Playstation 2 - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Format
Playstation 2
Publisher
Konami
Developer
Konami
Country of origin
Japan
Genre
Stealth

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

By Eric
7th Jan 05

The Metal Gear series is one of the most famous in all of gamedom, and rightfully so. Hideo Kojima has a knack for writing stories of political intrigue that practically make you want to run for office, or at least join the marines. But what about Snake Eater? Fans were worried about the changes. Now they have to eat constantly, there's no radar, and the fact that the story takes place during the cold war means that you couldn't possibly play as Solid Snake. Well, worried game players, let me put your fears to bed...Snake Eater might just be the most incredible game that I have ever played.

You play as agent Snake, whose mission is to rescue a weapons scientist that the US secretly traded to Russia to end the Cuban Missile Crisis. Of course, the story goes way beyond that, but I would be doing you all a disservice to tell you what happens. All I can say without giving anything away is that you will be floored by the plot. The writing and voice acting are truly superb, and the ending is one of the most shocking, emotional, and powerful rewards for beating a game I've ever laid eyes on. The tale Kojima weaves will not disappoint.

The new gameplay mechanics work superbly as well. Even though radar is gone, you can now wear camoflouge to blend in with your surroundings, making you harder to spot. As for finding your enemies, you'll just have to use your eyes and ears like real soldiers do. It's not as difficult as it sounds, really.

The biggest change is the fact that you have to hunt for food now. You can kill and eat just about any animal or plant that you find (except for trained dogs, of course...don't be gross). Hunting is actually more fun than it is a chore. Animals and plants are in just about every location, so all you have to do is locate one, aim, and fire. Don't think you can ignore food, either. If you don't eat, you'll become woozy and disoriented. Your eyesight will even suffer, and your growling tummy will alert nearby enemies. You'll also need to figure out which foods are more nutritious, and which ones taste good or bad to Snake. Disgusting food usually isn't going to give him much of a boost. Oh, and don't eat the colorful frogs...

On top of all this is an incredibly in depth grappling system which lets you use human shields, interrogate, slam people on the ground, knock them out, break their necks, or even slit their throats. Once you have captured someone, there are a ton of options about how to handle him.

One mustn't forget all the hidden extras in the game, either. You'll have to play through multiple times to discover all the easter eggs, hidden items, weapons, and camoflouge. And even then I'm willing to bet there's still something you haven't seen yet. The replay value is nearly infinite. But be forewarned; once you wrap your mitts around Snake Eater, it will be extremely hard to let go of it. It's not a game; it's an experience.

Score: 10/10

-- Eric 7th Jan 05

Playstation 2 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Images