“Tactical Stealth” is the term given to a game of this genre. This term generalises all of the attempts at a topic that can never truly be experienced second-hand and so far there has not been a successful, or even close, series that has immortalised the espionage world. Until Hideo Kojima’s creation known as none other than Solid Snake was born. However, those familiar with the series will know that none exactly know how Snake first came to be – yes, he was born from the DNA of ‘The Big Boss' – but his creation as a solider has never been revealed to us. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is that revelation, the beginning of it all, and the roots of nuclear war itself.
In terms of game mechanics, it is similar to that of the previous titles but with more advancements in movement and actions not to mention some major features that have been included in this new all-out adventure. Set within the dangerous jungles of the Soviet Union, Snake will have to traverse through new surroundings and circumstances that he has not yet had to come up against. Keeping up with the theme of the legendary soldier and combining it with an all-new twisting story set within new, detailed and living environments, fans are facing their most difficult mission yet.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is centred around the Cuban Missile Crisis that took place during the Cold War. It looked as though the world was going to face a nuclear holocaust due to the struggle and power between the United States of America and the Russian Soviet Union. The story of the game, at first, follows the tale of a Russian scientist known as Sokolov, a man who was responsible for the first space rocket into space. Because of this he was promoted as Head of a new Design Bureau. Fearing for his life because of his work, he, using the help of Major Tom, escaped along with his family. But in order to save the world from destruction, the Americans had to return Sokolov to the Soviet Union and then the Russians would evacuate from Cuba.
Jack, more commonly known as Snake, is sent on a mission into the jungles of the Soviet Union with nothing but his knife and tranquilizer to rescue Sokolov once again and put an end to his work. This of course, as all players of the series know to well, is not as simple as it sounds. Whilst on this mission a turn of events cause everything to go wrong. The famous character, known as “The Boss”, is Snake’s disciple, a woman to be precise. She defects to the Soviet Union and makes an alliance with a GRU general known as Volgan, along with some others who call themselves the Cobras. Due to the Boss defecting, the mission fails and Snake is left for dead.
Once back on his feet, Major Zero visits him to inform him of his next mission, a mission that, if failed and unsuccessful, will result in the world seeing a new age of nuclear war. Returning to the jungles for the second time, Snake must defeat Volgan, the Cobras and his master – The Boss.
Within the game you will be introduced to a whole cast of new characters, some good, others evil but all of them amazing and intrigued nonetheless. Snake, of course, we all know well and love, his ways, manner, skills and humour. David Hayter has returned once again to provide the voice for the husky American soldier still with that edge and charm. Through this game you will come to learn how Snake came to be, what made him into the true soldier and legend we know him to be.
As in the other titles, you have support characters who help Snake along the way during all missions he has to undertake. A ‘Major Zero’ takes the usual place of the Colonel, providing most, if not all of the mission information and also giving you hints when you become stuck. His English accent is excellent, though I know not the reason why he has one, the Major adds a sense of realism and espionage class to the game. In place of Mei Ling and Raiden’s girlfriend Rose is a ‘Para Medic’ (The name is but a single shred of the cheesiness that is to come from this character). During SAVE mode, she will ramble on and on about old movies, most of which are Sci-Fi based and it will get to the point where frustration and annoyance will begin to bubble. Finally in place of Master Miller and Natasha Romanenko as the weapons and technology support is a Sigint. You will not have to have much contact with him if you have already played the two previous titles, already knowing a great deal about the guns and arsenal on offer for Snake. All of these support members of the FOX unit will be with you all along the way to help and aid you in any way they can.
The Boss was Snake’s Master (A little confusing seeing as though in Metal Gear Solid, the original title, Master Miller was his Master. Odd, no?). This game not only follows the driving force of Snake’s struggle but also that of The Boss too and her defection from the United States’ forces to find her own path. Whether or not she is THE Boss you will have to find out for yourselves but I for one, when first playing the game, was more than a little surprised when she was introduced (The Boss from Sons of Liberty being a man). However, sooner or later her and Snake will have to have the ultimate show-down, Master and Disciple.
Leading the main enemy forces of the GRU is general Volgan. A typical villainous menace not only a man as ‘big as a house’ but also with the ability to run volts of electricity through his body and various other things too---not to mention Snake! The hulking mass of muscle is a fierce warrior with a scarred face to match is glare and demeanour. Leading a rebellion against Khrushchev’s Soviet Union forces, Volgan will do anything in his power to gain control of the mother country.
As with Snake and his companions, The Boss and Volgan are not alone in their evil ambitions. This is one of the game’s main problems and although the characters are good in their own right, it brought the title down a level. In the past there has been humour in the other Metal Gear titles but it seems as though in Snake Eater the writers might have gone too far, even Hideo himself with his designing and development. The Cobra’s are a group of five men, all of which have some weird power of their own too. One can use bees to attack you, another is fast and can jump great distances, etc. In some way, a way I cannot help, it very much reminds me of the X-men and at that point, all of the villains seem to drop down within the levels of quality, originality and edge. Grey Fox with his ninja suit was excellent; there is no doubt about that and Raven with his weird ways and ability to change into a flock of ravens brought mystery. Fortune, although it was by the power of a machine, was able to dodge bullets without even moving and Vamp with his undead and horror like ways, not to mention his charm, from the next title once again created a sense of creation and adventure. However, now, in Snake Eater, as said, it has turned into a freak show and the creativity behind Hideo’s series, in terms of enemies, has begun to run out.
The return of one character however, that of Ocelot Revolver, plays a crucial part in the game, as of course he plays a crucial part in Metal Gear Solid and Sons of Liberty too. Being young in age, it is a little confusing seeing Snake near enough the same as he has always looked and then seeing Ocelot look fifty years younger, without his long moustache or silver hair but a young face and close cut hair. Continuing on with the cheesiness that is present in this title, at the start of the game there is a moment when you watch a cut scene of a fight between Snake and Ocelot, one that Snake wins of course. Afterwards, you are back in control of Snake and Ocelot is lying knocked out on the floor. Now, who, honestly, could not resist but pulling out the survival knife and having a slash or two at the legendary Ocelot Revolver? I know I could not! So, I stabbed the gunner to death and the game over screen came up with Major Zero shouting, “Snake, what have you done?! You killed Ocelot and know you are stuck in a time paradox, lost forever!” Yes, I thought it was stupid too.
As said, the game is set in the jungles of the Russian Soviet Union during the Cold War of the 1900’s. Immediately one will notice that this differs completely from the previous Metal Gear titles, these being based within a building, military facility type surrounding and also being set within more recent years. So not only is the environment a dense jungle but all of the equipment and weaponry are based on a new time frame. This is a point we will look at later on. However, jungles are a dangerous location not to be taken lightly or without caution. Within the first mission you will be deep in an area of the jungle, having to fight your way through row upon row of trees not to mention all of the tangling bushes, grass that is waist height and this is just the beginning. As you progress through the game you will venture through all kinds of inhabitable areas such as dark and deep caves, bogs, swamps, lakes high cliffs, ravines, gorges and all other natural hazards. If this was not enough, all of these areas are infested by all kinds of animals; reptiles, amphibians, mammals. Not all are harmful but if you are not careful then you will stumble across the ones that are! Some of the more tame ones are small snakes but as you get deeper you will come across large pythons; when wading in waist high bog and water you will also find man eater alligators that will go for you, chomping with their sharp and huge jaws or taking your legs out with a hard swish of their tales; other creatures not to be missed but frequently are, are many poisonous spiders and other insects such as leeches that attach themselves to your body and can do so without even noticing! With all of these to be weary of, yet once you have spent are hour or so in the jungle you can evade them with skill, you seem to be stuck in a very treacherous and certainly life threatening environment. However, the hazards do not stop there, Snake will have come across such traps like mines that are dotted about from place to place but now there are natural traps, set with the vines and logs of the forest to trip you up, hang you up and pound you to the ground. Survival surely is the name of this game as much as stealth is and it is these new and added features in Snake Eater that make it an excellent and unique title from the rest of the series.
Speaking of surroundings and environments, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake has to be the most superb title in the series yet in terms of design, graphics and overall visual performance. The jungles of the Russian Soviet Union are dense with not just foliage but life also and the two intermingle perfectly. All of the surroundings are interactive; leaves rustle and twigs snap when you run over them, tall grass sways and moves when you crawl through it, tree branches sway and flinch when you shoot into them at birds, fruit and squirrels, water splashes and ripples when you wade and swim through it, everything is amazing. Though the most part of the game is set within the jungle, it does not become boring, as there are different areas that you will visit as said above; swamps, bogs, jungle, caves, lakes. All of these locations have amazingly detailed textures and effects such as dust clouds rising off of a dirt track or bubbles rising out of the dark and murky bogs. You will also make your way through some buildings and facilities within the game, bring with it the same quality, if not better, that we all saw in the previous titles.
Along with the superb setting are the characters. The models are an excellent example of 3D, design and detailed splendour. Their motions and movements, actions and expressions are all captured here and it pushes the limits of the Playstation 2 considerably. Snake has never looked better, his uniforms and equipment along with all of the other characters and locations within the game all suit the theme and fit in with the time period of the Cold War. There are a few glitches and stops when the characters really get going and there are some moments in the cut scenes when it will be a mad flurry of action but all in all the frame rate is fine and sticks within split seconds and then disappear as if they never were.
The cut scenes within this title are just phenomenal and the design, storyboarding, choreography, including all of the other efforts that have gone into making this a masterpiece through which the deep and twisting plot is portrayed. You will find that you will want to get through the game so quickly just to see the next cut scene, hoping that you will be able to feast your eyes on some more action, as this is full to the brim with it. From hand to hand combat including jabs, grabs, flips, kicks and the rest to gun fights using the techniques developed during the Cold War and other wars within the world before it, battles, disputes and squabbles between all of the major characters of the game to come together as one epic masterpiece. This game runs more like a film during the cut scenes and I am not one to complain, as one of the most important things I look for in any title is the storyline and enjoy it when a little bit of effort has been put into it. Hideo has always been one to give us a rich plot line and Snake Eater is no exception to that rule, giving us the amazing tale of Snakes beginnings and the dark and fearful beginning of the Metal Gear.
Those of you who are not familiar with the series or are also not too keen on the jungle setting, having been brought up in missile facilities in Canada, fear not. With the European version of the game there is an extra mode called ‘Snake VS Monkey’. Basically, you will be given the task to complete various missions involving the monkeys from the world famous Ape Escape series. Using your stealth, tactics and silence, you will have to sneak up on the little buggers and catch them when they are not looking. Whilst this is highly entertaining, it will bring those up to speed who are new to the series or perhaps a little rusty.
The new features with Snake Eater all add to the theme of the game, bringing out a new experience from the series, not only to push the player’s skills further but also to give the title an edge of realism and depth. Stealth is of course on of the main objectives of the series and it is no different in this title, now having a ‘Camouflage’ feature you can configure your appearance. Before when you needed to heal yourself, it would be a simple use of a ration but now with the new ‘Cure’ and ‘Food’ features, this too has become more advanced and an important aspect to survival.
Using this new camouflage system adds great detail to the game and makes you more aware of the detailed surrounding because it is extremely detailed and full of thinks that you need to pay attention to. First, press start to get into the status screen and from here you can get into the camouflage system where you will then be able to choose different face paints and also different uniforms. Most of these are the normal army surplices but of course there are a few fun ones too. For instance, within the face paint list, you can choose from things such as a mask, it putting Raiden’s head on Snake’s body or actual paint in the design of a flag for the United Kingdom, Russia, America, Spain, France, etc. However, the most part of them are serious, ranging from black for nighttime stealth, woodland, tree leaf, desert, splitter and many more. In terms of the actual uniforms, these of course will go hand in hand with the face paint, ranging from tree bark, squares, a scientists coat and others too that will change Snake’s entire outfit and look. Using both the face paint and uniforms combined together, a percentage will appear in the top right hand corner to signify how well you are hidden from your enemies and of course the aim of the game is to keep as well hidden as possible. The Online feature of this game is simple and accommodates the camouflage system – by connecting to the Internet you can download new face paints and uniforms, it is as simple as that. This of course is very disappointing and there could have been a lot more done with it, such as an online battle mode or other unlockable content.
Going hand in hand with the stealth of the game is the action, fighting, gadgets and weaponry. Hideo boasts of the new fighting system within Snake Eater known as Close Quarter Combat, (CQC) a new form of battle. This involves using both a gun and knife simultaneously to create a swift and effective style that will enable you to take on enemies with more skill and stealth. The basic combos from other titles are present, the simple punch a few times and then kick to knock down your enemies and there are also a number of grappling manoeuvres such as chocking, throwing, etc. However, CQC is a lot more advanced than the combat style previously used, it allows you to be more versatile in your attacks. There is a weapon that enhances the CQC dramatically and that Snake’s survival knife. Now, those of you who have had some experience with the acclaimed ‘survival knives’ on games such as the Resident Evil series where it does not damage at all, this nifty blade is superb. Most of the time, if not all, I prefer to use the knife and only use the guns when it is necessary to defeat the bosses or hit targets that can only be hit by a bullet but the knife is excellent. With a swift combo of slashes, Snake can take down an enemy within seconds and then even continue to hack him to bits when they are lying on the ground until they die. You will also use the survival knife for hunting. Though in combat, there is a great deal more you can do with it. Sneaking up behind an enemy, you can perform a move where Snake will slash at them quickly and then slam them down into the ground where they will lie unconscious. If you prefer a little more finesse and grace, you can sneak up behind a guard once again and grab onto them from behind, pressing your knife up to their necks and use them as a human shield! (This works with the guns too). The CQC system has evolved since the normal punch, kick and grab but not by much and although there are a few other moves you can pull off, (I do not want to spoil the game to much for you!) it is not long before you become bored with them and just start to hack the enemy to pieces or fill them full of lead.
Snake is a hardened soldier, he has been through all kinds of scrapes and come out from them alive but he has never come out of anything in perfect health and Snake Eater proves this. Instead of being able to rely on the trusty rations to heal you in the game, the cure feature is an extension into the way Snake takes wounds, what kinds of wounds he inflicts on the battlefield and how a soldier would cure them. The pains that he has to face are tough and a normal man would not be able to take such pain. Some of the wounds he is inflicted with are bullet wounds, deep cuts, severe burns, stomach aches and poisonous bits from insects. All of this needs to be treated in their own separate way, there is not just a pill that will cure all of the effects. Taking the bullet wound for example, you need to first disinfect it, then place ointment on it, then use your knife to pry the bullet out, then stitch it up and last but not least, you have to bandage it. If these wounds are not seen to then Snake will slowly die and you will see the effects of it; blood seeping through his clothes for example. There are a few minor down sides to this feature, the first being that you can go into this mode when ever you want, even if a guard is right behind you, you can quickly go into the cure feature and heal all of your wounds. (Can you imagine the guard stopping whilst you put on a plaster? I do not think so either). The second one is that you do not actually do any of the procedures, you merely click on the item and it is used. Now I know the Metal Gear series is not based around surgery but perhaps making this a little more realistic would have been excellent.
Health, obviously, is a necessity in order to keep up your strength and allow your body to heal naturally. Hunting is a major part to this game and although you do not stick on a fake pair of antlers and go off into the jungle with a rifle and two dogs at your side, you still have to kill what you want to eat. Using the knife, handguns, machine guns, grenades, any arsenal that Snake has at hand can be used to kill all of the many creatures within the jungle. One of my personal favourites being a grenade thrown into the water and waiting for the fish to rise up dead. You can either catch the animals and put them in a cage for later to throw at your enemies to bite them to death or you can use them as food. Now, your health comprises of a health bar and a stamina gauge. When you eat the food you have caught, it will fill up the stamina gauge and the higher the stamina, the faster your health will improve. You cannot simply use a ration to fill your health anymore and you have to wait for Snake’s system to work in order for his body to recover. This will naturally occur over time but if you lay down then it will heal faster. This has a big part to play with Snake’s wounds too. If he has fractures, deep cuts, etc that are not tended to and treated then your health will continue to decrease and heal slowly. However, you will have to watch out with your food supply. Though through most of the game there is always something for you to kill and eat, if you do not watch what you have in your backpack then all of it will go rotten and if you eat it, even though it fills your stamina gauge a little, it will give you stomach ache.
The sound within the game is also something else that is very important. The actual quality of it is fine and up to just as high a standard, as the graphics of the game are. All of the voice acting is superb and fits in with the usual versatile characters that Hideo portrays in these epic games. As said before, the villains seem to be a lot like the X-Men, their voices exaggerated and borderline psychotic for some of them but the voice acting itself is superb. As said, David Hayter once again provides the voice and does, as always, an excellent job in presenting the character within the game and cut scenes. The rest of the voice actors too are excellent, with all of the voices matching the actual look of the characters and suiting their quirks and manners.
The soundtrack of the game has been done by the mind-blowing composer Harry Gregson-Williams. This man is so talented and amazing and is great when composing music for this genre. One of my favourite films is The Rock starring Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage, a film that Harry also did the score for, suiting the fast paced, action packed scenes just as they do in Snake Eater. From the blood rushing tracks that begin to pump up when you are in a gun battle to the intriguing and tension filled tracks for when you are sneaking around a facility---it is all here.
As far as sound effects go, nothing is left out in this title and as said before, it all plays a vital role. In the series, the guards have never just been able to see you but hear you too and with lots of leaves, twigs, grass and animals that all make some sort of noise when you step on them or walk through, the guards hear you loud and clear and begin to investigate. Because of this high level of sound and alert awareness, it has made Snake Eater and even tougher game than those previous and forces you to improve your stealth skills dramatically if you want to get by all of them undetected. With the force and sound of gunshots, the swipe of a knife and creaking of a floorboard, the sound effects are a feast for the ears.
The game itself is a lengthy adventure and it will take you around 10 – 15 hours or so to complete if you sit tight, watch the cut scenes and listen to all of the radio conversations---all of which are highly recommended. Even the second time around you will notice things that you did not before. You will just want to play it over and over again because it is so addictive. However, you just like the story and want to experience it over and over again, you can go into the demo theatre to view all of the cut scenes that you have already seen within the game. In terms of replay value within the game itself, there are items you can unlock when you complete the game a certain number of times and within time limits, etc.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is an amazing title but I would not go so far to say that it is a revolution in gaming because I for one think that Hideo Kojima can actually do better and I expect him to do so. The game does not contain much that we have not yet seen before in terms of gameplay, yes there are the new camouflage, cure and food systems but these seem to have been rushed and could have been done to a much higher and involving level. The story is as twisted and intriguing as ever, always drawing you in and wanting you to fight all the harder to keep Snake alive. The new set in the jungle is a change and a nice one but that is not to say that it is better. I would not say that this title is the best one yet because I will always hold the original to heart, especially with the astounding remake that was released on the Gamecube. Though a lot was revealed in this title, it still holds the same strength of gaming that Metal Gear Solid and Sons of Liberty are famous and loved for. Make no mistake, this is a game not to be missed, by anyone let alone fans of the series and until you have played and completed this title, there will always be a Metal Gear emptiness inside.
Tobias Rowe
