Metal Gear Solid games have always been system sellers but back in the PS2/Xbox days Metal Gear Solid was really a system seller. At that point Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty was a PS2 exclusive and that was a big deal. The Xbox’s answer was Splinter Cell. An incredible looking game that used shadows as cover.
As an Xbox owner, I loved Splinter Cell. I played it non-stop. At that point MGS2 seemed unweildy and goofy compared to Splinter Cell’s accessible, grounded stealth mechanics. It took a while, but eventually I would learn to love Metal Gear Solid 2 and, in hindsight, Splinter Cell seems dull and shallow in comparison.
But let’s talk present day. Both of these series have grown and evolved into different things, yet both remain somewhat tied to stealth mechanics. It’s hard to argue that both games represent the pillars of the stealth genre: but which do you prefer? Vote and leave your reasoning in the comments below!
Comments
31 responses to “The Big Question: Metal Gear Solid Or Splinter Cell?”
I voted MGS, with the proviso that Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is one of the greatest games of all time and I’d probably pick it in a one-to-one battle against any MGS title.
I consider it apples and oranges, personally!
That’s a hard sell. On one hand, Splinter Cell has Conviction and Blacklist. On the other, MGS has MGS2 and MGS4.
Hmm, gonna go with MGS. Based on the fact that MGS stayed true to itself, while Splinter Cell tried to sell itself to CoD players.
While there’s nothing wrong with Splinter Cell, I’ll always consider MGS a pinnacle of video games. I played MGS1 15 years after it came out to see what all the fuss was about and it absolutely blew me away.
Both are great in their own right.
Not sure if they sorted it out in later titles of MGS (because I stopped playing them), but the ‘crawl to sneak’ from the original games put me off playing later games. Why couldn’t he sneak like a normal person instead of crawling around like a maniac?
Splinter Cell series every day of the week…
They did sort it out by like, MGS3.
You can compare gameplay mechanics all you like but it’s the story that gets me. I’ve played Splinter Cell games but I could hardly tell you a thing about Sam Fisher, would you like to hear the story of Big Boss and his Sons though?
Also, I made this ages ago, it seems relevant now: http://imgur.com/ZXCqaJG
A friend got me Conviction and while I enjoyed the co-op with him, it just didn’t draw me in enough to play the single player.
Metal Gear Solid though, a whole different beast. The comic book villains, the codec conversations, the fun little secrets hidden around. So good. So fun.
I love MGS but have never really gotten into the Splinter Cell games. The MGS story just appealed to me more.
Speaking of stealth games though, I did love Syphon Filter. Would love a next gen proper Syphon Filter.
Syphon Filter YES!
I don’t remember that being a stealth game.
The first game had two stealth levels (failure results in restart). The first stealth mission was do-able, the second stealth mission made me rage quit.
I think it was more that you were playing a special ops covert guy with similar (ish) gameplay and the fact that the first Syphon Filter came out shortly after MGS so comparisons were quickly drawn between the two. As it is, I absolutely love both series and would also choose Syphon Filter over Splinter Cell as well
I don’t think i’ve ever played a Splinter Cell game come to think of it.. Played a few of the MGS titles back on the PS2. But they were never something I found that capturing.
MGS for me too, love that series, as convoluted as it is.
Also it has one of my ALL TIME greatest theme songs, in ‘Snake Eater’ theme from MGS3, with that fantastic James Bondesque vocal work. I will always remember it playing while climbing up out of the drain up that long ladder, and actually stopping climbing to listen to it. Haunting.
“I’m stiiilllllll in a dreeeeeaam… snaaaake eaterrrr!”
MGS for me. It’s the game that taught me that instant ramen noodles were the food of the future [thanks MGS3].
RIP Tom Clancy.
Don’t forget CalorieMate! I’ve still got a pack sitting across from me, daring me to eat it.
Tenchu.
Tenchu ftw 🙂
Neither.
Voted MGS. Because I haven’t played a Splinter Cell game.
Metal Gear Solid all the way, son.
ALL.THE.WAY.
Metal Gear Solid hands down.
MGS3 is one of the best games to come out of the PS2.
Edit: MGS3 is one of the best games of all time.
MGS all the way. It’s all the little touches that make the GW much more believable
Splinter Cell – as a stealth game it’s streets ahead – to the point where MGS appears to be playing catch-up. But I love MGS for the balls-out craziness
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
oh wait, you’re serious…
Seeing as only Splinter Cell releases for PC, It is the obvious choice. Though I would love to try MGS out (not enough to buy a console). Revengeance shall be my first foray, and it’s not even a proper MGS game. Oh well.
METAL GEEEARRRRR!!!!!!- you know?
Haven’t actually gotten around to playing either of them. Though Twin Snakes actually sits on my shelf, so I guess I’ll go with that 😛
Splinter Cell, by far.
I love them both, but MG has my heart.
You can’t really compare them. They are both very very different games.
Splinter Cell…. Way less pretentious.
MGS series has some of the deepest, complex yet satisfying and rewarding gameplay mechanics in video games.
MGS 3 alone is good enough to win any battle.
that being said i’m little worried about MGS 5
It’s a tricky one, both have pretty epic sound tracks, however Revengance doesn’t feature Solid Snake and has such a terrible soundtrack (like some emo ass j-pop) and is nothing but quicktime events.
Blacklist didn’t blow me away as much as the original SC or Conviction, but it’s miles ahead of Revengance. So SC wins for me – but only by a bee’s dick.
MGS all the way, I’ve bought several SC games and have never found any of them to better any MGS game, yeah even #2.
I think Splinter Cell is the superior stealth game, but MGS is the superior game overall. The stealth mechanics in Splinter Cell are second to none and more realistic than MGS, and I love that tense feeling of hiding in shadow standing literally inches away from an enemy as I wait for him to turn his back and pass me.
But MGS, even though its stealth mechanics aren’t as realistic and more… video gamey, the stealth, controls, and camera angles are hyper-intuitive, and there are literally zero “trial and error” moments like there are in Splinter Cell.
And don’t even get me started on the story. Splinter Cell stories are your typical Clancy-ish tales of terrorism, political intrigue and the like, which are good, they succeed in establishing the suspense needed for those games; but I love it when Metal Gear taps into various philosophical or anthropological issues like a soldier’s place in a world at peace, the existential significance of genes, social memes, and the balance between ethics and scientific achievement.
splinter cell is the best, most entertaining. I’m bored with mgs already because full of cutscenes, dialogs, and minimum action. Plus there are some pervert moments inside makes me feel sick and think negatives. Splinter cell always focused in practical, brings player to imagine the situation of a location. I always laugh when surprising someone
I’ve personally only played Splinter Cell. Played it since I was a kid. I’ve never played a single MGS game ever. I’ve heard a lot about it though.
In the field of Realism, win goes to Splinter Cell. Sam is more realistic and the game environment is. While some of the gear might be fictional, it’s for the most part very realistic. When Sam does close combat, some of his moves might not look like they would do much: punch to the side of the side, elbow to the back of the head, ect. However the places striked are vital places, the temples, the brain stem. All hit hard enough will knock you out. The game isn’t about shooting out lightbulbs. That’s a huge misconception. It’s only needed to create shadows.
Now from what I’ve heard about MGS is a lot of cut scenes, fictional gear, super soldier enemies, and a guy who likes to smoke. But realism? A fictional fighting style, nanites that causes you to become a super soldier but makes you an old man super fast, nuke throwing robots, and trying to get over PTSD. Now if I wanted to play a super solider unkillable fictional man, I’ll play that. Could turn out to be fun.
But my vote goes to Sam.
Though the game companies for both games do like to play off each other a lot.