Just played MGS 1 for the first time and it’s put me off wanting to play MGS 2, help!

I just finished Metal Gear Solid and it’s genuinely well-crafted, especially for its era. But Kojima’s design philosophy constantly made me ask “what obtuse task does Kojima want me to do?” rather than “what do I do next?” The game feels less like an experience you’re guided through and more like you’re being watched with a smirk while you fumble around.

The progression is criminally opaque. I was often left wandering corridors with no clear objective. And the game seems to take genuine pleasure in punishing you for not knowing some obscure mechanic—like realizing way too late that you could’ve used the cardboard box for something super specific, or that a random codec conversation held the only hint about how to proceed. It’s masquerading as “no handholding” when really it’s just pretentious gatekeeping.

This is genuinely making me hesitant about MGS 2. I actually love the story and the visual direction are fantastic. But if I’m going to spend another 15+ hours second-guessing myself about mechanics and backtracking through areas because I missed some cryptic hint, it’s hard to justify the frustration.