Content review for this game:
Pertaining to content listed in the upper left corner of this site.
Blood & Gore: There is a moderate amount of blood in this game, mostly in the form of splattering/puffs when your character or enemies are shot, hit or stabbed. Also, blood lingers in puddles and stains the characters' clothes. However, it can be turned off at the title screen, under options, which will disable it for gameplay and cutscenes, but some static blood on floors and walls will remain.
Specific scenes of blood & gore:
Intense violence: this game is pretty much as violent as it can get, without crossing the line of a somewhat mild horror genre. Also it has some very bizarre almost mythological story elements, as in most characters have supernatual-like powers, ranging from controlling hornets with the mind to being a human lightning rod. Add all this and a load of complicated politics and theology, and you have Metal Gear Solid.
(Example of MGS weirdness: One of the bosses is just plain odd. He is supposedly over 100 years old, has his eyes bulging out of his head, and is technically dead most of the time so that he can save life energy to fight his enemies. After you defeat him, his dentures dramatically fly out of his mouth. Just weird.)
Snake (the main character) can kill with an assortment of weapons, the most brutal being a knife, which if used will have your character stab or cut the enemy's throat. However, other than bosses, you don't have to kill in the game. You can use a non-lethal dart gun or sneak up on enemies and choke or knock them out until they go unconscious. Also, one of the main gameplay mechanics is survival, which entails healing yourself by going into a pseudo-medical operation menu, and also killing animals such as snakes, rabbits, rats, birds and so on. There is no blood when you kill an animal, just a decomposition effect, and then a box of food representing the animal appears.
Specific scenes of intense violence:
Language: There are over 6 uses of h**l, 9 uses of d**n, 1 use of b***h, ba***rd and SOB. When Snake eats something he will sometimes say, "that's d**n good!" One boss frequently says, "Son of a b***h!" when you damage him. Another one of the bosses will say, "D**n!" and "Burn in h**l" when you damage him. In the same battle Eva will taunt the villain by saying, "Come and get me dumb a**!"
Sexual Themes: There are several posters of bikini/lingerie clad women scattered throughout the game; some are obvious and others are somewhat hidden. You can also use girly magazines to distract guards, by setting them on the floor.
Use of tobacco: The ESRB fails to mention this in every rating for the MGS series, and I don't know why, as this is one of the main traits of the main character. At the beginning of the game Snake is seen smoking a cigar. Cigarettes are also selectable from the inventory, but they are seen as a negative, and if selected, they start to slowly suck your health away.
Closing comment: This series is classic and one of the best in gaming history. With amazing graphics (for PS2), dynamic gameplay, and one of the best stories in gaming. The only negative is that some people could find the story to be a bit long winded and/or bizzare (hey it's a taste), and you still get the classic MGS static camera, which means you have almost no control over it. Content-wise, as seen in the review, this game is full of intense violence, blood, gore, and sexual themes. This is definitely a game made for adults, and as such, I recommend this game for ages 17+.
