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GAME REVIEWED: Metal Gear Solid

RELEASED BY: Konami

PRICE: £44.99

REVIEWED BY: Kelly

REVIEW: -

One of the longest, most eagerly awaited games, but it was definitely worth the wait. If you've got forty quid (£) lying about and you're wondering what game to buy, without a doubt this should be the game that's at the top of your list. This game is so fulfilling and rewarding, you'll definitely feel it was worth the money and with four difficulty levels and fifty areas to explore within the game, it'll be hard to switch this game off.

If you plan on playing this game for months then don't play it for about ten hours straight after purchase, because if you do you'll end up completing it or near enough anyway. This is where you've got to use your willpower to put the control pad down and to switch your beloved Playstation off, or take advantage of the wonderful training facility which utilises all the moves you'll need to use at sometime in the game, which is a mini-game in itself because you have to progress from easier levels to unlock harder tasks. Superbly detailed in 3D, like the game itself.

For the duration of the game you are the 'legendary' Solid Snake. The story is that some terrorists are Snake's old employers, special forces unit, Foxhound, and they've taken over the old nuclear base in Alaska where Metal Gear is kept.

Your main objectives are to save a certain Darpa chief and to stop the terrorists making a nuclear strike with Metal Gear, all within twenty-four hours. More of the plot is revealed in the realistic movie-like FMAs which crop up every so often. In the introductory FMA, Snake is begged to come out of retirement to go on a one man lone-mission (meaning you on your lonesome) and after some pondering, Snake finally agrees to go on the mission but is not very hopeful that he'll be back alive, but to help you and Snake on the mission are some, very handily placed, weapons and other goodies.

When you find the Darpa chief, he gives you some very useful advice. The main part being that you need to find three keycards, with which you need to use to stop the nuclear strike. It may sound pretty easy but you have to wade yourself through this huge nuclear base avoiding the hundreds of guards that await around just about every corner. Also, every so often you have to take on a boss.

All around the base there are guards that you can either kill or sneak past, the choice is yours. Your Soliton radar, positioned in the top right-hand corner, shows you Snake's position and also the position of his enemies. It also enables you to see the guards line of sight and if they can actually see Snake or not. Guards will happily patrol until they hear a noise or until you foolishly cross their line of sight where upon they'll break off from their patrol and chase after you. You have two options: hand around and fight or take the sensible option and run. If you do end up scrapping with a guard, it's better not to use a weapon because this will alert even more guards. Sneak up behind them, and break their necks, that way they can't go down the pub after work and tell all their mates about your little run-in. Your fighting moves are limited to simple punching and kicking. Note that hitting your adversaries from behind can result in ammo or rations popping up for you to collect.

To defeat the Bosses you need to use one of your collection of weapons which you pick up whilst exploring one of the many rooms available to explore, more rooms become available to explore as the game goes on. The Socom, FA-MAS machine gun, Nikita missiles and the sniper rifle are the main and best weapons used throughout this game. My favourite is the sniper rifle because of the detail that you get by looking through the sniper scope and the thought of shooting someone from a great distance with such accuracy is tremendous. You may get a bit annoyed at the fact that once you've killed, or you think you've killed a boss, you have to take them on again later in the game.

The most amazing part of the game, apart from the incredible detail is the fact that there is the possibility of two endings to the game. To decide which ending you get there is an exquisite endurance test about half-way through the game. If you pass the endurance test, you get the better of the two endings, and if you submit then you get the not so good ending.

Throughout the mission you are contacted by your back-up team, and some other helpful people, via your Codec at the most awkward or inappropriate moments. Some of these conversations contain FMAs unravelling the plot right in front of your eyes. Some FMAs just happen when you least expect it, for example, you enter a room and there's someone sitting in the corner then the game is cut and enters another awesome FMA when Snake starts to converse with the other person in the room. Note that the conversations on your Codec and the FMAs can be quite lengthy and you may get bored with them, but don't just ignore them because they may contain useful information.

As it says on the box, this is a 'Tactical Espionage Action' game and it isn't just any old shoot-em-up because Snake is violently outnumbered and can't rely on his firearms all the time but instead he ahs to use his crawling, dodging and hiding skills in order to survive and complete his mission. This game is just like an action movie, but you the gameplayer control the hero and whatever happens in your next move.

The view is from above and behind a little but you can get a Snake's eye view at any moment that you want throughout the game. One of the neatest touches to the game is when Snake has his back against the wall or any other object and the camera pans down so you can see Snake in the foreground and whatever is happening behind him, for example, you get to see guards patrolling or the effect of a grenade you threw a few seconds earlier. Absolutely incredible! The controls will take a bit of getting used to because Snake runs in whatever direction you push the D-pad, relative to the camera viewpoint.

The game has huge areas which have to be explored, each area is an adventure in itself, for example the place may be swarming with guards or you may just have to dodge your way through a minefield, either way, Snake has to get by somehow and everytime he does another part of he magnificent plot is unveiled by someone on the Codec or through an FMA sequence.

Once you get used to the controls there isn't much wrong with the game, although a few of the dialogues and FMA sequences on your Codec do tend to take up a lot of time. The FMA sequences are absolutely outstanding and they make you feel as though you are controlling the hero in the latest action movie, definitely the best FMAs to be created for the Playstation, so far anyway.Tactical Espionage Action this game definitely is, you have to think or sneak your way past guards instead of just shooting them because their mates will probably turn up as well. The only thing I thought was wrong with the game was the fact that it's a bit too short. If you play for ten hours each day after purchase, the chances are you'll probably finish it on the second day. Apart from this very minor problem, Metal Gear Solid is one hell of a game, and every Playstation owner should also own a copy of this tremendous game. Superb effort from Konami as well, well done for producing such an excellent product. Absolutely outstanding!

 

 

SCORE:

98%

LINKS: www.konami.com


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Last updated: March 12, 1999.