Have you ever beaten a game years ago only to find yourself unable to beat it today? This phenomenon has only happened to me a few times in my life. I’m currently playing Metal Gear Solid (PSN version) on my PS3. This is a game that I’ve beaten many times before (well, the version I’ve beaten is Twin Snakes, to be honest) and for some reason, on this play through, I am completely stuck on Metal Gear REX. I can beat the first phase of him just fine, but on the 2nd phase when Liquid opens REX’s mouth, I just immediately get my ass handed to me. I have Grey Fox’s unskippable dialogue memorized (you know, the part where he’s begging you to shoot but Snake just refuses to do so, despite your button presses).
I’ve heard that the Twin Snakes version of MGS is easier than the original. Since this is actually my first play through of the original, I had assumed there would be differences and parts that I was unfamiliar with, but it’s kind of ridiculous how many times I have tried and failed to beat REX.
The only other times this has happened before were when I had beaten Starfox 64 and Ocarina of Time when they first came out and then when I replayed them again later (about 6 years after they were released). The battle with Gannon in Ocarina of Time gave me such a massive headache that I swore I’d never play it again. This swear went untrue because I have since played and beaten it two more times. Starfox still gives me trouble though.
Is this weird? Have any of you ever been completely unable to beat a game you had beaten previously in your life (and then subsequently found yourself able to beat it on much later play throughs)?
Also, any tips you have on beating the 2nd phase of REX would be helpful. Here’s what I’m doing: chaff grenades, stun grenades (running while throwing) running at his missiles in hopes that they’ll go over my head, shooting one or two stingers at the cock pit when I can, and lots and lots of rations. I have the body armor equipped almost constantly. I’m playing on Normal difficulty. Is there anything that I’m missing? Am I wasting time with the chaff grenades in the 2nd phase? I have read several walkthroughs because of how aggravating this is, but to no avail.
You must be getting old, senility and arthritis are next on your mandatory shitty things to happen to you in life. Wish I could give you advice on REX, but I can't remember.
I don't recall ever having trouble with him though. What difficulty are you playing on?
Not played MGS1 yet :( poor me...so I can;t help you. If you;re stills tuck by the time I get my hands on it, I'll let you know :)
AS for games I couldn't beat then came back to, one of the Ratchet and Clank's, I know, shocking, but there was a ridiculously hard boss that was pissing me off. I came back a month later and did it 2nd time round.
I've learnt something through this though. If you start to get progressively worse fighting something or trying something in a game, if you leave it for a long time and come back after a break of a few days, a week or months, you'll be able to do it really easily.
This is a little bit different, but after finishing MGS4 (a few times), I decided to replay MGS3, and I gave up. After the gameplay for 4, I found that I couldn't really stomach the poor control of 3 (even Subsistence). Makes me really sad, as I love that game to death, but at this point I think I'd rather watch someone else play it than try to go through it myself. So, yeah, a different sort of difficulty than what you're describing, but frustrating all the same.
@ Kauza
Yeah, I think that might have something to do with it. The older control style is really frustrating to me, not to mention the fact that you can't use the analog sticks. It makes you use the directional pad to aim the stinger missile, which is annoying.
The controls on MGS4 are just perfect, especially when you equip a master key and you can basically fire two different weapons with one gun. Freakin' awesome.
I see what's going on here. So, what you're saying is that, unlike most series where gameplay doesn't change and is basically the same throughout, MGS gets better to play with every new iteration, even though the last game was still playable and enjoyable. Yep, I've read between your lines.
Damn. I beat this so many times back in the day, but I cannot remember what you're supposed to do here. The REX sequence always gave me trouble.
When I was 9, I could destroy Mega Man 2. Had it down to a science. A couple of years ago when Mega Man Anniversary Collection came out, I thought, "Oh, this'll be no problem."
After spending a solid hour trying to get past the disappearing block thing in Heat Man's stage (and unable to remember how to get the Item that would let me bypass the sequence) I quit in shame.
Sometimes you were just a better gamer when you could devote all summer to honing your skills.
Just practice I think man. I thought MGS was a moderately easy game though tbh.
I usually re-beat MGS1 every so often, and all I can tell you for REX is just: keep firing (blind firing helps you not get hit if you have the ammo), and keep strafing from side to side.
Watch some videos of the Rex battle on youtube and pick up some strategies from there. I actually had a very similar problem in my own replaying of it last you, except mine was with the tank, and it helped a great deal.
Don't use grenades on the second part because he's aiming with his sight, not the radar. If you're using a ps3 you can go under controller settings in the ps menu and switch the control to analog if it helps.
I beat REX just a while ago and what I did for the second phase was I went to the north east corner of the room so REX was facing the corner and was forced to fire the missiles on the side of his leg that was more easily avoided more often (I believe the missiles on his right are easier to avoid then his left, but I can't be sure). I beat it very easily with this method, after much rage and tears. When he fires his missiles you run towards him and then back up and shoot him with the stringer missile. Just watch out for the beam and machine gun if you get too close.
Never got that far in MGS1, but I have a similar story. For some reason, emulated games running on my computer, I do fairly well at. Running them on my Wii and with my TV...all of a sudden, I suck. Badly.
It's not anything like input lag or whatever, but I had four game overs in Earthbound by the Franky battle and I've never done that poorly! What the hell. It's happened in other games too, and I'm scared to death that I'm going to lose my ability to play older titles as time goes on. Even RPGs!
*scared to boot up SMRPG*
@ LOOGIBOT - Actually, I hadn't thought of that, but yeah, the MGS games just get better as gamers' taste evolves, but with other games like the Mario series, if people clamor enough for an old style game, they'll get it (hence the News Super Mario Bros. Wii)
@ DEATHOFTHEDEAD - For Heat Man, I always just beat him last cause I know I'd always have Item 2 by the time I got to his level. The shifting blocks can be fun, but his level can be a bitch.
@ DOOMSDAY FORTE - I think for me, being better at a ROM or the real thing depends on the game. Some games like the Megaman NES series, I do better with the physical controller in my hand. Other games like Ghosts N Goblins, I do better on a ROM cause there are save states. To each his own, eh?
yup, it sucks to suck. i don't have that problem though. i don't have to suck because i make the game do the sucking. that's right, video games are my street corner whores.
Don't really remember how to beat REX, but keep at it, I believe in you! Also, I know what it's like to revisit a game and get stomped by it. Ninja Gaiden (the first 2D one) is so much more cheap now then I remember it being. Seriously, maybe as a young tyke I was better at it, but damn, some of the flying birds and shit is just so aggravating.
I don't remember the exact strategy...however, the basic idea is to stay out of harm's way as much as possible. Evading his attacks is your primary concern, even if this means giving up on firing that Stinger when you're inches away from locking on. In other words, it takes a lot of patience. Learn how to dodge his missiles and machinegun fire (I think if you use a chaff grenade while he fires missiles they will lock onto your position at the moment they are fired - so you basically just have to move around as much as possible).
Hope that helps. He's not that hard once you learn how to avoid his attacks.
Use your damn stinger missiles. Chaff to confuse REX then aim at his radar dome with the stingers. Once that's done, don't use the chaff and just keep shooting at the cockpit with the stinger missiles.
And if anything, hide behind the boxes in the area.