Retroactivity #5 - Metal Gear Solid

The Metal Gear series, from Hideo Kojima, had already done some success in MSX computers and even in NES, but was right in the PlayStation series that became famous worldwide, thanks to the launch of what is considered by many as the best game ever made for the 32-bit console from Sony: Metal Gear Solid, an amazing game for a season in which it was launched -1998- with excellent 3D graphics, excellent soundtrack and a plot with wonderfully creative writing.

The mode of play Metal Gear Solid was not new to most veteran fans of the work of Hideo Kojima, but for a huge number of people who were only have contact with a game in the series from this release for the PlayStation, the scheme " action / espionage "would be a welcome surprise.

At a time when action games were simply to kill enemie with firearms, Metal Gear Solid showed a new world for a whole generation of gamemaniacs, where the most important was infiltrating into the enemy base without being noticed by bandits. Strategy and caution are essential for success  in the game, not advance anything the player simply want to leave any shooting at soldiers who appear in his path. If the player act as if it were the "Rambo", will end up being discovered by enemies, and thus eventually getting into a complicated situation. An audible alarm will sound when the enemy confirm the presence of the player, and reinforcements appear to do everything to eliminate the sloppy spy, who must flee to escape from certain death, looking for a good place to hide.

Not to be discovered, the player can make use of various techniques, how to use boxes as "hiding", lurk between the walls, make noises to distract the enemy, among other actions. Something that eases the very life of the player is the small radar screen that appears on the right corner of the screen of the game, the player can use to keep an eye on the position of the enemies that are coming, as well as the other objects that are in area. As the plot of Metal Gear Solid will be developed, the player will achieve different kinds of weapons and accessories to help you in your mission. Often an item that can be seen at first glance as something insignificant, will be of great value when the player find the best way to use it.

Something that just draws the attention of the player who did not know the series before Metal Gear Solid, are the conversations via radio used by the secret agent. They serve to give tips on what to do about its mission, and to receive direct orders from his superior. It is through these conversations  that the complex plot of the game will take place with a few details. During the game there will be multiple frequencies available, because the player will have different kinds of characters to communicate. The  conversations are really key in Metal Gear Solid, because it is precisely through them (in a specific frequency) that the game is saved.

Metal Gear Solid has amazing graphics for its time. The characters of the game are very well done, each with its unique features. The animation is perfect! The characters perform movements and realistic, showing all the skills of the team headed by Kojima. Although the game is happening in Alaska, do not think that the scenes of Metal Gear Solid will be just snow everywhere. During the adventure the player will move at different locations, and there will never be a feeling that the scenarios are repetitive, as Konami also whim this issue. The scenarios are well filled with furniture, weapons, machinery, among other things.

During the initial stages of development, Kojima and his team had a SWAT team to help them, demonstrating how it is done the use of weapons, explosives and vehicles. This explains the perfect soundtrack of The Game in relation to the sounds of weapons and explosives, as the developers of Metal Gear Solid could have contact with real weapons. The voices of the characters are also perfect. All very well to express all kinds of feelings by which the characters of The Game are: be tense at times, be relaxed or even sad.I particularly love the so-called desperate scene that the character die in The Game (Snake, can you hear me? Snake? Snaaaaake !!!). It is quite tragic (because the main character just died), but I do not know why I die of laughing these situations, most of the time. The soundtrack is fascinanting, and themes vary with the events of The Game. In times when the player is trying to invade the area without being perceived enemy music is tense, at times to fight the music is thrilling, at times the sad songs are exciting, and so on.Konami, as always, is master when it comes to soundtracks, but in Metal Gear Solid producing the Japanese managed to overcome it, creating songs that act in The Game so well, helping further the climate film that has adventure created by Kojima.

There are several levels of difficulty to choose (very easy, easy, normal, hard and extreme, thelast level has to be unlocked), so it is for the player to decide what level is within their capabilities. The enemies encountered during the mission of Solid Snake have a very good Artificial Intelligence, where they can hear noises even minimal, such as those issued when a player accidentally runs into a metal surface. Until left footprints in the snow or in puddles of water are perceived by enemies, so that they immediately begin to search the trail left by Snake. The heads of the game are the members of FOX-Hound, and each has its peculiarities and ways of being losers. The player will have to face since a gunman skilful (Ocelot) even the twin-brother (Liquid Snake) which brakes in all three battles against Solid Snake.

Metal Gear Solid is with all the merits one of the best games released for the PlayStation, and that for many this was the best.It was without doubt the pillar for the consolidation of a series of big sucess today.

Marco Cecilio, NoobFeed