Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Konami came out with the first Metal Gear game all the way back in 1987, and ever since the series has been running strong with Hideo Kojima at the reigns. Who knew that it would evolve into a worldwide fanfare frenzy for those hardcore gamers out there? Well now it's back and action packed, and puts a whole new meaning to Jungle Fever.

Snake's moved out of his traditional tanker/warehouse environment and into the jungle. As Snake, you slowly work your way deeper into the bush until you reach the secret design facility, where you must rescue Dr. Sokolov and get him out of there. Don't worry, no Raiden.

So you want to talk graphics? Let me be the first to tell you that these are some of the sweetest graphics in videogaming history. The effects of bullets tearing up the grass, ricocheting off wall and trees, spiralling through the water... And that's just the shooting. The environments are beautifully crafted. The bushes that you'll hide in, the trees that you'll climb, and the quicksand you can sink in... The cutscene quality appears to be very close to the in-game graphics quality. Or is it the other way around? Don't forget there is also a 1st person view, which provides the close-up of your chosen gun, and everything looks that much sweeter.

Now let's talk about the gameplay. I would have to say that the biggest challenge is getting used to the environment. Gone are the days of hiding behind boxes and in shadows and waiting for your enemy, because now you've got to hide wherever you can in the outdoors, like the middle of some tall grass. You've got to strap on the right camo uniform and sneak your way around, too. The higher your percentage of camo, the better chances you have of not being spotted. Let's just say you won't want to wear the red brick camo while creeping through the grass. The jungle looks so good and feels so real I don't think it's possible to even get tired of crawling around in the bushes. "Ouch, damn crabs!" Oh sorry, they're in the caves.

Another cool thing that kept me glued to the game was seeing the damage I could do to Snake. Don't worry, nothing too sadistic. But yet another new feature has popped into the series: this time around you must heal your wounds. If you happen to run off a small cliff and fall to the ground, chances are you'll break a couple of bones. So you go to the Cure menu and pull out the splint and bandages. Get shot, then you pull out the bullet and stitch it up.

I must tell you about the CQC--Close Quarters Combat. Snake's got a few new moves this time. He can grab his enemies and choke them out, interrogate them, and now he can use punch and kick combos to put them down. And with the right timing, Snake can even deliver a nice counter attack.
Now comes the point where I mention everything wrong with the game. Let's see ummmm...

Ok, I'm done.

All right seriously, I did have trouble getting into the switching from 3rd to 1st person view, but I quickly adapted. The only other thing that sticks in my mind is that every now and then I would be putting guards out, then I'd go for the goal and get stuck on the corner of the wall. And then get spotted by some hidden guard. When you're trying to get that all-important Infinite Face Paint, you'll know what I mean. But other than that I've got nothing else bad to say about this game. This is one of the best put-together games I've ever seen.

I'm about to make one of the most biased statements that you've heard in a while. "I love this game, I think this is one of the most beautifully crafted game stories of all time, second only to Final Fantasy 7." Even though the story is basically the same as it's always been (the threat of nuclear warfare between countries and you being the one to stop it), it's so skilfully interwoven that you totally get lost in each of the character's stories.

I could have cried for both of these games, they're that good.

Damien David is a student enrolled in the Video Game Design & Development program at the International Academy of Design & Technology.

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