Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Hideo Kojima's latest masterpiece is nothing short of an audio visual stunner - but with a new setting and new features, does it come together? Full review with media.

	Version PS2	Developer KCEJ	Publisher Konami	Genre Action

By Joseph Jackson

There's little that over the years, the Metal Gear Solid series has garnered tremendous acclaim as one of the most visually compelling, cinematic showpieces in gaming, and deservingly so. The Hideo Kojima series has continually pushed the envelope and stretched the technical boundaries of console technology with its unique style of visual storytelling and stealth action play. The legacy continues with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, once again engaging players with another truly captivating and cinematic experience.

This latest chapter is certainly an interesting departure from previous entries in the series, introducing a variety of new features and play mechanics, helping to redefine the dynamics of the game. Back on the PS1, the original MGS made quite a splash, and is considered one of the best games of that era by many gamers. Solid Snake's first 3D adventure had him infiltrate a hidden Alaskan military compound in order to rescue hostages and stop a terrorist group from launching a nuclear strike. In the stunning PS2 sequel, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the action took Snake to a tanker secret transporting a new prototype of Metal Gear technology to an unknown destination, although some fans were irked that Snake, while prominent, was somewhat relegated to playing second fiddle to a rookie newcomer.

Of course, Metal Gear is Snake's show, and with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the spotlight returns - he's back, and despite being younger, less battle-weary with fewer battle scars, he's still as jaded and cynical as ever. In his latest, and arguably greatest adventure yet, Snake - who's known as Naked Snake this time - is thrust into a deadly jungle where he'll need to utilize stealth, special combat techniques, and basic primal instincts in order to survive the harsh jungle environment.

The Story So Far

Instead of moving forward, Metal Gear Solid 3 plays out like a prequel to Snake's adventures, taking players on a journey back in time to a period when the threat of full-scale war fell somewhere between a passing fear and a frightening reality. The setting: sometime in the 1960s, at the dawn of the Cuban missile crisis. As a major power struggle ensues between two rival nations, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, a powerful new weapon of mass destruction lurks in the shadows. The Shagohod was created by a brilliant Soviet scientist named Nicholai Stepanovich Sokolov, who had originally defected to the West but then returned to the Soviet Union as part of the deal the U.S. government made to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Realizing the tremendous error made in turning Sokolov over to the Soviets - who plan to have him resume development of the weapon - the CIA sets their plan in motion to recapture Sokolov by dispatching the covert FOX unit to his research facility. With that, FOX unit member Naked Snake is called into action and embarks on another dangerous sneaking mission, one that not only takes him deep into a Soviet jungle but also into the heart of enemy territory in hopes of rescuing Sokolov before the terrifying new weapon is completed.

But as is always the case with the MGS games, mystery and intrigue is the order of the day, and what initially starts off as a straightforward fact-finding rescue mission develops into much more along the way, as Snake goes behind enemy lines and uncovers a deeper, more insidious plot behind the events. Along the way he'll interact with a variety of interesting characters. Colonel Volgin's presence is dark and foreboding as he attacks using electric bolts; EVA, is a sexy and mysterious former NSA code breaker, who works as a KGB spy and helps Snake out. There's also fancy gunslinger Ocelot, a brash young major who works for Volgin. Despite Ocelot's penchant for firearms and showmanship, he still lacks any real battle experience.

The Boss, on the other hand, is a legend in her own right and quite possibly the most interesting character in the game, because of the connection she shares with Snake. She served as his mentor during the 50s, so when the two cross paths again, Snake finds himself in a tough position standing on the opposing end of the battlefield. The Boss's new Cobra Unit is a covert, special forces unit with some of the best soldiers the Soviet has. Each member is named after the emotion they carry into battle with them - for example, The Pain, The Fear, The Joy, and The Sorrow - and possessing conventional and unconventional combat skills, making for quite a handful when taking them on in the game's spectacular boss fights - just wait until you face off against The End...

As Snake prepares to begin the main portion of his adventure, players are treated to a beautifully cinematic sequence onboard a military plane. Snake parachutes out and touches down in some remote jungle area, where his mission profile calls for him to work his way through the dense jungle undetected, infiltrate a heavily guarded enemy compound in order to rescue Sokolov and head for the Soviet Mountains.

However, in order to accomplish such a task Snake first needs to retrieve his all-important survival backpack which was lost on the way down. Afterwards he'll need to become one with nature as he works his way through alligator filled swamps, darkened caves, forests rigged with mines and booby traps, and other dangerous parts of the jungle on his way to the various enemy compounds - relying on basic primal instincts and stealth to survive the harsh jungle, and using it to his advantage against the enemy.

Survival of the Fittest

Something that certainly stands out in MGS3 over its predecessors is the level of depth the game exhibits when trying to keep Snake healthy, by maintaining his life and stamina gauges. Because of the way the game is set up, the stamina gauge has an effect on the natural recovery process of Snake's life gauge, so keeping his stamina high is an important aspect of the game as it not only affects his recovery but his performance as well.

As Snake braves the jungle, he'll need to eat something - anything - to maintain his stamina and obviously since there aren't many fast-food joints in the jungle, he'll need to look to Mother Earth for nourishment. With that he's able to shoot down fruits from trees, chow down on mushrooms, kick, shoot, or gut bull frogs, snakes, rabbits, bats, rats, and alligators, and much more besides to be found throughout the jungle.

Given the added realism of the game, and the different types of danger Snake encounters, he's quite susceptible to illnesses and injuries from poisonous snake bites, scorpion stings, broken bones, burns, deep cuts, bullet wounds, and other injuries that can have negative effects if left untreated. Fortunately, with all of the medical items in his arsenal of goodies, more of which can be acquired throughout the game, he's capable of treating any medical related problems. Dipping into Snake's backpack reveals all of the survival gear a boy scout would need.

Camouflage Index System

While the core gameplay features of MGS3 remains similar to its predecessors, one of the more interesting aspects of the game is the introduction of a cool new stealth feature, in the form of the Camouflage Index system. Unlike in previous MGS games, where players had the convenience of an on-screen enemy radar, MGS3 requires players to use not only their eyes but their ears, as well as some of the gadgets in Snake's arsenal (AP sensor, directional mic) to check for signs of nearby enemy activity.

Because Snake must remain undetected, the Camouflage Index system gives him an edge by enabling him to hide in plain sight by blending in with the environment. In using the system, players are able to select from a variety of different camouflage designs, and can also acquire additional camouflage patterns throughout the game - as well as online, via the Camouflage download feature.

Thankfully it's a pretty painless process and the results are immediate, thanks to a percentage displayed at the upper right of the screen that indicates how well Snake is blending with his surroundings. The higher the percentage, the less detectable he'll be to enemy soldiers patrolling the jungle. He can hide near a tree inside grass, sneak up on enemy sentinels, and slowly and methodically take them out in a variety of ways including using the much vaunted Close Quarters Combat system.

Close Quarters Combat

CQC is a specialized fighting system created by Snake and The Boss, consisting of Special Forces combat techniques used to combat enemies in unpredictable environments like the jungle. The system can be quite effective in indoor areas, where using firearms is rarely a viable option. But before Snake can engage in any CQC activities, players need to equip him with weapons - like a handgun and knife combo - from his weapons array.

Using a combination of hand, gun, and knife techniques to fight his way through enemies that are within close range, Snake can not only perform smooth flowing strikes, chokes, and powerful throws that'll render the enemy unconscious, but also sneak up on enemy guards and threaten them in order to gain information. CQC can also be used to restrain enemies from attacking - even using enemies as shields during firefights.

While utilizing CQC together with the Camouflage Index system certainly makes for a slower, more methodical gameplay experience than before, at the same time it can feel quite rewarding to stalk enemy guards, outsmarting them every step of the way by successfully fooling them into thinking you're a tree - then sneaking up and taking them out using your CQC techniques.

Thanks to the intuitive control scheme and easy-going interface, controlling Snake is a breeze and navigating the menu selections is as painless as can be. With the exception of the selectable options in the Survival Viewer, Snake Eater's controls are otherwise pretty similar to previous installments in the series, with the analog stick and d-pad controlling directional movements, face buttons controlling his action moves, and the shoulder buttons letting players cycle through and select the various items and weapons.

Even though Snake is alone in the field, he's backed by radio support and can establish contact with his team by hitting Select. ZERO, who is pretty much the founder and commander of Snake's FOX unit, provides him with support throughout his mission. There's also Para-Medic, who handles Saving and provides medical related information. Unfortunately Para-Medic is quite the movie buff and refuses to just shut the hell up about movies she's seen. Sigint is a weapons specialist and technological whiz, who happens to have invented many of the items in Snake's arsenal. And last but definitely not least, EVA, the sexy vixen that she is, is occasionally reachable by radio with some helpful advice of her own.

A Pretty Package

Graphically, MGS3: Snake Eater looks amazing and is certainly the most impressive-looking in the series, utilizing high-quality viduals and physics to great effect. The character models are impeccably designed, with everyone from Snake to The Boss getting generous levels of detail and smooth, motion-captured animation. The backgrounds are beautifully modeled, richly textured, well-lit natural environments that really come to life with a wondrous level of detail.

All this detail comes at a slight price, with the framerate tending to dip every now and then - and there's also the occasional glitch when viewing some of the more detailed parts of the jungle in the first-person mode. Fortunately, none of these problems are rampant enough to detract from the overall experience.

While many would criticize the MGS series for its countless number of cutscenes, the cinematic cutscenes of MGS3 - while numerous - are very captivating and do a fabulous job of moving the story along, keeping things easily comprehensible throughout the game. However, there are times when some of the cutscenes seem to just drag on and on with no apparent end in sight, but fortunately they're all skippable.

Complimenting the superb graphics, Konami has gone all-out in the audio department - moreso than with its predecessors. Harry Gregson-Williams, the composer behind the music of MGS2 and MGS3 (as well as the composer for movies like Shrek, Armageddon, The Rock and Enemy of the State) has done a marvelous job, crafting an aurally stimulating soundtrack that fully immerses players into the experience. I particularly love the way Williams and his team used sound to give many of the familiar MGS themes, as well as some of the newer stuff, a sort of classic 1960s feel.

The sound effects are also top notch, with an impressively wide variety of natural sounds that really help bring the jungle to life, making you feel as if you're really out in the wild. As usual, the voice acting is excellent for all characters across the board. And to top it all off, all of MGS3's ear pleasing goodness is further enhanced with Dolby Pro Logic II support - altogether making for an exemplary audio presentation

One of the newest and coolest bonus additions to the game is the highly addicting Snake vs. Monkey mode. Whoever came up with the idea to include such a mini-game is a genius; Snake meets up with the charming monkeys from Sony's Ape Escape and indulges in a bit of monkey hunting, racing against the clock to recapture the escaped monkeys scattered throughout the jungle. Using stun grenades, punch & kick attacks, as well as his tranq gun, Snake needs to knock the little chimps out and then run over and capture them before they awaken and take off. While the idea may sound a bit silly, it's actually a well-implemented and very enjoyable part of the game, one that we certainly spent lots of time on before even starting the main game.

In addition, gamers picking up the European PAL version of Snake Eater will benefit from the inclusion of new features that Kojima-san decided to include in return for the extra wait - including Duel Mode, which allows players to play through the game's epic Boss Fights independently, along with a Demo Theatre, which gives the chance to browse through all the stunning cutscenes that have been unlocked.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater takes the series' well-established stealth action gameplay to an all-new level with the Camouflage Index and Close Quarters Combat systems, successfully continuing to engage players with high-quality tactical espionage, an intriguing cast of characters, and a fantastic storyline that ties the MGS saga together quite nicely. Fans of the series will be thoroughly blown away with Konami's latest effort, and hopefully stop complaining about Metal Gear Solid 2. Non-fans should absolutely give it a try, if only to experience Kojima's unique style of visual storytelling and wacky brand of humor sprinkled throughout the game.