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In 1987, Hideo Kojima released a game known as Metal Gear onto the world. It was a game that introduced the idea of a weapon capable of launching a nuclear strike, and its story was one of deception. It is also considered a very hard game by many. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake was released in 1990, but was never released in the United States.
It was in 1998 that Kojima revolutionized and redefined stealth espionage; Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation was released. It brought the idea of Metal Gear into a three dimensional realm. It was this game that attracted many of today's fans to the series. And in 2001, Metal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Liberty was released for the PlayStation 2. The game is praised for its postmodernity, yet criticized for its new protagonist Raiden, long cutscenes, and over-the-top storyline.
Finally, in 2004, the Metal Gear Solid trilogy is brought to an end with it's latest installment: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
Rather than bringing closure to the series by setting MGS3 after MGS2, Snake Eater takes place in the year 1964 - before even Metal Gear in the series' timeline. Even so, Kojima was able to tie up some loose ends that were left over from Sons of Liberty. Not to mention the fact that we get a history lesson on some recognizable characters' pasts, such as Big Boss and Revolver Ocelot.
The game begins as the player-character, "Naked Snake", is quite literally dumped off in the middle of the jungle on his first mission: the Virtuous Mission. It appears that Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov, a rocket scientist from Russia, is being forced to aid the finishing touches of a new secret weapon. As a special forces infiltration unit, it's Snake's job to recover Sokolov and transport him safely to a recovery location where a helicopter will escort him back to the US. As things usually do, they take a turn for the worst as Snake is on his way to leave with the scientist. Snake is unexpectedly attacked, and Sokolov falls back into enemy hands.
Four days later, Snake is assigned to another mission. Dropped off once again in the jungle, his objectives are to once again rescue Sokolov, destroy this new secret weapon, and kill a traitor known simply as 'The Boss'. This is where the story really takes place: Operation Snake Eater.
Plot-wise, the game is what you would expect from any Metal Gear game. I must admit, however, that it does take quite a while for it to actually pick up. If you really liked the intense stories of the two previous games, you may find yourself a bit disappointed while playing Snake Eater. I, for one, actually put the game away for quite a while. I felt that there was such a lack of story compared to MGS and MGS2 that I wasn't incredibly motivated to go on. I knew it was there, but it wasn't so in-your-face.
I should've known that toward the end of the game, Kojima would be grabbing my proverbial balls and saying "You didn't like that? How about this!" and then make me regret ever doubting his work. Seriously, the end of the game makes playing through it so worthwhile.
As for gameplay, there are obvious changes here. At least, if you've ever played either Metal Gear Solid or Metal Gear Solid 2. Not so much in the change of controls, but added features in the game that really give you a different experience while playing.
The first of which being the new Close Quarters Combat [or CQC] fighting system. While you don't get to execute many of the stylish and nifty attack combos you may see in certain cut scenes, it can still be a useful thing to use. CQC deals with different actions you may perform after grabbing an enemy. You can throw them, interrogate them, slit their throat, cut their neck, drag them around, and even use them as a human shield. You can only use these techniques when you have the proper weapons equipped, however.
Next up is the new camouflage system. Snake Eater is so much involved with the maintaining of your concealment that they threw in some camo. Camouflage and facepaint can be worn and applied to help blend in with your surroundings, and raise your 'Camo Index'. 'Camo Index' is the term for the measurement [on a scale of -100% to 100%] of how well you're hidden from the enemy. The higher your Camo Index, the better off you'll be. Then again, this isn't always true. Sometimes, instead of camouflage, you'll obtain disguises to walk around within the enemy's buildings and facilities. Even though it may say your Camo Index is low while wearing a disguise, you shouldn't raise suspiscion as long as you're in the right place, and you don't do anything that may give others reason to suspect you [i.e. bump into someone, stare at someone, punch someone, etc.]. As you progress through the game, you'll sometimes find new camouflage and/or face paint laying around that you can pick up. While the camouflage thing is a pretty neat feature, it only stays neat for maybe the first half hour of the game. After that it gets to be tedious and annoying. Unless you love spending time in your submenus whenever you enter into a new area, or walk out of a patch of grass and onto an area of dirt.
Another additional feature of the game is its food setup. As you make your way through the jungle, you'll come across various plants and animals. You can shoot or stab plants to make them turn into medical supplies [we'll get into the curing next] that you can pick up. If you kill an animal, they'll turn into food that you can later eat. If you tranquilize an animal, they'll be stored in one of your three cages. Caged animals can be eaten just as killed ones, but animals that are not taken alive and kept in a cage will eventually get rotten and cause Snake to get a stomach ache or food poisoning when he eats it. Even if food isn't rotten, some animals [like various snakes or scorpions] will be just plain poisonous. You can use rotten or poisonous food to your advantage, too. Leave it out by an area where a guard will walk, and he'll pick it up and eat it himself, causing the guard to get sick. The food feature is cool, but none of the food you eat replenishes health - only Snake's stamina.
Finally is the cure system. Throughout the game, you'll have to treat the majority of the wounds that Snake endures, giving Snake Eater a more realistic feel to it. For example, if Snake takes on a gunshot wound, you'll have to pick the bullet out with your knife. You'll then have to disinfect it, put a syptic pad on it and finally bandage the whole thing up [or you can go about doing it in any order, so long as all the required actions are eventually taken]. Having to cure Snake was an excellent addition to the game. If anything, it began to make the player think "Do I really want to run into battle head-on, blasting anyone I see with my shotgun? Or should I approach this in a stealthy manner so that not-so-many wounds are inflicted upon me?" It forces you to think more strategically, and less recklessly.
Outside of these four things [three of which are handled in the menu], Metal Gear Solid 3 has the same basic feel, gameplay-wise, as its predacesors. You still have to sit through Alert, Evasion and Caution modes when you've been spotted, guards still sprout exclaimation points when they see you, Snake has his badass personality, and your character still has a mullet.
If you've been a fan of the series up to this point, Snake Eater definately isn't a game you'll want to pass up. It will challenge, suprise, and stun you. MGS3 is proof that Kojima is a master of his trade, and is still capable of whipping together movie-esque stories and cutscenes. For a third time, Mr. Kojima, I applaud your work.
Side Note: As I've stated earlier, Snake Eater was the final installment to the Metal Gear Solid trilogy. Even so, MGS4 has been confirmed for the PlayStation 3, and will apparently feature a new story taking place after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2.
Also, you can look forward to Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistance coming out around this upcoming March. In addition to everything found on Metal Gear Solid 3, it will feature a fully-controllable camera, two online modes, a demo theater, duel mode, Extreme European mode [the hardest difficulty], more Snake vs Monkey levels, camouflage and face paint that were previously only avalible in European and Japanese versions of MGS3, secret theater parody scenes, and the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Metal Gear has been re-translated, and Metal Gear 2 is making it's first appearance in English. | | |