2/5 ★ – zeppo's review of Metal Gear Solid.

Ok, so the atmosphere and voice acting of this game are unmatched. I have no doubt that the reason this series became so iconic was due to the voice cast, the cool twists in the writing, and the distinct tone. It’s graphics are also really cool if you like the PS1, but oh man the gameplay has aged POORLY. It’s mostly the boss fights being so needlessly difficult, but the controls do not help in the slightest. The stealth sections can be fine, but good luck if you’re in a firefight or a shooting section. Also the amount of blatant padding is INSANE, there is an unbelievable amount of backtracking. It’s probably one of the most frustrating games I’ve ever played, which is unfortunate because it’s got such an awesome “action-thriller” vibe going on with so many iconic characters. It just makes me wish the Twin Snakes wasn’t such a bad remake. That way there would be some other definitive way to experience this part of the story. It’s never a good sign when I keep beating a climactic boss near the end and keep saying “please tell me that’s the end of the game”. It’s a shame when the beginning of the game is so strong, but the ending is so drawn out it’s insane. So yeah, won’t be revisiting this one anytime soon.