What a buzz this generated in 97/98. As far as I was concerned, this was a game with no track record but a huge level of love from the gaming press and I was intrigued. In fact, this was one of the first games I imported, picking up the US version with the bronze lettering (a rare occasion where the US box art was nicer than the EU, but not the Japanese one with silver lettering and the rotated cover. Of course.)
The thing that intrigued me, initially, about the whole thing was the idea of clearing levels without killing anyone (an idea played with quite brilliantly in the third Metal Gear Solid game with a river of death when meeting the Sorrow) which at the time was pretty groundbreaking. Games have always had what appears to be an unhealthy fascination with killing[1] and to have a game that wanted you to avoid combat and detection was a real shot in the arm to the industry and this stealth mechanic was a breath of fresh air (that became quite stale in the wrong hands, over time) at the time.
The game starts off with a drop into Alaska and one of the early stand-out moments for me was very early on with a helicopter flypast which used, seamlessly, the dual shock rumble effect[2] to simulate the helicopter - here was a game that knew what it was doing. In a post Final Fantasy VII world, the relatively brave decision to avoid FMV was also taken and all cut scenes (of which there are plenty[3]) done within the game world and using the game engine which is obviously not anywhere near as detailed as pre rendered video. This has, ironically, the effect of making the video more affecting and dramatic as you are not taken out of the game at any point. Yes, the characters may not have moving mouths, but it drew me in more.
The gameplay revolved around sneaking into a secret military base, Tactical Espionage Action, which meant avoiding security cameras and security guards until you reached a hostage. The sneaking elements were a revelation, they really were, and there were a number of great action set pieces that tied it all together that were much more typical of the action genre. It was a game with filmic pretension (which is not always appreciated but this was a different time where games were fighting for recognition) and this shown in the way the game is structured around big set pieces, the narrative style and the cut scenes. So here was a game that wanted it all, to have a relatively complex plot, to have the tone and style of a big budget action film, memorably vivid comic book style characters and then layer on gameplay mechanics that were all 100% game styled. I don't think anyone other than Hideo Kojima could pull this off, and nobody really has since then either. There is nothing like the Metal Gear series at all. And, it knows it. And it knows that it knows it. In such a way I am not sure other game directors get self aware and self referential. The game is peppered throughout with regular and classic breakings of the fourth wall. A school friend of mine that I lent the game to at the time, he told me he was stuck fairly early on. This confused me a little, he was a bright guy and almost certainly a better gamer than me so how could he be stuck? He said that he had to find the radio frequency but he could not find the CD case anywhere.
I said “I gave it to you”, which then prompted a confused look.
“It is on the back of the actual CD case, the game box....”
“Oh my god, how did I not think of that?”
Each of the “levels” in the game is essentially leading up to a boss fight in the same way that you would expect of games but you need to pick up different weaponry to keep progressing (in many ways, this feels like a Zelda system of progression) and the bosses usually end up giving you a keycard to unlock the next section. In terms of breaking the fourth wall, the prize has to go to Psycho Mantis who may be my favourite of all videogame characters. As a powerful psychic and spiritual medium he can use the powers of mind reading and telekinesis to play games with your mind. Everyone thinks something is wrong with the console when they reach him as he makes you question what you are seeing and also unquestioningly do his bidding[4] . You don't play Psycho Mantis, he plays you.
I could talk about Metal Gear Solid and the sequels ad nauseum (maybe I already have....) but this was a defining moment in games, of that there is no question. The prequels which I had not heard of also had ideas way ahead of their time and ideas above their station too. I can only wave my hands in the general direction of the astonishing artwork by Yoji Shinkawa that put real life and soul into the world and the promotional stuff.
What a game series. One of a kind and there really is nothing like it.
Minna No Golf - One of the purest feelings in games with a very direct feeling golf game.
Manic Miner - Classic 8-bit platformer
Mario Bros. - The start of a franchise? The single screen game that many have forgotten.
1. This is due in part, historically, to the technical limitations of keeping unnecessary, or “dead” items on screen and then having to use computing power for them even though they do not add to the game.↩
2. The N64 controllers had an optional Rumble Pak to be added to the system later in order to add more immersion to games. Sony followed suite, eventually, with a Dual Shock controller which had both analogue controllers and vibration motors which were still quite new when Metal Gear Solid was released brought in.↩
3. A regular jibe against the series is the length of these cinematics and there is a school of thought that says games should find gameplay methods to tell their stories which I usually agree with but Metal Gear is above criticism. Often, the way this is done in modern games is to have the story still told by non-playable characters within the game but have you still able to walk around but for no reason at all.↩
4. This is undoubtedly a spoiler: In the battle with Psycho Mantis, he proves his telekenisis powers by asking you to place your controller on the floor which he makes move with his mind. Even as you are doing it, you know what is happening but you still do it. This has to be the purest of examples of cognitive dissonance and a willing suspension of disbelief in games. Once the battle starts, and he has shown off enough, he seems to be untouchable and then he just turns the TV off. Your TV. The screen goes black and you get the “video input” sign on your TV. I got up to check and then the normal screen comes back and he is hurting you. It is quite the mind blower and I am not sure a single moment will ever quite touch the purity of that feint in battle.↩
No comments:
Post a Comment