The first Metal Gear Solid is such a revolutionary game that it is hard not to severely appreciate it despite certain aspects of the game not having aged particularly well, especially in the way the game controls. There wasn't a single boss encounter that didn't frustrate me to some degree because of how awkward it feels to do anything with accuracy or precision in this game. The stealth mechanics also show their age with how limited they are, especially when compared to MGS2:SOL, or even the likes of Splinter Cell, both of which would release just a few years later. Overall, despite those criticisms, I still found the gameplay enjoyable.

In terms of the characters and story, both are absurdly campy at times. However, it's important to remember that 1998 was a point in time where complex storytelling -- especially cinematic-esque storytelling -- was a very new concept in video games. Both Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII truly paved the way in proving that video games could be taken seriously as a legitimate medium for artistic storytelling; and for that, some of the corniness simply has to be forgiven. Besides, there is a lot of charm to the campiness anyway. Even though I found myself cracking up at some of the dialogue, I still enjoyed the hell out of it, and I fell in love all over again with the cast of wacky characters. Moreover, Snake still comes off as one of the coolest damn protagonists in any video game, just as he did a quarter of a century ago.

While I wouldn't call Metal Gear Solid a timeless masterpiece due to the aspects of the gameplay not having aged well, it's still such a profoundly trailblazing title that it will always be secured as an all-time classic.