I should mention upfront that I beat this game about 20 years after it's initial release (on the MGS3: Substance bonus disc) and as such it was difficult to be wholly objective.
In the near future of 1995 (the game came out in 1987) a terrorist group has seized the Outer Heaven facility in order to acquire the newly developed super-weapon Metal Gear TX-55. Rookie operative Solid Snake is dispatched to defuse the situation, though the mission is not what it seems.
If the plot sounds like a hokey 80's action flick, that's because it's an 80's game based on hokey 80's action flicks. One of the game's bosses are a couple of cyborgs called 'the Arnolds' for god's sake. Compared to the rest of the games in the series, the plotting and story here are bare minimum. None of the long-winded speeches, none of the 20+ minute cut-scenes; for better or worse its all about the game play.
Judged strictly by modern standards, the game is woefully outdated. 8-bit color scheme, midi-style music and limited player functions. That being said the game has aged far better than most games of its era. Despite the technical limitations the title still holds up as a playable game even today, this is due to the obvious genius of the core mechanics. Many of the ideas set up in this entry will carry on throughout the series (stealth over force, inventive boss battles, big plot twists, huge assortment of items and weapons) and even some of the actual game play segments will survive (in updated form) all up to MSG2: SOL.
I can't really recommend this to casual gamers, as most will not put up with the dated structure and limited story/character development, but for fans of the series and retro-naughts, this is a must play.
7/10
