***INCOMING CALL***
Bleep bleep bleep…
SNAKE:
This is Snake. I am in position, and am ready for the new mission. The HALO jump was amazing, and I am ready for my orders.
MAJOR:
Good work, Snake. The current date, as you know, is August 1964, and you’re deep within a jungle. You must reach an abandoned factory and rescue Sokolov. They are keeping him captured, and are using him to make some kind of weapon system – we think it’s nuclear. This must not happen, Snake! We are counting on you. It’s very important to remember that you cannot be seen at all. You must remain in stealth at all times, and don’t kill anyone unless you absolutely have to.
SNAKE:
So that’s why you didn’t give me any weapons then apart from a tranquilizer? And it’s hard to see positions of enemies without my radar (that doesn’t exist yet), and I still can’t walk and look forward at the same time, so what do you suggest Major??
MAJOR:
Well, Snake, we have given you a brand-new stealth system, and the boys think you’ll like it. See the percentage at the top of your display? Well the higher it is, the more camouflaged you are. The number will change when you’re lying down, walking, crouching or crawling, so be careful and make sure it’s as high as possible. If you look in your rucksack, you’ll see we have given you a selection of camouflage and face paint to change into, depending on your environment, so you can get maximum coverage at all times. You might get lucky and find some lying around, oh and if you have time, connect to the network and you can download some more too.
SNAKE:
Sounds like a great idea. Major! - There’s some pretty nasty looking wildlife out here. Lots of poisonous snakes, spiders, and crocodiles! You’ve not provided me with any rations, what am I to do?
MAJOR:
Glad you asked, Snake. Your energy now replenishes itself over time, so be sure to take a rest now and again. However, you’ll notice you now have to watch out for your stamina too. If you’re running low and feeling tired, then go and kill or knock out a rabbit or a snake (yuck) etc. You can then eat the creature, and you’ll regain stamina. You’ll get a taste for certain things too, so you might prefer a certain type of snake to some mushrooms. Oh, and be careful not to leave dead animals in your inventory for too long, or they’ll go off and you’ll get a poorly stomach if you eat them. We have provided you with three cages to keep live animals in though – be sure to use them.
SNAKE:
I had better be very careful then.
MAJOR:
Indeed. Oh, and if you get shot, or burnt, or cut, or poisoned, you’ll have to look over your body, and repair yourself accordingly. Look at your X-ray on your display, and see what needs repairing. For example, if you have a deep cut, you’ll have to first disinfect the area to clean it up, then stitch it up, then finally bandage it. This new feature will keep you on your toes, that’s for sure.
SNAKE:
Incredible, sounds much more involving than just using rations in the last mission. Anything else I should know?
MAJOR:
Yes, Snake. Don’t carry too many items in your ‘quick access pockets’ - y’know, what we call L2 and R2. If you do, your stamina will go down much quicker. Oh, and feel free to use the close quarters combat you have learnt, so if can have a fist or knife fight with an enemy, please do so. You could even try holding them by knifepoint and getting information out of them too, but it can be rather fiddly to perform.
SNAKE:
Yeah, I noticed moving and aiming can still be a bit awkward. I seem to be able crawl and move better than my last mission, but it still could do with some improvement. It’s a shame the boss gets sick from moving around in first person too much, it would make things much easier. Out.
***CALL ENDS***
…
***INCOMING CALL***
Bleep bleep bleep…
MAJOR:
Now you have had some time in your new mission, rescued Sokolov and moved to the next area, how are you finding the assignment in general?
SNAKE:
Well I have to say, this is one of the most beautiful missions I have seen. The jungle is full of a varying palette of greens and browns, and the sun piercing through the jungle canopy is a sight to behold. The tall grass is amazing (it parts as you crawl through it), and the indoor areas are looking fantastic too. It’s very lush indeed. The open areas with water are unknown territory for me, and they look great. The water is clear and flows very smoothly. Tell the boys thanks for making swimming much easier too – I hated it in the last mission. You can permanently hear birds and other wildlife surrounding you whilst in the jungle, and if I stand completely still I am able to see the grass moving around and can catch a frog or snake sneaking through it! – The entire place is full of life, and I have even seen squirrels scaling trees…
MAJOR:
I hope base haven’t been stopping you from completing your mission with too many interruptions? I did tell them to cut the chatter but they don’t always listen.
SNAKE:
Apart from the 35 minute! brief at the start, I have to say interruptions have been minimal, which I think is great. It did used to get frustrating, so now I am left alone more it’s much better. I am still not always sure what’s going on sometimes plot-wise though, and it hurts my head at times!
MAJOR:
Well, what would a mission be without some time-bending paradox based setting, a weird love thing going on, and lots of twisted plot?
SNAKE:
Well I must say, it IS interesting and has kept me entertained. As in previous missions I have come across some rather hardcore bosses. They are as ingenious as they have always been, and I am sure I have seen one of them somewhere before? Perhaps they are related…?
MAJOR:
Have you found any interesting weaponry?
SNAKE:
Oh yes, I have come across the usual array of handguns and grenades, but now I have a very neat shotgun, a fiery torch, a rocket launcher and even an AK-47. The enemies have left a fantastic selection of weapons around for me to pick up. The compressor on the handguns doesn’t last long though as it wears out, so you have to be very careful how much you use it, otherwise everyone will hear you shooting.
MAJOR:
Good work, Snake.
SNAKE:
Thanks. Out.
***CALL ENDS***
Operative DC here; to summarize, I believe this is not only the best Metal Gear Solid game of the series, but that Snake Eater is one of the best action/adventure games I have ever played. The story is twisted but interesting and brilliantly put together, the characters have umm… character, and are funny, and although they won’t be winning any Oscars, it’s well acted. The game looks absolutely stunning, with only occasional tearing and frame rate issues to hamper the 30fps display. Along with GT4, this is without doubt amongst the best-looking games on PS2, and the art style and design that the team has gone for is fantastic as always.
Konami have improved on lots of areas that annoyed people before, namely the interruptions from codec scenes. The controls are still a bit fiddly at times, and some things require lots of button combos, but they have also added some very useful features too, and put the pressure sensitive PlayStation 2 buttons to very good use. You can now poke your head up when crawling, and the harder you press the shoulder buttons, the higher Snake gets. The close combat system is a great addition, but the controls aren’t perfect, and can cause you to do things you didn’t want to do, which can often result in making the enemy raise an alert and then you have to run off and hide. The controls are definitely an area the developer needs to look at, but it doesn’t damage the game – it’s just a bit fiddly at times.
Being able to move around in first person view would be really nice, as sometimes – just sometimes – the camera can be a bit of a pain and not show you enough of the area. You can argue that this is part of the game, to keep you on your toes etc, but it would still be nice. You can crawl in first person when there is a lot of grass around, so why not have the ability to walk that way too? I don’t want the entire game in first-person, as it would change the game too much, but the option to switch to it would definitely be handy, and more and more games are mixing first and third person perspectives successfully.
The game is much bigger than previous MGS games, and the first play through will take on average about 25 hours, and there is enough to justify going through it at least one more time. On top of this, you have the Snake VS Monkey side missions, downloadable camouflage, and lots of little things within the game itself to find too.
I love the health and stamina system, as it really adds a lot to the game, and you have to always keep an eye on how you’re holding up. It definitely adds depth over just having a ration system. The compressor wearing out on the handguns means you can’t be reckless with shooting (you can take the compressor off for when you don’t need it), and you have to be more careful about being seen too, as soldiers will often follow you to the next area if you get caught and try to run away.
Overall? You need MGS3: Snake Eater in your collection - it’s truly superb.
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