Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Kojima Productions/Konami

Review by Lauren

I need to preface this review with the following: I am an MGS fan. I've played and loved the entire main series, even when it kicked my ass. I'm not fantastic at action games, nor do I generally care for war games, but MGS has a charm that drew me in instantly. The fact that the developers cater to the fans certainly helps, as well. As for Portable Ops, I will summarize it as a good game. ...A good game that I surprisingly did not have much fun with. Allow me to elaborate.

MGS: Portable Ops introduces a much different gameplay aspect than what MGS fans are used to. Rather than controlling our hero alone, many other soldiers can be recruited and utilized throughout the game. PO is mission-based, allowing you to select locations to investigate on a map screen, and then return to the map screen after your mission is completed or aborted. This screen also allows you to manage your units, view your inventory, or even wait for a few days or nights to recover your health or progress side missions along.

As an example of the soldier recruitment, you can send out three people along with Snake as part of the "Sneaking Unit." You can swap between them by choosing a nearby hiding spot (which isn't always available) for Snake and ducking inside of a trusty cardboard box. This will allow the next character to do his or her business while Snake is safely hidden from enemies.

There are a few reasons why you would want to bring along extra characters. Each soldier you recruit has her or her own skill levels in every fighting style (handgun, sniper rifle, traps, CQC, etc.), as well as medical and technical skills. On top of that, some soldiers have bonuses, such as the ability to run faster, drag bodies faster, or display all items on the map screen. I personally never chose to deal with enemies using anyone but Snake, but I did make ample use of the "drag bodies faster" guy.

The medical and technical recruits don't even have to be deployed to be useful. Simply having them in your medical or technical roster will result in them constantly creating and even inventing useful items, weapons, and ammunition. It was certainly a nice surprise to complete a mission and find that my technical unit had invented thermal goggles for me, or that my medical unit had produced a powerful medical kit. Sometimes I'd use the "Wait" option a few times between missions just to see if they'd come up with anything new for me.

You will also have to assemble a spy unit. In the menu screen, you can assign up to four units to each team, and teams may be deployed to every accessible area on your map. Thankfully, you don't have to do anything further - just leave the spies for a while and when you return from your next mission, they'll likely have a report for you. This is useful for learning the whereabouts of hidden weapons and items, and to unlock side missions. It is also required for advancing the story at times.

So, how do you get all of these soldiers? Well, you need to knock out your potential recruit with either CQC or your trusty Mk22, then haul him or her back to your starting point on the stage. You can also bring the soldier to a cardboard box containing another teammate, and then call a certain radio frequency to have him or her hauled away. The idea is that your group is taking the person away to have a "friendly" chat, eventually resulting in the soldier joining your cause. Some will take longer than others. Stat-wise, it's always a gamble when you haul back a new recruit, but it's generally worth the trouble unless you're in a dangerous area.

I was initially very concerned over the lack of inventory space in comparison to other MGS games. I'm used to hauling along a whole collection of weapons and items, and even the backpack of MGS3 wasn't too limiting. But get used to some serious limitations here - Snake is down to four inventory slots. Considering the fact that reserve ammo counts as an item, you'll often end up having to choose between offense and defense. And sometimes, you're just going to have to abort and restart (or have a guide handy) if you didn't happen to bring the right weapon along. I understand that this means you have to be strategic and bring the right weapons/items along (which would be of more benefit if I cared to use other team members than Snake), but I still simply didn't like it, especially when boss fights came around. A lot of missions require you to bring along an item that is of no use otherwise, and I didn't enjoy being handicapped because of that.

There is a nice variety of weapons available throughout the game, including some of my favourites like the Mosin-Nagant. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned lack of inventory space, I just didn't get to use all the weapons I would have liked to. Sure, I could have brought them along on extra missions just for fun, but I unfortunately didn't have the drive to replay this game as compared to other MGS titles.

Despite the lack of inventory space, the gameplay itself was actually not that difficult, due to the setup of the missions. The goal of most missions is to reach an "X" on your map, which also appears as a shining red point in the stage itself. In other MGS games, you get used to the idea that if you start a ruckus, you're going to have to start some serious bloodshed or find an incredibly good hiding space if you want to escape alive. Portable Ops, in contrast, often lets you pretty much charge around recklessly and make a dash for the X with an entire army chasing you, yet everything is fine and the stage ends once you reach the checkpoint. It's not as realistic as it probably should be, though I admit that it saved my butt on a few clumsy occasions. I was also surprised that the cardboard box seems absolutely infallible in this game, when it's usually a risk in other MGS titles. If you're lucky enough to finding a spot for your box after starting a commotion, you're essentially guaranteed safety. You can also abort or restart your mission at any time, which is handy for stages entered solely for procurement purposes.

Boss fights were either very frustrating or absurdly easy, and it all depended on which weapon I brought with me. That element of the game was a little bit unsatisfying and imbalanced to me. And on the subject of imbalance, I was highly disappointed in discovering that special character passwords can be entered very early on in the game. The characters made available through the Password menu are completely "broken", all with incredibly good abilities. Recruiting all of them takes a couple of minutes, while recruiting a team of similar talent the "real" way would have taken many hours and a lot of luck. I understand that the classic use for passwords is for the purpose of an easy shortcut, but MGS games don't usually spoon-feed the player. I think this feature should have at least been disabled until the second playthrough.

My main complaint about MGS: Portable Ops is the controls. The default controls are difficult to get used to, since they have you moving with the analog nub and moving the camera with the arrow buttons directly above. Obviously, it can be tough to control both at once without a lot of practice, and the worst of this happened in boss fights. Granted, you can switch this arrangement, but I personally couldn't get used to any of the other combinations. It just doesn't feel right to me without two analog sticks. But of course, I understand that this is a result of the game being on the PSP, and not a problem with the design of the game itself. The word "portable" is right there in the title, so I can't fault the game too much for it. Besides, its prequel didn't even have a controllable camera. It's just disappointing that the controls never felt quite right, especially after getting used to the beautifully smooth controls of MGS4.

The radar in Portable Ops is a sound radar, similar to the one found in Snake Eater. It's certainly no Soliton or Solid Eye, but it sort of gives you an idea of where guards are. My problem with it was that it's difficult to tell if a guard is behind a wall or not, since all you see is the sound pattern. Often I'd have to open a door into a terrifyingly red sound wave and just cross my fingers that the guard wasn't waiting there to kill me, but usually he'd end up in a side room nowhere near where I had to go. Thankfully, a map feature on the pause menu will show indicators for guards that are very closeby, but it's a bit of a hassle to toggle between the two. Better than nothing, I suppose.

The graphics look fantastic for a portable system - not far removed from that of MGS3: Snake Eater. Character models look decent and backgrounds are nicely detailed. The real draw here is in the cutscenes - interestingly, they're presented in a gritty "comic book" style. It suited the game very nicely.

I can't say that I really noticed the music in this one. If the music kicks in, generally that means something bad or hectic is happening, so I was a bit distracted when it came to that. The voice acting, thankfully, is just as great as you'd expect for an MGS game. Even random guards were voiced by some pretty big names, and David Hayter is as excellent as always.

It's hard for me to judge the story. While it seemed to have all of the elements of an MGS plot, I just didn't find myself caring as much as I usually would. Perhaps the "mini-mission" format combined with mostly new characters made it hard for me to get really attached to this one. And because of where it fits into the timeline of the series, it's pretty easy to tell exactly where the story is going, making it fairly inconsequential overall. It was still decent, but without the impact that I'm used to feeling in MGS games. Similarly, I was surprised to see an MGS game in which there were very few quirks. Something was just missing, and I think it may have been Kojima's directing position.

Portable Ops lasted me about 17 hours total, including one full playthrough, many extra hours of recruiting, and some playing with the bonus content. My playtime was probably much longer than average, though, since I captured many more soldiers than I actually needed, in hopes of getting something similar to the ridiculous story characters attainable through passwords and/or assorted challenges. Subsequent playthroughs are very fast in comparison, since the game becomes more about memorizing guard positions and either taking them out or just making a break for the X point.

Although I was guarded about the squad-based element of Portable Ops, I ended up satisfied with how that aspect was pulled off. I appreciate that I was not forced to use anybody but Snake aside from a couple of short story missions, and that I could instead benefit from the additional recruits in ways that I personally found useful. Portable Ops is a mostly well-designed game that I'm sure I would have enjoyed much more on a Dual Shock controller.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

Metal Gear Solid 4:
Guns of the Patriots
Kojima Productions/Konami

Lauren: Metal Gear Solid 4 - AKA the main reason I purchased a PS3. I've been a fan of the series since the beginning, so I was extremely excited about this one. I completely avoided spoilers before playing it, and I'd highly recommend that everyone else do the same. What I wouldn't recommend is even touching this game if you haven't played any of the previous three. That's not to say that it's a bad game otherwise - in fact, it's one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I've ever had - but it simply can't be appreciated to nearly the same extent without the proper background.

The graphics, as you'd probably imagine, are simply jaw-dropping. The backgrounds have meticulous detail (even where most people wouldn't look), clothing textures look incredibly realistic, and the character designs and expressions made me feel like I was watching a movie. It was great to see PS1-era characters come to life with these wonderful graphics. Even something as simple as a leather glove amazed me to no end. These are some of the best visuals I've ever seen in a game, period. On top of that, MGS once again showcases incredible graphics in the form of both cutscenes -and- gameplay, with beautifully seamless transitions in between.

What surprised me about MGS4 was the range of environments in which the story takes place. The game begins in a dusty desert city, then proceeds through a South American jungle, a film-noir style of dark European city streets, and a throwback area that's too cool of a surprise to mention here. I enjoyed the variations as a change from being stuck indoors or out in the wild for most of the game. It keeps the action well-paced, and almost makes the game seem too short, but only because it's so varied and enjoyable. The boss battles are also very unique, from hide-and-seek chases to an epic Metal Gear vs. Metal Gear battle to two tired old men punching each other in slow motion.

And the time flies by. The average gamer will probably clock in about 20 hours in his or her first playthrough, which is pretty normal for an action/stealth game. I found myself craving more time with the game as I reached its conclusion, but that's certainly not a bad thing. As always, there are plenty of reasons to play through the game again, though the usual rewards are a bit more difficult to obtain this time around, and the Big Boss Emblem challenge is exceptionally difficult. I actually replayed it just to see the story scenes again.

One of the best parts about MGS4 is the amount of old characters and references that the creators brought back. Although making a list of them is tempting, I don't want to spoil those who haven't experienced this yet. Trust me - you'll run into a lot of surprises. The whole thing was very surreal, combining characters I've known in separate games over the past 12 years into one fantastic story. MGS4 was clearly made with the fans in mind, so newcomers unfortunately won't be half as impressed. The rest of the players, however, will be cheering at their screens as the plot proceeds (and as they spot the many obscure details/references within).

The MGS veteran in me is obligated to point out the fact that some characters' accents were watered down. This was likely done in order to maintain consistency between the more recent Twin Snakes and the rest of the series. It still felt a bit wrong to not have Naomi speaking with a British accent and Mei Ling with an Asian one, though. With that minor complaint aside, the voice acting is as amazing as it always has been in this series. Kudos to the voice actors for staying on board this long - they really make the characters seem human.

Speaking of human, something I love about the character development here is how "real" they make Snake seem. I don't need an invincible hero who can do backflips over lasers. I like someone I can relate to and believe in, and Snake is the perfect example. He's a tough military man with great skills, but he still stumbles. He falls flat on his face if you try to somersault down a set of stairs. He gets tired. He struggles. And in MGS4, it's especially apparent that his age is catching up to him. I thought this might end up being lame, but they pulled it off in a very believable manner. One scene in particular did an amazingly good job of representing his struggle - you'll know it when you get there. I could even sense Snake's frustration during the final battle (which was also wonderfully done) as though he were a real person. Another kudos to the team for managing to tie in the seemingly disjointed storylines of the previous three games into one. I certainly did not expect them to do this, but it was a pleasant and satisfying surprise.

If I were to describe the controls of MGS4 in one word, I'd choose "smooth." I don't know how Konami did it, but they took the basic idea of the controls from all the previous titles, then made them work in a way that feels completely natural to play. ...After a few hours, anyway. I struggled at first and still found myself sometimes hitting Square to shoot, Circle for CQC, or R1 for first-person view (to the glee of enemy soldiers), but it was great after a few hours of conditioning. Despite seeming complex at first, the controls simply make sense, and the developers even fixed the crawling controls to be more convenient. You can now "edge" from side to side while crawling, which is wonderful for sniping. The aiming was drastically improved too, allowing surprisingly good accuracy for regular shooting as well. Even the basic tranquilizer gun gets a nice little reticule to simplify the process.

As smooth as the controls can be, they don't make MGS4 an easy game. It lacks both the Soliton radar of MGS1 and 2, and the silent, open jungles of MGS3. You'll find yourself thrown into a surprisingly chaotic environment with only limited radar functions, which certainly takes some conditioning as well. I spent the first few hours feeling genuinely intimidated by the game, what with all the explosions and gunfire (even if mostly for show) going on in the first couple of chapters.

While the radar's functions are not as clear-cut as they were in the first two games, they are still quite helpful. The "Solid Eye" provides a sound radar, as well as clear marking of items and other soldiers. The radar itself runs on a battery, which is slightly inconvenient, but it lasts a long time and isn't always necessary anyway. As with all the other new features, it's great once you get used to it.

Camouflage makes a return from MGS3, but in a much more convenient way. Snake is equipped with the "OctoCamo" - a suit that can change its pattern depending on its surroundings, like a chameleon. Very handy. And for the most part, it keeps Snake very well hidden. You'll also be able to don a few full disguises throughout the game.

MGS took an interesting turn this time with a shopping system. A certain mysterious individual will assist Snake by activating locked guns for him (for a price), and selling additional weapons, ammo, and items. Any extra guns that Snake picks up are automatically sold to this shop for additional points. Additionally, you can customize your weapons by adding accessories such a silencers and scopes. It's a great system, and a lot of very interesting items become available as the game progresses, as well as on subsequent playthroughs.

As I mentioned earlier, MGS4 combines several gameplay elements from its predecessors into one neat package. The psyche gauge from MGS3 remains, but Snake no longer needs to hunt for food. Rations can save him from death once again, and he doesn't have to worry about fixing injuries anymore. CQC still exists and is very useful, though enemies are much smarter with responding to it now. It's an excellent combination of everything great from the previous games, with a lot of smart new innovations.

There is one main problem I can see with MGS4 - its exclusivity. The inside jokes. The weird references. But of course, that's been the case with every entry into the Metal Gear Solid series thus far. Do not jump into this game without playing at least one of the others first. Doing so would be a disservice to both yourself and the quirky genius Kojima, while spoiling a spectacular gaming experience. MGS4 is, in essence, a grand homage to everything fans loved in MGS1, 2, and 3, from gameplay elements to characters to random oddities.

This is what gaming should be all about. It's the whole package of gorgeous graphics, smooth gameplay, and a strong connection to the fans. On top of that, the story, cinematography, and "acting" is fantastic. Few games have brought tears to my eyes, but MGS4's ending absolutely did. If this is truly the end of Solid Snake's story, I honestly cannot imagine a better conclusion.

---

Anthony: I’ll try to not be a broken record here. But to the point, MGS4 is absolutely one of the best games I’ve played, and arguably has the most engaging storyline I’ve come across.

Lauren touched on the graphics, and I’ll simply reiterate the point by saying that MGS4 also manages to have better cinematography and more evocative use of its scenes than most movie-makers could hope for. Although it’s far too long and too in-depth to make a movie storyline, Kojima and his crew have arguably outdone some of the best movie-makers in producing some of the exciting, emotional, and dramatic scenes in this game.

Although there are plenty of great aspects of the whole gameplay experience, I have to really put in my praise for the controls. Though it took a brief period of getting used to after playing the early MGS games (the X button is confirm now? Madness!), once it all came together, the word that came to mind was “glorious”. Crawling is finally fixed, making it easy to transition in and out of it, while making adjustments on the ground is finally free from the “turn, move, turn” dynamic. Hiding, aiming, running, and doing all three simultaneously always worked smoothly. Whether I went for crafty stealth or “guns a’blazin” glory, I never once felt like I had to fight the controls to do so.

Other gameplay improvements and enhancements were quite welcome. They kept some of Snake’s CQC from MGS3 and Hold-up tactics, but managed to trim some of the less functional aspects and made them easier to do. Simultaneously, they also increased enemy AI, where it’s a lot harder to just run up and grab alerted soldiers for easy knockouts than it was in MGS3. The OctoCamo was useful for making the camouflage system less cumbersome, the Drebin point system was an excellent way to customize your gameplay style, and the Solid Eye functionality allowed you to use several beneficial types of items from previous games all rolled into one. Everything is streamlined, while items and the AI react in such a way that it doesn’t make the game any easier. For instance, the Solid Eye’s “Night Vision” mode is arguably even better than the Thermal Goggles of previous games, but these temporarily blind you when turning them on so you can’t do the same “flick on and off” trick in previous games.

There are a couple very minor issues to address. As Lauren said, unfamiliarity with the series would no doubt take down one’s appreciation of both the story and gameplay. It’s still a great game, but seeing elements of all the previous entries come together in both story and gameplay is part of what makes this special. The significant change in controls and the very noisy early areas of the game are likely to put a MGS player out of his/her element early on, as it feels much more chaotic than stealthy. I also take slight issue with the fact that enemies can be alerted to you by hearing a single gunshot among what’s a hale of gunfire and explosions all around you. Though it’s an ever-present PS3 issue, the font is also extremely small for some portions of the game for us non-HDTV owners. All of these are very minor gripes overall.

One thing that bears note is the replay value in a game like this. Not even touching the bonus content, this strongly carries the tradition of its predecessors of being a great argument for at least a second playthrough. The game length is moderate, but playing it again really gives you a chance to go through sections of the game using different tactics, different weapons, and exploring different areas. The game has plenty of sections off the beaten path that can be missed, and the wealth of weapons and techniques to use on enemies adds plenty of depth. The game rewards you with cool bonus items and has a nice system for earning emblems for actions during the gameplay. None of those even touch on the amount of hidden easter eggs and codec conversations throughout the game. Although the storyline is linear, the gameplay to get through it could be different every time you play.

In contrast to many games I’ve played lately that feel like they missed the mark, MGS4 is one I think surpassed its expectations. I can’t think of a better way to have wrapped up Snake’s storyline, for one. And as far as gameplay goes, they’ve managed to do a great feat in combining aspects of all the previous entries in a way that’s more functional and diverse than ever before. They managed to do so while still keeping the challenge high and having plenty of variety in the gameplay. Simply put, it’s one of the best games and best series I’ve played.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Kojima 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!