Metal Gear Solid's 1997 reveal had dev behind rival spy game "despairing" because it did "everything that we were trying to do, better"

GamesStealthMetal GearMetal Gear SolidMetal Gear Solid’s 1997 reveal had dev behind rival spy game “despairing” because it did “everything that we were trying to do, better"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesStealthMetal GearMetal Gear SolidMetal Gear Solid’s 1997 reveal had dev behind rival spy game “despairing” because it did “everything that we were trying to do, better"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Konami) The reveal of Metal Gear Solid at E3 1997 had a big impact, particularly on oneSonydeveloper who was busy making his own espionage-themed action game at the exact same time. Speaking to Retro Gamer, Richard Ham, design lead on Syphon Filter at developer Eidetic (now known as Days Gone developer Sony Bend) explained how Metal Gear Solid’s trailer brought the convention to a standstill. That’s partly becauseKonamiplayed it every single hour, on a massive screen that dominated the convention hall. “The first time the world saw this trailer, it was not just on some little TVs at the Konami booth. This was on a gigantic jumbotron screen that towered over everything. As I recall, every hour they would play that trailer, and for the entire convention this would become like appointment viewing - there’d be a huge crowd and so everyone would come and sit and watch.” According to Ham, all that attention was well-deserved. “It was so next-level,” he says, “so many interesting camera angles for everything. It felt so cinematic.” For Ham and the team at Eidetic, that wasn’t great news, since “cinematic gameplay was something I was trying very, very hard to achieve with Syphon Filter, with camera locks and being a fan of John Woo and action cinema.” That cinematic style wasn’t the only similarity between Syphon Filter and Metal Gear Solid. Both games are semi-political thrillers with a blend of stealth and action gameplay. Given their early console launch, there’s also a distinct visual similarity to get over, especially once you factor in protagonist Gabriel Logan’s fetching, Snake-esque grey jumpsuit. All those similarities were particularly haunting for Ham, who said that even though Syphon Filter eventually offered a “radically different kind of experience,” he “was despairing” in the wake of that E3 trailer, because “it looked like [Konami] were doing everything that we were trying to do, better.” Eventually, it didn’t really matter. Syphon Filter was critically and commercially successful, going on to spawn five sequels in the eight years following its release. It didn’t become the kind of global phenomenon that Metal Gear Solid proved to be, admittedly, but very few games do, so perhaps an existence lived in the shadow of greatness is perfectly respectable. 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Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: 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