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Metal Gear Solid
- November 24, 2000 14:47 PM PST
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Metal Gear Solid was a huge hit on the PlayStation when it stormed into stores back in 1998. Now, it has finally made its way to the PC with updated graphics, a few extras, and the same great Metal Gear action.
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With all the fabulous games available for the PC, it's not often that a console title makes PC gamers jealous. But every once in a while, a game like Metal Gear Solid comes along with a gripping story and intense gameplay that makes PC gamers turn a little green.
As the special government agent Solid Snake, your job in Metal Gear Solid is to infiltrate a nuclear weapons facility being held by terrorists, rescue hostages, and prevent a nuclear attack. Since you begin unarmed, and are massively outnumbered, you must rely on stealth to sneak past guards and surveillance cameras in order to carry out your mission.
Though the story tends to overwhelm the gameplay at times, there is also plenty of fighting to be done, and you'll eventually acquire an arsenal of weapons from grenades and plastic explosives to assault rifles and missile launchers.
The graphics have been significantly improved from the PlayStation version with accelerated graphics and increased resolution, but since the game was developed with the console in mind, the graphics are a letdown compared to recent PC titles. Character models tend to be blocky, and certain textures, particularly on faces, lack detail.
The sound, on the other hand, carries over to the PC version with no flaws. The music and sound effects create a feeling of tension that will keep you on the edge of your seat and when a guard spots you, the shrill alarm that sounds will make you jump.
Maneuvering Snake through his perilous adventures is easy, provided you have a gamepad, since the game was developed with the PlayStation's Dual Shock controller in mind. Once you get the hang of the various buttons, you'll be running, shooting, and switching weapons and inventory items on the fly with ease. A first person mode, which was included in the Japanese version, is included here as well, but in this mode the game becomes very difficult and not as fun to play.
As an added bonus, the PC version includes the VR Missions, a series of training missions that require you to use your various skills in stealth, speed, and weapon accuracy, which was released as a separate game for the PlayStation. Though this extra mode is merely a series of puzzles, as opposed to the cinematic story style of the original game, the arcade action adds significant replay value.
All in all, despite the less than stellar PC graphics, Metal Gear Solid remains an intense gaming experience with a gripping story and heart-stopping action. If you missed it the first time around, now's your chance to find out what all the fuss was about.
