Metal Gear
Description (IGDB)
Metal Gear is considered to be the progenitor of the stealth game genre, it was also the first video game designed by Hideo Kojima, who also directed many of the later Metal Gear sequels. The game revolves around a special forces operative codenamed Solid Snake who goes into a solo infiltration mission into the fortified state of Outer Heaven to destroy Metal Gear, a bipedal walking tank capable of launching nuclear missiles from anywhere in the world. The player must navigate the main character, a military operative codenamed Solid Snake, through various locations, while avoiding visual contact and direct confrontation with patrolling guards. If the player is seen, the game enters the "Alert Mode." In this situation, Snake must escape from enemy's sight in order to resume infiltration. The method of escaping varies depending on the circumstances behind discovery: If Snake is seen and only a single exclamation mark appears over an enemy's head, only the enemies in the player's present screen will attack and Snake can escape by simply moving to an adjacent screen. However, if two exclamation marks appear over the enemy (or the player triggers an alarm by being spotted by a camera, infrared sensor or by using an unsuppressed weapon), reinforcements from off-screen will appear as well. Snake can only escape by eliminating all incoming enemies, going outdoors, or by entering an elevator. The player starts the game unarmed, but eventually acquires firearms such as a Beretta 92F and an M79 grenade launcher, as well as explosives such as remote control missiles and landmines. Ammo and supplies for weapons are limited, but are replenished by picking up ammunition caches or additional supplies. Weapons can not only be used to kill enemies, but also to clear obstacles such as hollow walls and electrified floors. Snake can also use his fists to punch and defeat patrolling enemies. Occasionally, if the player defeats a guard with punches without alerting anyone, the defeated guard will yield a single unit of rations or an ammo box that can be picked up. In addition to enemy guards, the player will also be confronted by mercenaries who will challenge the player to combat, serving as the boss characters. The enemy base consists of three different buildings, with multiple floors (including basement levels) within them. The player uses key cards and other items to unlock doors and explore new areas. Each door will only open to its corresponding key cards. Information can be obtained by rescuing hostages being held within the buildings. After rescuing five hostages, the player's rank will increase by one star (with the maximum rank being four stars), allowing for increased carrying capacity and maximum health. However, if a hostage is killed, the player is demoted to the previous rank. A transceiver is available for the player to communicate with their commanding officer, Big Boss, or one of the resistance members operating covertly near Outer Heaven (Schneider, Diane, and Jennifer). Each of Snake's allies specializes in a specific subject. The player must keep track of their allies' frequency numbers in order to contact them. All of the radio messages are dependent on the rooms where the player is located.
Histoire (IGDB)
Near the end of the 20th century, the West discovers that a weapon of mass destruction is being constructed inside Outer Heaven, a fortified state founded by a "legendary mercenary" 200 km north of Galzburg, South Africa. The special forces unit FOXHOUND sends top agent Gray Fox to infiltrate the fortress, assess the situation and neutralize the threat. FOXHOUND loses contact with Gray Fox a few days later, with his last transmission being "METAL GEAR..." To discover what happened to Gray Fox, FOXHOUND commander Big Boss sends his newest recruit, Solid Snake, into the area in an operation codenamed Intrude N313. Upon insertion into Outer Heaven, Snake makes contact with local resistance members Schneider, Diane, and Jennifer. Using all of his skills and the equipment he procures on site, he manages to rescue Fox. Fox explains that Metal Gear is the codename of a nuclear-equipped bipedal walking tank, which can engage in all forms of combat and launch nuclear weapons from any location. Outer Heaven plans to use Metal Gear to impose itself as the new world superpower. To destroy Metal Gear and topple the Outer Heaven mercenaries, Snake rescues lead Metal Gear engineer Dr. Pettrovich Madnar and his daughter Ellen. The scientist explains how Metal Gear can be destroyed, and Snake takes on Outer Heaven's troops. However, he begins to notice that traps put in his way are too precise, and wonders how information on his activities are being tracked. Big Boss begins to act strangely and eventually tells Snake to abort the mission (breaking the fourth wall by telling the player to turn off the console). Moreover, Schneider is ambushed by hostiles and is presumed dead after losing contact with Snake. Snake penetrates Outer Heaven's main base and takes out Metal Gear before it reaches completion. As he safely escapes the compound's basement, he is confronted by the mercenary leader of Outer Heaven, who turns out to be Big Boss. The corrupt leader reveals that he had been using his connections to steal military intelligence, establish his own mercenary force, and fund his activities. It was his aim to have Outer Heaven become the world's greatest superpower, able to bring even the West to its knees. He had the rookie Snake sent in, hoping to have him captured and feed misinformation to authorities, but had quite obviously underestimated Snake's capabilities. Having lost Metal Gear and much of his force, Big Boss seemingly starts the self-destruct sequence for the compound, and promises he will not die alone; Snake will join him. Snake defeats Big Boss in a last battle and escapes the Outer Heaven compound as it crumbles in flames behind him. After the end credits, a message from Big Boss is displayed saying that he will meet Solid Snake again.
Description en cours d'enrichissement.
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Avis des critiques et joueurs
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« Graphics: 6/10; Storyline: 7/10; Gameplay: 8/10; Atmosphere: 7/10; Music: 8/10; Summary rating: 7/10 »
« Metal Gear is unmatched. Hideo Kojima is god, and I'm so glad this series is coming back! Long live Metal Gear! »
« The best game series bar none. Metal Gear is head and shoulders above everything before it and after it. No other stealth game is better than it. FACT. »
« A great game. It was ahead of its era,Kojima is the GOAT .................... »
« STAINLESS BEGINNING Mini-Review: The first great chapter ever produced in the long-running Metal Gear saga, created in 1986, was built in two different versions, one for MSX and the other for NES. These versions differ primarily in terms of aesthetics and level design, with the Nintendo version being significantly inferior in technical aspects, featuring fewer objects and mechanics. MSX VERSION: The MSX version of the first Metal Gear provides a concise introduction to the game's story. The player will assume the role of Solid Snake, a soldier from the special forces, who is contacted by Big Boss, the leader of an expedition aimed at destroying a new weapon of mass destruction located in Alaska: Metal Gear, a bipedal nuclear-equipped machine. Snake's mission is to destroy this weapon and rescue its creator and his daughter. The gameplay introduced a groundbreaking innovation in the gaming landscape at the time, known as stealth. It's worth noting that for such an early game, the possibility of having multiple gameplay approaches was a significant innovation and surprise, setting a standard for that era and even today. A substantial part of the game features a metroidvania-like structure, where obtaining items allows the player to progress through the game map and access previously inaccessible areas. The game's difficulty, although mitigated by manual save points, is extreme, with several punishing areas and trial-and-error traps, which rightfully transform the experience from entertaining to frustrating. The artificial intelligence, if it can be called that, is sufficiently developed and often leaves room for player maneuvering. One major aspect that would be unacceptable in modern times but was necessary back then to extend gameplay time is the cryptic nature of the game, leading to backtracking loops to progress in the story, resulting in hours spent wasting time trying to find the right path. Furthermore, while the game doesn't force stealth gameplay, it does require rather precise actions, and deviating from them leads to an annoying about-face (especially when dealing with hostages to be saved). All in all, it's an excellent game, characterized by its aesthetics, audio, and gameplay. NES Version: This title is a version very similar to the MSX one, with slight differences in content, such as an initial stage set in a forest and a final stage that replaces the battle against Metal Gear with a computer. Numerous other features have been removed or changed, including some shortcuts, the persistent alarm across several rooms, the checkpoint system, and enemy patterns, as well as the arrangement of items on the map. Finally, the visual aspect is visibly limited by the NES's color capabilities, which are numerically inferior to the MSX. Comparison: As previously emphasized, the MSX version is significantly better in several aspects, including aesthetics, audio, level design, challenge, and contextualization, especially concerning the final boss. Even the button layout is optimized compared to the NES version. The latter version is more punitive, and although the checkpoints work brilliantly at times, it presents a greater challenge. »
« Wspaniała przygoda. Niesamowite jest to, jak gry z takiego rocznika potrafią dać tyle frajdy w tak prostej postaci. W grze uświadczyłem sporą ilość mechanik, ujawniających się stopniowo w trakcie gry, progresywność postaci motywuje do znajdywania kolejnych przedmiotów. Muzyka oraz elementy dźwiękowe pasują do gry idealnie, a oprawa graficzna jest dosyć czytelna jak na rozdzielczość jaką oferuje nam tytuł na PC. Grę uważam za mistrza swoich czasów i grając w takie gry, doświadczamy historii na własne oczy. Mimo pierwotnej obecności na MSX gra daje radę na dzisiejszych standardach sterowania, za co jestem uradowany. »
« A great 8bit stealth action game. Not much more to say about it. (seventy-five) »
