# Metal Gear Solid

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/metal-gear-solid/

9 people recommended Metal Gear Solid in Hacker News comments, 6 had mixed feelings and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 12 months, in 7 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended for its deep storyline and pure stealth mechanics that reward avoiding violence; some critics flag long cutscenes and a goofy plot in the first game.

Summary written by Claude from 14 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Deep, well-told story (4 comments in the sample): "90s and early to mid 2000s seems like was the peak for 3D games with deep storylines and pure stealth mechanics" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48290506)) "Half the fun is creating a coherent narrative out of the sheer number of random postmodern happenings." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48004088)) "I think the original MGS should get more praise as it has the better story" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49643924))
- Pure stealth mechanics (2 comments in the sample): "Everything else is all hiding around corners or inside/under furniture, like Metal Gear Solid." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48290828)) "The games' mechanics reward less violence." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48301647))

## What people warn about

- Frustrating loss of control (2 comments in the sample): "I find it annoying that I know Snake shouldn't pull the lever or whatever but the moment I lose control of him Snake is going…" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46771218)) "as the main draw and, especially, from the jump I just found it to be frustrating and annoying" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46206736))

## Other stealth games people recommend

- [Thief: The Dark Project](https://hackerapproved.com/p/thief-the-dark-project/): 12 recommend, 1 mixed, 0 criticize
- [Thief video game](https://hackerapproved.com/p/thief/): 10 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize
- [Metal Gear Solid V](https://hackerapproved.com/p/metal-gear-solid-v/): 7 recommend, 1 mixed, 3 criticize
- [Splinter Cell](https://hackerapproved.com/p/splinter-cell/): 7 recommend, 4 mixed, 2 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Metal Gear Solid", https://hackerapproved.com/p/metal-gear-solid/ (9 recommend, 6 mixed, 2 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.