Metal Gear

Metal Gear is widely regarded as a progenitor of the stealth genre and was the first video game designed by Hideo Kojima, who also directed many later Metal Gear sequels. The story follows special forces operative Solid Snake on a solo infiltration into the fortified state of Outer Heaven to destroy Metal Gear—a bipedal walking tank capable of launching nuclear missiles from anywhere in the world. Gameplay centers on stealth: guide Snake through multiple locations while avoiding visual contact and direct confrontation with patrolling guards. If Snake is spotted, the game enters “Alert Mode,” and you must break line of sight to resume infiltration. How you escape depends on how you were discovered. If Snake is seen and only a single exclamation mark appears above an enemy’s head, only the enemies on the current screen engage, and Snake can escape by moving to an adjacent screen. If two exclamation marks appear—or if an alarm is triggered by a camera, infrared sensor, or an unsuppressed weapon—off-screen reinforcements arrive as well. In that case, Snake can only escape by defeating all incoming enemies, going outdoors, or entering an elevator. Snake begins unarmed, but later acquires firearms such as a Beretta 92F and an M79 grenade launcher, plus explosives including remote-control missiles and landmines. Ammunition and supplies are limited, but can be replenished by collecting ammo caches and additional supplies. Weapons can be used not only against enemies, but also to clear obstacles such as hollow walls and electrified floors. Snake can also fight with his fists, and occasionally a guard defeated without raising an alert drops a single unit of rations or an ammo box. Beyond standard guards, mercenaries serve as boss encounters and challenge Snake to direct combat. Outer Heaven is composed of three buildings with multiple floors, including basement levels. Key cards and other items open locked doors and enable deeper exploration, and each door requires the corresponding key card. You can gather information by rescuing hostages held inside. After rescuing five hostages, Snake’s rank increases by one star (up to four stars), boosting carrying capacity and maximum health. If a hostage is killed, the player is demoted to the previous rank. A transceiver lets you contact Snake’s commanding officer, Big Boss, or resistance members operating covertly near Outer Heaven: Schneider, Diane, and Jennifer. Each ally specializes in a specific topic, and you must keep track of their frequency numbers to reach them. Radio messages also vary depending on the room Snake is in.

Near the end of the 20th century, the West learns that a weapon of mass destruction is being built inside Outer Heaven—a fortified state founded by a “legendary mercenary” located 200 km north of Galzburg, South Africa. The special forces unit FOXHOUND dispatches its top agent, Gray Fox, to infiltrate the fortress, evaluate the situation, and eliminate the threat. Days later, FOXHOUND loses contact with him; his final transmission is a chilling message: “METAL GEAR…” To uncover what happened, FOXHOUND commander Big Boss sends his newest recruit, Solid Snake, into the area under the codename Operation Intrude N313. After entering Outer Heaven, Snake links up with local resistance members Schneider, Diane, and Jennifer. Using his training and equipment gathered on-site, he rescues Gray Fox. Fox reveals that Metal Gear is the codename for a nuclear-armed, bipedal walking tank capable of engaging in all forms of combat and launching nuclear weapons from anywhere. Outer Heaven plans to use Metal Gear to become the next world superpower. To stop Metal Gear and bring down the Outer Heaven mercenaries, Snake rescues the project’s lead engineer, Dr. Pettrovich Madnar, along with Madnar’s daughter, Ellen. Madnar explains how Metal Gear can be destroyed, and Snake pushes deeper into the fortress against Outer Heaven’s troops. As the mission continues, Snake realizes the traps set for him are unnervingly precise, raising suspicions that his actions are being tracked. Big Boss begins behaving strangely and eventually orders Snake to abort the mission—breaking the fourth wall by telling the player to turn off the console. Meanwhile, Schneider is ambushed and, after contact is lost, is presumed dead. Snake reaches Outer Heaven’s central base and destroys Metal Gear before it can be completed. As he escapes from the compound’s basement, he is confronted by Outer Heaven’s mercenary leader—revealed to be Big Boss himself. Big Boss admits he used his connections to steal military intelligence, build a private mercenary army, and finance his ambitions. His goal was for Outer Heaven to become the world’s dominant superpower, powerful enough to bring even the West to its knees. He sent the rookie Snake in expecting him to be captured so misinformation could be fed to authorities, but he underestimated Snake’s ability. With Metal Gear lost and much of his force destroyed, Big Boss initiates the facility’s self-destruct sequence and vows Snake will die with him. Snake defeats Big Boss in a final showdown and escapes as Outer Heaven collapses in flames. After the credits, a message from Big Boss appears, promising he will meet Solid Snake again.