The Official Metal Gear Thread - Part 4

[Tron Bonne]

I thought all the boss battles in PW were kind of like that. Bit too long and tedious. They lacked the coolness and flair of the usual MGS fights.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

Portable Ops definitely has more interesting bosses than Peace Walker.

 

[zenith16]

Hideo Kojima Recommends Starting With Metal Gear Solid 3 As Your First. June 28, 2013 . 8:30am

“I often get asked, ‘Which title one should play if haven’t done MGS series?’” says Metal Gear Solid director, Hideo Kojima.

The original Metal Gear Solid game is 15 years old at this point; and unlike more recent Metal Gear Solid titles, a lot of MGS1 is played from a top-down view.

Series director Hideo Kojima recently shared on Twitter that this matter was brought up while discussing Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection, which compiles all of the main Metal Gear Solid games to date into one package.

Kojima tweeted:

“When the concept of “Legacy Collection” was brought at mtg from sales team, dev side stated that it’d be hard for current user to play MGS1.

Since it’s bird-eye view, you can’t really see the front side which makes it hard to self-adjust for someone accustomed to FPS/TPS.
​

Kojima went on to say that people often ask him which Metal Gear Solid game they should play if they’ve never played the series before. Kojima personally recommends Metal Gear Solid 3, citing the more modern controls as his reasoning. If you like it, he says, move on to Metal Gear Solid 4. Says Kojima:

I often get asked “which title one should play if haven’t done MGS series?”. Play MGS3 as control is more modern, if you liked it then MGS4.

MGS1+2 has camera w/ bird-eye view. If you want to learn the story, then just read the novel.

I’d suggest [Peace Walker] for younger gen, but its hard to play solo unless you do Co-op w/ PSP/online. Hard boss battle if u like to take time and play
​

Kojima also points out that a digital novel for Metal Gear Solids 1 and 2 is included in the Legacy Collection, so you can use that to catch up on those two games. Alternatively, he recommends reading the Metal Gear Solid 4 novel by Keikaku Ito, if you want to learn about the Metal Gear Solid saga.

source: Siliconera

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

A few developers have already requested to remake MGS on FOX. Kojima may as well give one of the older generation MGS games to each.

 

[Benstamania]

since 3 came out, Everytime I replay the series I start with it.. just makes the most sense. I also think it's Kojima favorite.

 

[The Squirrel]

Well those comments don't encourage me to buy the Legacy pack.

 

[BlackFox]

I would love a remake of the original, missed the twin snakes on gamecube sadly.

 

[Soapy]

I can only halfway agree with Kojima on using Snake Eater as an entry point into the series. If you don't know anything about the series and just want to get a taste of it, MGS3 is definitely your best bet. But if you're serious about playing through the series, you have to play them in order of release.

 

[BlackFox]

I can only halfway agree with Kojima on using Snake Eater as an entry point into the series. If you don't know anything about the series and just want to get a taste of it, MGS3 is definitely your best bet. But if you're serious about playing through the series, you have to play them in order of release.

But chronologically isnt MGS3(set in the cold war) the first one, so from a story point of view it would make sense to start on this?

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

Snake Eater reveals plot points established in Sons of Liberty though.

 

[Soapy]

But chronologically isnt MGS3(set in the cold war) the first one

Yes.

so from a story point of view it would make sense to start on this?

No.

Snake Eater builds upon ideas that are introduced in MGS1 and especially 2, and sets up a lot of things for the following game.

Not to imply that Kojima has had this master plan all along, but Snake Eater is where it is in the series for a reason.

 

[VenomSpawn]

Any time I've asked what order to play the games in, every single person has told me to play in release order, and that's how I plan on doing it when I get the Legacy Collection.

 

[Havok83]

But chronologically isnt MGS3(set in the cold war) the first one, so from a story point of view it would make sense to start on this?

Yes it does make sense to start with MGS3. I just did a chronological run of the entire series and MGS3 does serve as an entry point and I would recommend anyone to start with it. It works out well

Yes.
No.

Snake Eater builds upon ideas that are introduced in MGS1 and especially 2, and sets up a lot of things for the following game.

Not to imply that Kojima has had this master plan all along, but Snake Eater is where it is in the series for a reason.

I think the stuff in 2 with the Wisemen's Council makes a heck of a lot more sense having played MGS3 first. Its kind of hard to follow the way 2 presents itself but if you are introduced to the background in 3 before going into 2, it makes the plot much easier to follow. The Philospher's Legacy set the stage for government manipulation and corruption which become very apparent towards the end of 1 and most of 2. It works well playing this first.

Im all for starting with 3. If you do that then you have to go through PW. I think playing through BB's saga helps set the stage for how he is built up to be the greatest soldier ever and that theme is crucial to the series and drives most of the plot in 1 and 2. I think you get a greater sense and purpose for why his genetics were so vital and it helps establish a legacy for Snake. MG 1 and 2 should also be played right after PW and before MGS1 as those introduce Solid and the downfall of BB which is necessary to close out his chapter in the saga and move it into modern day. MGS4 of course wraps this all up and brings things to a conclusion.

Snake Eater reveals plot points established in Sons of Liberty though.

and they don't have any context until you play MGS2. In no way does MGS3 spoil MGS2

 

[Tron Bonne]

There's nothing wrong with starting with MGS3, I guess, but why not just go with the publication history? It is, after all, how they were released.

Portable Ops definitely has more interesting bosses than Peace Walker.

I never played PO. I know it's not well regarded, and it seems Kojima basically dismisses it, but I still wanted to play it. Wished they would've bundled it together with PW in a HD collection instead of with MGS 2 & 3.

I would love a remake of the original, missed the twin snakes on gamecube sadly.

TT is okay. The main issue with it for me is that using the first person mechanic from MGS2 kills basically any type of challenge the first game had. Especially with some of the bosses. That, and a lot of the redone cutscenes are kind of odd. In the first game, Snake seems kind of like a more or less average fellow taking on all these crazies. With TT, he's doing all kinds of weird flips, jumping on top of missiles, and **** like that. It's pretty odd.

 

[Soapy]

At no time should a newcomer to the series attempt what Havok is suggesting. He sounds like a crazy person. No way in hell should anyone jump all over the place like that.

Soapy's Sane Person's Guide to Playing The Metal Gear Series for the First Time in 2013

• Step One (optional): Play Metal Gear 1 and 2.
  • You don't even have to finish them. It's just fun messing around with them to get a sense of how far the series has come.

• Step Two: Play Metal Gear Solid
  • I would suggest playing the original PS1 version because it's widely available, and it's the better version of the game in every respect except graphics.

• Step Three: Play Metal Gear Solid 2

• Step Four: Play Metal Gear Solid 3
  • If given the option, it's crucial to play the Subsistence version.

• Step Five: Play Metal Gear Solid 4

• Step Six (optional): Play Peace Walker
  • I personally wasn't crazy about it, but it's probably fun if you have someone to play co-op with.

• Step Seven (optional): Play Metal Gear Rising

• 
  Step Eight: Get hype for Metal Gear Solid V!

 

[Havok83]

MGS3
MGS PO (Id watch YT of cutscenes or read up on Wiki)
MGS PW

MG
MG2

MGS1
MGS2
MGS4

 

[Benstamania]

I gotta say...I much prefer Twin Snakes in regards to voice acting. Gray Fox's voice actor in Twin Snakes was SO much better than the voice actor in MGS.

Also, wasn't PO pretty much omitted from canon? It hasn't been mentioned really since it came out... I absolutely hated it either way.

 

[Havok83]

I gotta say...I much prefer Twin Snakes in regards to voice acting. Gray Fox's voice actor in Twin Snakes was SO much better than the voice actor in MGS.

Also, wasn't PO pretty much omitted from canon? It hasn't been mentioned really since it came out... I absolutely hated it either way.

It was a direct sequel to MGS3, more so than PW. While it hasn't been referenced much, its still canon. It has several entries which are included in the official MGS Encyclopedia and link back to the plots/characters of the other games

 

[Tron Bonne]

I don't know much about it, but from what I've read, it's not been omitted as much as a lot of has gone ignored or was contradicted. Stuff about The Boss specifically, but I only know what I've read.

 

[Benstamania]

Keep in mind that I also don't like PW much at all either, other than Ghost Babel...Which is apparently not canon, all portable MGS games have been.....Blah. The story was good...But gameplay..Not so much.

I guess it was "ok" if you had friends to play it with...but the clunky controls also didn't help..Not to mention that I don't want a MP story based MGS game. Save MP for...MP.

 

[VenomSpawn]

• Step Six (optional): Play Peace Walker
  • I personally wasn't crazy about it, but it's probably fun if you have someone to play co-op with.
  
  Step Eight: Get hype for Metal Gear Solid V!

Isn't Peace Walker kind of necessary for MGS V?

 

[Tron Bonne]

Keep in mind that I also don't like PW much at all either, other than Ghost Babel...Which is apparently not canon, all portable MGS games have been.....Blah. The story was good...But gameplay..Not so much.

I guess it was "ok" if you had friends to play it with...but the clunky controls also didn't help..Not to mention that I don't want a MP story based MGS game. Save MP for...MP.

Honestly, I never played MP on PW, and I never had an issue. I'm not sure why this was a problem for some people. It made the boss battles drag a little, I guess, but not much else.

What is Ghost Babel? Was that the GBA game?

Isn't Peace Walker kind of necessary for MGS V?

Mainly for the characters involved, but all you have to really know, I think, is that BB started an Outer Heaven-like thing between MGS3 and 5, not much more than that. But yeah, with characters, you should at least google that, especially Paz, who ended up playing a bizarrely big part in PW.

 

[Ramsay Snow]

I'm saddened that I seem to be the only one that really connected with Peace Walker, though. It really is the best one in terms of gameplay and mechanics, in my opinion.

I loved it to bits.

 

[Benstamania]

I just thought the game focused too much on the "have a buddy" aspect. I didn't think it was an absolute must to get through the game...But the obvious emphasis was there. The story is fine...but...the controls and gameplay just threw it for me. The console versions doesn't make it much better anyway. I just wish it would have been built ground up for the consoles to begin with.

 

[Soapy]

What is Ghost Babel? Was that the GBA game?

Yeah. It was just called "Metal Gear Solid" outside of Japan though.

Very similar to the early MSX games.

I really liked that game a lot. I hope it gets put on the eShop at some point.

It also had, in my opinion, the coolest version of Metal Gear to date:

Sort of a hybrid between Rex and Ray.