Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake EaterKojima Productions/Konami
Lauren: I generally dislike first-person and third-person shooters. I wasn't very good at stealth games like Tenchu or Splinter Cell. Action games are hit-or-miss for me, too. And don't even get me started on war games. Yet despite all that, I fell in love with Metal Gear Solid. Then Metal Gear Solid 2. And I don't know how Kojima/Konami keep doing this, but they pulled off yet another excellent entry in the Metal Gear series with Snake Eater.
There is something different about the Metal Gear Solid series that I haven't experienced in any other games. Perhaps it's the personality behind the whole experience. The characters feel like real people, the dialogue is absolutely hilarious at times, and sometimes the whole thing even feels a bit campy. It may also be the staggering level of detail and hidden references that they put into each game. Whatever the defining feature is, it keeps me coming back to the series for more.
I'll admit that I was skeptical at first. The initial previews for Snake Eater seemed downright bizarre. No radar? Camouflage? A jungle? ...Eating snakes? I thought Kojima had gone off the deep end, but as always, he knew what he was doing. Never will I doubt him again.
I can't say a lot about the story without getting into spoilers, but I can definitely say it was a great one. The setting is much further back than the last two Metal Gear Solid games, and there's another distinct difference with the characters involved, but it still manages to keep that "MGS feel" for the most part. The plot will definitely keep you guessing right up until the post-credits scene.
David Hayter's classic voice acting returns for our protagonist. He does a great job as always, though this Snake is understandably a little less badass than what we're used to. The new voice actors were also very convincing in their roles. The music is suitably tense, and the James Bond-style vocal song "Snake Eater" is amusing and fitting for the time period of the game. The ambient jungle noises are also very well done - I often can't tell if a bird is chirping in the game or outside of my window.
Most of the game is played in a jungle environment, which can provide both safety and additional danger. A more realistic stamina gauge has been added, and Snake needs to keep it up by eating. If he doesn't, there will be consequences such as an unsteady aim, slower health recovery, and a growling stomach, which can alert guards. Of course, you'll still find the classic rations here and there, but Snake will usually have to hunt for the rest of his food. You'll be scouring the jungle for snakes, rabbits, birds, fish, and so on. Of course, certain enemies will want to bite back, too, so there is a fair bit of strategy in this element of the game as well. Most animals will only last about one real-life day before their meat begins to rot, and this usually means you'll want to toss the meat or risk giving Snake food poisoning. Yes, really.
Adding to the theme of realism is the new "Cure" menu. Instead of simply having his health bar go down with every injury, Snake now has to take care of each one individually. You'll find first aid supplies throughout the game, and it will be very important to fix up your wounds, or else your health will not recover. This system gets impressively detailed; for example, a cut requires styptic, disinfectant, a suture kit, and a bandage, while Snake can rid himself of a leech by burning it off with a cigar, or remove a crossbow bolt from his arm by digging it out with his trusty knife. This guy can take a lot of punishment, apparently, but at least it's more realistic than chowing down on rations to fix gunshot wounds to the head.
The new Mei Ling equivalent is a lady by the codename of Para-Medic. She'll help explain the first aid procedures, as well as act as your field guide when it comes to animals in the jungle. In classic MGS style, this amounts to some very amusing conversations. The same goes for your weapons expert this time around. It's definitely worth calling both of them on a regular basis. I'm still amazed by the amount of radio conversations they put into these games, even though the casual gamer would miss out on half of them.
A new camouflage system has also been implemented. Depending on where Snake is standing, his outfit will give him a certain percentage which represents how visible he is. You can gather different outfits and facepaint throughout the game that will be helpful in various environments. Some hard-to-get camouflage pieces also have hidden additional effects, such as stamina recovery. There is definitely something thrilling about laying down in the grass with a 95% camo index, wondering if that nearby guard is going to see you or not.
And then there's the actual action of the game. Stealth is as fun and engaging as ever, but it's definitely much more challenging. Your precious radar is gone, and there's no way to get it back. You are given a sonar and two other sensors which can function in a similar way, but it's still not quite the same. You'll definitely feel somewhat exposed for the first while if you've become conditioned to the other MGS games. You'll be breathing a sigh of relief when you finally come across the familiar thermal goggles. Using advanced stealth techniques will become important, since alerts happen much more easily this time around, and caution mode lasts a very long time.
My main complaint with Snake Eater is the lack of a controllable camera. You can either move in third-person view, or look around in first-person, but you can't move in this way unless you're crawling. The analog sticks allow you to peek a little further in each direction, but it's still not nearly enough for sneaking up on some guards. You'll sometimes have to get only a few feet away from a guard before you can even see him, and by then, he'll probably spot you and sound the alert. This isn't as much of a problem once you get used to it and use the appropriate tools at your disposal, but it can seem pretty tough at first. I know that the remake, Subsistence, fixed this issue, and now I wish I'd purchased that instead.
The gameplay doesn't get boring. You'll be in a jungle, underground, in a cave, climbing a mountain, and then finally back to the familiar indoor environments. You can take enemies down with traditional weapons, or make use of the many new close-quarters combat techniques. The boss fights also add a lot of variety, and there are usually many different techniques that can be used to defeat them.
Another thing that always impresses me about MGS is the developers' attention to detail. There are countless additions to these games that the casual player will likely miss. For example, one boss in Snake Eater can be defeated in three ways - the traditional approach (which could mean several different methods as well), or by shutting off the game and setting the PS2 clock ahead a few weeks so that he'll die of old age, or you can snipe him when he is shown earlier in the game briefly following a cutscene. Just amazing. Never before have I seen details like this put into a video game.
The graphics definitely push the PS2 near its limits. Once again, the smooth real-time graphics are as gorgeous as those found in cutscenes. Everything is beautifully animated, from the characters' facial expressions right down to every single blade of grass.
And of course, there's plenty of reason to play MGS3 again. As always, there are many unlockable items and goals to aim for, including the usual infinite ammo item and stealth camouflage. The game is already a long one, taking most gamers 20-25 hours to complete the first playthrough. Not too shabby for an action game.
Metal Gear Solid 3 isn't just a decent prequel. It's an incredibly well designed game on its own. It's beautiful, it's challenging, it's fun, it's hilarious, and it's interesting all at the same time. The initial learning curve may be a bit steep, but I encourage all potential players to tough it out, because this one was absolutely worth it.
Anthony: I was very late to the Metal Gear Solid franchise in that I didn’t play the original MGS until MGS4 was out. So, I can’t claim the same storied past with the series. That said, the fact that I eagerly play these games and love them now is a testament to the point Lauren made - there’s just something different and unique about this franchise. Third or first-person shooters have never been my thing, but just like Metroid Prime games will always have me breaking that rule, so too will games like MGS3.
Beyond the fact that it was amusing to see a young Ocelot and get more of the background on Snake and his history, the game was great to play. Keep in mind though, the difficulty is significantly ramped up compared to MGS2... guards are sent into alert much easier, caution mode takes much longer to end, and the lack of the soliton radar means you’ll be shuffling through various less effective equipment if you want the same effect. Couple that with a very unfortunate camera system that often makes it difficult to see things right in front of you, plus the new stamina/injury system included with your health gauge, and you have a significantly more difficult experience.
Does it matter? Not really. Early frustrations and camera-impeded areas aside, the game plays fantastically, and once again manages to be a part of an absolutely huge experience that no one will be able to discover every aspect of alone. Self-referencing humor, spoken dialog even for improbable unlockable items, crazily in-depth systems that allow you to blow up food stores so guards will complain of hunger to give away their position... A review can’t even begin to touch all of the easter eggs you can find in the game and how many ways to go about solving each stage’s challenges.
It’s just that kind of experience that makes you want to come back for more. MGS3 is an excellent continuation of the series that gives me fond memories even as I think about the hard parts that frustrated me. It makes me want to go back and play them again!
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