Snake? SNAAAAAKE!
 

Hello my name is Nique I am 27 years old and I am going to play 'Metal Gear Solid' for the first time. What do I need to know?

It's on the actual CD case the game comes in.

Is this the first time you're playing the first game or the first time you're playing the whole series?

If the former, not really much to say. If it's the series, then the important thing to know is if you like the gameplay but find the writing annoying, maybe skip to 3 after 1. 2's not bad per se but it really goes up it's own ass with the storyline. 3 has the best gameplay and keeps the story as a nice enjoyable pastiche of 60s spy flicks. The story is also fairly unconnected to 2's so skipping 2 won't really matter. 2's plot is really important to 4 though.

I can only assume the meaning of this cryptic message will become clear once I start.

@ greed - well, we bought the 'Complete Collection' so we'll probably go ahead and play 2 as well but yeah I'm playing MGS PS1 style for the first time.

Well, seeing as you're asking, I suppose it's not such a big problem if I leak a tiny spoiler, though I'll stick it in tags anyway;

Save Meryl. Otherwise the plot will make no sense later on

Oh and remember to change controller sockets. You'll know when.

I would say what you need to know is that this isn't Contra. Don't go on a psychopathic kill-spree until you've learned the way the game works, and have become confident, or you'll get wasted.

Be extremely paranoid about anything that could give away your position. Look before you leap. Don't waste resources.

Have fun!

People are gonna tell you this game is about stealth, but those people all played the game wrong. There's actually a hidden "coward stat" in every game that measures how often you hide, and what weapons you use. The higher it is, the dumber the plot gets, and the game trusts you to play it less. By the time most people got to MGS4, their coward stat was maxed out (it tracks you between games and even systems! I'm not sure how), so the game was mostly cutscenes, and the plot was convoluted and ridiculous. In THEIR ending Big Boss is so disappointed in them he fakes his own death so as not to be associated with them any longer.

What you're SUPPOSED to do is remain in the open at all times and punch EVERYONE. Even Otakon. ESPECIALLY Otakon.

You'll know if you messed up the first game because Grayfox will die, and in the second game you won't get to play as Snake except during the intro. That was supposed to be the major hint that people were playing wrong, but no one got it.

Switch controller ports.

Prepare the Metal Gear wiki, you will need it to understand what the fuck is going on in MGS2 and 4. Even then, you have little hope.

1 and 3 are less prone to this,the most coherent is 3 (also my favorite of the games).


ALSO: Look at the ass, it is important.