I’ve played games since the early 1980s and I’ve never seen anything like Metal Gear Solid — Hideo Kojima demonstrates complete understanding of game design and simultaneously the use of narrative. The game is a stealth game — the philosophy of the game is stealth — stealth isn’t just an option. In MGS, you can fight — but fighting is failure. You can kill — but killing will ruin the experience. You should get through the environment undetected — stealth is the only way to play. The game design supports stealth in every aspect of the game — every aspect of the game design supports stealth.
The story of MGS is absurd — a nuclear-armed cyborg with psychic powers, an experimental soldier with genetic modification, a spy with a convoluted past — but Kojima fully commits to this absurdity and somehow pulls off the impossible — he makes it work. The presentation (the cinematic elements), the voice acting, the cinematics — all of these aspects serve the story in MGS.
In MGS, there is a complete fusion of the narrative and the game mechanics.
What Metal Gear Solid Actually Does
You’re playing as Snake — a special forces operative trying to sneak into a nuclear weapons facility called Shadow Moses to stop a rogue unit from launching a nuclear missile. Your commanding officer is guiding you through the game via codec conversations. You’re finding soldiers with different patrol patterns. You’re managing your equipment (you have a very limited inventory). You’re solving environmental puzzles. You’re preparing for boss battles that require you to have a deep understanding of the game systems.
The stealth mechanics of MGS are conceptually simple, but the mechanical depth of those stealth mechanics are significantly greater. You are controlling visibility based on how much light is in your environment and if you are using adequate cover. You are listening to the radios of the guards via the codec. You are planning out your route through each environment. You are managing your equipment — your inventory is extremely small and will force you to make decisions about what to bring with you that will greatly affect the outcome of your mission.
The game teaches you these mechanics through the gameplay — early missions are simple and easy to navigate, while late-game missions will require you to master the combination of stealth mechanics and environmental puzzle-solving.
Why Stealth Games Did Not Exist Before Metal Gear Solid
Hideo Kojima is the first game designer to fully realise that stealth can be the core of a game — before MGS, stealth games were primarily action games where stealth was merely an option — MGS says “stealth is the only viable option — failure to remain stealthy leads to failure.” In order to achieve this, Kojima had to design every aspect of the game to support this philosophy. A guard AI that would test your planning and preparation. Environmental puzzle design that would encourage exploration and planning. Equipment that supports stealth over combat. A narrative that frames stealth as the only way to complete the objectives of the mission. Every aspect of the game was designed to contribute to a single design goal.
The codec conversations are used for more than simply conveying information to the player — they are also a source of information for the player regarding the character development and world-building of the game. The commanding officer of Snake helps guide Snake through the various obstacles he encounters in the game. He provides Snake with information about the environment and the enemy forces he encounters.
The game uses audio in several sophisticated ways to create a mood and convey important information to the player.
The Narrative Integration That Has Defined Modern Gaming Storytelling
One of the things that stands out to me about MGS is the way in which Kojima integrates the narrative and the gameplay. The narrative is not separate from the gameplay — it is a part of the gameplay.
There are times during the game where the game directly addresses the player — fourth-wall-breaking moments where the player is forced to wonder what is real and what is not. The final battle against Liquid Snake involves mechanics that reference the game itself.
It was a radical approach to integrate the narrative and gameplay in 1998 — prior to MGS, most games told the story through cinematic cut-scenes or text-based dialogue.
By using the game itself as a vehicle to tell the story through the mechanics of the game and direct communication with the player was an innovative approach at the time.
The Voice Acting
David Hayter does a good job of bringing a sense of conviction to every performance as Snake. The supporting cast is equally well done, and the codec conversations between Snake and his commanding officer are written in a sophisticated style that allows the player to develop a connection to the characters even though everything the players hear is solely through audio.
Technical Achievements
The graphics of MGS are far from cutting-edge for 1998 — but the artistic direction of the game is exceptionally strong. Each of the guards in the game has a unique appearance that clearly identifies their function in the environment. The environments themselves are detailed enough to create a believable atmosphere without using overly technical graphical effects. The animation is smooth and conveys the players’ understanding of the status of the characters.
The score of MGS, composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, is excellent. The theme song for the infiltration sequence creates a feeling of tension and urgency. Each of the boss fight themes are memorable and distinct. The credits theme is emotional and provides a sense of closure for the player.
The score of MGS is designed to complement the experience of the game perfectly.
Does Metal Gear Solid Still Work Today?
While the controls may feel somewhat clunky compared to modern standards of control, they are perfectly suited to the slow and deliberate pace of the game. Rushing is failure. The controls are designed to facilitate slow, deliberate movement — fast-paced reflexive responses will not help you succeed in MGS.
The story of MGS is undoubtedly completely absurd — but the commitment to that absurdity is such that the player is completely absorbed in the story. The gameplay is still enjoyable today. The stealth mechanics are still effective today. The boss battles are still creative and challenging. The replayability of MGS comes from the many possible approaches to achieving each objective.
The graphics of MGS are, naturally, old. The character models are rough and primitive compared to modern standards — but the artistic direction of MGS maintains the atmosphere of the game.
How MGS Changed Game Design
MGS demonstrated that stealth can be the central mechanic of a AAA game. It demonstrated that narrative and gameplay can be combined. It demonstrated that games can communicate directly with the player and enhance the player’s experience rather than detract from it. All games that followed MGS learned something new from it.
Dishonoured learned to give the player the freedom to roam around the game world in any way the player chooses. Splinter Cell expanded on the stealth mechanics that MGS introduced and added an action component to them. Every stealth game since MGS has improved on the foundation that MGS established. The ambition of game narratives was largely increased due to the fact that MGS showed that complex storytelling can be achieved in a video game.
Verdict
Metal Gear Solid is a significant game in both its history-making impact and as an experience in and of itself. The stealth design of MGS is innovative and fun. The integration of the narrative and the gameplay of MGS is extraordinary. The boss battles of MGS are creative and challenging. The score of MGS is superior. The voice acting in MGS is among the best. The development of the characters is accomplished entirely through the players’ interactions with them — there is no exposition.
The game’s technical limitations do not negatively affect the experience because the game’s design philosophy is so robust. You are not playing MGS to see the latest in graphical technology — you are playing MGS because the game design and narrative are so exceptional.
If you haven’t played MGS, note that it is a game that is meant to be played at a slow and deliberate pace. MGS is a stealth game — not an action game. Patience will be your greatest asset in MGS.
Rating: 10/10 — MGS is the game that defined stealth and narrative in a comprehensive package.
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