METAL GEAR SOLID.NET

I was first introduced to Metal Gear when I saw my uncle playing the demo version of MGS on his PlayStation. My first impression was rather negative, to be honest, but that was mainly due to the silly name and the fact that my uncle had no idea what he was doing! Since taking the demo home to play myself, however, I've been hooked. I have played everything from Metal Gear to the latest MGS4, including MGS for the Gameboy Color, Metal Gear Acid and MGA2. The only game in the series which I haven't completed is Portable Ops, but that is due to my dislike of the PSP and how ill-suited it is to a regular Metal Gear title.

I recently enjoyed a Metal Gear marathon with webmistress Liquid, during which we simultaneously completed MG, MG2, MGS, MGS2, MGS3, MGS: Twin Snakes and MGS: Ghost Babel. We are still to play MGS4 together due to my playing partner's lack of a PS3, but we hope to change that in the near future.

My favourite in the series is the PlayStation's Metal Gear Solid. Although subsequent additions to the series were technically superior (MGS4 is one of the most technically accomplished video games ever created), none of them have managed to match MGS in terms of story and drama. MGS2's plot was convoluted and downright confusing and, as a result, MGS4 suffered somewhat from this, although I do applaud it for making some sense of MGS2 and successfully bringing Solid Snake's chapter in Metal Gear to a seemingly coherent end. MGS3 is a close second, returning to a more simple plot structure, although the camo and healing systems both hinder the gameplay, in my opinion.