Games: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Developer: Konami... or KCEJ
Platform: Playstation 2
Genre:Action Adventure

Snake Eater is the latest installment of Hideo Kojima's modern stealth action series. In its predecessor, Son of Liberity, many complain about the main character being Jack (Raiden) instead of the legendary hero Snake. Well, you get to play Snake again, this time. Snake is an one-man army, and his survival skills will come in very handy this time. It is quite different from the other MGS, since you start off in a jungle, and without radar (but you are equipped with Motion Sensor, Active Sonar, etc). Some people said the game has a strong James Bond feel in it... Well? Read on. There will be spoilers, but it is things you would know within the first hour of gameplay.

Story
The story takes place in the 1960s during the Cold War. The main villain in the game is Volgin, a Russian Colonel who has a plot to mass produce the first type of Metal Gear. He is looking to turn the Cold War into a boiling hot one with his seemingly infinite amount of war funds. Snake's mission is to first rescue the Russian Rocket Scientist Sokolov, and then destroy the prototype of the Metal Gear along with its soon-to-be mass production line. The well-skilled gunman Major Ocelet now serves under Volgin, and there will be a very remarkable rivalry between him and Snake. The other Cobra units, the elites of the elites, will also make an appearance in the game. Will they be obstacles to Snake's mission, or are they here to aid Snake's progress?

Gameplay
The gameplay is really similar to that of Metal Gear Solid 2 (the way you shoot, fight, you contact your HQ using radio, etc), except as I've mentioned, there will be no radar. Action Sonar, Motion Sensor, Night vision goggles and the like will be avaliable in the mission, but they consume batteries. Even the suppressor of Snake's firearms will deteriorate after use. In this situation, Snake's CQC skills, or close-quarter-combat, will really shine. CQC allows Snake to use a survival knife and a pistol simultaneously, allowing him to grab an enemy, and then perfrom various actions: Using him as a human shield, Squeezing information out of him, Choking him to the state of unconsciousness/death, or simply cutting his throat.

Camouflage can be very important in a stealth mission, and there are plenty of camouflage patterns Snake can get/use. Using the correct camouflage (judging from the enviorment) will decrease the chance of Snake being seen. Some of the special cmouflages have ability such as eliminating footsteps, reducing damage from fire, regaining health and stamina under the sun and a lot more. If nothing else, it can be use as costumes, which is always a plus.

Snake's stamina will go down as time passes, and to recover it, he will have to consume food. The food is plenty in the jungle, as Snake can easily hunt for any nearby animals. (There are quite a few humurous conversations between Snake and Para-Medic through the radio concerning food)

There is also the Cure function when Snake is seriously injuried. While most of the wounds will heal overtime, it is sometimes better to treat the wound right away. Having a wound will decrease Snake's maximum health, and (I think?) it also decreases his rate of regeneration.

Character
There are many remarkable characters in Snake Eater. There is the young Ocelet, genius gunman who (now) lacks field experience; Volgin, the sadistic Russian Colonel who plans on an all-out nuclear war; EVA, the "Bond girl" in the game who aids Snake along his way; and of course, the Cobra units. The Boss, The Sorrow, The Fury, The End, The Fear, and the Pain.

Sound
The sound effects are outstanding, just like its predecessors. The voice acting is flawless, and there are a lot of optional voiced conversation between Snake and other people. The story unfolds by the numurous cutscenes and conversations, but for those who actually dislike cutscene... all cutscenes can be skipped by pressing a single button.

Graphics
Great graphics. In almost all the cutscenes, there is a certain portion can be viewed in a different angle by pressing the R1 button (as indicated on the screen).

Special
There will be the Infinite Face Paint, Invisible camouflage, Patriot Machine Gun, and Bosses' camouflages to be unlcoked by fulfilling different requirements. A very high replay value if you ask me. And there is also the Extra Snake vs. Monkey, which might remind you of Ape Escape... that's a fun game as well.

Overall
Some people were disappointed by MGS2 (I wasn't) and might be afraid to purchase this one. Well, this game worth all every cents and hours you put in.
What are you waiting for? Commence Operation Snake Eater already!

Score: 9.2