Metal Gear Monday

Gamers don’t finish games. It’s a fact that endures even in the case of the strongest titles; last year it was revealed that BioShock, one of the most critically-acclaimed games of the last decade, was only completed by 50% of players. This was considered exceptionally high for the medium.

It might seem a shock at first, but as soon as any gamer considers their collection it becomes clear. How any games have been bought from word of mouth, or from a slew of enthusiastic reviews, only to be superseded by the next big thing? How many games, just by a minor flaw in their design, have turned off a crowd of people who were, until that point eager to enjoy the experience? A quick chat with any gamer about the software on his shelf will reveal that the percentage of them that he’s completed is miniscule.

I’ve got a similar problem. Maybe mine is a little worse. I buy games for the same reason anyone else does, and I fully intend to enjoy them, as I’ve been ensured I will on many occasions. And yet, I’ve a pile of games at one end of the shelf that I bought at launch, maybe read the manual, and laid aside because I was engrossed in something else. I just haven’t got around to going through them. It’s a pile that contains Beyond Good and Evil, Okami, Shadow of the Colossus and two copies of Deus Ex, for example. It’s a source of shame. But there’s one section that cries out for attention.

Despite owning all three PlayStations and all four games, I’ve never really played Metal Gear Solid.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I’ve played half of the first one. I’ve done that three times. I’ve played some of the opening of MGS2. I’ve watched someone play a bit of 3, and been confused by the Ape Escape monkeys everywhere. I’ve played the first level and a half of MGS4, but stopped. Because I hadn’t played the first three.

Every now and again, I pick up MGS1 and I get part way through it, and then I’m distracted by someone else. I can go through the first few rooms almost like a speed-run, now. But I don’t know how it ends. I’ve never found the card keys. I only know what Metal Gear looks like from press material; I’ve never had that big reveal. And so, in an attempt to finally catch up with gaming culture circa 1998, I’m going to play the games. I’m going to play all the original releases, in order, for at least two hours every Monday, more if I am willing and able. And periodically, I’ll be posting my impressions right here on the site. I’m not going to let my attention wander this time, and by the end of it hopefully I’ll understand what millions of people enjoy so much.

Now, I’m not expecting this to be a solitary exercise. If there are people out there in the same boat as me, I recommend finding a copy of Metal Gear Solid for the PS1 (or on the PS3 PlayStation Store), MGS: The Twin Snakes for GameCube, or MGS: Integral for PC if you can. I’ll be posting my thoughts on the game here for people to read along with if they choose, and I’ll be discussing it on Twitter with the hashtag #MetalGearMonday. If you just want to replay the series, come along and join in.

I’ll see you all here soon for the first Metal Gear Monday chronicle.