How to enjoy Metal Gear Solid

[Jumplion]

Ok, this is why MGS is not a very good gaming franchise.
1. Because the story makes no sense (no I haven't played MGS4 yet, and I know it is supposed to tie up the story nicely, shut up)
2. The gameplay isn't good. The sneaking is unintuitive and the shooting is horrible.
3. You need a GUIDE ON HOW TO ENJOY THE GAME! Let me reiterate: YOU NEED A GUIDE ON HOW TO ENJOY THE GAME.If fanboys have to make a guide on a certain way to play a game to make a game enjoyable, then all is not well. The game should be fun on the get-go. I usually give games about an hour, maybe two if the story is good for the gameplay to get fun. But come on! The whole game controls terribly and the story couldn't even draw me in enough to care! And yes, I have played all of them except 4 all the way through.

Point 1 is untrue. Playing a quadrilogy up to the 3rd game is like watching a 2-hour movie for 45 minutes. The story is incomplete. What you have done is precisely that. So shut the fuck up.

Point 2 is completely opinionated. Whether you like or dislike the game mechanics is down to you, it's not fact. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, it's just that yours is stupid."

Point 3. Again, complete bullshit. I have played through the entire series without a guide or walk through and enjoyed it. Reiteration is not needed, because some people want to know the best ways to enjoy a series while others just enjoy it from the beginning. You may have disliked the series apart from 4 obviously, but that doesn't stop the fact that you are talking complete and utter shit. Not once have you even had the consideration on others to elaborate on any of your points to the extent that we have a detailed explanation as to why you hated the controls and the sneaking so much. Not once have you had a valid argument. So why not think again?

I would just like to emphasize on what Crap_haT said:

!. I agree with C_h on this one, playing only 3 games in the quadrillogy and saying the story doesn't make any sense is like watching a 2 hour movie for 45 minutes. I have not played a single MGS game before the 4th one and i understood the plot almost perfectly. I bet even if i didn't read a couple of character synopsis or some background information, i would still know what's going on. And even some of the information was already known, like about Liquid and Ocelot and of course i already knew about Metal Gear.

@. Extremely opinionated. During the short playthrough of MGS in MGS4 (later on in the game) the only reason why i sucked at it was because i was used to the controls in MGS4 and not in the previous games. It was still fun doing it though.

#. I played through MGS4 without a guide (excluding 2 boss fights. They scared the crap out of me and i probably would have known how to beat them if i thought a bit though). I'd say that the game is even better if you complete it without a guide.

 

[Proto Cloud]

Ok, this is why MGS is not a very good gaming franchise.
1. Because the story makes no sense (no I haven't played MGS4 yet, and I know it is supposed to tie up the story nicely, shut up)
2. The gameplay isn't good. The sneaking is unintuitive and the shooting is horrible.
3. You need a GUIDE ON HOW TO ENJOY THE GAME! Let me reiterate: YOU NEED A GUIDE ON HOW TO ENJOY THE GAME.If fanboys have to make a guide on a certain way to play a game to make a game enjoyable, then all is not well. The game should be fun on the get-go. I usually give games about an hour, maybe two if the story is good for the gameplay to get fun. But come on! The whole game controls terribly and the story couldn't even draw me in enough to care! And yes, I have played all of them except 4 all the way through.

Point 1 is untrue. Playing a quadrilogy up to the 3rd game is like watching a 2-hour movie for 45 minutes. The story is incomplete. What you have done is precisely that. So shut the fuck up.

Point 2 is completely opinionated. Whether you like or dislike the game mechanics is down to you, it's not fact. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, it's just that yours is stupid."

Point 3. Again, complete bullshit. I have played through the entire series without a guide or walk through and enjoyed it. Reiteration is not needed, because some people want to know the best ways to enjoy a series while others just enjoy it from the beginning. You may have disliked the series apart from 4 obviously, but that doesn't stop the fact that you are talking complete and utter shit. Not once have you even had the consideration on others to elaborate on any of your points to the extent that we have a detailed explanation as to why you hated the controls and the sneaking so much. Not once have you had a valid argument. So why not think again?

Your movie analogy is flawed, it would be watching a hour and a half of a two hour flick. 3/4 of 2 hours.

 

[Apone]

To play the original MG and MG@ games get MGS3 Subsistence (the later released edition of the game with bonus content discs). It had the original games on it and you can play them on your PS2. I didn't have much luck with them though, Kinda tricky and I was pre-occupied with re-playing the glory of MGS3.

 

[Proto Cloud]

Ok, this is why MGS is not a very good gaming franchise.
1. Because the story makes no sense (no I haven't played MGS4 yet, and I know it is supposed to tie up the story nicely, shut up)
2. The gameplay isn't good. The sneaking is unintuitive and the shooting is horrible.
3. You need a GUIDE ON HOW TO ENJOY THE GAME! Let me reiterate: YOU NEED A GUIDE ON HOW TO ENJOY THE GAME.If fanboys have to make a guide on a certain way to play a game to make a game enjoyable, then all is not well. The game should be fun on the get-go. I usually give games about an hour, maybe two if the story is good for the gameplay to get fun. But come on! The whole game controls terribly and the story couldn't even draw me in enough to care! And yes, I have played all of them except 4 all the way through.

Point 1 is untrue. Playing a quadrilogy up to the 3rd game is like watching a 2-hour movie for 45 minutes. The story is incomplete. What you have done is precisely that. So shut the fuck up.

Point 2 is completely opinionated. Whether you like or dislike the game mechanics is down to you, it's not fact. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, it's just that yours is stupid."

Point 3. Again, complete bullshit. I have played through the entire series without a guide or walk through and enjoyed it. Reiteration is not needed, because some people want to know the best ways to enjoy a series while others just enjoy it from the beginning. You may have disliked the series apart from 4 obviously, but that doesn't stop the fact that you are talking complete and utter shit. Not once have you even had the consideration on others to elaborate on any of your points to the extent that we have a detailed explanation as to why you hated the controls and the sneaking so much. Not once have you had a valid argument. So why not think again?

Your movie analogy is flawed, it would be watching a hour and a half of a two hour flick. 3/4 of 2 hours.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Just pretend you're playing hide and go seek.

 

[pieeater911]

"/facepalm.

The trick to enjoying MGS? realise it is MGS and it likes to give a bick fat middle finger to convention.

"i'm not like other games" it says boldly "so shut the hell up or buy me!"

Realising that MGS is and always will be MGS is the way i find i can get most hardcore haters to appreciate it."

I appreciate the fact that it is trying to be different. We all know that they are too many unoriginal games flooding the industry. But trying to "realise it is MGS and it likes to give a bick(?) fat middle finger to convention" doesn't stop it having bad shooting mechanics. Just because it is different does not necessarily make it good.


"Realising that MGS is and always will be MGS is the way i find i can get most hardcore haters to appreciate it." What the hell does that even mean? Metal Gear Solid is Metal Gear Solid?.... Well, that defiantly is the title. Just because you say the title is the title does not make "haters" "appreciate" it.
And when the games are so damn boring that I feel as if I am being tortured while playing the last half of the second one and having to force myself to finish the third one while still not having any kind of fun, then why on earth would I even bother playing the fourth (aside from the fact that the PS3 is a $500 doorstop)?

 

[Grampy_bone]

I remember playing MGS1 and how impressed and enthralled I was that the game had 15 minutes of videos and dialogue devoted entirely to setting up the story, setting, and characters. I was like, "Wow, they put a lot of thought into this, not like most games where the story is just tossed in half-assed to justify the gameplay." Not everybody likes taut, political, military dramas; if you find MGS to be boring there are plenty of less complex games for you to enjoy, like Space Invaders.

When I was playing MGS4 my roommate sat and watched me play during Act 3 where you need to tail the guy through the city.

My roommate exclaimed, "What the fuck!? I have been watching you play this game for fifteen minutes and you haven't killed ANYTHING! This game SUCKS!"

He was (mostly) kidding, but you hear this kind of thing a lot whenever the MGS games come up. I find this "criticism" both amusing and bewildering; like every game must include a specific game mechanic which a specific player enjoys, regardless of the game's genre or target audience.

I mean, no one will ever say, "What the fuck!? I have been watching you play this game for fifteen minutes and you haven't thrown a basketball into a hoop yet! This game SUCKS!"

Why the hell must every game involve killing the shit out of everything you see, and being rewarded for it? If you don't like stealth games don't play stealth games; it doesn't mean all stealth games are bad. Same goes for plot and story; if you don't like games with plots, don't play them. It's as simple as that. Don't sit there complaining that your apple doesn't taste like an orange, then get indignant when everyone calls you an idiot.

 

[Alphavillain]

I'd say marinate in the game for as long as possible and play on the Hard setting, giving it a go at actually doing the whole sneaky sneaky thing instead of just shooting everything that moves. Watch the cutscenes and baste yourself real good in its verbose gamey juices (sorry, enough of the food references). Don't rush through the game, because the first time you play is by far the best.

 

[Alphavillain]

Here's the secret:
Metal Gear is all about melodrama.

Everyone talks about the complexity of Metal Gear. They talk about how complex the plot is (wrong, it's just convoluted). They talk about how complex the characters are (wrong, they're paper-thin stock characters with extremely superficial motivations).

Everyone talks about how badass Snake is. Like most videogame characters, he can take a bullet and not slow down, which makes him vastly more badass than any real human being, but he's really no more so than any typical videogame hero who can ignore wounds. In fact, he spends just as much time angsting and complaining as the hated Raiden, but fans tolerate it when Snake does it because he talks through clenched teeth. And he's not blond.

Everyone talks about the stealth gameplay. But MGS is only one-third game. It's also one-third radio play (codec conversations) and one-third movie (cutscenes). So two-thirds of the whole experience have absolutely nothing to do with gameplay and everything to do with... melodrama.

Melodrama is really what MGS is about. It's about bosses who deliver 15-minute long death speeches. It's about plot twists whose only purpose is to make things more angsty for the protagonist. It's about SHOCKING BETRAYALS! It's about high romance and high tragedy. It's theatrical, not cinematic.

To enjoy MGS, you have to get yourself into a mindset that is prepared to accept these things. Suspend your disbelief. Yeah, real people don't talk like that, but this is the land of Metal Gear, which borders on the lands of 1940s radio plays and penny dreadful novels. It's pulpy, it's soapy, it's massively exaggerated and way, way over the top.

It's Metal Gear. That's just how it is.

Either you can enjoy that or you can't. Most can't, and that's nothing to feel bad about. Matter of taste. You're not necessarily missing anything if you can't get into it. Let us know how it turns out for you.

Brilliant points there. MGS is indeed a melodrama, and I agree that it is wrong to mistake convoluted-ness (convulusion?) for complexity: it's a distinction that is hardly ever made in relation to this series.

 

[Jumplion]

I remember playing MGS1 and how impressed and enthralled I was that the game had 15 minutes of videos and dialogue devoted entirely to setting up the story, setting, and characters. I was like, "Wow, they put a lot of thought into this, not like most games where the story is just tossed in half-assed to justify the gameplay." Not everybody likes taut, political, military dramas; if you find MGS to be boring there are plenty of less complex games for you to enjoy, like Space Invaders.

When I was playing MGS4 my roommate sat and watched me play during Act 3 where you need to tail the guy through the city.

My roommate exclaimed, "What the fuck!? I have been watching you play this game for fifteen minutes and you haven't killed ANYTHING! This game SUCKS!"

He was (mostly) kidding, but you hear this kind of thing a lot whenever the MGS games come up. I find this "criticism" both amusing and bewildering; like every game must include a specific game mechanic which a specific player enjoys, regardless of the game's genre or target audience.

I mean, no one will ever say, "What the fuck!? I have been watching you play this game for fifteen minutes and you haven't thrown a basketball into a hoop yet! This game SUCKS!"

Why the hell must every game involve killing the shit out of everything you see, and being rewarded for it? If you don't like stealth games don't play stealth games; it doesn't mean all stealth games are bad. Same goes for plot and story; if you don't like games with plots, don't play them. It's as simple as that. Don't sit there complaining that your apple doesn't taste like an orange, then get indignant when everyone calls you an idiot.

I can give a perfect example of this.

My friend with an Xbox360 bought the Orange Box. I loved him for that (in a manly way) and i wanted to play Portal as soon as i could with good reason as I've heard many great things about it. But my friend hated portal and i couldn't find out why. So I finaly went to his house and we played Portal, and he kept on complaining that "When are you going to shoot something? OH WAIT, you can't!" and other stuff like that. He was slightly joking also but most of it was serious.

I was appalled at him, i loved Portal for it's cleverness and such but it was so annoying that he didn't like Portal just because you don't kill anyone in the game.

 

[Novan Leon]

On my approach to MG/MGS, I decided to relax and take my time to play each of the games beginning with the first. I'm currently playing Metal Gear (the original) and I'm actually loving it, which is amazing given that the graphics and sound are essentially the equivalent of the original NES, but the gameplay is really very good. Of course Metal Gear really doesn't have any genuine cutscenes, so this may be why I'm liking it so much, but we'll see.

I'm keeping a notebook at my side to scribble down notes whenever there is plot oriented dialogue or I learn something new about one of the characters. I figure if I keep this up through all the games, it may help me understand some of the more complex plot turns that occur in the later games. Plus, it'll give me something to do while I'm watching some of the longer cutscenes.

I'll probably choose to play most of the games in the harder/hardest difficulty since it seems like this really enforces the stealth play that the games are known for. I'm going to take it at an easy pace and try to enjoy them. If I get irritated or bored I'll just take a break for a while and come back to it. After a while It'll either become unbearable, causing me to quit, or I may actually begin to enjoy them for what they are. We'll see how it works out.

Thanks for the excellent advice guys.

BTW, Portal is awesome (and I think it's one of the few games Yahtzee has actually praised!).

 

[apmpnmdslkbk]

I have played all (at least to my knowledge) of the mgs games and I have found that the best way to enjoy it is to pay as little attention to the story as possible. Maybe its because I am a C student but I cant understand the story at all. I asked my (mgs obsesed freind) to try and explain the plot to me and three hours later I had shot myself in the leg and I still dont remember why I shot myself I must have been in such a state of confusion (from the crazy sensless plot) that I couldnt remember anything and maybe even went crazy for a second.

In short its a fun game and the only way to fully enjoy it is to skip the story and just enjoy the game.

 

[ElegantSwordsman]

The most important part of enjoying the MSG series is to allow yourself to get drawn into the story, and boy is it a deep one. There's so many double-crosses in this one you'll need a spreadsheet to keep track of who's on what side. My advice would be to play them in the order of the game's timeline so you're not totally lost. Start with MSG3, then Portable Ops (PSP), then MSG1, 2, and 4 in that order. Should help keep things clearer and you'll feel like you're acting out some epic movie.

As for enjoying the games themselves, try to play through fast in a half-assed way on an easier setting once. This will let you get used to the controls, enemy locations, etc. You'll have a lot more fun the second time around I guarantee.

 

[Grampy_bone]

I remember playing MGS1 and how impressed and enthralled I was that the game had 15 minutes of videos and dialogue devoted entirely to setting up the story, setting, and characters. I was like, "Wow, they put a lot of thought into this, not like most games where the story is just tossed in half-assed to justify the gameplay." Not everybody likes taut, political, military dramas; if you find MGS to be boring there are plenty of less complex games for you to enjoy, like Space Invaders.

When I was playing MGS4 my roommate sat and watched me play during Act 3 where you need to tail the guy through the city.

My roommate exclaimed, "What the fuck!? I have been watching you play this game for fifteen minutes and you haven't killed ANYTHING! This game SUCKS!"

He was (mostly) kidding, but you hear this kind of thing a lot whenever the MGS games come up. I find this "criticism" both amusing and bewildering; like every game must include a specific game mechanic which a specific player enjoys, regardless of the game's genre or target audience.

I mean, no one will ever say, "What the fuck!? I have been watching you play this game for fifteen minutes and you haven't thrown a basketball into a hoop yet! This game SUCKS!"

Why the hell must every game involve killing the shit out of everything you see, and being rewarded for it? If you don't like stealth games don't play stealth games; it doesn't mean all stealth games are bad. Same goes for plot and story; if you don't like games with plots, don't play them. It's as simple as that. Don't sit there complaining that your apple doesn't taste like an orange, then get indignant when everyone calls you an idiot.

I can give a perfect example of this.

My friend with an Xbox360 bought the Orange Box. I loved him for that (in a manly way) and i wanted to play Portal as soon as i could with good reason as I've heard many great things about it. But my friend hated portal and i couldn't find out why. So I finaly went to his house and we played Portal, and he kept on complaining that "When are you going to shoot something? OH WAIT, you can't!" and other stuff like that. He was slightly joking also but most of it was serious.

I was appalled at him, i loved Portal for it's cleverness and such but it was so annoying that he didn't like Portal just because you don't kill anyone in the game.

Yeah, I just don't get these people. I mean, do some research before you buy a product. If you know for a fact what you want out of a game (shooting people) then you should be damn sure a game involves this before you buy it. If Portal had been advertised as the "Killfest of the year" then maybe he would have a point.

 

[Jumplion]

I remember playing MGS1 and how impressed and enthralled I was that the game had 15 minutes of videos and dialogue devoted entirely to setting up the story, setting, and characters. I was like, "Wow, they put a lot of thought into this, not like most games where the story is just tossed in half-assed to justify the gameplay." Not everybody likes taut, political, military dramas; if you find MGS to be boring there are plenty of less complex games for you to enjoy, like Space Invaders.

When I was playing MGS4 my roommate sat and watched me play during Act 3 where you need to tail the guy through the city.

My roommate exclaimed, "What the fuck!? I have been watching you play this game for fifteen minutes and you haven't killed ANYTHING! This game SUCKS!"

He was (mostly) kidding, but you hear this kind of thing a lot whenever the MGS games come up. I find this "criticism" both amusing and bewildering; like every game must include a specific game mechanic which a specific player enjoys, regardless of the game's genre or target audience.

I mean, no one will ever say, "What the fuck!? I have been watching you play this game for fifteen minutes and you haven't thrown a basketball into a hoop yet! This game SUCKS!"

Why the hell must every game involve killing the shit out of everything you see, and being rewarded for it? If you don't like stealth games don't play stealth games; it doesn't mean all stealth games are bad. Same goes for plot and story; if you don't like games with plots, don't play them. It's as simple as that. Don't sit there complaining that your apple doesn't taste like an orange, then get indignant when everyone calls you an idiot.

I can give a perfect example of this.

My friend with an Xbox360 bought the Orange Box. I loved him for that (in a manly way) and i wanted to play Portal as soon as i could with good reason as I've heard many great things about it. But my friend hated portal and i couldn't find out why. So I finaly went to his house and we played Portal, and he kept on complaining that "When are you going to shoot something? OH WAIT, you can't!" and other stuff like that. He was slightly joking also but most of it was serious.

I was appalled at him, i loved Portal for it's cleverness and such but it was so annoying that he didn't like Portal just because you don't kill anyone in the game.

Yeah, I just don't get these people. I mean, do some research before you buy a product. If you know for a fact what you want out of a game (shooting people) then you should be damn sure a game involves this before you buy it. If Portal had been advertised as the "Killfest of the year" then maybe he would have a point.

Tis a shame, and so far this has happend to me more than once. Ironically (or UNironically), perhaps, they were all Xbox360 owners <_<; It's sad that we gamers don't want this generalization to be present yet many of us gamers are that generalization.

 

[Evil Lawyer]

Figures this would turn into a fight between Metal Gear lovers and haters. But thus far, no one has really answered one of the original questions, and that was where to find Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2. If you have the Essentials pack, you will find both games included on the MGS3 disc.

Someone did mention it earlier, but they just said MGS Subsistence. Hopefully my statement is a bit clearer and you can easily find the games.

Also, trying to start with the series with MGS2 is sure-fire trip to the land of confusion/frustration. Start from Metal Gear (since you now know where to find it) and go from there.

 

[Novan Leon]

Figures this would turn into a fight between Metal Gear lovers and haters. But thus far, no one has really answered one of the original questions, and that was where to find Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2. If you have the Essentials pack, you will find both games included on the MGS3 disc.

Someone did mention it earlier, but they just said MGS Subsistence. Hopefully my statement is a bit clearer and you can easily find the games.

Also, trying to start with the series with MGS2 is sure-fire trip to the land of confusion/frustration. Start from Metal Gear (since you now know where to find it) and go from there.

Are you 100% positive about the Essentials pack including Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2? Do you own the Essentials pack yourself? It was my understanding that the Essentials pack did NOT include MG/MG2. MGS3 included a second disk with bonus content including MG/MG2, however, the Essentials pack only includes the first disk from the game.

Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Jumplion]

I know what IS essential, downloading the MGS Database add-on.

It's a whole encyclopedia on the games from start to finish. It keeps out the information regarding MGS4 until you beat the game.

I suggest you download it sometime, it will definatly help you understand the plot if you're stuck. And it has some information MG and MG2

 

[Evil Lawyer]

Figures this would turn into a fight between Metal Gear lovers and haters. But thus far, no one has really answered one of the original questions, and that was where to find Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2. If you have the Essentials pack, you will find both games included on the MGS3 disc.

Someone did mention it earlier, but they just said MGS Subsistence. Hopefully my statement is a bit clearer and you can easily find the games.

Also, trying to start with the series with MGS2 is sure-fire trip to the land of confusion/frustration. Start from Metal Gear (since you now know where to find it) and go from there.

Are you 100% positive about the Essentials pack including Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2? Do you own the Essentials pack yourself? It was my understanding that the Essentials pack did NOT include MG/MG2. MGS3 included a second disk with bonus content including MG/MG2, however, the Essentials pack only includes the first disk from the game.

Can anyone confirm this?

I can confirm that I am an idiot, hehe. You are correct, the Essentials pack DOES NOT have either MG or MG2. My brother misinformed me when he purchased it, saying both MGS2 and MGS3 where the expanded ones with all the fancy extras added in like VR missions and the other games. I just called him and asked him, and he said he was wrong. So I was also wrong.


You can find Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 on the MGS3 Subsistence game. It's a cheap buy at any used game store if they have one in stock.