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An agency known as FOXHOUND pulls agent Solid Snake out of retirement to take on a band of renegade ex-agents who have taken over the nuclear waste disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island. He’s to go in and neutralize the situation and stop the launch of a secret weapon upon an unsuspecting world.
As Snake penetrates deeper into hostile territory, he battles superhuman soldiers with extraordinary abilities. A cyborg ninja is thrown into the mix, and though he doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s side, he seems determined to kill Snake while killing everyone between the two of them. Snake also discovers that his own people are keeping secrets—secrets that he needs revealed in order to do his job, rescue hostages, and make it out alive.
Meryl Silverburgh is determined to be a good soldier like her uncle. But her uncle doesn’t have enough confidence in her ability to take care of the situation on Shadow Moses Island—mainly because she’s taken prisoner while there—so he sends in the legendary Solid Snake. Meryl doesn’t really trust Snake because he looks an awful lot like the head bad guy—and because she prefers working alone.
As I read Metal Gear Solid, I couldn’t help imagining looking over my youngest son’s shoulder as he played the newest video game involving a super-enhanced soldier battling enemies and all manners of beasts. Metal Gear Solid reads like a video game—but with a lot more in-depth characterization, atmosphere, and pure adrenaline. The character, Solid Snake, seems to be advancing to different levels of difficulty as he tries to complete his mission.
Though the characters’ names—like Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, Revolver Ocelot, and Sniper Wolf—sound a tad silly, I still enjoyed this fast-paced military thriller—based on the PlayStation game by the same name, which was designed by Hideo Kojima.
Metal Gear Solid isn’t the best thriller that I’ve ever come across, but it’s still a good read that’s worth your time—because there’s rarely a dull moment. And though Solid Snake doesn’t compare to Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne, he’s still a likable hero that I look forward to seeing in future novels.
