What's on Shenji's Mind: 10 years with Metal Gear Solid

So what is this Metal Gear Solid 4 that you've been hearing me talk about for the past few weeks and seeing constantly on my Facebook, my Window's Messenger's personal message and more importantly how did it made me cry at the ending of the game? This Metal Gear Solid 4 that I have been raving for quite a while is apparently one of the few wonders in gaming history not to mention, it is my MAIN REASON FOR GETTING A PLAY STATION 3. After patiently waiting for 4 excruciating years with several months of delay, the game which I describe as "a legendary masterpiece" has finally hit the stores in the middle of last month. As copies of the 4th Metal Gear Solid installment reached the shelves of my local video game store, it was salvation for hardcore Metal Gear fans like me. I was extremely hyped and excited about the final chapter of the Metal Gear saga and at the meantime, I had my finger crossed hoping that there will be good surprises and revealed links to the previous Metal Gear series. Instead of posting a review on the 4th Metal Gear Solid seeing you are aware of my final rating for the game I find to be legendary, allow me to share with you my good old days with the series that started 10 years ago.

So what is Metal Gear? Instead of going full head on with military jargons which will leave you blur, Metal Gear is simply a massive robot piloted by a human, which is capable of launching nuclear missiles regardless of the launch terrain and the position. In other words, a Metal Gear is a mobile nuclear delivery war machine that poses a serious threat to global security. What makes the Metal Gear series supremely outstanding isn't only because of the unique design of the gargantuan nuclear missiles equipped war machine, but also the controversial issues involving genetics, nuclear proliferations, terrorism, patriotism, world conflicts, politics, government cover ups and private military corporations which serve as the theme of the game. Such theme does not only forces the players to realize the consequences of the possibilities described in the game but to also highlight these important issues that are taking place around the globe. In the Metal Gear series, players will often take on the role of Solid Snake, a highly trained and experienced soldier in the field of combat, warfare, espionage and infiltration, who is assigned to infiltrate deep behind the enemy's lines to destroy the Metal Gear in order to prevent a global nuclear holocaust.

When Metal Gear Solid first arrived for the Play Station console 10 years ago, I wasn't really hyped about it as I had a very lousy impression regarding the game when I first saw it. If memory served me well, my first glance of Metal Gear Solid 10 years ago (even the time before I got my 1st Play Station) was from one of the TV displays at a video game shop in Sunway Pyramid which was playing the introduction of Metal Gear Solid. Initially, I thought Metal Gear Solid was something about ocean exploration as the introduction of the game which I saw back then illustrated a man in scuba diving equipment swimming around underwater. When I got my first Play Station on that year as well, most of my friends strongly recommended that I get myself a copy of Metal Gear Solid. However, seeing that I wasn't really into ocean life, I thought about passing on the idea of playing that game. Conversely, after much persuasion from almost all of my friends who own a Play Station, I decided to give it a try. The first Metal Gear Solid tells the story of Solid Snake's dangerous infiltration into a nuclear disposal facility in Alaska codenamed Shadow Moses, which is taken over by FOXHOUND operatives who have gone rogue. They threaten the U.S. government with nuclear devastation if the government do not hand them the body of their FOXHOUND leader within a given time. Solid Snake is then assigned to infiltrate Shadow Moses with the objective of rescuing the president of Arms Tech and the chief of DARPA (Defense Advance Research Project Agency) who are both taken hostage in the facility and to assess the nuclear launching capability of the terrorists. My perception regarding the game drastically changed after having a go with the game; unfortunately it became worst. Given that the Metal Gear series heavily relied on stealth game play instead of the usual run-and-gun game play, it wasn't long before frustration clouded me as I was often spotted by the enemies which later resulted in the screen showing "game over". Ever since then, I told myself never to touch a frustrating game like Metal Gear Solid .

4 years later (in 2002) when I got my Play Station 2, the 2nd installment for the Metal Gear Solid series, Sons of Patriots appeared for the Play Station 2. As usual, many gamers were raving about the game which I never understood why back then. A secondary school classmate who owns a Play Station 2 like me back then suggested that I get myself a copy of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty. Like before, I turned a deaf ear on my classmate's suggestion as I could never forget how the first Metal Gear Solid pounded me with utmost frustration. However, the moment he mentioned that the United States Navy SEALs (one of the few Special Forces that I truly admire) were featured in the game, I immediately realized I had a copy of Metal Gear Solid 2 in my hands ( I guess I am a real sucker for Special Forces). The introduction video clip of the game which featured GRU (Russian Special Forces) operatives fast roping from a helicopter, getting ready to invade a US tanker got me really excited like a kid who was on a trip to Disneyland. Taking place 4 years after the incident at Shadow Moses, former Navy SEAL anti terror training unit codenamed Dead Cell and a Russian mercenary force who are led by Solid Snake sieze the Big Shell Disposal Facility. With the American President and other hostages in their clutches, they demand a massive ransom from the U.S. government in exchange for the President and the hostages' freedom or they will level the entire facility with explosives. As the dateline to deliver the ransom grows closer, the U.S. government dispatches SEAL Team 10 and a rookie FOXHOUND agent codenamed Raiden, to liberate the Big Shell Facility from Solid Snake and his mercenaries. When I begin playing the first mission of the game, I became worried as I feared that I had to go through all the frustrating stealth game play just like 4 years earlier. However as I started the first mission with a M9 tranquillizer pistol, sneaking was made easy; with the M9 in my inventory, sneaking was like taking a candy from a baby. As the Sons Of Liberty was not as difficult as its predecessor, it wasn't long before I started enjoying the game and the next thing I knew, I was hooked on it. The exciting stealth game play with the company of long well choreographed action packed cut scenes then shifted my perception of the Metal Gear series; from that point on, I knew I had a masterpiece in my hands. As I dwell deeper into the game, I started to build strong connections with the game characters especially the hero, Solid Snake. Most of the time, I was on the edge of my seat with countless stylish high octane action sequences. On the other hand, tears and sorrow followed in as well seeing that there were one or two really touching scenes that even force the toughest nails (like me) to weep. As I was constantly stuck with my Play Station 2 back then which my parents weren't really fond of such idea knowing that there were other better things to do than to play video games all the day long, I finally finished Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty. Despite completing the game, I was still unclear about the entire story plot either because I was too blur back then to understand the twisted story line or some of the plots were vaguely presented.

2 years later (2004), the third Metal Gear Solid entitled Snake Eater came out for the Play Station 2. Joy was written all over me as I was glad that the Metal Gear Solid series didn't end with Son's Of Liberty's vague ending. However, the storyline for the third one took place in the jungles of Russia during the early days of the Cold War unlike the first two Metal Gear series which took place in the urban environment of the early 2000. Not only that, the origins of Solid Snake were revealed in the third one where Snake was referred to as Naked Snake instead of Solid Snake. Confusion then clouded my mind as I wondered how did Solid Snake remained so long until the early 2000s without even aging a bit. Stealth game play was still heavily emphasized in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, however the extensive use of different camouflage outfit depending on the terrain and environment was introduced. Refilling the character's life gauge wasn't restricted to the consumption of military ration procured by Naked Snake, but also the animals he hunts in the jungles of Russia. Furthermore, the challenge of the game which was exacerbated by the compulsory correct combinations of medical techniques to heal Naked Snake from a variety of injuries like broken bones, bullet wounds, cuts, burnt wounds and even food poisoning innovated the game play greatly. The ability of sending your enemies to sleep with the tranquillizer pistol was still available; however, that wasn't the only method of sneaking around your enemies as the realistic techniques of Close Quarter Combat (the unarmed fighting techniques of today's Special Forces) were introduced in the third Metal Gear allowing Naked Snake to perform choke techniques, stealth kills and take down methods on his enemies. As I ventured deeper into the game, there were plenty of cut scenes which started to clarify the confusions presented in the Metal Gear saga. Finally at the ending of the game, the true identity of Naked Snake as Big Boss, the father of Solid Snake send everyone who followed the Metal Gear series into an extreme state of shock. The ending of the game also revealed the origins of key organizations that played an important role in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty which further clarified the confusion presented in the second Metal Gear installment.

It wasn't long before the follow-up to the third Metal Gear was introduced: Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops. Unlike Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 which came out for the Play Station 2, Portable Ops was solely restricted to the Play Station Portable, hence the "portable" word in the game's title. This was the one and only reason for me to get a Play Station Portable and risk going through the long lectures and wrath of my parents. Portable Ops journalizes the account of Naked Snake aka Big Boss six years after the events of Snake Eater. Rogue members of FOX who are led by Gene, plans to deliver a nuclear missile to the heart of America in order to prolong the Cold War and to fulfill his dreams of building a mercenary nation. In the midst of chaos, Naked Snake is also accused by his own government for assisting the rogue members of FOX and the only way to prove his innocence is to take out the leader of the rogue FOX soldiers. Hoping to provide die hard Metal Gear fans something new in this installment, the creators of Portable Ops decided to introduce a new innovative game play: capturing and recruiting soldiers. So instead of just procuring weapons on site, Naked Snake aka Big Boss can now capture enemies by knocking them out cold with his fancy CQC moves before bringing them back to his hideout for some persuasion. After persuading the enemies to fight for Naked Snake's side, Naked Snake won't be performing sneaking missions alone as he will have his "new friends" to assist him. Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops was a great game overall, however its sluggish camera angle tainted the ratings of the game to an 8/10 instead of the usual 10/10.

Guns of the Patriots, the latest and possibly the final chapter in the Metal Gear saga was released a month ago. Taking place 5 years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Guns of the Patriots revolves around Old Snake dedicated to take down his long time arch nemesis Liquid Ocelot while struggling to cope with his physical breakdown due to his premature aged body as a result of his artificial genes. In the 4th Metal Gear Solid installment, players are given the opportunity to use the Octo Camo suit, a smart camouflage outfit that allows the wearer to blend in with any surface he or she touches, courtesy of Old Snake's old friend and sidekick, Otocon. The sophisticated gadgets doesn't end there as Otocon provides Old Snake with Solid Eye, a monocular device capable of providing zoom-in and night vision capabilities as well as real time battle data. Last but also not the least, the Metal Gear Mk 2 is also at the disposal of Old Snake to aid him in his sneaking missions. The Metal Gear Mk 2 is a robotic drone with the same physical design of Metal Gear RAY that aids Old Snake for his reconnaissance and communication needs. Besides the fancy military technologies at the disposal of Old Snake, the cut scenes and the briefing sessions which offers flashbacks from previous Metal Gear series as well as the opportunity to view the scenes from predetermined camera angles make Guns of the Patriots one of its kind. Weapons customization which is featured in this game deeply aids Old Snake's sneaking missions as silencers, scopes, flashlights, laser pointers, grenade launchers and rifle grips are attachable to the firearms he procures on his missions. Players who are not up for the challenge to locate every single weapon throughout the missions can purchase the weapons from a gun launderer with credit points; this does not only allows players to try a variety of assault rifles, pistols and SMGs but also lightens the difficulty of the missions which most of the time is challenging. With a great final story to the Metal Gear saga accompanied with high replay values and superb graphics. The fourth and final Metal Gear Solid is as equal as its legendary predecessors (except for Portable Ops).

Words itself are not enough to demonstrate how great this saga is, therefore allow me to provide a visual presentation of the game which I describe as a "legendary masterpiece". Here are the trailers of the Metal Gear Solid series.

Metal Gear Solid (aka Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes for the Game Cube version)