Metal Gear Solid has been one of the premier franchises for the PlayStation.
Each iteration of the PlayStation has come with a Metal Gear Solid game, and with June 12th approaching the same can now be said for the PlayStation 3. Metal Gear Solid 4 promises to finally answer the questions which have lingered in the past three Metal Gear Solid games. Here at GamerNode we wanted to celebrate what could be the last time we get to control the original badass, Solid Snake. Look here in the upcoming weeks for a plethora of content as we dive deep into the Metal Gear Solid franchise’s past.
And now we bring you:
Top Five Metal Gear Solid Franchise Moments
Disclaimer: These are the top five moments in MGS history in my opinion.
Also SPOILER ALERT!
#5 The Patriots
Saying Metal Gear Solid 2 had a confusing story is an understatement. Riddled with half developed plots and baffling characters, who were experts at triple crossing their closest friends, fans found the latest MGS to be more puzzling then entertaining. We won’t debate this point here and now.
Despite the unique plot, there was one moment in MGS2 which made gamers’ mouths drop. Midway through players finally found the current President of the United States and they, along with Raiden, were hoping he could offer them some answers. Little did we know what the President would divulge.
Instead of a country run on public opinion, the President revealed the USA had been under the control of a secret society that had been in charge since World War II. Every political race, every decision by the government was in the hands of a group known as The Patriots. This organization has persisted throughout MGS lore, and is a focal point for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
The Patriots Are Revealed – 10:30:
#4 Enter Psycho Mantis
Few games hold the honor of messing with a player’s perception of what is real and what is not. Metal Fear Solid and the encounter with Psycho Mantis holds one of these coveted titles. A powerful telepathy and psychokinetic expert, Psycho Mantis will always be remembered as one of the best boss introductions and battles to grace the series.
After taunting Snake with mind controlled Meryl, Mantis turned to the player revealing their past by reading the PlayStation memory card, or commenting on how they had played MGS so far. Psycho Mantis even extended his power outside the gaming world by moving the PlayStation control across the floor, or periodically making the player think the television had broken. In a memorable boss battle players could only finish off Mantis by using a controller plugged into the second player slot. It literally took "out of game" thinking to survive this fight, and few games have achieved the feat again.
Enter Psycho Mantis:
#3 The End
Metal Gear Solid had always been about sneaking, but never were those skills as crucial as they were in Metal Gear Solid 3 and the boss battle with The End. An aged sniper expert who could literally talk to the forest, players had to stay low and quiet in hopes of spotting their target before The End finished them for good. When a boss battle can take over two hours, with only thirty seconds of those one hundred twenty minutes being action packed and that a player can still walk away feeling rewarded, there is obviously something special there.
#2 Metal Gear Solid 2 Intro
Metal Gear Solid 2 had some major shoes to fill. Some regarded its older brother, Metal Gear Solid, to be the best game created at the time (some still argue this point even today). As Kojima trickled out details regarding the sequel, each bit of information seemed to make MGS2 the ultimate Metal Gear Solid experience.
While the final game is a mixed bag, no one disputes the claim the first few hours of the game, when players took control of Solid Snake, are the best. Even more so is the amazing intro of Metal Gear Solid 2 which may just sit at the top of all Metal Gear Solid games. Whether it was the moody music, the downpour, or Snake bungee jumping off a bridge onto a tanker to discover the new Metal Gear, the opening minutes of Metal Gear Solid 2 are some of the most memorable in the series.
Metal Gear Solid 2 Intro:
#1 Gray Fox Saves Snake
Ask yourself, what makes the best Metal Gear Solid moment? Is it an act of selfless bravery? What about a heart wrenching confession to your closet friend? Couple that will a baddass and do we have a winner? If yes is the answer to all three of these questions then no one should dispute the best moment in Metal Gear Solid history involves everyone’s favorite ninja, Gray Fox and his heroic rescue of Solid Snake from Metal Gear Rex.
Solid Snake was in trouble. His evil twin brother Liquid Snake had taken control of the latest model of Metal Gears known as Metal Gear Rex. Despite his best efforts Snake hadn’t damaged the machine enough. Liquid had the upper hand, Snake was going to die. But at the last second, when all seemed lost, the man who Snake had fought in a mine field, left for dead, a man who had undergone countless genetic experiments to craft him into a weapon; Snake’s best friend, Gray Fox, arrived in time.
I’d try to go on why this is the number one moment in Metal Gear Solid history but that would be like trying to explain Boba Fett to a Star Wars fan. No one has done it quite like Gray Fox, and no one ever will.
Gray Fox Saves Snake:
BONUS
While these didn’t make the top five, they are still worthy of mentioning. The first chronicles the origin of the Patriots while at the same time giving player’s a glimpse into just what motivated the original Snake, Big Boss, to turn his back on his country. The second is more Gray Fox from the Twin Snakes.
MGS3 Ending:
Gray Fox Intro – Twin Snakes:
