Hideo Kojima's "Metal Gear Solid" (1998) is like a great classic film that has now become required viewing for movie buffs - this is required playing for gaming enthusiasts. It stars Solid Snake, a weary, gruff veteran of the battlefield with a deep, gravelly voice, who always keeps a pack of cigarettes handy just in case. His mission is to infiltrate a nuclear weapons facility on an island off the coast of Alaska, code-named "Shadow Moses," which is currently being occupied by the ex-black ops unit turned terrorist group known as "Foxhound." It's not immediately apparent what the group's ultimate goal is, and in fact one of the great pleasures of "MGS" is the way in which the story slowly unravels. Many of the characters have secrets and motivations of their own, some of which wisely go unexplained (what's Ocelot really up to?). As a game made on PS1 hardware, the gameplay holds up considerably well for its time. It's played from a third-person top-down perspective. You can equip different gear (rations, binoculars) on the lower left of the screen and weapons (guns, explosives) on the lower right. Stealth plays a big role as you constantly try to avoid alerting the patrolling guards. The best gameplay sequences involve the unique boss battles with the members of "Foxhound." These sections are fun because no boss or battle is alike, and each character that you duel feels wholly original. The main draw and what makes this game, and the series, so special is the masterful storytelling that grabs ahold of you and doesn't let go. It's the stellar voice cast, including David Hayter as Snake, the ingenious plot, the phenomenal soundtrack and atmosphere - it's the meticulously crafted world that you can't help being completely absorbed in.