Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

This weekend, while pondering which one of my “back-burner” projects or homework assignments I should tackle, I made the somewhat irresponsible decision to purchase Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the PlayStation 2. I didn’t plan on buying it when I drove to Best Buy that afternoon, but when I saw it sitting there on the shelf it called to me; I couldn’t resist.

Hideo Kojima, the creative mastermind behind the Metal Gear series, has created yet another cinematic masterpiece in MGS3. For those unfamiliar with the series, Metal Gear Solid is a third-person / first-person hybrid tactical shooter for PlayStation. Instead of killing everything in sight guns ablaze and running through the levels blindly, MGS emphasizes the use of stealth and sneaking tactics to outsmart guards. This particular installation of the series takes place in mostly jungle/mountainous terrain and emphasizes wilderness survival through the use of camouflage, native plant medicines, and wild food sources. Although killing everything in sight is one way to go through the game, those who use their wits will get through with a much more rewarding experience. Patrols are alerted by easily by noises, footsteps, or movement as you attempt to sneak you way past heavily patrolled areas. For example, a guard dog will start barking at you as you climb a tree to traverse an electric fence into a guarded compound. You take a piece of food, maybe a reticulated python that you captured earlier, and throw it to the dog. The dog becomes distracted with the food, starts eating it, and then promptly falls asleep. In the meantime, one of the guards approaches to investigate the cause of the barking. You are crouched in the shadows, nearly invisible. As the guard begins to walk away, you stalk behind him extremely quietly and grab him from behind. You quickly drag the surprised guard to a nearby hollowed out log, interrogate him for important clues, and then promptly slit his throat and throw his lifeless body into the swamp. The complex permutations of events, coupled with clever and spontaneous dialog, make for an extremely playable and interesting gaming experience. There are so many different ways to approach and complete each area it hurts my brain just thinking about it.

Another thing that makes this game stand out from the pack is its amazingly complex yet intuitive control scheme. MGS3, along with MSG2, takes advantage of the multiple degrees of sensitivity given by the PS2 Dual Shock controller. In plain terms, on-screen actions correspond to how hard you press the buttons. For example, when holding a guard hostage with the circle button, you must hold it loosely or the guard will lose consciousness. Likewise, pressing down the button extremely hard will result in the guards death by asphyxiation.

I could go on and on about this game and how impressive it is but I would rather that you go out an buy (or rent) it and experience it yourself. If you only buy one game this year, make it this one… or GTA: San Andreas (that’s another post). Go.. buy.. now.