# Metal Gear Solid for PS1: Am I the only one that didnt like it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 4, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652 "2001-09-04T12:59:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Phlip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlip)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/1 "2001-09-04T12:59:45Z")
I know this is an old game, but I have been thinking about my experience with it for a week now and I must share my thoughts. I read TONS of rave reviews of this game. I will agree that the idea is fabulous. Indeed, the gameplay was fabulous. But the thing that I couldnt STAND about that game was the fact that for every 5 minutes of play time, you would sit through 7 minutes of dialouge. Dont get me wrong, the story was great too. But man, as soon as I would start getting into the action, the system would go on auto-pilot for 10 minutes. I got bored. If I wanted to watch a movie I woulda rented Commando šŸ˜‰ . I wanted to play a kick ass game though, cause I loved the ones on NES. I feel as though I am the only person in the world that had anything negative to say about this old game. Any Dopers feel the same way? Please? ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/2 "2001-09-04T14:52:35Z")
Never played the game but thought Iā€™d give you a bump anyway. Iā€™ve heard that complaint before, though, along with the criticism that you can beat the game in a ridiculously short time. I had much the same problem with Xenogears. Great gameā€“but waaaay too much exposition. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/3 "2001-09-04T15:07:51Z")
It was a semi-interesting game which I grew tired of playing before beating it. Never got passed the Sniper wolf chick. I was very amused (and also amazingly frustrated) by the tactic to use when fighting the psychic guy. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/4 "2001-09-04T18:56:53Z")
Speaking as a big fan, Iā€™ll just say that the problem sounds like youā€™re focused on the destination more than the journey. Blowing through the entire game in 1.5 hours (or whatever) is missing the point. Yeah, the cinemas are long, but theyā€™re the rewards you get for solving the action sequences. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/5 "2001-09-04T21:08:04Z")
I actively didnā€™t like the game. I prefer first- and third-person shooters, if Iā€™m going to play that sort of thing- and the camera system they used in MG:S just pissed me off. I canā€™t STAND not being able to see more than ten feet or so in front of my character. Thanks to that, I couldnā€™t play the game at all. ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/6 "2001-09-04T22:14:45Z")
Yeah, it is actually a pretty short game, without the movies. I remember one review telling me openly that if I rushed it Iā€™d wreck it. Apparently the Japanese like their games short and sweet. As it turned out I never could get my PS1 to load the second disc, so Iā€™m still waiting to play it. My PC wouldnā€™t even run the _demo_. Does it often happen that demos donā€™t work but the full game does? I donā€™t want to buy it and regret it. I know I could return it but itā€™d be a waste of calories. Oh, btw, loved it. _LOVED_ it. Best game since _Gran Turismo_. ---
**Author:** ![Phlip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Phlip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlip)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/7 "2001-09-05T02:00:58Z")
I guess I did like the game for what it was worth. And the cinemas would have been great if there would have been more action to even it out. that is all I am saying. It was unbalanced ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/8 "2001-09-05T02:16:28Z")
Like **Phlip** , I saw all the reviews praising this game. I bought it. Liked the action, but as in the OP, I was severely annoyed by the long interruptions of watching the characters talk to each other. Actually, I was hoping that this game would be kind of like **Thief: The Dark Project** , a great first-person sneaker for the computer game. After all, the main character in **Metal Gear Solid** is not supposed to be spotted by the enemy, right? Alas, the ā€œsneaking aroundā€ aspect of this game wasnā€™t handled nearly as well. Havenā€™t played it since I finished the entire storyline. I _loved_ the music that played during the closing credits. Iā€™ve gone back to the last save spot before the gameā€™s end and played from there just to hear that music again. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/9 "2001-09-05T02:41:37Z")
My two biggest complaints about the game were this: too short, and that %&%_&^&%%#^%_ TORTURE SCENE! I only ever did that once. Any other time I used my saved games to get past it or just got the bad ending. But anyway, I loved the game and am about to pre-order number 2. I bought Zone of the Enders just for the demo. Itā€™s going to be amazing and not just because of the graphics. Thereā€™s so many plot twists to be resolved, and thereā€™s already quite a debate about it based on the 2 official trailers. But I really hope that Meryl is in fact in the game again, although I personally think she isnā€™t. She was my favorite character in the first game. If you are a serious gamer, check out [gamefaqs.com](http://gamefaqs.com) or usenet, because thereā€™s WAY too many plot theories and facts for me to go over here. Hideo Kojima is quite a story teller (even if he copped out by ending Zone of the Enders the way he didā€“much too soon and with nothing really resolved). ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/10 "2001-09-05T02:43:08Z")
I was a longtime fan of the old NES game. So I nearly peed my pants ten year later when I read all the awesome verdicts from the critics who previewed MGS. I am a big fan of Metal Gear Solidā€“but yes, I do understand, and donā€™t blame anyone whoā€™s upset with all the lengthly cinema. I still love it. But ā€˜actionā€™? Noā€¦I wouldnā€™t call it an action game. I would call it an ā€˜interactive movieā€™. I feel that this label gives it a closer definition to what it really is. -Ashley ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/11 "2001-09-05T03:00:46Z")
Too short? One and a half hours to finish MGS? You guys must be some real power gamers. I was happy finishing FF9 without a single cheat. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Raven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@The\_Raven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/12 "2001-09-05T03:52:14Z")
As far as the story goes, yes its a great game. More of a movie than a game, but still pretty fun. My favorite thing about it actually was some funny ā€˜outtakesā€™ somebody wrote and posted someplace in my destroyed bookmarks (argh!)ā€¦ paraphrasing some of them: \ \ Solid Snake: You donā€™t even have your finger on the trigger, rookie. Girl: Iā€™m not a wookie! Rookie! Ah, dangā€¦ \ Intercon thing: Ok, Snake, grenade the hatch of the tank! Snake: Got it \ Intercom: Oops, chaff grenades first. My bad. Vulcan Raven: (opens tank hatch): Is he supposed to be lying there bleeding like that? \ Intercom: Ok, chaff grenades first, then take out the hatch! Snake: Er, got it. \ Intercom: Argh! Chaff and take out the treads!! Iā€™ll get it right next time, I swear! Vulcan Raven: Ew. Iā€™m not cleaning this up And, my personal favorite, the torture scene! \ Revolver Ocelot: ā€¦the hell?? \ Solid Snake: \ Ow. Ow. Revolver Ocelot: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS STUPID PIECE OF MONKEY CRA-oh, dopey me, forgot to plug it in! Solid Snake: Owā€¦YEEEEAAAAAARRRRGHGH!! ---
**Author:** ![rpinrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@rpinrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rpinrd)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/13 "2001-09-05T04:00:24Z")
I liked MGS ok, but it wasnā€™t my favorite of that type. My absolute favorites were Syphon Filter I and II. Neither ever got as much press as MGS, but, in my opinion, for actual game play, either of those beat the pants off MGS. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/14 "2001-09-05T06:10:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlip \* > \*\* > > I feel as though I am the only person in the world that had anything negative to say about this old game. > > Any Dopers feel the same way? Please? \*\* I enjoyed Metal Gear Solid in spite of the fact that I hated all the dialogue and cut scenes. It might not have been so bad had the script not been so horrible. I have a real hard time listening to characters wax philosophically about nuclear war while Snake has been breaking necks throughout the whole game. And I especially got annoyed at the end when I had to fight that guy 3-4 times. Hand to hand, while heā€™s in the mech, and then again while heā€™s chasing you in a jeep. Did I miss one? But it was a pretty darn good game when you got to play it. Hopefully the next version will have a better script and more game play. Marc ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-gear-solid-for-ps1-am-i-the-only-one-that-didnt-like-it/79652/15 "2001-09-06T00:00:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Atreyu \* > Actually, I was hoping that this game would be kind of like **Thief: The Dark Project** , a great first-person sneaker for the computer game. After all, the main character in **Metal Gear Solid** is not supposed to be spotted by the enemy, right? Alas, the ā€œsneaking aroundā€ aspect of this game wasnā€™t handled nearly as well. Well, technically nitpicking, but itā€™s _impossible_ to go through the game without being spotted at several times. Sneaking about and being spotted infrequently is just _one_ of the measures of skill at the game ā€“ you can also get recognized for killing a **lot** of enemies, or completing it quickly, for instance. The code names given at the end are given out according to your performance, IIRC. > [@](#): > > I _loved_ the music that played during the closing credits. Iā€™ve gone back to the last save spot before the gameā€™s end and played from there just to hear that music again. You know you can order the soundtrack, right? That tune is called ā€œThe Best Is Yet To Come,ā€ and itā€™s definitely a winner.