I could talk about the original Metal Gear Solid. I could go on about how it was the game to get me to try stealth action titles. I could talk about how my boss at FuncoLand and I alternated playing it during our shifts together to beat the game. I could talk about how simultaneously cool and weird the characters are.
But no. I'm talking about Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions instead. Why?
Well... it's competitive. There's replayability, almost like an arcade game, in completing each mission and shooting for one of the top three spots. It's a fun way to learn the basics of Metal Gear Solid's gameplay, without the over-the-top story and character-building. Yes, I get that the story and characters are huge parts of what makes Metal Gear Solid great-- but there's something about this offering that drills to the core of the gameplay and really does train players to succeed when it's "go time".
There's also a FuncoLand story that goes with this game.
At the time when VR Missions was new, I was a manager-in-training at a store in Springfield, Massachusetts. My District Manager stopped by the store one day and popped it into our countertop demo unit. "Hey. Play this yet?" he asked. I shook my head. He knew that I had played the original Metal Gear Solid release, so he figured I could jump right in. I tried a few of the stealth missions, but it was weapons combat that I wanted to get into. We played the PSG-1 final mission-- winner got lunch paid for by the loser. Let's just say... that the Ground Round was not exactly cheap.
Honestly, I haven't played the extra stuff, like the murder missions... but I did start playing through the basic missions again recently thanks to the Metal Gear Solid remasters for modern consoles. It reminds me that I should get back to the original. Even though I won't get a second chance at having my lunch paid for in 2025, I can still pretend that a free meal is on the line for motivation.
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