Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions
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| Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions | |
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| Developer(s) | Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (West) |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Release date(s) | September 30, 1999 (NA) October 29, 1999 (EU) |
| Genre | Stealth-based game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature |
| Platform(s) | Sony PlayStation |
Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions (Metal Gear Solid: Special Missions in Europe) is a stealth-based game directed by Hideo Kojima and developed by Konami for the PlayStation. It was first released in 1999 in North America.
The game is not actually part of the Metal Gear storyline; rather, it is more of a "training game" spinoff of Metal Gear Solid. The European version, entitled Special Missions, was also available with Metal Gear Solid in a double-package, as it is required for Special Missions to work. It contains 300 VR training missions (ten which were carried over from the original Metal Gear Solid).
VR Missions was originally a component of Metal Gear Solid: Integral in Japan, a relocalized or "international version" of the original Metal Gear Solid with the added contents and English voiceovers of the North American and European versions. Konami felt that the new contents added to the main game in Integral were not enough to differentiate it from the previously-released Western versions, so the bonus "VR Disc" was released as a stand-alone product in North America and as an expansion pack of the original game in Europe. Since many of the unlockable contents of the VR Disc in Integral required the player to use save data from the main game, the method of accessing them was changed for VR Missions in order to make the game playable on its own.
The PC port of Metal Gear Solid (which was based on Integral), released in 2000, contained both the original game and the VR Missions.
Gameplay
There are exactly 300 training and time trial missions in the game. The player's performance is graded based on the amount of time they take to finish a mission, plus the remaining ammunition (if a weapon was used). The missions are divided into the following four categories:
- Sneaking Mode - 60 missions. Reach the goal without being seen by the enemy. Player can choose to between "No Weapon" and SOCOM mode. In SOCOM mode, the player must eliminate all enemies in order to unlock the goal.
- Weapon Mode - 80 missions. Destroy all targets with the assigned weapon. There are several type of targets in this mode that behave differently. The red-colored targets will denotate sympathetically.
- Advance Mode - 80 missions. Defeat all enemies with the assigned weapon. Unlike Sneaking Mode, the mission will continue when the player is discovered.
- Special Mode - 80 missions. A variety of missions which don't fit the above categories such as murder mysteries, puzzles, a time trial mission that spans several levels, UFO encounters, fighting Genola (a giant Genome Soldier) and missions where the user plays as the Cyborg Ninja (see below).
Cyborg Ninja
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The main selling point of the game was the chance to play as the fan-favorite Cyborg Ninja. Although most users thought that playing as the Ninja was fun, they also found the levels to be rather disappointing. Or rather, level. There was only one level to play, with three different missions for it. Destroy straw targets, kill thirty Genome Soldiers, and finally kill Solid Snake, who is disguised as a Genome Soldier without a mask. Overall, it was very disappointing to those who were led to believe you would be able to play through the main game as the Cyborg Ninja (the Ninja missions barely covers 1% of the entire disc).
However, the missions are much easier to unlocked in the US version than in the Japanese Metal Gear Solid: Integral, which required the player to either: have a save file of the main game where the player has already completed the game once and achieved the highest rank possible or complete the game and trade their finished data with at least five other players using the PocketStation. In VR Missions, the player is merely required to have completed 85% of the missions in order to unlock the Ninja.
Bonus Features
VR Missions also contained several unlockable contents that can be accessed after the player has met certain requirements.
- Movies - Pre-release trailers of the original Metal Gear Solid. Includes the two trailers presented at the Tokyo Game Show '98 convention and the initial trailer from E3 '97.
- Photoshoot Mode - Photographing sessions with polygonal models of Mei Ling and Naomi, two supporting female characters from the original game. Unlike the models used in the original game, the ones featured in the photoshoot mode have a high-polygon count and are capable of more elaborate animation and movement, as well as actual facial expressions.
- Confidential Data - When the player completes their 300th mission, a picture of Metal Gear RAY is shown with the word "Confidential". This predates the first public showing of Metal Gear Solid 2 by a year.
The European release's manual also spoke of a replay theatre, however this is not present in the actual game.