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Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Snake knows no pain, Snake knows no fear! |
Views : 238 Comments : 3
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 As a massive fan of the Metal Gear franchise I can say I am utterly ashamed at how long it has taken me to finally pick up and play this instalment. It wasn’t until I saw Snake’s weather-beaten face staring back at me from the cover of MGS: 4 on the shop shelves that made me realise I had some serious catching up to do before I could even contemplate such an extravagant purchase. At the time of its release I was initially fed mixed reviews about it from my friends. Some said it was only average while others enjoyed it immensely, despite their propensity for despising console gaming. I was hesitant myself due to the setting of MGS: 3 – the jungle, as well as the fact that it was a prequel to the previous Metal Gear games. Considering Konami’s habit of releasing ‘satellite’ titles for the MGS series that act as supplementary games, I wondered if this instalment was supposed to be a standalone game or instead an integral part of the overall storyline. It’s most definitely the latter and I’m thoroughly glad I played it. The game formats follows that of MGS:2 fairly closely, in that you take on a short initial mission that guides you through the basics of the game – such as hunting for food, camouflage, the radio system and sneaking basics – before you then undertake a related mission that serves as the bulk of the game. You play as Naked Snake, a character visually identical in appearance and speech to Solid Snake from previous games. From the very beginning of the game, references to previous instalments are present in abundance. For a start, Snake begins wearing a disguise to protect his identity, this disguise is a Raiden mask; then when jumping from a plane, Snake’s breathing mask apparatus resembles the Psycho Mantis mask from Metal Gear Solid. These subtle nuances and references to previous games are what make Metal Gear games so rewarding to play as a gamer. The game constantly ‘breaks the fourth wall’ and treats the player as a spectator who has been through both the good and bad with Snake from the very beginning. On top of visual cues, radio conversations (which you can initiate at random) drop massive hints and foreboding warnings about what might happen in the future if genetic engineering, weapons development and other controversial endeavours are left unchecked. These work so well considering this game is a prequel set in the 1960s. When the radio medic makes a throwaway comment about Snake’s genes being coveted in the future, it ceases to be funny and instead triggers a moment of recognition in anyone who has played all of the MGS games (Snake’s genes being the basis of the Les Enfants Terrible project – and the Metal Gear Solid game). While most game developers might think this is a terrifically clever ploy and rub it in the face of a gamer, it is very easy to miss these pearls of wisdom in Snake Eater, as they sometimes only arise after repeated calls to your radio crew. I started off thinking the game was worthy of an eight-out-of-ten. I was initially frustrated at the way the game handled for me. The immediate thing to notice is that Snake does not have a radar in the corner of the screen to tell him where enemies are. Granted, this isn’t a problem for gamers who played previous instalments on Extreme difficulty mode, but for me it began as a major frustration. This annoyance is compounded by the awkward camera angles. As a third-person game the camera can often do you no favours. I lost count how many times I had to run forward into an area, switch to first-person view, then run back to assess my plan of action. This gave guards ample time to detect me and generally shoot me to death. It took a lot longer than the initial ‘Virtuous Mission’ segment to get to grips with the controls and become confident as a stealth agent. I then figured it was worthy of a nine-out-of-ten when I discovered how fulfilling the CQC system was. Using Close Quarters Combat, you can generally silently and ruthlessly dispatch, interrogate (and then dispatch) or knock out (and then kill!) any guard unfortunate to get close to you. The option to slit a guards throat is so instantly satisfying that I almost had the urge to go and try it out in real life. Of course, for the stealthier player, instant knockouts, or using guards as human shields/battering rams may be more satisfying (though I doubt it). The storyline in comparison to MGS: 2 is infinitely more easy to follow. You are present to rescue a soviet scientist who is being forced to develop a mobile nuclear missile launcher. Set in the height of the Cold War, a renegade general plans to use the device to overthrow the Soviet Prime Minister and then presumably unite the world via a nuclear apocalypse. We can’t let that happen. Along the way, you are to deal with the ‘Queen of the American armed forces’ who has defected to the Soviet Union. She was Snake’s mentor, which breeds an intense relationship between the two as the game progresses. Finally, a band of almost supernatural freaks (much like Vamp et al., from MGS: 2) are also in cahoots with the renegade general and must be dealt with swiftly along the way. Finally, as with every other Metal Gear Solid game, there are a number of Easter eggs along the way that can be discovered (often by accident) which are also very rewarding. Another example; during an early confrontation with a young Ocelot, Snake renders him unconscious before you resume control of him. If you then put a bullet in Ocelot’s head you are confronted with a Game Over screen and then reprimanded by your commanding officer over the radio for creating a ‘Time Paradox’. It’s exactly this kind of reason that makes a Metal Gear game so unlike any other to play. Given the amount of time I’ve spent recalling the plot over the last few days, I think I might eventually bump the rating to a ten-out-of-ten. If I can overcome the initial frustrations of being inadequate, there’s no reason this game is in any way inferior to its predecessors. 9/10 CommentsLogin or Signup to post a comment |
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Still, it's all about sticking your head around a corner with the croc-cap on.
Think I might play it through again just to remind myself of the story. Might do all three actually (Done the same thing with Prince of Persia at uni). Shame I don't have the same obscene amount of spare time. *Sigh*