Game Retrospective: Metal Gear Solid
On the 22nd of February 1999, Metal Gear Solid was released for the Sony PlayStation cross Europe. The game had a launched in Japan and North America the year prior.
Metal Gear Solid was developed by Konami by a team of approximately 35 people with series creator, Hideo Kojima, serving as director, producer and co-writer for the game. It is the third instalment in the series (not counting the 1990 NES-exclusive, stand-alone entry, Snake’s Revenge) and acts as a sequel to both of Kojima’s previous games released for the MSX2 computer: Metal Gear (1987) and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990). It would be the first entry in the series to adopt full-3D graphics.
The game casts the player as highly skilled special operations soldier, Solid Snake, who is brought out of retirement to infiltrate a nuclear weapons disposal facility on the Alaskan island, Shadow Moses. The renegade special-forces group, FOXHOUND, have sieved control of the base and demand the remains of a renowned war hero known as Big Boss, a legendary soldier Snake crossed paths with (and ultimately defeated) during a climactic battle in Metal Gear 2. As the game progresses and the story unfolds, this initial premise deepens, giving way to a rich, multi-layered story, rife with conspiracy, shock reveals and plot-twists. As well as its highly cinematic presentation and narrative, the game is notable for its use of fourth-wall-breaking moments. Such instances include being prompted to swap the game’s disk part-way through, the character Meryl shrugging to camera upon stepping on a mine, and the, now-iconic, fight against FOXHOUND member Psycho Mantis.
Following the release of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Kojima and his team had originally intended for the third Metal Gear game, at this time simply referred to as Metal Gear 3, to release on the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer home video games console, a console that debuted in North America in 1993.
In 1994, the Kojima and his team released the graphic-adventure title, Policenauts, for the PC-9821 home computer in Japan, and soon after began work on a home console port for the 3DO. Several months before this version of the game was due to launch, a preview was released, called the ‘Policenauts: Pilot Disk’. This compilation not only included a playable demo of the game, staff interviews and encyclopaedia entries, but also several pieces of concept art. Two of the included images would turn out to be early designs for Metal Gear 3. One image featured both Solid Snake and Meryl Silverburgh (also a character within Policenauts), while another depicted a gathering of characters, thought by some to be an early version of the FOXHOUND group.
As interest in the 3DO console began to decline, development of Metal Gear 3 shifted to the Sony PlayStation. Kojima and his team would work on PlayStation conversions of both Policenauts and its spiritual predecessor, Snatcher, as an opportunity to get to grips with this new hardware.
At this time, the game also changed its name, becoming Metal Gear Solid. In a 2007 interview with Gamers Today, Kojima states that the word ‘Solid’ in the title has several meanings. “First of all,” he shares, “Solid Snake is a character name. Then Solid also suggests three dimensions — you know, a 3D game.” Kojima has also stated in various interviews that the title ‘Metal Gear 3’ was dropped due to the limited release of the series prior entries. Both of the MSX2 releases, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, had remained Japanese exclusives and it was felt that a direct, numbered sequel would have been somewhat confusing for audiences outside of Japan.
During Metal Gear Solid’s development, the studio continually strived for accuracy and realism. Not only was weapons expert, Motosada Mori, brought on as an advisor, but the team also received SWAT team demonstrations of firearms, vehicles and explosives. Their research also included a visit to the Mojave Desert based, United States military training area, Fort Irwin. Motosada Mori would go on to be a credited military advisor for every subsequent home console Metal Gear Solid entry.
Upon release, the game was an enormous critical and commercial success. The game would eventually sell over 6 million copies and is regularly regarded as one of the best games ever for the original PlayStation.
The game would go on to earn numerous ‘best game’ accolades, as well as securing a place in the Guinness World Records (Gamer’s Edition) for the “Most Innovative Use of a Video Game Controller”, referring the fight with Psycho Mantis. In 2015, the official US PlayStation blog would see Metal Gear Solid voted the best PlayStation game of all time.
🕹Are you a fan of Metal Gear Solid? Which has been your favourite instalment in the franchise? 🕹
