How Metal Gear Solid snuck into my heart

Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation One is the greatest game of all time. In my mind it is perfect.

Photo by Rhett Noonan on Unsplash

Even today in the world of three dimensions and virtual reality, it is a game that draws me back. Additional pixels and awards could not steer me away from my opinion.

Solid Snake in the first Metal Gear Solid is the perfect hero and all others pale in comparison.

A multiple of completions

I do not remember how many times I completed the original Metal Gear Solid. It was so long ago that I unwrapped my shiny new PlayStation, the original that is, not the PS One. All I remember is that Metal Gear Solid was the first game purchased, and I loved it.

The gameplay drew me in, and I was hooked, like a moth to the flame. It was a stealth game at its core that never took itself too seriously, yet offered a challenge and a story that held your attention.

The not taking itself too seriously was key for me. I had always been fascinated by stealth by ultimately when playing through games of this nature I tended to get a little bored. Splinter Cell was too much but Metal Gear Solid was just right.

For the first six months of owning the PlayStation, all I had was Metal Gear Solid. I must have completed it at least half a dozen times, but it never felt dull.

Even though there are only two separate endings, I was not bored. Every minute I was trying something new or fully appreciating a new unlock, like the stealth camouflage or unlimited ammo.

A story that moves you

A key feature within the game is the story. You would assume that this is true for all games but there are stories such as those within SpyHunter and those within Metal Gear Solid. SpyHunter has a surface level story that you don’t care about much like Mission Impossible. What you care about is the action. Metal Gear Solid has depth.

With Metal Gear Solid you have romantic overtones, loss, shades of grey when it comes to evil, conspiracies and manipulation. All of which is wrapped up in a 10-hour narrative. It is something that no other games come near to…