The influence of film on Metal Gear is perhaps the series' most visible trait. From Snake being named after Kurt Russell's character in Escape from New York to Metal Gear Solid 3 being a pastiche of the 007 franchise, creator Hideo Kojima's interests played a key role in inspiring Metal Gear's characters, themes, score, and everything in-between.
Now, years after the franchise has gone dormant, it's the landmark series' turn to be someone else's source of inspiration. UnMetal, an upcoming stealth-action title from independent developer Unepic Fran, takes some obvious cues from the early Metal Gear titles. Its demo exhibits top-down stealth gameplay, a similar score, and a wacky sense of humor, but that's not to say UnMetal is trying to outright emulate Metal Gear. Rather, it makes some common-sense updates to the MSX games' gameplay that make this indie game feel like the definitive 2D Metal Gear experience.
UnMetal: The Influence Of Metal Gear
The imprint of Metal Gear on UnMetal becomes apparent almost immediately after starting the demo; players are promptly introduced to a raspy-voiced protagonist wearing a bandana who is named after an animal. No, not Solid Snake, but Jesse Fox – a soldier who was arrested for a crime he did not commit, which is a fact he will repeatedly remind players of. The demo is set during Fox's daring escape from prison.
Once the player can move around, fans of Metal Gear should feel right at home. UnMetal looks, plays, and feels just like the MSX Metal Gear games, albeit a little modernized. The sprites, HUD, and even the inventory screen all look near-identical to Metal Gear 2, and there's even a radio for players to call allies on that has a codec-like display.
Tactics used in the MSX games appear to work well here, too; punch a wall while a guard is nearby, and they'll mosey on over, leaving an opening for players to either knock them out or slip by unnoticed. Weapons also function similarly, and the one weapon featured in the demo – a slingshot constructed out of a stick and an eye-patch that Fox uses to hurl balls of Uranium – feels like a nice nod to Solid Snake's jerry-rigged flamethrower from the second Metal Gear used to defeat Big Boss.
Like the series it's inspired by, UnMetal also has a distinct sense of humor. However, whereas the Metal Gear games were mostly serious stories with laughs sprinkled throughout, UnMetal looks to be a comedic game that rarely takes itself seriously. Protagonist Jesse Fox delivers one-liners every chance he gets, and humor is even worked into the gameplay at certain points. One instance challenges players to not get too close to a sneezing guard, lest Fox involuntarily bless him, and have his courteous act rewarded with an attack.
Making Metal Gear's Gameplay More Solid
In essence, UnMetal feels like a 2D version of a Metal Gear Solid game, in large part due to how many features it has that weren't introduced until the series' jump to 3D. Unlike the early Metal Gear games, players can now knock enemies out, loot their unconscious bodies, and even dive-roll in a manner similar to most Metal Gear Solid games.
The game doesn't quite implement the 3D titles' CQC fighting style, but it does at least give Fox a well-animated three-hit combo attack that looks pretty similar to the one used by Snake and Raiden in MGS2. It's also an incredibly satisfying combo to watch in action, thanks to the flying roundhouse kick that bookends it. Taking on waves of enemies unarmed might not be the most optimal way forward, but the demo makes a compelling case for it to be the most gratifying one.
In addition, the game also adds a feature not seen in any Metal Gear game: an experience system. As players silently take down enemies, they'll level up and gain new skills that give Fox certain buffs. The ones present in the demo only allowed for buffs to Fox's movement speed and attack speed, but it's fair to assume more will be present in the final game.
UnMetal's commitment to not just emulating, but also updating the MSX titles' gameplay pays off thanks to some smart improvements that make sense given the evolution of Metal Gear. If the demo is any indication, UnMetal might be the closest thing to a new Metal Gear game in years, and fans who have been skeptical of Konami's handling (or lack thereof) of the franchise should definitely keep an eye on UnMetal, or at least check out the free demo.
UnMetal is currently in development.