Metal Gear Solid
Published By: Konami
Reviewed by our British Correspondent Boudicca
8/11/99
Article Discussion Forum
First
Impressions:
The
impression that you get from this game is slickness. Every pore
of the game ooozes quality. You are sucked into the game play effortlessly
with constant radio contact from HQ. Your first task is given to
you and if you dither about it, HQ comes in with a little help -
nice touch.
Graphics:
The
graphics are beautiful, and little touches like the cold breath
of Snake which could give him away, or the puddles on the floor
which make noise if you step into them give the game a touch of
class. There are wonderful weather effects, and vibration in all
the right points if you use the analogue controllers.
Sound/Music:
Vital
in this game - if you play it on "hard" mode the radar is off
and you have to rely purely on your senses, so footsteps, breathing,
howls and engine noise help you find out where the enemy is. The
music is not intrusive and is beautifully engineered to raise
the pulse rate at the right times! The briefings you get from
your Radio are vital, although some of them go on for ever, and
Snake tries to chat up every woman he meets.
Gameplay:
No
puzzles to solve - nothing so intellectual! The weapons were easy
to master and there was more ways to kill people - one of my fellow
gamers found it easy to run around behind one boss and shoot Nikita
Missiles into his back, but me, typically hiding in a corner found
it much easier to set mines and let the baddie blow himself up!
Enjoyment:
I
enjoyed this game BECAUSE of the fact that you DIDN'T have to
kill everyone is sight - although you could if you were so inclined,
and there were many many ways to do so. The buzz was to get in
and infiltrate without being spotted and without having to kill
anyone except the bosses. As I said before - too short but a very
very enjoyable ride.
Multiplayer:
No,
and as it was a stealth mission I cant see anyway it would have
worked.
Overall
Impression:
A
beautiful looking slick game. fun to play - as long as you played
as Snake. The chat became very annoying once I had played it more
than once though and only by pressing action over and over again
could I get to the end of it. Two endings which makes for a more
interesting play - BUT the ending depends on whether you save
the woman...........................
Marketing
Efforts Towards Women:
Are
you joking? This was a testosterone-fest pure and simple, one
American Male against the world and the super baddie (annoyingly
represented by a Brit. Again - what is the American obsession
with sticking the Brit as the baddie?) It was aimed at men and
boys and I don't think they even thought women would WANT to play
it!
|
