The original story of the iconic Metal Gear Solid received a unique retelling on the PlayStation Portable with the release of Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel in June of 2006. Developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami, this “video game” is more of an experiment in interactive storytelling, offering a digitized version of the Metal Gear Solid Comic drawn by Ashley Wood and published by IDW with added sound effects, animations, music, and other interactive bells and whistles. Unfortunately, while the nostalgia of Metal Gear Solid’s story is undeniable, the experience stumbles on its static presentation, limited interactivity, and, most importantly to a graphic novel, its artwork.
The story itself is a timeless classic, needing no introduction. Solid Snake's infiltration of Shadow Moses Island, the subsequent defeat of the rogue members of FOXHOUND (including his twin brother Liquid Snake), and the inevitable destruction of Metal Gear REX is a masterclass in narrative tension. This comic book adaptation, however, strays from its stellar source material at various moments to provide its own interpretation of the events. These alterations range from trivially minute to jarringly different and at times make no logical sense or portray important characters incorrectly. I understand this is an adaptation of Metal Gear Solid and was never going to be a 1-to-1 translation considering the interactive medium of video games, but changes made in any adaptation to the story and character portrayals in a source material should make sense, provide important missing details not found in the original, or transform the source material in an interesting and unique way. Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel does none of these.
With that said, the changes made to this classic video game story could be entirely overlooked if everything else about this adaptation was spectacular, unfortunately, that is not the case. To understand what I mean, we have to first look at how the game is presented to a player. First, the "digital graphic novel" moniker suggests a unique blend of impressively drawn static panels and interactive elements. In reality, this means turning pages with button presses and occasionally scanning or zooming in on panels to uncover hidden secrets and unlock bonus content in the game's Memory Building Simulation mode. While some may find enjoyment in this game's rendition of Where’s Waldo as they scour every corner of the uneven artwork for that next tidbit of information, for me it comes off as just a glorified scavenger hunt that wasn’t worth my time or the eye strain. Unfortunately, this seek-and-find aspect, along with the connections required to fill out the Memory Building Simulation mode, is the most interactivity the game has to offer and these feel more like a tacked-on afterthought. For the most part, players will spend the bulk of their time as spectators, passively consuming the story of Metal Gear Solid without the genre-defining stealth gameplay and pulse-pounding boss fights.
My biggest issue with this adaptation, however, isn’t with its lack of interactive elements or even the changes made to the original story, it is with the artwork. All of the art for this digital graphic novel is pulled straight from the Metal Gear Solid comic illustrated by Ashley Wood. An Australian comic book artist and award-winning illustrator, Wood has been involved in several projects over his career including working for both Marvel and DC Comics as well as supplying art for the cinema scenes in both Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. A winner of the 2002 Communication Arts Award of Excellence in Illustration and a collaborator with companies like Disney and Sony Pictures, there is no doubt that Woods is an incredibly talented illustrator. The artwork on display in the Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel, however, is a mixed bag of illustrated artistic brilliance tossed among an unsurmountable amount of rushed and unfinished sketches. While some panels capture the essence of the Metal Gear universe, showcasing the tension and grit of the narrative, others appear unpolished and lack the finesse and detail one expects of both the Metal Gear franchise and the graphic novel medium. Edges are jagged, characters appear blocky or morph into awkward caricatures of themselves, backgrounds lack detail and depth or simply don’t exist at all, and the overall impression is one of unrealized potential. It’s not offensively bad, it just doesn't do justice to the franchise's visual legacy - especially the work of the lead character designer for the series Yoji Shinkawa.
Ultimately, the Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel is a footnote in this long franchise's history. Not quite a game, not quite a graphic novel, and not quite something new altogether, it is best suited for completionists and die-hard fans who have an unhealthy obsession with collecting every scrap of franchise minutiae (like myself). For newcomers, it's a decent primer on the story, but the changes made to the narrative, the rough visuals, and the nonexistent gameplay might leave them wondering what all the fuss is about. If you're a seasoned Metal Gear Solid fan looking for a way to relive a classic or a newcomer hoping to get into the franchise, look elsewhere. But if you're willing to overlook the artistic shortcomings for a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a few bells and whistles, then this might just scratch that itch. Just don't expect a masterpiece or a revolution in interactive storytelling.
The story itself is a timeless classic, needing no introduction. Solid Snake's infiltration of Shadow Moses Island, the subsequent defeat of the rogue members of FOXHOUND (including his twin brother Liquid Snake), and the inevitable destruction of Metal Gear REX is a masterclass in narrative tension. This comic book adaptation, however, strays from its stellar source material at various moments to provide its own interpretation of the events. These alterations range from trivially minute to jarringly different and at times make no logical sense or portray important characters incorrectly. I understand this is an adaptation of Metal Gear Solid and was never going to be a 1-to-1 translation considering the interactive medium of video games, but changes made in any adaptation to the story and character portrayals in a source material should make sense, provide important missing details not found in the original, or transform the source material in an interesting and unique way. Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel does none of these.
With that said, the changes made to this classic video game story could be entirely overlooked if everything else about this adaptation was spectacular, unfortunately, that is not the case. To understand what I mean, we have to first look at how the game is presented to a player. First, the "digital graphic novel" moniker suggests a unique blend of impressively drawn static panels and interactive elements. In reality, this means turning pages with button presses and occasionally scanning or zooming in on panels to uncover hidden secrets and unlock bonus content in the game's Memory Building Simulation mode. While some may find enjoyment in this game's rendition of Where’s Waldo as they scour every corner of the uneven artwork for that next tidbit of information, for me it comes off as just a glorified scavenger hunt that wasn’t worth my time or the eye strain. Unfortunately, this seek-and-find aspect, along with the connections required to fill out the Memory Building Simulation mode, is the most interactivity the game has to offer and these feel more like a tacked-on afterthought. For the most part, players will spend the bulk of their time as spectators, passively consuming the story of Metal Gear Solid without the genre-defining stealth gameplay and pulse-pounding boss fights.
My biggest issue with this adaptation, however, isn’t with its lack of interactive elements or even the changes made to the original story, it is with the artwork. All of the art for this digital graphic novel is pulled straight from the Metal Gear Solid comic illustrated by Ashley Wood. An Australian comic book artist and award-winning illustrator, Wood has been involved in several projects over his career including working for both Marvel and DC Comics as well as supplying art for the cinema scenes in both Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. A winner of the 2002 Communication Arts Award of Excellence in Illustration and a collaborator with companies like Disney and Sony Pictures, there is no doubt that Woods is an incredibly talented illustrator. The artwork on display in the Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel, however, is a mixed bag of illustrated artistic brilliance tossed among an unsurmountable amount of rushed and unfinished sketches. While some panels capture the essence of the Metal Gear universe, showcasing the tension and grit of the narrative, others appear unpolished and lack the finesse and detail one expects of both the Metal Gear franchise and the graphic novel medium. Edges are jagged, characters appear blocky or morph into awkward caricatures of themselves, backgrounds lack detail and depth or simply don’t exist at all, and the overall impression is one of unrealized potential. It’s not offensively bad, it just doesn't do justice to the franchise's visual legacy - especially the work of the lead character designer for the series Yoji Shinkawa.
Ultimately, the Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel is a footnote in this long franchise's history. Not quite a game, not quite a graphic novel, and not quite something new altogether, it is best suited for completionists and die-hard fans who have an unhealthy obsession with collecting every scrap of franchise minutiae (like myself). For newcomers, it's a decent primer on the story, but the changes made to the narrative, the rough visuals, and the nonexistent gameplay might leave them wondering what all the fuss is about. If you're a seasoned Metal Gear Solid fan looking for a way to relive a classic or a newcomer hoping to get into the franchise, look elsewhere. But if you're willing to overlook the artistic shortcomings for a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a few bells and whistles, then this might just scratch that itch. Just don't expect a masterpiece or a revolution in interactive storytelling.