Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS (PS4)

Right after I took a dive into the world of Zone of the Enders, I thought it natural to immediately play the sequel, The 2nd Runner, to wrap up the remaining story threads. For the best possible experience, I played The 2nd Runner M∀RS, a 2018 updated release for PS4 with enhanced graphics, VR support and surround sound. This version not only felt great to play on modern hardware, it felt like a vast improvement over the original Zone of the Enders as well.

Zone of the Enders (PS2)

As a fan of the Metal Gear series, I inevitably came across the title Zone of the Enders. While this 2001 mecha game did sell well enough to warrant a sequel, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, it’s best known for coming bundled with the demo for the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty in its initial release. As such, it developed a reputation as “the free game” that came with a full-priced demo, but still attracted a cult following of its own. I’ll admit that part of my attraction to this game was the fact that Hideo Kojima produced it, but a good amount of it was just to see what Zone of the Enders actually was. When I finally got my copy of the game, which, of course, came without the famous MGS2 demo disc, I played it at the first opportunity. I could definitely see the potential in the series, but this first game is definitely rough around the edges.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - It's Not Over Yet!

If the Metal Gear series proves anything, it's that success will generate a new installment with near certainty. Such is the case with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004, three years after the previous installment, Sons of Liberty. While Metal Gear Solid 2 moved the story further into a rather unexpected territory, to say nothing of its infamous ending, the idea behind Metal Gear Solid 3, if my research is correct, was to respond to criticism of the previous game and bring the series into a more comfortable state. To accomplish this, it takes the rather bold move of being a prequel to the entire Metal Gear franchise, utilizing a new protagonist and setting while exploring a new core theme and setting. The idea is certainly intriguing and one in which the end result displays a wonderfully brilliant execution.

In 1964, during the Cold War, a FOX agent with the code name Naked Snake is sent on a mission, dubbed the Virtuous Mission, to the Soviet Union to rescue a Soviet scientist named Sokolov who had been working on a nuclear-equipped tank known as the Shagohod, which would have enough power to turn the tide of the Cold War. With assistance from other FOX members, Snake manages to get Sokolov out of a secret base without incident, until he hits a serious snag. Just as he and Sokolov are about to make their escape, The Boss, Snake's lifelong mentor and mother figure, takes Sokolov and defects to the Soviet Union along with the fellow members of her Cobra Unit. The Boss then beats the snot out of Snake and has him plunge to his supposed death off a rope bridge. As if that wasn't enough, she had also given two Davy Crockett nuclear missile shells to Colonel Volgin, who then uses one to blow the base they were stolen from as a cover up. Two years later, Snake is sent back to the Soviet Union by the FOX unit to clear its name and prevent World War III. This new mission, dubbed Operation Snake Eater, is to take out Volgin, the Shagohod, all of Cobra Unit and The Boss. Left with little choice, as well as an opportunity to redeem himself from his previous failure, Snake sets out to complete his mission.

The Shagohod

The plot this time around is much less convoluted than Sons of Liberty, which takes an incredible burden off the player's shoulders. Placing the time frame in the final years of the Cold War provides an interesting perspective on the franchise as the player witnesses how Naked Snake eventually becomes the ever important Big Boss that influences the events of the series. Although the string of events hits familiar territory, it's in this simplicity that I found it easy to take in what was going on, which thankfully didn't sacrifice any depth or storytelling capability. The main theme is how one's identity can be affected by the time and place someone lives in as well as how politics change with the times, though it is spread out pretty well across the very twist-laden game and interwoven with a look at the motivations, backgrounds and relationships of every important character (it even explains a little bit about the Patriots, who were introduced in the previous installment). This I liked, particularly for how memorable the events become as a result.

What helps the memorability are the bosses of the game, though most of them don't necessarily contribute anything to the plot or exploration of the core theme. However, they all still manage to have an identity that is unique to themselves. While it's a little difficult to speak of them individually from the whole, this becomes easier when you consider that they are each part of a group, since they are known for being from either the Cobra Unit or one of the major players around Volgin: Colonel Volgin himself, Ocelot and The Boss.

Cobra Unit (from left to right): The Pain, The Fear, The End,
The Boss/The Joy, The Sorrow and The Fury

Thus begins my discussion of the bosses, if you'll allow it, starting with the Cobra Unit. Originally assembled to combat the Axis Powers in World War II, each member has a code name that is symbolic of the emotion that they each carry into battle. The first that you fight is The Pain (Gregg Berger), aka the "Hornet Soldier", who attacks Snake in a cave by controlling a large swarm of hornets that he can assemble in any shape and use for any purpose, including, among other things, a Tommy Gun made of hornets that fires hornets as bullets while he uses assault armor made of hornets. As he is situated on a small island of rock, it is up to Snake to swim between two points and break the armor before he can inflict any damage to The Pain. The nature of this fight clues the player in on the fact that Snake must use his surroundings to his advantage in order to avoid taking a serious hit, in this case water, which will become an increasing necessity for each Cobra Unit member.

Due to DmC Devil May Cry interrupting my play session however, I'll admit that, while they are still very good boss fights, I used a couple of shortcuts to get past two of the Cobra Unit members (specifically the next two), if only due to my impatience at the point I continued playing. I regret doing so now, but what's done is done; I'll still try to discuss why they are great bosses anyway, with the shortcut in white text.

Following The Pain is The Fear (Michael Bell), aka the "Spider Solider", who is all about instilling fear into his enemies, which he does by shooting Snake with a poison crossbow immediately before the battle begins. When the fight becomes controllable, Snake has to cure himself and then try to somehow track The Fear's movements between the trees as he fires off salvo after salvo of crossbow bolts. From my research on the bosses, it appears that he has the most ways that people have come up with for easily beating him non-lethally, although trying to take him out lethally can still be a challenge that requires great tracking and aiming skills (the way I did the fight was, in order: Cure, Fake Death Pill, Revival Pill when he looks away, Stun Grenade without alerting him, AK-47 now that lethal weapons in this small window can drain stamina instead).

The next Cobra Unit member to face however is The End (Grant Albrecht), aka the "Ancient Sniper", who is easily one of the best bosses from the entire game since now it is heavily strategy-oriented as Snake now has to track him down across three areas of a particularly large area of the jungle. Being able to find him and deal damage is rewarding in itself, its length dependent on the player's patience and nerves as he tries to kill you with tranquilizer rounds (in my impatience however, I instead decided to use the trick of putting the system clock forward enough to make him die of old age. Like Snake, I really regret not giving the old man a good fight).

As I got more engrossed in the story again, I fought The Fury (Richard Doyle), aka the "Flame Solider", a former cosmonaut who attacks Snake with pure fire. His battle takes place in a darkened set of hallways in which you must attack by sneaking around to shoot him, the mere sight of you being enough to provoke him into a full on fire fight (pun intended). This becomes a test of sneaking ability as well as the power to react quickly to run away and recover before trying to attack again. Later on is the next fight, which is against The Sorrow (David Thomas), aka the "Spirit Medium Soldier". His fight is easily the most unique in that inflicting physical damage to him isn't exactly the entire point. Explaining this however, would be a potential spoiler, but I will say that your play style may come back to bite you.

Colonel "Thunderbolt" Volgin

Two of the other bosses, Ocelot (Joshua Keaton) and Volgin (Neil Ross), are also very interesting, mainly in terms of character. Every time Snake comes face to face with Ocelot, there's always something the former has to say about the latter's gunplay, which ends up influencing the latter eventually becoming known as Revolver Ocelot of the future FOXHOUND unit. Ocelot's main boss fight emphasizes his growing love of the revolver and is interesting in that the two fight from across a small gorge. Volgin, on the other hand, is very content with fighting Snake in closed off areas, using his ability to channel electricity as a way to burn or even shoot Snake until he falls dead. Each of these fights, which emphasis reflexive ability, in the end game can get pretty intense and his character is especially fleshed out in these encounters.

All of this comes to a close however when Snake reaches the final encounter against The Boss (Lori Alan), aka The Joy aka "The Legendary Soldier". The fight against her requires Snake to take advantage of every skill he has spent the game honing in order to win. What makes this boss particularly memorable however is just how emotional it really is. As The Boss discusses the core theme of the game and her relationship with Naked Snake, the fight gains more meaning, particularly from its location, and it becomes more of a sign of just how Snake has grown throughout the entire mission. When it's all over though and the ending starts to play, the impact of her words as well as one specific moment are enough to make anyone cry from sadness, as I did.

While the gameplay remains largely the same from Sons of Liberty, it does improve upon what was introduced in that game by introducing the new Camouflage system. By changing the fatigues that Snake is wearing, the player is able to increase his Camo Index, the percentage of invisibility that he currently has depending on how he blends in with the background. Moving will momentarily drop the Camo Index and certain actions will determine how high the percentage goes, with crawling and wall hugging usually yielding the highest ones. This is a very interesting system that adds a whole new level to the stealth gameplay and I'm impressed that the game was able to pull it off well. However, I do have a couple of complaints about it. For one thing, it gets pretty annoying after a while to have to constantly go to the Survival Viewer and go through a couple of menus to switch what Snake is wearing, especially once the environments have a few different types blended into each other; in one instance I had to switch from a leaf camo to a brick camo and then an indoor camo. It is in these situations that players find a good camo shortcut that will work with most surfaces to save time (apparently people are most complacent with the Splitter face paint and Tiger Stripe uniform combination). The other thing is that, despite the immersion created by the system, the number didn't really prevent me from saving time by enacting yet another strategy: run through the environments and hope that not too many bullets hit me.

Camo Index (upper right)

Another system that's introduced is the Cure system, in which the player must heal all of Snake's wounds manually with supplies. As an extension, Snake can regenerate health, but the rate at which he does is entirely dependent on his Stamina, which can only be raised back up by eating food or saving and turning the game off for a little while. These are justified by the fact that the game takes place at the end of the Cold War and thus nanomachines haven't been invented yet in the timeline. However, like the camouflage system, you must flick through multiple screens in the Survival Viewer to heal Snake's wounds and eat the necessary food. After a while it too gets on my nerves a little, especially when I'm against someone like Volgin who hurts me practically every time he moves. Hopefully they improve upon these systems in a sequel.

One improvement is made to the ability to Stamina Kill bosses, which to say that you can defeat then non-lethally. While in Sons of Liberty this was merely an option so that the player can retain a pacifist run if they wish, Snake Eater actually rewards the player for doing so, usually in the form of a unique uniform for Snake, each with its own special ability. For example, defeating The Fear non-lethally awards the Spider Camo, which gives Snake an 80% Camo Index in most environments, but drains Stamina quickly. This actually gave me more of an incentive to do this, especially since finding Tranquilizer rounds is surprisingly easy, so I took advantage of it and stamina killed every boss (except The End) to reap the rewards.

Lastly, there's a new system known as CQC, aka Close Quarters Combat. CQC can be achieved while holding a weapon that will allow it, as indicated by the acronym being present on the scroll menu. Aside from full combat maneuvers, CQC has an advantage when sneaking up on an enemy, which can put them in a hold. While Snake has their defenses down, he can throw them to the ground, drag them as a human shield or even interrogate them for special information. CQC can even be used on some bosses, creating an opening for Snake to use whatever he wants against them. This addition was very helpful, since it expanded my tactical abilities well and generated new ideas on how to proceed through an area.

Instead of taking place in large complexes like the previous Metal Gear Solid titles, Snake Eater takes place in a very lush jungle with more varied environments. Admittedly the jungle is a very nice change of pace and puts Snake into new situations to alter the perspective of things, specifically that he is heading toward the enemy base rather than starting out in one. This helps maintain the intended feel of an early James Bond movie, in which Bond would encounter such scenery on his mission. What helps is that the environments are all impressively detailed, with the jungle in particular being rendered very realistically. It's not something you find all the time on a PS2 game and certainly not one as good looking. For this, Snake Eater does a really good job at pushing the limits of the system.

Lastly, the voice acting is top notch, with David Hayter voicing Naked Snake this time around in a performance that seems to top his Solid Snake from Sons of Liberty. The other voice actors, most of which I have listed, also do a fantastic job with really great performances that bring out the biggest traits of their characters. As for the music, Harry Gregson-Williams does it again in providing a score that matches the right tones at the right times. The oft-used Snake Eater theme song helps the Bond thing the game has going for itself, but I'll admit it was used maybe one too many times. It was interesting how it was used though, including its utilization in the part where Snake has to climb a really long ladder for about two (real time) minutes as a way to break the monotony.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a great improvement in the series. With a simpler but gripping and emotional story, good tweaks to certain features, memorable bosses and the introduction of a new interesting mechanic, it's a game that any fan of the Metal Gear franchise, or stealth games for that matter, will really enjoy. While a couple of things become a little annoying and the camouflage system is a little subjective in its execution, this game has certainly set its mark despite this as a true PS2 classic. Now I can't wait to play the next game to see if it will finally explain exactly who the Patriots are.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - What the F---?

After the success of the original Metal Gear Solid, a sequel was created for release in 2001 titled Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. This release came with so much hype that many players infamously purchased the game Zone of the Enders for the sole purpose of playing the demo for Metal Gear Solid 2. Over time, the game has become known primarily for its introduction of a new protagonist as well as its infamous mind screw of an ending. This, and the fact that I played the first Metal Gear Solid, got me curious enough to actually see what everyone's talking about. One's thing's for certain: you'll witness the complete evisceration of the fourth wall, and your sanity, by the time it ends.

In the two years since the Shadow Moses incident in Metal Gear Solid, Revolver Ocelot sold the blueprints for Metal Gear on the black market, thus allowing corporations and entities that are rich enough to collectively create quite a few Metal Gear derivatives. Solid Snake infiltrates an oil tanker, U.S.S. Discovery, with assistance from Otacon to obtain information about the latest version, Metal Gear RAY. RAY is designed as an amphibious walking battle tank, thereby allowing it dominance over more territory than thought possible. When Snake finally obtains the information he needs, by sneaking past Russian soldiers and confronting Olga Gurlukovich, Revolver Ocelot shows up to "reclaim" Metal Gear RAY for himself, putting himself in the pilot seat and destroying the tanker to eliminate all traces of his presence as well as kill Solid Snake. This section of the game does a really good job at introducing new elements to the Metal Gear universe as well as continuing the story beyond the first game, the biggest surprise being the mention of a powerful group known as the Patriots. It is a suspenseful section that highlights just the kind of man Snake is and how he's gotten better over time.

Then Raiden shows up. Two years after the Tanker incident, Raiden is sent by a reformed FOXHOUND to an offshore cleanup facility, the Big Shell, to rescue hostages, including the United States President, from a terrorist group known as the Sons of Liberty. The terrorists, headed by a man claiming to be Solid Snake, are backed by members of a rogue SEAL anti-terrorist unit known as Dead Cell, whose core members are Vamp, a knife wielding man who drinks the blood of those he kills; Fatman, an expert with bombs; and Fortune, a woman who's luck prevents any bullet from touching her. With assistance from Colonel Campbell and his girlfriend Rosemary, Raiden must do what he can to eliminate the terrorist threat and prevent a nuclear strike on Manhattan.

What follows is a series of events that are, for the most part, a rehash of the events in the first Metal Gear Solid. The bosses, despite being clever and memorable, feel more like stand-ins for the former FOXHOUND members from the previous game and the plan the terrorists have in mind is also not unlike that of Liquid Snake. A lot of what happens to Raiden in the Plant chapter is very remniscent of what happens to Solid Snake, including the appearance of a mysterious caller named Deepthroat/Mr. X, the need to backtrack to advance the plot (hope you love that Strut F Warehouse!), using an electronic item to try and thwart the terrorists and a section where grabbing the PSG-1 Sniper Rifle is an absolute necessity among other things. My experience with Raiden was filled with memories of the first game that I was simply reliving through another character.

And then about 80% of the way through the game, the player is confronted with insanity in its purest form and is given a mere glimpse into the eye of madness. After Emma Emmerich's death and the supposed death of Vamp, the player is introduced to revelations about Raiden and the video game itself in such a concentration that they might as well be clocked with a freight train. The sudden wave of information includes piling so many gambits on top of each other that it is unclear who the actual bad guy is (if there is one to begin with); a series of convoluted double and even triple crosses; the downright confusing and possibly contradictory motives of the Patriots; deconstructions of several elements of the gaming medium; and forcing the player to question the exact reality of everything they've been doing while controlling Raiden. This is as far as I can go without just rendering an entire paragraph or so with spoiler tags and is in fact just the tip of the insanity iceberg. On top of this, just when you feel safe(-ish), the stinger at the end of the credits twists the knife deeper by revealing that the Patriots have all been dead for at least 100 years! This ending is one of the most confusing and brilliantly frightening things I've ever witnessed in any medium; I thought I would be prepared, but I never expected to witness what I did in the super long chain of cutscenes. What really didn't help however was that some cutscenes that were important to the plot were excised in the wake of 9/11, but even then I'm not sure how much better it would have turned out. I really hope there's a good explanation for what I saw because it's bothering me and I feel I really need to cool off from Metal Gear Solid for a while before approaching the next game in the franchise (don't worry, I'll still cover the other games eventually).

So out of all of this, I suppose you're wondering how I feel about both Raiden and the sheer amount of cutscenes in the game. Well, for the cutscenes, I believe that they are important for fleshing out certain details of the story and introducing the characters properly. The problems with them in this game is that unlike the first Metal Gear Solid, the amount of them gets to the point where you are no longer sure how much gameplay there really is, since there is a disproportionate ratio between them here in favor of the videos. If you were to remove every single video and codec conversation from this game, I'm pretty sure that the actual game, where you're actually in control, wouldn't even last you nine hours unless you're particularly prone to dying.

As for Raiden himself, I was a little thrown off by his sudden appearance in the narrative (yes, it is possible to be surprised about something even if you read about it before the actual experience; there's a big difference between reading about something in a game and actually playing it to get to the event) and just how long I actually had to control him. He felt like a weaker version of Solid Snake, which was in fact a deliberate facet of his design, and his bishonen nature was a little unsettling, if only because he has pretty wide hips for a man. For the most part, I really just feel indifferent about him, although I must say that his tragic backstory comes right out of nowhere and seemed like they were making it up as they went along. The revelations about him at the end also made playing as him borderline insulting, though I have a feeling that Hideo Kojima in this case made his point really clear (well played, Kojima). I hope that if they do bring him back in a sequel, they'll make him a better character.

Moving on from the heavily convoluted story, I'd like to say that the overall gameplay has gotten better. The player is now allowed to shoot from behind cover, which can be helpful in some situations when you really need to get rid of an enemy in the way. I also found the first-person aiming helpful for the handguns, since it gives more precise control over where your shots go. This is especially helpful with the biggest addition to the arsenal: tranquilizers. Both the M9 handgun and PSG-1T sniper rifle can fire tranquilizer rounds that will render someone unconscious rather than outright kill them, providing an alternative method for clearing the different rooms. These rounds also introduce a new mechanic where the location someone is shot at will determine the speed at which they fall unconscious (ex. the head or the heart will have an instant effect, but hand and foot shots take longer).

There's also a new swimming mechanic, bringing some new variety and challenge to the levels with an O2 gauge that determines your available air. However, the player will now need to worry about leaving a trail of blood or water to their location, the former of which can be stopped with bandages. Thankfully there are now also more places to hide thanks to the ability to hide out in a locker until the coast is clear. Being able to roll between cover and hide out in the shadows are also welcome additions, creating new ways to sneak around undetected and even pass certain obstacles.

Being on the PS2 allows the Metal Gear Solid series a graphical upgrade, and this one is a real marvel. Characters look more realistic and are now much more expressive, adding depth to each performance from the voice actors. With the improved environments and effects, the game is also more immersive and pleasing to the eye. This is not to say that the graphics of the previous game were bad, but the improvements help show how well the franchise can look on a newer platform.

Finally, I'd like to mention the score, touted as being done by Henry Gregson-Williams. I am not particularly familiar with his film scores, but I think he did a fine job here creating music that adds to each scene in a way similar to the previous installment. It's perhaps not as memorable at the moment, but I still think he pretty much nailed it.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is an...interesting video game. Thanks to how it handles and deconstructs many themes in video games, including the concept of free will and the difference between fantasy and reality, it can be considered the first postmodern video game ever created. Its gameplay and graphics have improved well from the previous game, but the story is very confusing and complicated with an ending that will question your beliefs about what you just saw. Despite this, I'd still recommend Metal Gear Solid 2 to PS2 owners, as it is a real highlight of the system's library. Even if you've heard the twists by now, this is still an experience that you really have to see to believe.

Metal Gear Solid (Disc 2) - ...iversary!

In my experience with Metal Gear Solid, I've had a hard time with Disc 2. I discovered that I had a faulty copy right at the switching point (after killing Sniper Wolf), which not even a resurfacing would fix. So I ended up purchasing another copy off the secondary market and made sure that it was in a good enough condition. I felt confident enough in the description provided by the seller, stating that the discs were professionally cleaned and tested. Well, after finally receiving my copy in the mail I was finally able to complete the game and express how I feel about the whole experience. As such, this post is actually a continuation of my anniversary post rather than a separate review altogether.

The story continues in Disc 2 with Snake infiltrating a boiler room to get to Metal Gear REX and attempting to shut it down. While this section is shorter in some ways than the previous disc, this is definitely where the most twists come to light, revealing a conspiracy that goes higher up than thought before. The final stretch also introduces new information that can change the perspective of a lot of earlier events in the game. I also found the full characterization of Vulcan Raven to be interesting, taking more advantage of his description of being a shaman. For its depth and complexity, I now fully praise the storytelling capability of Metal Gear Solid.

In terms of gameplay, there are definitely a couple new surprises in this portion. Level design remains interesting and creative, including a hallway absolutely packed with Gun Cameras mounted on each wall. The final boss fights are also the most intense, starting with Snake having to outmaneuver Vulcan Raven in a freezing room where a frontal assault simply will not work. This is when explosives come in very handy, with an element of trickery also becoming a factor in fights from this point forward. My solution involved figuring out that Claymores picked up earlier are now in their natural element, plus letting Raven give chase while only I could see where they were. This didn't take the tension away however, since even being spotted once at the wrong time can let the shaman turn Snake into Swiss cheese with the aircraft grade machine gun he holds in his hands.

The most climactic boss however would be the one against Metal Gear REX, piloted by none other than Liquid Snake. The battle tank is designed to withstand any outside damage thanks to an impenetrable outer shell. To access its vulnerable insides however, Snake needs to trigger the opening of the cockpit by attacking the only weak point on its body, and only the Stinger has a chance of reaching it. After this however is a face to face throwdown with Liquid, who uses all of his strength to try and take out Solid Snake. I'd say that, after losing a few times before taking down the behemoth for good, it is easily one of the most memorable bosses of its time.

Then there's the puzzles. The ones that are in the environment are very minor, but one that really stands out is one that takes advantage of the entire area contained on the second disc. In this puzzle, Snake has to backtrack to two particular rooms to change the temperature of a key card, thus altering its shape and allowing it to function as three key cards. These temperature changes must be done in a certain order and there is the danger of changing the temperature unintentionally, requiring further backtracking. This was only annoying due to my absolute lack of rations, but it is still a very unique concept.

Voice acting continued to stay at a high point until the end, with everyone showing the full range of their talents and matching the appropriate mood of each scene. There are a couple of tearjerkers, which they manage to execute really well, though saying what they are would involve spoilers. The music continued to impress, so I give high praise to the composers involved.

Overall, Metal Gear Solid is a PlayStation game that absolutely should not be missed. Although the actual game is pretty short when you remove the cutscenes, the story itself is complicated enough to stay interesting and the deeper character interactions are all fascinating. With excellent gameplay, storytelling, voice acting and music, I fully recommend this game to anyone looking for either a great stealth game or a good blast from the past.

Be sure not to skip the stinger at the end of the credits though, since it opens exciting opportunities for a sequel. Hopefully it will not disappoint.

Metal Gear Solid (Disc 1) - Happy Ann...

To celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of this blog, I decided to review Metal Gear Solid, a game from 1998 that is well regarded in video gaming as a classic of the medium and a staple of anyone's PlayStation 1 collection. However, I've hit a bit of a snag.

Here's how it is: I decided to go through my backlog a little more by finally playing Metal Gear Solid, a game that I had purchased on a trip to Texas for about $10. I had finally gotten around to playing it recently, and since I needed to post a review of something for the anniversary, I figured that this game would be extremely appropriate to review, due in part both to how far I had gotten and my feelings on what I had played thus far. Unfortunately, when I got to the part where I needed to switch to Disc 2 (right after the second encounter with Sniper Wolf), the game wouldn't let me. I tried a few more times, including regulating my use of a Chaff Grenade on some pesky Gun Cameras; still nothing. When any repair place for it was closed, I tried again the next day (which will be yesterday as of this posting) and got the disc resurfaced; no luck. Since my issue definitely isn't a hardware issue, as the disc refuses to work on my PS1 and PS2 (I doubted the success of it on my PS3 if those two failed even though it laughs at scratches), my only recourse left now is to buy another copy of the game just to complete it.

Unfortunately I won't be able to get another copy and complete the game on time to review it for the anniversary, so I decided to meet halfway and review the first disc for now, with a plan to talk about the second disc later. As a result this may be written more like I'm giving my impressions of the game so far, rather than as a full review of the game. I apologize for this and hope that this is the only time I will ever have to split a review of a multidisc video game. So, without further delay, here's what I think of Metal Gear Solid so far.

The story of Metal Gear Solid is actually a continuation of the games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, neither of which I would have been able to play anyway (or at least not that easily). Fortunately the North American game manual actually acknowledges the question of "What is 'Metal Gear'?" and both the manual and game proper provide text recaps of those two games (the ones in the game are more in-depth). This is very fortunate, since it allows those starting out the series with this to still understand references to these events throughout. In his first mission (1995 in Metal Gear), Solid Snake, the newest member of elite special force group FOX-HOUND, is sent to Outer Heaven to rescue Gray Fox -the only member given the code name "Fox"- and destroy a nuclear-equipped walking battle tank known as a Metal Gear. He succeeds, also defeating Outer Heaven's leader, Big Boss, who had sent Snake into Outer Heaven under the belief that he would fail. Four years later (1999 in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake), Snake is sent by FOX-HOUND leader Roy Campbell to Zanzibar Land to rescue Dr. Kio Marv, who created an oil refining microbe named OILIX. He succeeds, but is also forced to defeat Gray Fox, the leader of the Zanzibar mercenary outfit. Snake also takes down a new Metal Gear and has a rematch with Big Boss, who loses once and for all. After this, Snake gives up on war and retires to the peaceful Alaskan wilderness.

In the 21st Century (in Metal Gear Solid), the nuclear weapons disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island has been captured by Next Generation Special Forces led by members of FOX-HOUND. The terrorists demand to have the remains of Big Boss within 24 hours or else they will launch a nuclear weapon. To counter their efforts, Roy Campbell recruits Solid Snake once again, this time to single-handedly infiltrate the facility and rescue DARPA Chief Donald Anderson and the President of ArmsTech, Kenneth Baker. Then, he is to prevent a nuclear launch and defeat all of the terrorists: Revolver Ocelot, an expert with handguns; Vulcan Raven, a giant and shaman; Sniper Wolf, the beautiful and deadly sniper; Psycho Mantis, former member of the KGB's Psychic Intelligence Unit; Decoy Octopus, master of disguise; and their leader, Liquid Snake, a man with the same face as Solid Snake and the only other member of FOX-HOUND who was given the code name "Snake." Snake, also tasked with finding out the whereabouts of Meryl Silverburgh, Campbell's niece, dives into his mission determined to complete it in time to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I'd to say that so far the story is one of the most well-written stories ever to grace a video game. The pacing is just the right speed to set up and explain different aspects of the Metal Gear universe, as well as the events on Shadow Moses before and during Solid Snake's mission. As the events unfold, there is a lot of depth to the writing, with characters analyzed and careful discussions of human psychology and political intrigue introduced just enough to get you to think about your targets and actually see the driving motivations behind the way they function. It does more than just have the villains be complete cardboard, instead actively making them more unique and interesting, which helps them become all the more memorable even after you turn off your console. The interactions that Solid Snake has are also enlightening to the Metal Gear universe, as the ghosts of his past haunt him once again and he learns more about the internal politics of FOX-HOUND, as well as just what it means to be a real soldier. Relationships are also hinted at and can even affect how one character will respond in a later situation, making it all the more intriguing once it comes to pass. I also appreciated how the game knows when to be suspenseful as well as dramatic. There are feelings I experienced in this game that didn't come up so easily in others, which I will go into detail about later. So far, though, I'm finding myself engrossed in Metal Gear Solid's storyline.

Next up is the gameplay systems, mainly the fact that the game focuses heavily on stealth, or, as the logo puts it, Tactical Espionage Action. As Snake goes through the Alaskan facility, he must avoid detection from the guards for as long as possible by hiding within the environment and generally staying out of their line of sight. Some items that Snake can come across, such as the famous Cardboard Box item, as well as use of the radar to read cones of sight can help avoiding mooks and cameras, which may or may not shoot at you upon detection, easier to avoid. However, he must also take sound into account, with things such as stepping in a puddle of water being enough for a guard to wonder what's going on and investigate. If Snake is detected at all, then Alert Mode will come into effect, obscuring the radar and giving him a short amount of time to hide, triggering Evasion Mode if done successfully. If Snake can avoid detection until the end of Evasion Mode, then the game will resume as normal, with guards being ordered to assume their positions again and granting Snake a new opportunity to advance. Being detected was genuinely surprising at times and could at times invoke a feeling of suspense as I tried my hardest to stay away and use up as little ammunition as possible to not attract more guards. Trying to fight off a seemingly endless wave of bad guys as the clips gradually dwindle away was more than a little unsettling and made me more resourceful and cautious in how I approached the levels as a result. The right box at the right time can be a real life saver.

What helps make the stealth more interesting however is the ability to switch camera angles at appropriate moments. The game is normally in a 3/4 overhead perspective, but a simple button press will switch to a first-person view to get a closer look at the environment. I didn't take advantage of this mode much, but there is another camera angle that allows Snake to see around corners easier. This I liked, since if needed, a guard pattern can be observed more closely while still giving Snake time to react to what he sees. These camera changes are unlike what I see in a lot of games now, which have fully controlled cameras and operate in a more open environment, which, while arguably allowing for better environment reading, hasn't gotten my heart to beat faster with urgency like Metal Gear Solid has.

Should Snake have the need to use a weapon, there are plenty of options, most of which can be easily found in the environment. A couple of guns can easily be used to fend off various soldiers if need be, though there are also plenty of grenade options, including normal, Stun and Chaff grenades to also make getting through a level more expedient, though you still need to weigh your options as to whether or not you really want to use that ammunition so hastily. While other guns are required in order to pass, like the Nikita, which fires remote controlled rockets, and the Stinger, which launches surface to air rockets, you still need to decide if its a good idea to use them outside of their intended use. I'm enjoying the variety in weapons so far, though the only weapon I really didn't like to use was the Sniper Rifle, since you need to constantly take Diazepam to lower Snake's anxiety levels and steady his shot. It gets annoying after a while, particularly when you run out of the stuff in a desperate moment.

Thankfully, it is actually pretty easy to switch between weapons and items. By holding down L2 or R2, you can bring up a menu that scrolls against the respective corner of the screen so that you can make the best choice of equipment when you need it most. Pressing L1 or R1 will also equip and unequip the selected item at will, so you can hide under the cardboard box of your choice in one second and then start running at full speed the next. I feel that the controls overall are designed pretty well, as I was able to get the hang of them pretty quickly and make snap judgments on the fly, partly thanks to the speed at which something is equipped, though I'll admit that the gun controls take a little getting used to.

While there is some subtle difference between each type of mook in the game, the most standout enemies are easily the bosses. Each one requires a unique strategy to beat, like waiting for Revolver Ocelot to reload his gun or throwing a grenade down the hole of Vulcan Raven's tank or even having a fist fight with a Cyborg Ninja. One of the more memorable ones is the two encounters I had with Sniper Wolf, if only due to how frustrating they are. You have to use a Sniper Rifle to get at her the first time and optionally the second time, though I decided to use it anyway to test my skill. Running out of Diazepam during the second encounter made my shots more inaccurate, thus forcing me to depend on my luck holding out. Thankfully it did, but I will never forget my troubles with trying to kill her. The first encounter with Liquid Snake also requires the use of Stinger Missiles, with the lack of Rations, the item that can increase your heatlh, causing my pulse and sense of dread to increase as both of us inched closer to death, with only a single mistake needed to spell disaster for me during the fight as I held out and fired off enough missiles to take down the Hind he piloted.

The most memorable and talked about fight however would have to be the one against Psycho Mantis. His fight is very unique and one I haven't since seen replicated in any game since. He begins by reading the player's memory card, making comments about them based on the games they have played as well as their overall performance thus far in Metal Gear Solid. Next, he demonstrates his psychic abilities by moving your controller through the rumble feature. During the actual battle, he can read all of your moves, mess with your TV screen and negate any damage you try to inflict on him. The only way to do anything to him is to clear your mind and switch your controller to Controller Port 2, allowing freedom to kick his ass. While I didn't quite understand what made the fight so great at first, I began to see the real genius behind it when it was at last right in front of me. He is the only boss I can recall who demonstrates his abilities by reaching beyond the screen and interacting with the player on a whole new level. There is a certain feeling I got, which I can't quite describe, when I had to physically interact with the console to outsmart Psycho Mantis, a feeling that is much different than reassigning the controller with the press of a button or a couple of mouse clicks. This indescribable feeling, as well as the sense of urgency as he possesses Meryl, is the reason why Psycho Mantis has one of the most memorable boss fights in all of gaming, and I really wish that there would be one in the future that can recapture that same magic.

Another instance of this indescribable feeling is when I realized that in order to get Meryl's Codec number, I had to look on the back of the actual game box and notice a certain screen shot. This is an example of how Metal Gear Solid goes the extra step and lets the player figure out that a video game doesn't have to be limited to the confines of the screen in front of them, but that they can also access the contents of the room to find a hidden solution to a standing problem. In this way, Metal Gear Solid is more and more of a stroke of genius.

One thing to keep in mind however while playing Metal Gear Solid is that in order to build upon the world it resides in, it has to have cutscenes. A lot of cutscenes. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that this game has plenty of cutscenes and Codec conversations, as well as a full Briefing on the disc about the Shadow Moses mission which is made of them, which I understand are required to help flesh things out and keep the atmosphere ever changing. However some of them can be pretty long, which can get in the way a little if you're trying to do something else really soon. This still didn't prevent me from enjoying them and reacting appropriately, it just sort of bugged me, partly because as a result the game itself is much faster paced than I had originally anticipated.

While the graphics of the game are actually pretty good for a PS1 title, the only things that bothered me about the 3D character models was the faces. I understand again that there are technical limits for the system, but they look a little blurry and their eyes always look like they're closed (almost like a particularly bad Rob Liefeld drawing). I thank the character designers for keeping them distinguishable, but I personally enjoyed the Codec conversations more due to the wider range of expressions and more identifiable facial features. I don't want this to come off as me detesting older game graphics, but I just wanted to express a more minor annoyance I had.

Then there's the music, which I must say is composed very well so far. The different styles between cutscenes and in-game action help really well to set the mood and some pieces would be easily recognizable if I heard them out of the original context. I also enjoy the voice acting, which helps the characters come alive and establish their personalities as more believable. Special praise goes to David Hayter, who voices Solid Snake in a way that still gives him depth while retaining the cold personality he has at this point in time.

Metal Gear Solid, at least thus far, is a very enjoyable game. I'm finding myself captured by a unique world with distinct original characters and a great balance between stealth and action. At this point, I can't wait to see what Disc 2 has to offer to complete the story and see just how Snake plans to stop Metal Gear REX from causing worldwide destruction.

Come back later for a look as I complete my review with my thoughts on Disc 2. Hopefully the end of the world won't get in the way of that.