terrorist stronghold
to crack a nuclear conspiracy. Focus your mind. Sharpen your senses. Stay
alive...Metalgear Solid: Tactical Espionage Action."
Graphics
The first noticeable thing about the graphics in Metal
Gear Solid is that all the cut-scenes in the game (including the intro)
are portrayed using the in-game 3D engine, rather than CG animation. Thankfully
however the game engine is so good that this doesn't hinder the enjoyment
and detail of the visuals, and of course allows more (and longer) cut-scenes
to be added which go a long way to developing the excellent plot. The actual
game is viewed mostly from a pseudo third person perspective, although
many other camera angles are also used to generally give the best viewpoint
of coming enemies and security systems. At first the game lacks colour
(using mostly blue, grey and black mixtures) but this actually enhances
the feeling of being inside a remote complex in Alaska in the middle of
dark damp snowfields. Konami have really gone for atmosphere in this title
and have succeeded in bucketloads.
Sounds
The biggest pity about Metal Gear Solid is that
while playing the game you will often be so absorbed with staying alive
that you may not appreciate just how well sound has been used as an atmospheric
device. Music changes from a slow, prowling tune to a faster action-oriented
score when you are spotted by enemy troops or surveillance cameras, and
then changes to a quiet, sad tune when someone is saying their final dying
words. It is all done very professionally and creates a movie-like feel
to the overall score. Sound effects are equally as professional, with guns
and explosions sounding very realistic, and footsteps that change with
every single surface you run around on. Add to this some of the best voice
acting in a game in years and Konami really have struck gold in the asthetics
department.
Gameplay
The controls can take a little bit of getting used to,
but Konami have also thought of this by providing a handy VR training mode
that takes you through ten miniature stages that allow the player to familiarize
themselves with all the moves they will need in order to stay alive. Completing
the training stages unlock other modes such as Time Attack and Gun Shooting,
so if you complete all of them you really have no excuse not to have the
skills of a trained killer by the time you play the actual game (very much
like how Gran Turismo's license tests taught you how to use racing
lines to the fullest). Another thing Konami have used to perfection is
Dual Shock vibration, which you have to feel to believe, and they even
make clever use of it to emulate Snake's heartbeat at times during the
storyline. If I was to really voice a flaw in the gameplay it would be
that sometimes shimmying against walls can get confusing because the controls
are different for each angle, but it's only a minor gripe.
I feel a verdict coming on
Well what can I say? Buy it! One of the best games on
the PlayStation, if not the best of all time, Metal Gear Solid should
have a spot all it's own in the collection of anyone who likes both videogames
and movies. Although the game's longevity has been questioned the first
time you play the game you will definitely spend quite a few hours making
your way through. The difficulty levels feel just right and provide an
enjoyable experience rather than a frustrating one (the final battle can
be annoying but once a strategy has been worked out it's a cinch). The
game is also one of those that you will probably go back and play again
just to see if you can improve your score or do the mission in slightly
different ways. A commendable job by Konami, and a fine title that's far
more than solid as an enjoyable experience.
Review by D.R.T.Barrett
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