For the majority of time you spend playing Metal Gear Solid 1, you are lead to believe that the mystical PAL card that you've gone through hell to make work properly will stop the impending missile launch perpetrated by Liquid Snake. You followed its rules about hot and cold temperatures, you did everything but tuck it in at night, and yet even it will betray you in the end. Inserting the card doesn't stop the missile launch, rather it starts the countdown to oblivion. It's a startling moment, as it takes what you believe about everything you've been told so far and just laughs in your face. It works on every level a twist should, as it changes what you thought was true and alters the course of the story from here on out. It's a common theme among the Metal Gear franchise; did you actually make a choice or were you lead there by forces more powerful than yourself?
