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| Metal Gear Solid | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developer | Konami Computer Entertainment Japan[b] |
| Publisher | Konami[c] |
| Director | Hideo Kojima |
| Producers |
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| Designer | Hideo Kojima |
| Programmer | Kazunobu Uehara |
| Artist | Yoji Shinkawa |
| Writers |
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| Composers |
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| Series | Metal Gear |
| Platforms | |
| Release | |
| Genres | Action-adventure,stealth |
| Mode | Single-player |
Metal Gear Solid[d] is a 1998action-adventurestealth game developed and published byKonami for thePlayStation. It was directed, produced, and written byHideo Kojima, and follows theMSX2 gamesMetal Gear andMetal Gear 2: Solid Snake.[5]
Players controlSolid Snake, a soldier who infiltrates a nuclear weapons facility to neutralize the terrorist threat fromFOXHOUND, a renegade special forces unit.[6] Snake must liberate hostages and stop the terrorists from launching a nuclear strike.[7] Cinematiccutscenes were rendered using the in-game engine and graphics, andvoice acting is used throughout.[8]Metal Gear Solid was unveiled at the 1996Tokyo Game Show and demonstrated at trade shows including the 1997Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Metal Gear Solid received unanimous acclaim. Regarded asone of the greatest and most important video games[9][10] ever made, it helped popularize the stealth genre and in-engine cinematic cutscenes. It sold more thanseven million copies worldwide[11] and shipped 12 million demos.[12] It was followed by an expanded version for PlayStation andWindows,Metal Gear Solid: Integral (1999); media adaptations including a radio drama, comics and novels; and numerous sequels, starting withMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001). It has been rereleased on multiple formats, and aremake,Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, was released forGameCube in 2004.[13][14]
The player must navigate theprotagonist,Solid Snake, through a nuclear weapons facility without being detected by enemies.[15] When Snake moves into an enemy'sfield of vision, he sets off an "alert mode" that draws enemies.[16] The player must then hide until "evasion mode" begins; when the counter reaches zero, the game returns to "infiltration mode", where enemies are no longer suspicious. The radar cannot be used in alert or evasion mode. In addition to the stealth gameplay,set-piece sequences entail firefights between the player and enemies.[17]
To remain undetected, the player can perform techniques that make use of Snake's abilities and the environment, such as crawling under objects, using boxes ascover, ducking or hiding around walls, and making noise to distract enemies. An on-screenradar provides the player with the location of nearby enemies and their field of vision.[18] Snake can also make use of many items and gadgets, such asinfra-red goggles and acardboard box disguise. The emphasis on stealth promotes a less violent form of gameplay, as fights against large groups of enemies will often result in severe damage to Snake.[19]
Despite the switch to 3D, the game is still played primarily from an overhead perspective similar to the original 2DMetal Gear games.[20] However, the camera angle will change during certain situations, such as a corner view when Snake flattens himself to a wall next to an open space, or into first-person when crawling under tight spaces or when equipping certain items such as the binoculars or a sniper rifle.[19] The player can also use the first-person view while remaining idle to look around Snake's surroundings and see what is ahead of him.[19][21]
Progress is punctuated by cutscenes and radio conversations, as well as encounters with bosses. To progress, players must discover the weaknesses of each boss and defeat them.[19] Play controls and strategies can also be accessed via the Codec, a radio communication device where advice is delivered from Snake's support team; for example, the support team may chastise Snake for not saving his progress often enough, or explain his combat moves in terms of which buttons to press on the gamepad. The Codec is also used to provideexposition on the game'sbackstory.[19]
In addition to the main story, there is also aVR training mode in which the player can test out their sneaking skills in a series of artificially constructed environments.[19] This mode is divided into three main categories (practice, time attack, and gun shooting), each consisting of ten stages. After completing all 30 stages, a survival mission is unlocked in which the player must sneak their way through ten consecutive stages under a seven-minute limit.[19]
| Fictional chronology inMetal Gear |
|---|
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Metal Gear Solid takes place in an alternate history in which theCold War continued into the 1990s, ending at some point near the end of the 20th century. The game's events take place years after those ofMetal Gear 2: Solid Snake,[22] and form the third chapter in an overarching plot concerning the character of Solid Snake.
Theprotagonist is Solid Snake, a legendary infiltrator and saboteur. During the mission, Snake receives support and advice via codec radio. ColonelRoy Campbell, Solid Snake's formercommanding officer, supports Snake with information and tactics. While he initially keeps some secrets from Snake, he gradually reveals them.[23] He is joined by Naomi Hunter, who gives medical advice;Nastasha Romanenko, who provides item and weapon tips;Master Miller, a former drill instructor and survival coach; andMei Ling, who invented the Soliton radar system used in the mission and is also in charge of mission data; the player can call her to save the game.
The mainantagonist of the game isLiquid Snake, leader of a now-terrorist splinter cell of the organization FOXHOUND, and genetic counterpart to Solid Snake.[17][19] An elitespecial forces unit, FOXHOUND contains experts specializing in different tasks. Members areRevolver Ocelot, a Western-style gunslinger and expert interrogator whose weapon of choice is theColt Single Action Army;Sniper Wolf, a preternatural sniper;Vulcan Raven, a hulking Alaskanshaman armed with anM61 Vulcan torn from a downed F-16;Psycho Mantis, a psychic profiler andpsychokinesis expert; andDecoy Octopus, a master of disguise.[17][19]
Other characters includeMeryl Silverburgh, Colonel Campbell's niece and a rookie soldier stationed in Shadow Moses who did not join the revolt;Dr. Hal Emmerich, the lead developer ofMetal Gear REX; and Gray Fox, also known as the "Ninja",[24] a mysterious cybernetically enhanced agent who is neither an ally nor an enemy of Snake but does oppose FOXHOUND.[17][19]
In 2005, renegade genetically enhanced special forces unit FOXHOUND seizes control of a remote island inAlaska'sFox Archipelago codenamed "Shadow Moses", which houses a nuclear weapons disposal facility.[19] FOXHOUND threatens to use the nuclear-capablemecha Metal Gear REX, being secretly tested at the facility, against the US government, if they do not receive the remains ofBig Boss and a ransom of $1 billion within 24 hours.[25] Solid Snake is forced out of retirement by Colonel Roy Campbell to infiltrate the island and neutralize the threat.[26]
Snake enters the facility via an air vent and locates the first hostage,DARPA ChiefDonald Anderson. Anderson reveals that Metal Gear REX can be deactivated with a secret detonation override code, but dies of aheart attack.[27] Colonel Campbell's nieceMeryl Silverburgh, held hostage in a neighboring cell,[28] helps Snake escape. Snake locates another hostage, ArmsTech presidentKenneth Baker,[7] but is confronted by FOXHOUND memberRevolver Ocelot. Their gunfight is interrupted by a mysterious cyborg ninja who cuts off Ocelot's right hand. Baker briefs Snake on the Metal Gear project and advises him to contact Meryl, whom he gave a PAL card that might prevent the launch, but he too dies of a sudden heart attack.[29][30]
Over Codec, Meryl agrees to meet in the warhead disposal area on the condition that Snake contacts Metal Gear's designer,Dr. Hal "Otacon" Emmerich. En route, Snake receives an anonymous codec call calling themselves "Deepthroat", warning him of a tank ambush.[31] Snake fends off the attack fromVulcan Raven and proceeds to the rendezvous, where he locates Otacon. The ninja reappears, and Snake realizes it is his former allyGray Fox, believed dead.[24] Devastated over learning REX's true intentions, Otacon agrees to aid Snake remotely using special camouflage to procure information and supplies.
Snake meets Meryl and receives the PAL card. As they head for the underground base, Meryl is possessed by psychicPsycho Mantis and pulls her gun on Snake. He disarms her and defeats Mantis, who informs Snake that he has "a large place" in her heart. After they reach the underground passageway,Sniper Wolf ambushes them, wounds Meryl, and captures Snake. Liquid confirms Snake's suspicion that they are twin brothers.[32] After being tortured by Ocelot,[33] Snake is confused to discover Anderson's body in his cell, seemingly dead for days. He escapes with the help of Otacon, makes his way up the communications tower, and fends off aHind D helicopter attack from Liquid. As he emerges onto a snowfield, he is confronted again by Sniper Wolf. He kills her, devastating Otacon, who wasinfatuated with her.[34]
Snake continues to REX's hangar and is ambushed again by Raven. After Snake defeats him, Raven tells Snake that the "Anderson" he conversed with was, in fact, FOXHOUND disguise artist Decoy Octopus.[35] Infiltrating Metal Gear's hangar, Snake overhears Liquid and Ocelot preparing the REX launch sequence and uses the PAL card, but this unexpectedly activates REX.[36] Liquid reveals that he has been impersonating Snake's advisor Master Miller and that FOXHOUND has used Snake to facilitate REX's launch.[37] He and Snake are the product of theLes Enfants Terribles project, a 1970s government program to clone Big Boss.[38] He also reveals to Snake the government's true reason for sending him: Snake is unknowingly carrying a weaponized "FOXDIE" virus that causes cardiac arrest in FOXHOUND members on contact, allowing the government to retrieve REX undamaged.[39]
As Liquid, in REX, battles Snake, Gray Fox appears. He reveals to Snake that he was Deepthroat, destroys REX'sradome, and is crushed to death by REX. Snake destroys REX and defeats Liquid, then escapes with Meryl or Otacon[e] via a tunnel, pursued by Liquid in ajeep. After their vehicles crash, Liquid pulls a gun on Snake but dies from FOXDIE.[40] Colonel Campbell, briefly ousted from command, calls off a nuclear strike to destroy evidence of the operation and has Snake registered askilled in action to stop the US government searching for him.[41] Naomi Hunter, who injected Snake with the FOXDIE virus, tells him that he has an indeterminate amount of time before it kills him. Ocelot calls theUS President; he was adouble agent whose mission was to steal Baker's disk of Metal Gear specifications, and identifies the President as being the secret third clone ofBig Boss.[42]
DirectorHideo Kojima originally planned his thirdMetal Gear game in 1994 for the3DO Interactive Multiplayer.[43] Kojima was initially planningMetal Gear Solid whilePolicenauts (1994), anadventure game, was still in development.[44] Conceptual artwork byYoji Shinkawa of the charactersSolid Snake,Meryl Silverburgh, who was also a character inPolicenauts, and the FOXHOUND team, were included in thePolicenauts: Pilot Disk preceding the release of the full 3DO version ofPolicenauts in 1995.[45]
The game was titledMetal Gear Solid, rather thanMetal Gear 3, as Kojima felt that the previousMSX2 games that he worked on were not widely known, due to the fact that they were not released in North America and only the first one was released in Europe (an NES version of the firstMetal Gear was released in North America, but Kojima had no involvement with it or its sequelSnake's Revenge).[46] The word "Solid," derived from the codename of series's protagonist Solid Snake (as well as the title of the second MSX2 game), was chosen not only to represent the fact that it was the third entry of the series, but also the transition from 2D to3D computer graphics.[47]
Considering first person games difficult to control, the team opted to give the gameplay a 2D style by having it predominantly played from an overhead angle, while using 3D graphics and the ability to switch to first person on the fly to make it feel as though the game were taking place in a real 3D world.[48]
Development forMetal Gear Solid began in 1995, but was briefly halted due to theGreat Hanshin earthquake which caused major damage to the development studio.[49][50][51] When development ofMetal Gear Solid resumed, it was moved over to the PlayStation platform. Developers aimed for accuracy and realism while making the game enjoyable and tense. In the early stages of development, theHuntington BeachSWAT team educated the creators with a demonstration of vehicles, weapons, and explosives. Weapons expert Motosada Mori was also tapped as a technical adviser in the research, which included visits toFort Irwin and firing sessions atStembridge Gun Rentals.[52][53] Kojima stated that "if the player isn't tricked into believing that the world is real, then there's no point in making the game." To fulfill this, adjustments were made to every detail, such as individually designed desks.[54]
The characters and mecha designs were made by artistYoji Shinkawa based on Kojima's concepts. When designing props and hardware, he first built plastic models at home, and then drew the final designs from the models.[55] According to Shinkawa, Solid Snake's physique in this particular installment was based onJean-Claude Van Damme, while his facial appearance was based onChristopher Walken.[56][57] Konami had decided that the middle-aged appearance of Snake in the previous games did not have good commercial appeal, and opted to redesign him so that he would look younger.[55] The characters were completed by polygonal artists using brush drawings and clay models by Shinkawa.[58] According to Kojima, "the ninja's cloaking effect is the result of a bug. Of course, it wasn't totally coincidence since we wanted that effect anyway, but we did get a somewhat unexpected result."[48] Kojima wanted greater interaction with objects and the environment, such as allowing the player to hide bodies in a storage compartment. Additionally, he wanted "a full orchestra right next to the player"; a system which made modifications such astempo andtexture to the currently playing track, instead of switching to another pre-recorded track. Although these features could not be achieved, they were implemented inMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.[59]
Kojima usedLego building blocks andtoy figurines to model 3D areas and see what the planned camera views would look like.[48][60] The game was developed by a staff of twenty people, a small team for such a major title. Kojima preferred to have a smaller team so that he got to know everyone in the team and what they were working on, and could know if anyone was sick or unhappy.[44] The team size did not expand to full strength until September 1996; initially, there was only a single programmer working on the game's code.[61]
Because the developers wanted the game's action to be stylized and movie-like rather than realistic, they opted not to usemotion capture, instead having an artist with experience in anime design the animations by hand.[60]
A gameplay demo ofMetal Gear Solid was first revealed to the public at the 1996Tokyo Game Show and was later shown atE3 1997 as a short video. The 1997 version had several differences, including a more controllable camera and blue-colored vision cones.[62] The demo generated significant buzz and positive reviews at the event, for its game design emphasizing stealth and strategy (like earlierMetal Gear games), its presentation, and the unprecedented level of real-time 3D graphical detail for the PlayStation.[44][61] The enthusiastic response to the game at E3 took Kojima by surprise, and increased his expectations for the game's performance in the American market.[48] The game's Japanese release was originally planned for late 1997,[63] but was delayed to 1998.
It was playable for the first time at the Tokyo Game Show in 1998 and released the same year in Japan[64] with an extensive promotional campaign.[52]Television andmagazine advertisements, in-store samples, anddemo giveaways contributed to a total of $8 million in promotional costs.[65]
Except forDavid Hayter (Solid Snake) andDoug Stone (Psycho Mantis), the English voice cast was credited withpseudonyms. Reportedly, this was done because theScreen Actors Guild's rules at the time were unclear regarding performances for video games. When the actors returned for the 2004 remakeMetal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, they were credited with their real names.[66]
The musical score ofMetal Gear Solid was composed byKonami's in-house musicians, including Kazuki Muraoka, Hiroyuki Togo, Takanari Ishiyama, Lee Jeon Myung, and Maki Kirioka. Composer and lyricistRika Muranaka provided a song called "The Best is Yet To Come" for the game's ending credits sequence.[67] The song is performed inIrish byAoife Ní Fhearraigh.[68] The main theme was composed byTappi Iwase from theKonami Kukeiha Club.
Music played in-game has a synthetic feel with increased pace and introduction of strings during tense moments, with a looping style endemic to video games. Overtly cinematic music, with stronger orchestral and choral elements, appears in cutscenes. The soundtrack was released on September 23, 1998, under theKing Records label.[69]
Metal Gear Solid was first released for the PlayStation in Japan on September 3, 1998. The game was available in a standard edition, as well as a limited "Premium Package" edition sold in a large box that also contained at-shirt, a pair of FOXHOUND-themeddog tags,memory card stickers, an audio CD featuring the soundtracks from theMSX2Metal Gear games (including a few bonus arranged tracks), and a 40-page booklet,Metal Gear Solid Classified, featuring production notes, interviews with the developers, and a glossary of terminology in the game.[70]
The North American version was released a month later on October 20. Changes and additions were made to this version, such as a choice of three difficulty settings when starting a new game (with a fourth setting that is unlocked after completing the game once), an alternate tuxedo outfit for Snake (which the character wears on every third playthrough on the same save file), and a "demo theater" mode where the player views every cutscene and radio conversations relevant to the main story.[17][71]Jeremy Blaustein, who previously worked on the English localization ofSnatcher for theSega CD, wrote the English version of the script.[5] One change in the English script was the addition of Western sources and authors to Mei-Ling's pool of motivational quotes; originally the character only cited Chinese proverbs natively, providing an explanation afterward in Japanese, but this proved challenging to adapt during the translation.[72] The games detected by Psycho Mantis when he reads the player's memory card were also changed, due to certain games (such as theTokimeki Memorial series) not being released outside Japan. This resulted in Kojima's cameo (in which he thanks the player for supporting his work via a voiceover) being cut from the Western versions, as save data from two PlayStation games not available outside Japan,Snatcher andPolicenauts, needed to be present on the player's memory card for thisEaster egg to appear.[73]
The game was launched inEurope on February 22, 1999, with versions voiced in French, Italian, and German available in addition to English.[72] A Spanish dubbed version was later released on May 1.[3] Like in Japan, a limited edition of the game was released, although the contents of the European limited edition differs from the Japanese counterpart. The European Premium Package comes with the game software itself and its soundtrack album CD, along with a t-shirt, dog tags, memory card stickers, a double sided movie-style poster and a set of postcards.[74]
The Japanese PlayStation version ofMetal Gear Solid was reissued twice: once under"The Best" series and later under "PS one Books." Likewise, the American and European versions ofMetal Gear Solid were reissued under the "Greatest Hits" and "Platinum" series respectively. For the 20th anniversary of the originalMetal Gear in 2007, the originalMetal Gear Solid was re-released in Japan as a stand-alone 20th anniversary-themed edition, as well as in the included in the 20th anniversaryMetal Gear Solid Collection set,[75] while in North America it was bundled in theMetal Gear Solid: Essential Collection set.[76] The originalMetal Gear Solid was released on thePlayStation Store for download on thePlayStation 3 andPlayStation Portable on March 21, 2008, in Japan[77] and on June 18, 2009, in North America[78] and on November 19 of the same year in Europe.[79]
Metal Gear Solid is one of the twenty PlayStation games included in thePlayStation Classic released in 2018. The game is included in both the Japanese and western models of the unit in their respective versions.[80][81]
Released on June 25, 1999, for the PlayStation in Japan,[4]Metal Gear Solid: Integral[f] is an expanded edition of the game that features the added content from the American and European versions. It replaces the Japanese voices from the original version with the English dub, offering players a choice between Japanese and English subtitles during cutscenes and CODEC conversations (item descriptions, mission logs, and other text are still in Japanese).[25] Further additional content to the main game include an alternate "sneaking suit" outfit for Meryl (which she wears when Snake is dressed in the tuxedo), a "Very Easy" difficulty setting where the player starts the mission armed with a suppressor-equippedMP5 submachine gun with infinite ammo (substituting the FAMAS rifle in Snake's inventory), an eighth Codec frequency featuring commentary from the development team (unvoiced and in Japanese text only) on every area and boss encounter, hidden music tracks, an alternate game mode where the player controls Snake from a first-person perspective (on Normal difficulty only), an option for alternative patrol routes for enemies, and a downloadablePocketStation minigame. The Torture Event was also made easier, reducing the number of rounds to three per session on all five difficulty settings.
TheVR training mode is now stored on a separate third disc, known as the "VR Disc", and has been expanded into 300 missions. These new set of missions are divided into four main categories: Sneaking, Weapons, Advanced, and Special. The first three categories feature standard training exercises that test the player's sneaking, shooting, and combat skills, while the fourth category contains less conventional tests involving murder mysteries, giant genome soldiers, and flying saucers. One particular set of missions has the player controlling the Cyborg Ninja, unlocked by either completing a minigame on the PocketStation and uploading the data to the VR Disc or by achieving the Fox rank on the main game.[82] Completing all 300 missions will unlock a concept artwork ofMetal Gear RAY, a mech that would later appear inMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Additional content includes preview trailers ofMetal Gear Solid from trade events and a photoshoot mode where the player can take photographs of fully expressive polygonal models of Mei Ling and Dr. Naomi after completing the main game.[72]Famitsu magazine ratedMetal Gear Solid: Integral a 34 out of 40.[83]
The VR Disc fromIntegral was released by itself during the same year in other regions asMetal Gear Solid: VR Missions in North America on September 23 and asMetal Gear Solid: Special Missions in the PAL region on October 29.[25][84] While the content of both,VR Missions andSpecial Missions, are virtually identical to the VR Disc, the unlocking requirements for the Ninja missions and the photoshoot mode were changed accordingly, so that save data from the main game was no longer required. TheSpecial Missions version also adds an additional requirement in which the user must also own a copy of the originalMetal Gear Solid in PAL format in order to start the game - after bootingSpecial Missions on the console, the player will be asked to switch the disc with the first disc fromMetal Gear Solid to load data before asking the player to switch back to theSpecial Missions disc to proceed through the rest of the game.[85]
The Windows version ofMetal Gear Solid was released in North America on September 22, 2000,[86] in the United Kingdom on October 20, 2000,[87] and in other European and Asian territories (excluding Japan) in late 2000.[25][88] This version was published byMicrosoft Games and developed by Digital Dialect. It supports the use of akeyboard or aUSB game controller with at least six buttons (with the manual recommending theSidewinder Game Pad Pro). It also supportsDirect3D-capable video cards, allowing for a high resolution of up to 1024x768. The Windows version is labeledMetal Gear Solid on the packaging, but the actual game uses theMetal Gear Solid: Integral logo, although it has some differences as well from the PlayStation version ofIntegral and lacks some of its content. The most significant change was reducing the number of discs from three to two, which was done by giving each disc two separateexecutable files, one for the main game (mgsi.exe) and the other for the VR training portion (mgsvr.exe), thus eliminating the need for a stand-alone third disc.
One notable omission was the removal of the cutscene before the Psycho Mantis battle in which he reads the player's memory card and activates the vibration function of the player's controller if aDualShock is being used, as this scene involved the use of PlayStation-specific peripherals. The method for defeating Mantis was also changed from using the second controller to simply using the keyboard (regardless of whether the player was using a game controller or not up to that point). Other omissions include the removal of the eighth Codec frequency (140.07), which featured written commentaries by the developers, Meryl's alternate sneaking suit outfit, and the mission logs when loading a save file. However, the Windows version adds the option to toggle moving and shooting in first-person view mode at any time regardless of difficulty setting, and players can now save their progress at any point without contacting Mei-Ling through the use of quicksaves. On the VR training portion, all 300 missions, as well as the photoshoot mode, are available from the start, although the opening video and the three unlockable preview trailers from the PlayStation version have been removed.[89]
Scoring 83 onMetacritic's aggregate, the game was criticized for "graphic glitches," the aged nature of the port, and being virtually identical to the PlayStation version.[90]
A remake,Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, was developed bySilicon Knights under the supervision of KCE Japan and released for theGameCube in North America, Japan, and Europe in March 2004.[13] AlthoughTwin Snakes was primarily developed at Silicon Knights, its cutscenes were developed in-house at Konami and directed byJapanese film directorRyuhei Kitamura, reflecting his dynamic signature style, utilizingbullet time photography andchoreographed gunplay extensively.[91] While the storyline and settings of the game were unchanged (although a select few lines of dialog were re-written more closely resembling the original Japanese version), a variety of gameplay features fromSons of Liberty were added such as the first-person aiming and hanging from bars on walls. Another change in the English voice acting was the reduction of Mei Ling's, Naomi's and Nastasha's accents, as well as the recasting of Gray Fox fromGreg Eagles, who still reprises the role of the DARPA chief, toRob Paulsen. The graphics and play mechanics were also updated to match those ofMetal Gear Solid 2.[92]
The original version ofMetal Gear Solid was re-released in October 2023 forPlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Xbox Series X/S,Nintendo Switch andWindows (viaSteam) as part of a series of re-releases titled theMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection. The title is available as stand-alone download with the originalMetal Gear andMetal Gear 2: Solid Snake included as bonuses, with all three titles also included as part of a compilation titledMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 along with re-releases ofMetal Gear Solid 2 andMetal Gear Solid 3 (both available as separate downloads as well).
In theMaster Collection, the game runs on anemulator developed byM2, with the option to play any of the seven regional versions (Japanese, North American, European English, German, French, Italian and Spanish) of the game via additional downloads, as well as theIntegral/VR Missions/Special Missions expansions. TheMaster Collection edition handles the Psycho Mantis' mind reading event by giving the player option to create a virtual memory card with save files from supported games in order to trigger specific lines of dialogue. There's also a new animated sequence when the player reaches the blast furnace which visually depicts the disc-swapping process.[93][94][95]
AJapanese radio drama version ofMetal Gear Solid, directed byShuyo Murata and written by Motosada Mori, was produced shortly after the release of the original PlayStation game. 12 episodes were aired, from 1998 to 1999 on Konami'sCLUB db program. The series was later released on CD as a two-volume series titledDrama CD Metal Gear Solid.[96][97] Set after the events of the PlayStation game, Snake, Meryl, Campbell and Mei Ling (all portrayed by their original Japanese voice actors) pursue missions in hostile third world nations as FOXHOUND. The new characters introduced include Sgt. Allen Iishiba (voiced byToshio Furukawa), aDelta Force operative who assists Snake and Meryl, Col. Mark Cortez (v.b.Osamu Saka), an old friend of Campbell who commands the fictional Esteria Army Special Forces, and Capt. Sergei Ivanovich (v.b.Kazuhiro Nakata), a former war buddy of Revolver Ocelot from hisSVR days.[98][99]
In September 2004,IDW Publications began publishing a series ofMetal Gear Solid comics,[100] written byKris Oprisko and illustrated byAshley Wood.[101] The comic was published bimonthly until 2006, lasting 12 issues fully covering theMetal Gear Solid storyline.[102] The comic was adapted into aPlayStation Portable game,Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (Metal Gear Solid: Bande Dessinée in Japan).[103] It features visual enhancements and two interactive modes designed to give further insight into the publication.[104] Upon viewing the pages, the player can open a "scanning" interface to search for characters and items in a three-dimensional view.[104] Discoveries are added to a database which can be traded with other players viaWi-Fi. The "mission mode" allows the player to add collected information into a library. This information must be properly connected to complete a mission.Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel was released in North America on June 13, 2006, Japan on September 21 and thePAL region on September 22.[105] In 2006, the game receivedIGN's award for Best Use of Sound on the PSP.[106] ADVD-Video version is included with its sequel (Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée), which was released inJapan on June 12, 2008. The DVD version features full voice acting.[107]
Anovelization based on the originalMetal Gear Solid was written byRaymond Benson and published by Del Rey. The American paperback edition was published on May 27, 2008,[108] and the British Edition on June 5, 2008.[109]
A second novelization by Kenji Yano (written under the pen name Hitori Nojima),Metal Gear Solid Substance I, was published byKadokawa Shoten inJapan on August 25, 2015.[110] This novelization is narrated through a text file written by a young man living in Manhattan in 2009 (the present year of the Plant chapter inMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty). The story also acknowledges certain plot elements fromMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain regarding certain characters such as Liquid Snake and Psycho Mantis.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 94/100 (PS)[111] 83/100 (PC)[112] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame | 5/5[113] |
| Computer and Video Games |  [114]9/10[115] |
| Edge | 9/10[116] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 40/40[117] |
| Famitsu | 37/40[118] |
| GamePro | 5/5[119] |
| GameRevolution | A−[120] |
| GameSpot | 8.5/10[121] |
| Hyper | 93%[122] |
| IGN | 9.8/10[123] |
| Next Generation | 5/5[124] |
| PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 10/10[126] |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | 10/10[125] |
| Arcade | 5/5[127] |
| GMR | 10/10[128] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| Japan Media Arts Festival | Excellence Award for Interactive Art[129] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly (Editors' Choice) | Game of the Year (Runner‑Up), PlayStation Game of the Year, Adventure Game of the Year, Best Sound Effects, Best Graphics[130] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly (Readers' Choice) | Game of the Year (Runner‑Up), PlayStation Game of the Year, Adventure Game of the Year, Best Sound Effects, Best Music (Runner-Up), Best Graphics (Runner‑Up)[130] |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (1998 OPM Editors' Awards) | Best Game of '98, Best Adventure Game, Best Sound, Best Graphics (Runner-Up), Best Story (Runner-Up)[131] |
| Hyper | Best Action/Adventure[132] |
| Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards) | Game of the Year (Nominated), Console Game of the Year (Nominated), Console Action Game of the Year (Nominated), Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design (Nominated), Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering (Nominated), Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development (Nominated) |
Prior to release, the game's demonstrations at several trade shows between 1996 and 1998 had received a positive response. This had generated significant worldwide interest in the game prior to its release in 1998.[133][44]
Metal Gear Solid received "universal acclaim", according toreview aggregator websiteMetacritic.[111]
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK review calledMetal Gear Solid "the best game ever made. Unputdownable and unforgettable".[126] The review byIGN opinedMetal Gear Solid came "closer to perfection than any other game in PlayStation's action genre" and called it "beautiful, engrossing, and innovative...in every conceivable category."[123]Computer and Video Games compared it to "playing a big budget action blockbuster, only better."[115]Arcade magazine praised it for "introducing a brand new genre: the sneak-'em-up" and said it would "herald a tidal wave" of "sneak-'em-ups." They called it a "brilliant, technically stunning, well thought through release that's sure to influence action adventure games for many years."[127]GMR called it a "cinematic classic."[128]
GamePro called it "this season's top offering [game] and one game no self-respecting gamer should be without," but criticized theframe rate that "occasionally stalls the eye-catching graphics."[119]GameSpot was critical of how easy it is for the player to avoid being seen, as well as the game's short length, calling it "more of a work of art than ... an actual game."[121]
Next Generation reviewed the PlayStation version of the game, rating it five stars out of five, and stated that "rest assured that this is a game no player should miss and the best reason yet to own a PlayStation."[124]
Metal Gear Solid received an Excellence Award for Interactive Art at the 1998Japan Media Arts Festival.[129] During the2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominatedMetal Gear Solid for "Game of the Year", "Console Game of the Year", "Console Action Game of the Year", and outstanding achievement in "Interactive Design", "Software Engineering", and "Character or Story Development".[134]
In 1999,Next Generation listedMetal Gear Solid as number 27 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "MGS is one of the most vibrant efforts in gaming history to bring serious ideas to games."[135]
Prior to its North American release, an estimated 12 million demos for the game were distributed in 1998.[12] Upon release, the game was a commercial success.[136] It became one of the mostrented games in the United States,[137] and topped sales charts in theUnited Kingdom andJapan.[138][139]PC Data, which tracked sales in the United States, reported thatMetal Gear Solid sold 1.06 million copies and earned$51,834,077 (equivalent to $99,996,000 in 2024) in revenue during 1998 alone. This made it the country's fifth-best-selling PlayStationrelease of 1998, and the third highest-grossing PlayStation title that year.[140] In the United Kingdom, it was the third best-sellingvideo game of 1999.[141] In Germany, it received a Platinum award from theVerband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) in June 1999 for sales above 200,000 copies within several months,[142] and it became the year's second best-selling PlayStation game.[143] In Europe, the game grossed €40,034,122 or$42,668,367 (equivalent to $80,538,034 in 2024) in 1999,[144] adding up to more than$94,502,444 (equivalent to $182,309,839 in 2024) grossed in the United States and Europe by 1999.
By early 2001, it had sold6 million units worldwide,[145] including 1 million units in Japan and approximately 5 million units in the United States and Europe.[146] It went on to sell more than6.6 million units worldwide by 2002.[147] By 2004, the original release had sold5.51 million andIntegral had sold1.27 million for a combined6.78 million units worldwide.[148] As of July 2009[update], the game had sold overseven million units worldwide.[149][11] In the US,2.81 million units were sold as of 2007[update].[150]
Despite its high success even in sales, Kojima, during an interview withGeoff Keighley in 2014, revealed thatMetal Gear Solid sales expectations were low and said: "Neither I nor anyone else expectedMetal Gear Solid to sell at all. [...] I didn't think at all of how to make this game sell well, because I didn't expect it to sell."[151]
Metal Gear Solid is credited with popularizing thestealth game genre. The idea of the player being unarmed and having to avoid being seen by enemies rather than fight them has been used in many games since. It is also sometimes acclaimed as being a film as much as a game due to the lengthycutscenes and complicated storyline.[152]IGN called it "the founder of the stealth genre."[153]
The game is often considered one of the best games for thePlayStation and was featured in best video games lists byComputer and Video Games in 2000,[154] byElectronic Gaming Monthly[155] andGame Informer in 2001,[156] byRetro Gamer in 2004,[157] byGameFAQs[158] andGamePro in 2005,[159] and byFamitsu.[160]Hyper magazine in 2001 called it "Probably the single best game on the PlayStation."[122]
In 2002,IGN ranked it as the best PlayStation game ever, stating that just the demo for the game had "more gameplay [in it] than in most finished titles."IGN also gave it the "Best Ending" and "Best Villain" awards.[161] In 2005, in placing it 19th on their list of "Top 100 Games", they said that it was "a game that truly felt like a movie."[153][162]Guinness World Records awardedMetal Gear Solid with a record for the "Most Innovative Use of a Video Game Controller" for the boss fight with Psycho Mantis in theGuinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 edition.[163] In 2010,PC Magazine ranked it as seventh in the list of most influential video games of all time, citing its influence on "such stealthy titles asAssassin's Creed andSplinter Cell."[164] In 2012,Time named it one of the 100 greatest video games of all time[165] andG4tv ranked it as the 45th top video game of all time.[166]
According to1UP.com,Metal Gear Solid's cinematic style continues to influence modernaction games such asCall of Duty.[167]Metal Gear Solid, along with its sequel,Metal Gear Solid 2, was featured in theSmithsonian American Art Museum's exhibition The Art of Video Games in 2012.[168] During August 2015,Eurogamer reanalyzed the game's technical and overall impact and claimed thatMetal Gear Solid had been nothing less than "the first modern video game."[169] In September 2015,Metal Gear Solid was voted the best original PlayStation game of all time byPlayStation.Blog's users.[170] In May 2023,GQ listedMetal Gear Solid as the seventh best video game of all time according to a team of video game journalists across the industry.[171]
Colonel Campbell: Next-Generation Special Forces led by members of unit FOX-HOUND. They've presented Washington with a single demand, and they say that if it isn't met, they'll launch a nuclear weapon.
Colonel Campbell:You'll have two mission objectives. First, you're to rescue DARPA chief, Donald Anderson and the President of ArmsTech, Kenneth Baker. Both are being held as hostages. Secondly, you're to investigate whether or not the terrorists have the ability to make a nuclear strike, and stop them if they do.
Colonel Campbell: Snake, I'm sorry I kept a lot of things from you.
Solid Snake: Gray Fox... Colonel, that ninja is Gray Fox. No doubt about it. /Colonel Campbell: Ridiculous! You of all people should know he died in Zanzibar. /Naomi Hunter: No, he should have died... but he didn't.
Solid Snake: Naomi! The chief! What happened? /Naomi Hunter: I... I don't know. It looked like a heart attack but... /Colonel Campbell: A heart attack? No...
Colonel Campbell: Okay Snake. Sorry. I'll be frank. A person very dear to me is being held hostage. /Solid Snake: Who is it? /Colonel Campbell: My niece. Meryl. /Solid Snake: What was your niece doing here? /Colonel Campbell: Several soldiers were reported missing the day of the revolt. And my niece was one of those called in as an emergency replacement. /Solid Snake: She looks like you. /Colonel Campbell: She's my little brother's girl. He died in the Gulf War. Since then I've been watching after her. (...) That's what I trust about you. It's what makes you human. Please Snake. Save my niece Meryl.
Solid Snake: Colonel! Are you listening? Now he's dead too! /Colonel Campbell: I have no idea! /Solid Snake: Don't lie to me! /Naomi Hunter: It looked like another heart attack but... /Solid Snake: Some kind of poison!? /Naomi Hunter: Well, there are a lot of drugs that can cause a heart attack in large doses. For example. potassium chloride or dioxides... But we won't be able to tell without doing an autopsy. /Solid Snake: Damn!
Master Miller: The cause of death. Didn't the ArmsTech president and the DARPA Chief - I mean, Decoy Octopus - die of something that looked like a heart attack?
Deepthroat: Snake, be careful! There are Claymore mines around there. Use a mine detector. /Solid Snake: Who are you? /Deepthroat: Just call me "Deepthroat". /Solid Snake: Deepthroat? The informant from theWatergate scandal? /Deepthroat: Never mind about that. /Solid Snake: You're not using burst transmission. Are you nearby? /Deepthroat: Listen. There's a tank in front of your position waiting to ambush you. /Solid Snake: Who are you anyway? /Deepthroat: One of your fans.
Liquid Snake: There definitely is a resemblance. Don't you think, little brother? Or should I say big brother? I'm not sure... Anyway, it doesn't matter. You and I are both the last surviving "sons of Big Boss".
Liquid Snake: We're shorthanded, so make this little torture show of yours as short as possible. /Revolver Ocelot: Torture? This is an interrogation. /Liquid Snake: As you wish.
Vulcan Raven: You are a snake which was not created by Nature. You and the Boss... you are from another world... a world that I do not wish to know. (...) The man who you saw die before your eyes... That was not the DARPA Chief. It was Decoy Octopus. A member of FOX-HOUND. He was a master of disguise. (...) The path you walk on has no end. Each step you take is paved with the corpses of your enemies. Their souls will haunt you forever... you shall have no peace. Hear me, Snake! My spirit will be watching you!
Computer: PAL code number three confirmed. PAL code entry complete... Detonation code activated. /Solid Snake: No! Why!?
Master Miller: Without the detonation codes, we had to find some other way. That's when I decided... you might prove useful, Snake. / (...) /Solid Snake: You mean you had this planned from the beginning? Just to get me to input the detonation code!? / (...) /Colonel Campbell: Snake, that's not Master Miller! /Master Miller: Campbell, you're too late. /Colonel Campbell: Master Miller's body was just discovered at his home. He's been dead for at least three days. I didn't know because my Codec link with Master was cut off. But Mei Ling said his transmission signal was coming from inside the base! /Solid Snake: So who is it? /Colonel Campbell: Snake, you've been talking to... /Master Miller: ...Me... dear brother.
Liquid Snake: We were created to be that way. /Solid Snake: Created? /Liquid Snake:Les enfants terribles... the terrible children. That's what the project was called. It started in 1970s. Their plan was to artificially create the most powerful soldier possible. The person that they chose as the model was the man known then as the greatest living soldier in the world... /Solid Snake: Big Boss...
Liquid Snake: You were sent in here to kill us so they could retrieve Metal Gear undamaged along with the bodies of the genome soldiers. From the beginning, the Pentagon was just using you as a vector to spread FoxDie!
Solid Snake: Naomi, Liquid died from FoxDie too.
Solid Snake: (...) What happened to the air raid and the nuclear strike? /Colonel Campbell: The orders were rescinded. The F117s and the B2 Spirits have returned to the base. Once again, I have complete authority over this operation. (...) I'll bet the boys at the DIA and the NSA never expected you to come home alive. /Solid Snake: Me neither. I better not show my face around here. /Colonel Campbell: No danger of that. You two officially died after your jeep sank into the ocean...
Revolver Ocelot: (...) The vector? Yes sir, FoxDie should become activated soon... Right on schedule. Yes, sir. I recovered all of Rex's dummy warhead data. No, sir. My cover is intact. Nobody knows who I really am. Yes, the DARPA Chief knew my identity, but he's been disposed of. Yes. The inferior one was the winner after all. That's right. Until the very end, Liquid thought he was the inferior one. Yes, sir. I agree completely. It takes a well-balanced individual... such as yourself to rule the world. No, sir. No one knows that you were the third one... Solidus. (...) Yes. Thank you. Good-bye. Mr. President.
Kojima: "Metal Gear" is as it is, and "Solid" has a deep meaning. Let me explain. This time Metal Gear is displayed in full polygonal form, and I used "Solid" to describe the cubic structure. also, the "Solid" means to the third power mathematically. Also, most of the people don't know that there is a Metal Gear 1 and 2 for the MSX, and I wanted it to be the sequel for those. And, of course, Solid from Solid Snake.
Mantis: 「小島作品が好きなようだな」 /Kojima (v.o.): 「いつも応援してくれてありがとう・・・」
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