I've only ever played MGS 2, 3 and V as well of a few side games because of this game and 4 being on consoles I don't own. I've always known what's happened in this game due to my love of its sequels but I'm so glad I've experienced the actual thing for myself.
It's far from perfect; I hate the boss battles and non-stealth sections, the story falls into some shitty action movie cliche's, there's some poorly aged stuff about women and it's not as ambitious of it's sequels, but overall this game stands the test of time. It's a remarkably paced, emotionally engaging classic that I'm so glad I finally went back and played for myself.
It's far from perfect; I hate the boss battles and non-stealth sections, the story falls into some shitty action movie cliche's, there's some poorly aged stuff about women and it's not as ambitious of it's sequels, but overall this game stands the test of time. It's a remarkably paced, emotionally engaging classic that I'm so glad I finally went back and played for myself.