The Inside Story Of Recording Metal Gear Solid

This feature was originally posted on May 25th, 2016. It has been posted again in honor of Metal Gear Solid’s 20th anniversary.

The first Metal Gear Solid on the original PlayStation was a turning point in the game industry. In 1998, Hideo Kojima and his team at Konami delivered a game widely praised as one of the most cinematic, interactive experiences in gaming. A large part of the game’s positive reception hinged on some of the most memorable voice-work in the industry. On this special edition of The Game Informer Show, we  take a deep dive into the history and recording process of that first game.

Hosts Ben Hanson and Tim Turi (who is no longer with Game Informer) are joined by voice director Kris Zimmerman Salter and the stellar menagerie of voice actors involved with that first game, including David Hayter (Snake), Cam Clarke (Liquid), and others, to tell the full story. This is not your typical interview on The Game Informer Show, it has been edited to be more of an audio documentary (with a YouTube component) so we hope you enjoy the show.

You can watch the video below, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes, or listen to this episode on SoundCloud. Also, be sure to send any feedback to podcast@gameinformer.com.

To jump to a particular point in the discussion, check out the timestamps below… 

2:38 – Casting and auditioning for Metal Gear Solid
11:08 – The surprising recording process
20:05 – Kris Zimmerman Salter’s directing style
22:35 – The voice of Solid Snake
26:55 – Recording Otacon
32:33 – Creating the classic Game Over screams
33:30 – Recording Meryl
34:50 – Recording Liquid Snake
41:30 – Recording Vulcan Raven
47:43 – The fan reaction to Metal Gear Solid
57:55 – David Hayter’s thoughts on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
1:03:50 – The legacy of the first Metal Gear Solid