MGS = SC?

[ATB]

As I look at some of the venerable PS2 franchises, I've naturally come to Metal Gear Solid.

It's intriguing and I find lots of cutscenes a bonus, not a drawback.

Questions about MGS

1. Metal Gear Solid 2 is very highly rated on Gamespot.  Typical question: If I haven't played a MG game since MG2 on the NES, will I be lost if I pick up with Part 2?

2. MGS2 was redone for the Xbox and subtitled substance.  If I'm going to pick one up, which should I get?

3. Is MGS just a sneaking game like Splinter Cell?

Thanks again.

[Jumangi]

3. Is MGS just a sneaking game like Splinter Cell?

Mostly but its a very diffrent "feel" than the SC games. At least to me it was.

[TheMissingLink]

1. Metal Gear Solid 2 is very highly rated on Gamespot.  Typical question: If I haven't played a MG game since MG2 on the NES, will I be lost if I pick up with Part 2?

Even if you played MGS for the PSX you'd probably be lost  :lol:  It's a pretty confusing storyline, but I don't think you'd lose enjoyment if you skipped the original.

2. MGS2 was redone for the Xbox and subtitled substance.  If I'm going to pick one up, which should I get?

My playthrough of MGS2 was with the Xbox version of Substance and it worked out very well.  No complaints.  I think it just adds little missions you can playthrough if you wish on the title screen, a mode to fight all the bosses, the ability to collect dogtags, etc.  I see no reason to pick up the original if Substance is out.

FWI, there is a PS2 version of Substance, but it's somewhat rare (and I just unloaded my copy of that for $30 on eBay).

And Kevin Grey seems to be the MGS-expert around these parts, so I'd get a reply from him to trump the rest of the replies

3. Is MGS just a sneaking game like Splinter Cell?

It is so much more than just a sneaking game...sneaking does take up a large portion of it, though.  You can probably run & gun through most of the game, I'd say.  It would be somewhat harder, but possible.  At its core, it's a sneaking game, but with the awesome boss battles and whatnot, it isn't strictly sneak, sneak, sneak 100% of the time.

Also, if you DO want to play through the series chronologically, I'd pick up the Twin Snakes (only for GameCube if you own one) and play through that first.  I've tried playing the original PSOne game, and I just love the way Twin Snakes plays.

[Kevin Grey]

Questions about MGS

1. Metal Gear Solid 2 is very highly rated on Gamespot.  Typical question: If I haven't played a MG game since MG2 on the NES, will I be lost if I pick up with Part 2?

2. MGS2 was redone for the Xbox and subtitled substance.  If I'm going to pick one up, which should I get?

3. Is MGS just a sneaking game like Splinter Cell?

Thanks again.

1.  Yes, you will be lost.  It is a direct sequel to the MGS1 and both feature very complex (and occasionally wacky) plots.  MGS2 is also probably the most love-hate game of the generation- despite the many high reviews, a lot of people *hated* it with every ounce of their being.  Personally, it's one of my favorite games of the generation.  

2.  Get the PS2 MGS2: Substance.  More content than the Xbox version and it actually has better performance- these games were built around the PS2 architecture and didn't really port well to Xbox.  

3.  No.  They are both sneaking games but their approach is pretty different.  Splinter Cell is much more akin to Thief than MGS in terms of playstyle.  MGS isn't built around the idea of staying in the shadows like Thief or SC, though MGS3 does introduce a camoflague system that is somewhat similar.  

My recommendation- start with either MGS1 for the PS1 or MGS3.  MGS3 is actually a prequel to the rest of the series so no prior knowledge is necessary.  Plus, MGS3 was just re-released in a value packed version this past week called MGS3:Subsistance that features the full main game, a new more conventionally controlled camera, cutscene theater, new online mode, and newly translated versions of the 8 Bit era Metal Gear 1 & 2.   Probably the best "Special Edition" release of a game ever.  

MGS1 for the PSX still holds up pretty well, though I would recommend the MGS: The Twin Snakes remake on the Cube if you had that system.  

I started the series with the PS1 version after this generation was already in progress and while the visuals were initially a major step back, it didn't take long before I was completely wrapped up in the story and didn't even care anymore.  

BTW, MGS3 is, IMO, the best game of the generation.  And it features probably the most spectacular finale I've ever experienced in gaming.  While the game is pretty astounding visually throughout, the end sequence does things that you never would have thought possible from a PS2.

[Kevin Grey]

And Kevin Grey seems to be the MGS-expert around these parts, so I'd get a reply from him to trump the rest of the replies Very Happy

Heh, it there is anything that I admit to being a pure, unadulterated fanboy of , it's Metal Gear Solid

[ATB]

So where's the best place to buy older titles without having to pay jacked up prices?

FFVII is boucoup dollars and I don't know that i'll get it.

What about Metal Gear Solid 1? Will that set me back big $$$ too?

[warning]

So where's the best place to buy older titles without having to pay jacked up prices?

FFVII is boucoup dollars and I don't know that i'll get it.

What about Metal Gear Solid 1? Will that set me back big $$$ too?

If you can't find Final Fantasy VII without donating a body part I'd be happy to let you borrow my copy.  I was playing it over the winter but am on semi-permanent hiatus.  Let me know.

There's actually a version of Metal Gear Solid 1 released for the PC.  I played that and it worked out fine but was a bit wonky with XP.  The original PSX version should be at a Gamestop or EBgames used section for cheap.

[Kevin Grey]

MGS1 isn't rare by any means- I see multiple copies in the used section at almost any store I go to.  You can also order it from Gamestop's online store too.

[Destructor]

1.  Yes, you will be lost.  It is a direct sequel to the MGS1 and both feature very complex (and occasionally wacky) plots.  MGS2 is also probably the most love-hate game of the generation- despite the many high reviews, a lot of people *hated* it with every ounce of their being.  Personally, it's one of my favorite games of the generation.

MGS2 was a great game, until you hit the 90% completion mark. Then the game gets so fucked up, that you'll hate it with every ounce of your being.

All the reviewers who played the game apparently ignored (or never got to) that after-90% mark. The 'ending' is that bad.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

If you're going to get just one game, I would play MGS3 before trying MGS2. Especially with the aforementioned valuepack version that just came out recently.

[Dafones]

BTW, MGS3 is, IMO, the best game of the generation.  And it features probably the most spectacular finale I've ever experienced in gaming.  While the game is pretty astounding visually throughout, the end sequence does things that you never would have thought possible from a PS2.

I've been thinking of picking up Snake Eater too (that is Snake Eater, right?) because I'm late to the PS2 game and I'm chugging through the back log. Would it be criminal to start the series with number 3?

[Kevin Grey]

I've been thinking of picking up Snake Eater too (that is Snake Eater, right?) because I'm late to the PS2 game and I'm chugging through the back log. Would it be criminal to start the series with number 3?

Yup, its Snake Eater.  It's not criminal at all.  The main problem is that 3 expands on the gameplay of the first two so much that if you went back and tried to play them after they will likely seem awfully limited.  You'll miss out on a few in jokes and some of the revelations might have less impact, but the core plot (which is excellent) doesn't rely on any knowledge of the other games.  

In some ways it's preferable though- Snake Eater changes things up a bit to an extent that it was actually quite tough in the early going for MGS veterans since it required a period of unlearning.  Old techniques no longer worked but in their place was a huge bag of new ones.

The only other warning I can offer is that MGS3 is a game that greatly rewards invention and experimentation.  The amount of cool stuff you can do that is non-obvious is relatively mind boggling and, even on my third or fourth playthrough, I'm still learning different and more efficient techniques for getting past areas.

[Dafones]

*Sigh* Looks like I have to add another one to the list. Life's so tough.

[metallicorphan]

i have metal gear solid:the twin snakes (which is the gamecube remake of MGS 1)

metal gear solid 2:substance  for the xbox

and metal gear solid 3:snake eater for the ps2(cant wait for subsistence)

i love all these games,and think that if you havent played any........then you should get to it

number 2 is proberbly the weakest of the 3......and some people complain about the long cut scenes...but if you like your stories yer gonna love these

clones,vampires,lady snipers,paranormal telekineseis,ninja cyborgs...massive nuclear robots,pregnant russian girls trying to kill you :o ....guys who piss themselves while locked in lockers...parrots,secret girlie pin-ups scattered throughout the games....yup,these games have everything

finished all 3.......and then on ps3 is metal gear solid 4....although it does look the biz.....i am a bit weary that you a playing snake as an old coughing man

but hideo has never let me down yet