I love Hideo Kojima. I love his vision, his passion, his love for both gaming and movies, and his forward thinking. He's an auteur, a director with a capital D, and he's not ashamed to bash it into your skull any chance he has. I know people have come to hate this part of him, and i can't lie there's times I do too, but at the same time i cant help but appreciate this man's devotion to his artistic endeavors, Metal Gear being his biggest, most defining work.

Before this journey, i'd already played mgs2 and 3 on the HD collection for the ps vita, but that was a long time ago, around a decade ago i'd say, so memory was shaky, but i did remember the important parts. How could i not, these two games have some of the most defining moments, in both gameplay and cutscenes, in the medium's history. Then i bought the first master collection, and when the 2nd one was announced a few months ago, and seeing mgs4, a game ive been itching to play for the longest time, headed for release on august, the need to go through the saga, including the classic mgs1 was too strong to ignore. And so i did, disregarding any new release of backlog game in the meanwhile.
But i didnt stop at the 3d entries. While at it, why not go for the first 2 games on the msx2? Im a big fan of 2d sprite games from the 80s and 90s, wouldnt be much of a struggle to put up with them, plus i never heard anyone talk about them, so curiosity got the best of me, and i started my months long revisit with the first title of the series, one of the first projects kojima directed, and the most overlooked game in the saga, along with its sequel (im playing in release order, the only right order to experience anything).

This game is fascinating to me. Its a game with many glaring issues that a young director with little experience would foolishly make, and yet has the addictive nature of the best games of that era. Its a short one, i cant see anyone taking more than 5 hours beating this game, but in this little short game forgotten by time (and release shenanigans) there's unironically one of the most pivotal releases in series history. The introduction of solid snake and big boss, foxhound, the legendary gray fox, OUTER HEAVEN, the outer heaven that every subsequent game mentions, to the point im curious at how most people reacted to that name being mentioned, compared to my own reaction after playing this game. Its such an important game, and i can't believe i think back on it like an historical epic, when just a look at its gameplay would make you think this is shovelware.

I don't want to sound too reductive about this game cause i think everyone should play it, but i cant stress how i didnt think it would make such an impact on me.

This game isnt only important to the series lore, but to the stealth genre as well. This is where it all started. Technical limitations are lamented by players, critics and industry people alike, but as i always like to say, they breed creativity, in this medium specifically. What started out as a simple run and gun game became the blueprint to all stealth based games.

The stealth is simple: there's no crouching, hiding spots are mainly behind walls or whatever may obstruct enemies view, and the enemies have simple patterns, with very limited visibility. But its in everything else that this game stands out. The metroidvania style progression, the addition of cameras that force more methodical movement, the surprising amount of environmental interactions (still, nothing compared to its sequels), the imprisonment + secret transmitter in snake's belongings, even the secrets scattered throughout every corner of the map and the codec itself. Speaking of codec, right about any series conventions started here: the box, the codec, the meta dialogues, some items like rations and silencers, the key cards.

I feel the game has a perfect pacing. You start emerging from water and a call from big boss (youve probably already seen this scene if you've played mgs2), tasked with finding Grey Fox who's captured by the terrorists, and then destroying metal gear. After finding Grey Fox, you'll then go find the scientist behind metal gear, Madnar Pettrovich, who will explain you how to deal with that deadly machine, then of course, as usual, the destruction of metal gear and the end of the mission. These are all the main story beats, and the gameplay loop so similar to future metroidvanias makes it an arcadey experience perfect for Its time. I havent even played it that much but i know how to get anywhere in the map and where most secrets are found.

The level design is very good for a rookie like kojima. The enemy placement is pretty smart most of the time, and you'll never find yourself truly lost. In any case codec calls can prove useful, although some frequencies are very hidden. One in particular, id argue the most important too.

Ive talked about the rough edges of this game, and they consist mainly of some cheese tactics that make the game a breeze, mainly the stocking up of rations by exiting and re-entering a screen with a ration, and punching, especially on the enemies side being broken as hell. Other than that, there are some excessively criptic parts that id argue straight up require looking up online or on the master collection included guidebook (like the aforementioned codec frequency, although i happened to unlock that on my own through sheer luck).

What made the greatest impression on me though, and i'll put this section in spoilers, is the final stretch.
I mentioned the meta aspects being introduced here, and the ending of this game in many aspects is a precursor to what we later saw in mgs2.
When you reach the third and final building, where metal gear Is held, big boss starts to act strange. He first suggests, and then orders you, to retreat, that the mission has failed. If you persist, he shows you a way to avoid the horde of enemies, only to lead you to a pit of death, a trap. He'll even order you to turn the console off, something kojima will repurpose in mgs2\. If you keep on, the secret codec, Schneider, reveals that big boss is the actual leader of outer heaven, something the man himself will confirm when you come face to face with him, the final boss. You were just a pawn to him, a way to spread false info to intelligence agencies all over the world. To people who've played and know the solid games like the back of their hands, the revelation of big boss being the mastermind behind outer heaven isnt anything revolutionary. But such a plotwist for a 1987 game, delivered in such a way is mindblowing, and a first look at kojima's forward thinking and cinematic flair.

I want to end this by saying, please give this game a chance. Its old, its cryptic, but its a short, fun academic experience that shines a light into kojima's beginnings as a director, and the decisions that would later shape some of the greatest games ever.

I'll write up about Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake next, whenever I have the time to do so.