Metal Gear Solid is the definitive PlayStation classic, alongside console mascot, Crash Bandicoot. The game is a trailblazer in the stealth genre with many of its features being emulated to this day. But a lot of things have changed since the days of the PlayStation 1 and now people are asking how long does it take to beat MGS 1?
How long is Metal Gear Solid?
If you focus solely on main objectives, Metal Gear Solid will only take 11-12 hours to complete. But for those playing the game for the first time and carefully observing enemy patterns, expect around 15 hours of gameplay. It’s worth noting that, in comparison to contemporary stealth action games, the original Metal Gear Solid is relatively shorter in duration.
There are 4 main locations to clear in the game:
- Tank Hangar
- Nuclear Warhead Storage Building
- Communications Towers
- Maintenance Facility
All of the locations listed above have multiple objectives and boss battles of their own to contend with. Vulcan Raven might give you a run for your money on your first go around. But I can say that for most of the bosses in the game, especially the vehicle bosses.
The thing that holds you up from advancing might be small things like knowing which walls can you use C4 on or Meryl’s Codec without the CD jewel case. Sure, you can find the frequency in-game but it’s going to require you to look at some places you will not expect to find on a first playthrough.
If you are interested in getting 100% and the Platinum trophy, it’s looking like you’ll be done in 16-18 hours depending on your mastery of C4 and the Nikita homing missiles.
And for our speedrunners out there, the current world record is set at 34 minutes and 36 seconds. A bit too much information but these old games tend to do well in the speed run community. Frankly speaking, I have managed to cut my time down to the single-hour digits back in the old days. It can prove to be an interesting challenge just to see how good you are with the controls.
And that’s everything I’ve got for this ‘How Long to Beat’ Metal Gear Solid guide. With regards to the Master Collection on PC, I don’t quite know how you can expect to fight Psycho Mantis. There’s not exactly a second controller port present. Unless you are expected to move your controller to another USB port.
