Tactical Espionage Action. Those three words are all what MGS is about. I played the original Metal Gear on the NES way back when, and it instantly became a favorite at the time, the same held true for the original MGS on the PSone. I missed MGS2 and MGS3 on the PS2 when they came out, so I went and picked the compilation up when it came out. I have not been disappointed. The point to MGS is to stay out of sight of the enemy troops while accomplishing your mission. You can even choose to use completely non-lethal methods if you wish (I don't), and along the way you uncover an excellent story that is on-par with a Hollywood movie, and then there are the boss battles. In my opinion, the MGS series has some of the best boss fights of any games that have been made. I personally prefer the sniper fights, and in MGS3 especially the fight against The End. The final battle in MGS3 is also one of the most stylistic and beautiful settings for a boss battle I have seen (I will say no more here, If you haven't played it, MGS3 is worth playing through just to get to it, though). The entire metal gear series holds up well to today's graphics as well, even MGS for the original playstation, although you can definitely tell it's ten years old. MGS2 is a great follow-up, with a convoluted and twisting plot, but you don't play as Snake the whole game. It works well enough though, and is a must play if you are planning on getting MGS4 when it comes out. The real gem for me, though is MGS3. Incorporating all of the sneaking and combat with survival and camouflage, it is a beautiful, violent, and poignant cold war era romp, as well as a prequel to everything that transpires in the MGS series, and it gives a great beginning to the entire plotline. It really makes you feel like you are there, alone in the jungle with nothing but your wits and your will to survive. And you can throw venomous snakes at people, which is too much fun to put into words. All in all, if you like any of the MGS games and missed the entire series, go pick this excellent compilation.
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