“Just what I’d expect from the man with the same code as the boss” – Revolver Ocelot

---

Overture – An Excellent Satirical Throwback to the MSX Days of Metal Gear

UnMetal represents something that I honestly have not encountered much of in my days of gaming: the genre parody. Now when it comes to film, we can talk all day about excellent parodies like Naked Gun or any Mel Brooks picture. These take the conventions of a popular genre and turn them on their head while also maintaining the spirit of what is being satirized. So, just as Spaceballs is both a comedic satirization of both Star Wars and the greater space adventure genre so too is UnMetal a parody of both Metal Gear and the larger stealth action genre. However, a comedy can be funny and maybe have some of the finer technical aspects of film-making glossed over. The same cannot really be said of a game; you can have the most hilariously written game but if it is not paired with fun and engaging gameplay there’s going to be issues. Luckily UnMetal succeeds in both fronts.

Gene – Dominant Genes Passed Down from the MSX

At its core UnMetal is able to provide satisfying stealth action gameplay while also utilizing its game mechanics to further enhance the games comedic satire. This game is fun to play but more specifically it is fun to master. Perfect stealth is encouraged through the earning of experience when enemies are taken down without being detected. This is a great touch and encourages players to perfect their strategies in each level to get the most benefit. However, you could also say that perfect stealth, especially in the later levels, is demanded as it is the only viable strategy. I’ve seen this brought up as a major point of criticism but I believe the game is correct to prioritize stealth gameplay. Combat is at its best in UnMetal during its boss and other designed encounters. Bosses give you a singular target with a unique pattern to maneuver about and fight while designed combat sequences allow for a balanced encounter that lets the player utilize force. This has been the case of nearly all Metal Gear games, combat is not encouraged between bosses and designed alert phases because fighting your way through isn’t the point and UnMetal follows that design principle brilliantly. We’re left with a game that’s fun to stealthily weave through that still has an intense fight with a nuclear submarine that puts your reaction times to the test.
But that’s not all! UnMetal uses its gameplay to make jokes too! This was especially fun to see. There are plenty of moments in which the game utilizes its inventory and combination system similar to that of Resident Evil in order to deliver jokes about the absurdity of what is happening in game. Mixing ‘Chloro’ and ‘Form’ to make chloroform, combining four C1’s to get one C4 and it goes on. These are small things but they show an effort to bring some of the parody into the gameplay itself as opposed to having it all maintained in cut scenes and dialog.
If I had to guess the largest point of criticism that could be leveled at this game it may be difficulty. On hard I found this game to be frustrating at points but never unfair. Save and checkpoints are frequent and you are never far from throwing yourself right back into a boss fight. So, I found it to be a quite rewarding challenge to memorize patterns and perfect my own skills to take these challenges on. Some may take issue with the classic style of stealth gameplay it can be simplistic but what is presented is nothing short of very well curated. No area is dull or un-interesting nor is any one segment of the game particularly worse than any other. It’s a good time, I especially enjoyed the barracks stage with a group of jogging soldiers roaming the base. Alright there is a weird segment where you have to pilot a submarine that’s unlike any other part of the game but it isn’t very long, I still don’t really get why it’s in the game though and probably does weaken the overall experience more than it adds.

Meme – Memes Jack the DNA of the Soul

Alright the gameplay has me sold because I’m a nerd who can appreciate old MSX metal gear and it’s good but the main selling point for most people here is probably going to be the comedy. Don’t worry the game is funny. Yes, some of the jokes are groaners. Yes, some jokes go on for too long. But this is comedy it’s going to be highly subjective to individual tastes. My favorite parts lay mostly in the way the game is being framed. UnMetal is a story within a story and events and logic change based on player choice at certain points as the story is being told. It feels as though Jesse Fox is laying down tracks as the train moves down them and that’s exactly what’s happening. I find this premise quite funny and the ultimate payoff satisfying. Take that and then add in plenty of nods and references to other genres and movies and sure not all of them are as hilarious but there is an admirable vision that I believe is executed on well. Perhaps decreasing the amount of direct reference humor like the drill sergeant for instance would help keep the game more cohesive but overall, the game does not rely heavily on those types of jokes. The game sets out the goal and executes quite well on what somebody would sound like trying to manufacture a Metal Gear type plot out of thin air and for this I’d recommend it.

Scene? –Let’s Just Talk About the State of Things and Conclude

It’s likely that no other game will come in the Metal Gear series and in a way seeing something like UnMetal gives me some form of joy in the sense that it’s good to see someone create something so clearly inspired by it. Sure, there is room for improvement, stealth could be a bit more in depth similar to MG2 with the addition of crawling but I can see that probably wasn’t the point. Sure, you could trim some of the fat and less critical jokes and segments but there would not be much to cut. I can say the same about some of the Metal Gear games not every narrative beat is always necessary nor is every section uniquely fun. Piloting a submarine may be a bit goofy and a different type of gameplay but so is piloting an RC missile through vents to blow up a generator in a room with the US president. So, in a way I love this game for the entirety of what it is and I think every fan of Metal Gear should definitely give it a go.