Metal Gear Solid - Retro Playthrough - September 2015

[GrayGhost81]

Hey FRO, did you get out of the cell yet?

I'm gonna post the penultimate checkpoint tomorrow morning, but I just wanted to thank y'all for a killer playthrough.

I think maybe my perception is colored by playing MGS followed immediately by MGSV, but goodness gracious you really have to stop for a minute and think: this may be the greatest video game franchise of all time.

I'm not talking about sales figures.

I'm talking about a series where at multiple distinct points in my life I can remember obsessing about each game as it came out, and pretty much every Sony system, I purchased to play the next Metal Gear Solid game.

I played the original MGS over and over in high school. I played MGS2 so much I almost lost my job over it. I put a gazillion hours into Peace Walker on the special edition Peace Walker PSP I bought just to play the game.

I preordered Ground Zeroes only to cancel it. Then my wife brought it home for me on release day as a surprise.

MGS is part of my DNA. It is my favorite series of all time. I opined about whether the first Mass Effect or Metal Gear Solid was my favorite game of all time, but it isn't even a question.

Guys, I'm about fifty hours into MGSV right now and I can't get enough, but I can't express how grateful I am to have "done my homework" and played through the original MGS with you first.

It is incredible how far this franchise has come.

[img width=250 height=201]http://38.media.tumblr.com/51cb70a9b81ff657ca5474eee7a5b68c/tumblr_n9cn98GnHm1smxtnqo1_250.gif[/img]

Anyway, please check in and let the group know where you are. What are you liking and disliking about the game? Do you need help? Snake? Snnnaaaaaake???

[shaggy]

Remember Mantis and the "trick"?

One of the coolest parts in the game, or in any game actually.

Some of my squad might not have gotten there yet, so please don't spoil it.

Don't worry, I won't.  When I first played this game I didn't know about the "trick" and killed Mantis the proper way.

[GrayGhost81]

Week three checkpoint is up.

How's everyone doing?

[OatBob]

I took a break from getting curb-stomped by Rex to go back to Destiny.  I enjoy the characters and dialogue.  It's really been an enjoyable game so far.  It plays like a modern game, and that is the mark of a classic.  The Taken King comes out Tuesday, so I better finish this MGS playthough because I'll be back to Destiny for the rest of the month.

[MetalFRO]

@GrayGhost81 - yes, I got out of the cell, but haven't progressed too far beyond that.  Have had a few busy days full of work and life stuff, but I hope to jump back in this evening

[GrayGhost81]

Bob, you're very close to the end. Hang in there. That boss fight is an ass-ache because there's no checkpoint.

FRO, you won't have any trouble catching up by the end of the month.

[russlyman]

sorry I havent been to active on this playthrough. Manly because I'm sucking at the game ha. I only gotten about 5 minutes into the game and keep dying and getting caught and what not. I'm going to try again a few more times and really sink some time into it and see what I can do for as catching up to the check points

[GrayGhost81]

sorry I havent been to active on this playthrough. Manly because I'm sucking at the game ha. I only gotten about 5 minutes into the game and keep dying and getting caught and what not. I'm going to try again a few more times and really sink some time into it and see what I can do for as catching up to the check points

If you're that close to the beginning, maybe start again at a lower difficulty?

[MetalFRO]

I'm having a heck of a time figuring out how to get to the communication tower. I found the body armor and the cold medicine, and I know I'm supposed to go back to the spot where I confronted Sniper Wolf, but I can't find it! This is one of the reasons I probably gave up on this game in the first place. Without a good map to refer to, I get lost easily, and have no idea where to go. Can anyone point me in the right general direction?

EDIT: Okay, so shortly after posting this, I figured out how dumb I was being, and got going in the right direction.

[Schlibby]

sorry I havent been to active on this playthrough. Manly because I'm sucking at the game ha. I only gotten about 5 minutes into the game and keep dying and getting caught and what not. I'm going to try again a few more times and really sink some time into it and see what I can do for as catching up to the check points

Theres actually surprisingly little sneaking sections in this game. So if you suck at those sections like I did don't worry too much. It's only a small fraction of the game

[GrayGhost81]

Thanks for checking in guys, keep pushing. This playthrough started with such a bang, it would break my heart if y'all didn't finish the game.

The final check point will obviously be to finish the game. Don't give up!

[GrayGhost81]

Bump.

How's everyone doing? Floyd and I are going to record the podcast this weekend so if anyone has any final words, say them now!

You've all put so much time into this game already, time to go finish it!

[MetalFRO]

Holy cow, I finally made it to disc 2! Can I just say, I'm glad to finally be done with Sniper Wolf, and I hope I don't have to use the PSG again? I realize that the game is shooting for some semblance of reality with the Diazepam and shakiness of using a Sniper rifle, but those parts are particularly frustrating. Especially the way you get knocked so far out of position and it takes FOREVER to find your target again, leaving you wife open to anywhere from 1 to 3 additional hits which just whittle your life bar away. I sincerely hope future MGS games, if they've included sniping sections, have tightened up those elements. I can safely say that MGS had nothing on Syphon Filter in that regard. SP made good use of sniper and scoped rifles.

EDIT: Well CRAP. My disc 2 is apparently damaged, and won't read. It looks like it's going to, then all I get is a blank screen. I won't be able to get to anywhere to have this disc resurfaced before the end of the month, most likely, so I will probably not be able to finish the play through in the month like I had hoped. Aaaaaaaargh! The worst part is, I bought this copy some 15 years ago. Had I been diligent and played through it when I bought it, like I started to, I probably would have discovered the issue back then, and the game store I bought it through would likely have done a resurface or exchange for me at that point.

[Schlibby]

Did anyone else find that bit near the end where you have to climb up and down a certain large machine 3 times a bit repetitive and tedious?

[singlebanana]

I remember that Sniper Wolf encounter vividly!