METAL GEAR SOLID (PS)
LANDMARK LEVELS: PSYCHO MANTIS BOSS BATTLE
PlayStation | February 1999 (Europe) | Stealth Adventure | Konami | KCEJ
By Shane Battams © 2014. Posted 25th September 2014.
By Shane Battams © 2014. Posted 25th September 2014.
Admittedly, it is very difficult to pick a specific moment that stands out in the original Metal Gear Solid. In fact, it is a rather landmark game as a whole, but a key component of that is the terrific boss fights. Each fight felt distinctive, from a duel with a Cyborg Ninja to the tactical sniping battle with Sniper Wolf, and all were worthy of mention. But one stands out above all, a feat in its own right. This fight got it all right – atmosphere, suspense, presentation and challenge. And with some impressive fourth-wall breaks, it was incredibly memorable. Of course, I’m referring to the outstanding boss encounter with Psycho Mantis.
Going back to 1998, Kojima must have felt like he dug himself into a hole. Psychic antagonists had become all the rage, and to avoid feeling sterile and clichéd, Kojima would have to pull some pretty significant tricks out of the bag. What we have here, though, is a masterclass in boss design, and indeed game design as a whole. Kojima’s devilish breaks in the fourth wall were scary as can be, but never overshadowed the actual fight itself. What we have here is a classy show of both style and substance, which come to form one of the best boss fights in gaming history.
Going back to 1998, Kojima must have felt like he dug himself into a hole. Psychic antagonists had become all the rage, and to avoid feeling sterile and clichéd, Kojima would have to pull some pretty significant tricks out of the bag. What we have here, though, is a masterclass in boss design, and indeed game design as a whole. Kojima’s devilish breaks in the fourth wall were scary as can be, but never overshadowed the actual fight itself. What we have here is a classy show of both style and substance, which come to form one of the best boss fights in gaming history.
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One of the crucial parts of this encounter is build-up; a slow-burn towards the reveal of Mantis. Meryl cries out in pain, only to suddenly act strange. She talks in a muted tone, paralleling her usually loud personality, and urges Snake forward. Things go from weird to creepy when she pulls a gun on Snake and, basically, begins to hit on him. Her voice becomes more distorted and her movements become zombie-like. It is made clear via the codec that Meryl is not herself, and killing her is not an option, making the opening encounter very tense. You must figure out how to incapacitate her, and you could end up in this situation with little-to-no items to knock her out with. It is quite an excellent way to build up the grand reveal of Mantis himself.
Kojima once revealed that “the challenge for me was to express psychic ability in a way that had never been done before.” He accomplished this in the opening scenes by masterfully breaking the fourth wall. As he promises, Psycho Mantis begins literally to read you like a book. By sifting through game data, he dissects your deaths, save count and detections in order to profile Snake, which is freaky in its own right. What’s spookier is when he reads your memory card. Depending on your save data, he begins to comment on your play history. He might notice you like Castlevania, play a lot of RPGs, or enjoy Konami games more generally. It was one of the freakiest fourth wall breaks in gaming, and demonstrates his psychic powers to superb effect. He even prompts you to lay your controller on the floor and then moves it. While it’s easy to see how it’s done, it’s still remarkably clever, making imaginative use of Dual Shock technology which was still in its relative infancy at the time.
But let’s be clear, this is not all-show. The actual fight with him is terrific, with several components making it tough. He reads your mind, and you are tasked with figuring out how to break his control. Whether swapping control ports or destroying the statues, it’s still a clever way of employing lateral thinking to negate his strengths, rather than the standard guns-blazing approach. There are plenty of other challenging parts too, such as figuring out how to see him when he’s invisible or dealing with the multitude of objects he throws at you. And just to heighten the intensity, he occasionally revives Meryl from unconsciousness and has her attempt to commit suicide. Needless to say, Psycho Mantis is not a boss you’ll pass on your first attempt, but it highlights Kojima’s meticulous nature, and care for the smaller details.
Kojima once revealed that “the challenge for me was to express psychic ability in a way that had never been done before.” He accomplished this in the opening scenes by masterfully breaking the fourth wall. As he promises, Psycho Mantis begins literally to read you like a book. By sifting through game data, he dissects your deaths, save count and detections in order to profile Snake, which is freaky in its own right. What’s spookier is when he reads your memory card. Depending on your save data, he begins to comment on your play history. He might notice you like Castlevania, play a lot of RPGs, or enjoy Konami games more generally. It was one of the freakiest fourth wall breaks in gaming, and demonstrates his psychic powers to superb effect. He even prompts you to lay your controller on the floor and then moves it. While it’s easy to see how it’s done, it’s still remarkably clever, making imaginative use of Dual Shock technology which was still in its relative infancy at the time.
But let’s be clear, this is not all-show. The actual fight with him is terrific, with several components making it tough. He reads your mind, and you are tasked with figuring out how to break his control. Whether swapping control ports or destroying the statues, it’s still a clever way of employing lateral thinking to negate his strengths, rather than the standard guns-blazing approach. There are plenty of other challenging parts too, such as figuring out how to see him when he’s invisible or dealing with the multitude of objects he throws at you. And just to heighten the intensity, he occasionally revives Meryl from unconsciousness and has her attempt to commit suicide. Needless to say, Psycho Mantis is not a boss you’ll pass on your first attempt, but it highlights Kojima’s meticulous nature, and care for the smaller details.
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And this fight does not slip up on presentation, either. The room contributes to the feeling of unease, as rather than another sterile military environment, you are trapped in one which more resembles a living room or office, with pictures and statues. It contributes to the feeling of unease, as if this is all a bizarre dream. Snake continues to be a badass but emotional hero, and Meryl too receives some character development, hinting at a relationship between Snake and the female protagonist. But Mantis is the star, his cold personality at odds with his extraordinary powers. The soliloquy he delivers post-fight, in particular, is excellent, and every hiss of his words only contributes to his mystique and the sense of dread that he emanates. And of course, this fight benefits from outstanding cut-scenes, incredible dialogue and stunning graphics, just like the whole game.
It’s a testament to how fantastic this fight is that it remains one of the best nearly two decades later. Stylish yet filled with substance, it remains a challenging, memorable and excellent encounter. The fact that it is the highlight of a game filled with so many outstanding scenarios also testifies to its significance in gaming history. Its legacy cannot be debunked either, contributing to Hideo’s unusual methods of game development. Many key games also borrowed components from this fight, such as Eternal Darkness’ s sanity effects. And while some would argue it has become gimmicky at this point, I argue that you will never fight a boss like Psycho Mantis.
It’s a testament to how fantastic this fight is that it remains one of the best nearly two decades later. Stylish yet filled with substance, it remains a challenging, memorable and excellent encounter. The fact that it is the highlight of a game filled with so many outstanding scenarios also testifies to its significance in gaming history. Its legacy cannot be debunked either, contributing to Hideo’s unusual methods of game development. Many key games also borrowed components from this fight, such as Eternal Darkness’ s sanity effects. And while some would argue it has become gimmicky at this point, I argue that you will never fight a boss like Psycho Mantis.
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