
Personal attachment to franchises comes and goes with the times but some have the staying power to last (sorry Sonic). Metal Gear is one of those beloved series and for good reason: they’ve all been critically acclaimed by the press and fans. This is extremely evident when these crazed fans get together to discuss the “best” Metal Gear game. Was it the iconic first step done by Metal Gear Solid? Or how about Metal Gear Solid 2‘s wacky narrative and ground-breaking attention to detail? Who could get forget Naked Snake’s torture sequence in Metal Gear Solid 3? Microwave hallway, anyone? Rather than reviewing all of the ones I’ve played, I figured I’d give my personal thoughts and experiences with each of them and how they’ve affected me, if at all.
Now just because I’m writing doesn’t mean I’ve been there from the start. In 1998, I was only in second grade and the only games that I was mature enough to handle were Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. Tekken 3 was about as violent and mature as it got for me. Metal Gear Solid and I had just missed each other by a few years. It wasn’t until Metal Gear Solid 4 had been released that made me jump into the franchise. That’s right. On June 12, 2008, I must have been the only person walking into Best Buy buying the Metal Gear Solid Essential Collection, rather than the new PS3 blockbuster title. I blame the peer pressure on the Internet.
Might as well say this now: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
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