Summary
Metal Gear Solid grows up
The Good
I have played
Metal Gear Solid 2 and the GameCube remake of the original Metal Gear Solid,
Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes. Despite all their flaws, both were extremely fun games with overblown, but complex and intriguing stories; cinematic games that delivered fun action gameplay, cool cut-scenes, and banal statements mixed with profound ideas.
"Snake Eater" may not have the same stylistic versatility as the two other Metal Gear Solid games. It is less over-the-top, and decidedly less melodramatic. It is a more mature, serious, polished game. At the same time, it delivers plenty of genuine MGS goodness - most importantly fantastic cut scenes, overall stellar production values, and a story with a lot of depth and content.
After the release of "Metal Gear Solid 2", many fans complained about its story being too complex, and its cut scenes and dialogues too long. In "Snake Eater" Kojima, the creator of the series, proved above all that he actually paid attention to those complaints. I generally hate how fans tend to whine about every detail that wasn't "canonic" enough for their taste. Myself, I try to complain as little as possible if I see the developers are trying to say something new and to go all the way. But it's nice to see the creator of the games reacting to fans' complains and trying to suit their tastes in the next installment of the series. Frankly, I was afraid that "Snake Eater" will be too heavy on gameplay and won't have enough story. I thought it will be too dry and impersonal. My fears were unjustified. "Snake Eater" has less cut scenes than the predecessors, and the story is much more simple, but there is nothing dry in it. In emotional intensity, "Snake Eater" even surpasses the two other games.
The two first Metal Gear Solid games were focused heavily on
cut scenes. Story and gameplay segments were strictly separated from each other; a movie and a game co-existed in one product, and to a certain extent the cut scenes were more important than the gameplay. "Snake Eater" still has extended cut scenes and detailed radio conversations. Story is still the core of the game. But the tremendous proportions of "Metal Gear Solid 2" were reduced; you don't have a feeling you are watching a movie with some gameplay in between. Radio (codec) dialogues were drastically minimized. People don't call you on every occasion and don't pour on you their personal problems. However, you can always call them. And there are
a lot of optional radio conversations. Your partners tell you plenty of interesting things, including the necessary information for you to understand a disguised plot twist. So instead of disturbing you, radio conversations become an interesting addition to gameplay and story. As for cut scenes, they are not as over-the-top as in "Twin Snakes" and as long as in "Sons of Liberty", but there are still heaps of great action awaiting you. The Shagohod chase for example is a fantastic adrenaline-raising action sequence that is composed of old-school shooting gameplay and movie-like cut scenes. As always, the cut scenes are impeccably directed and have the cinematic edge that makes Metal Gear Solid such an outstanding experience. And there are also the live videos which have become a trademark of Metal Gear Solid games and which I personally like very much.
The
style is both previous Metal Gear Solid games was quite a colorful one. The setting was a sort of "near future" without real stylistic limitations, tending towards Japanese light sci-fi. A lot of genres were mixed together there. You had a simple, old-fashioned "spy simulation" with regular soldiers running around and the hero outsmarting them with stealth and various weapons; a Japanese animé complete with robots and villains with supernatural powers; a didactic essay about politics, mankind, and the general rotten state of the world; a soap opera full of "touchy" moments, semi-serious love stories and corny dialogues; and a collection of historical facts and other more or less trivial assumptions. This led to a stylistic versatility that was not always very convincing. "Snake Eater" departs from this chaos, and this is perhaps its greatest achievement. With the exception of several enemy characters, everything in "Snake Eater" fits the atmosphere of the Cold War (since "Snake Eater" is a prequel to all other Metal Gear games and is set in the sixties). This is truly a remarkable achievement, because it is always easier to add things than to remove them. Kojima could have easily created another "free setting" and cram it with all possible styles; but instead, he opted for a much more convincing depiction of a concrete historical epoch, which was undoubtedly more difficult to execute than the "near future" of other MGS games. The result is a much more realistic and immersive world that gives additional credibility to everything that happens in the game.
The
story of "Snake Eater" is quite different from what we have seen in the two other MGS games. Gone are the super-complex tales with plot twists at every corner and an all-embracing melodramatic plot line filled with Kojima's random thoughts and soap-opera-like dialogues. The storyline of "Snake Eater" is remarkably reserved and modest. I honestly didn't expect that. In some way it is even
too modest: the amazing revelations that come near the end of the game are carefully kept away from us during the game itself, and there seem to be no complications at all: everything is clear, here are the good guys, here are the bad guys, you have to survive and to become a hero, and that is all.. but it wouldn't be a Metal Gear Solid game if it were all. "Snake Eater" has a couple of shocking surprises up in the sleeve, and those surprises are in no way less impressive than the sudden turns in the two other games. The only difference is that "Snake Eater" concentrates primarily on
one story line,
one idea, and only two or three truly important characters.
You really have to play "Snake Eater" until the end to appreciate its fantastic storyline. It is so much more focused, more concise, and more genuinely profound than in the two other games, that sometimes I found it hard to believe this game was made by the same people who did the other two. Don't get me wrong, I loved the stories of the other two games, but despite all the interesting and thought-provoking ideas expressed there, I always felt the "entertainment" factor was stronger, that the plot twists and all the story complexity were more brilliant than deep. I didn't have this feeling while playing "Snake Eater". This game has a really serious, and most of all - really tragic story. The sadness of "Snake Eater" is incomparable not only to other MGS games, but to most other games in general. Again, I really didn't expect that. If you didn't like the melodramatic way of the predecessors, have no fear - "Snake Eater" is completely different.
Everything in "Snake Eater" serves one purpose:
the ending. "Snake Eater" has a truly
amazing ending. I've experienced plenty of great endings in video games, but this one was really special. First of all, the ending is the quintessence of the game's story: you understand it only then. The ending sequence alone (starting with your confrontation against the final enemy) has at least four (!)
major plot twists. They start coming at you so unexpectedly, particularly after you have already accepted the fact "Snake Eater" has a simple, unpretentious story. Then one after the other, they fall on you, and step by step you discover the awful truth... In order to understand that, we have to remind ourselves of the relationship between this game and its sequels.
Although his "new" name is not officially revealed until the very end, any Metal Gear fan will immediately recognize the main villain of the series, Big Boss, in the protagonist of "Snake Eater". Simple logic tells you that since he looks exactly like Solid Snake but is a couple of dozens years older, he must be the "legendary soldier" who is mentioned many times in "Metal Gear Solid" and whom Solid Snake killed in the official sequel to "Metal Gear" (released for MSX computer only), "Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake". So now, you experience the beginning of the whole story through the eyes of the "bad guy", almost like you follow the life of Anakin in the three Star Wars prequels. With one difference: you are not supposed to have sympathy for Anakin; his transformation into Darth Vader was a result of selfish actions and weakness. Not so in "Snake Eater". There is no "light" and "dark" side to speak about. Of course, in a way, you can compare Solid Snake with Luke and Big Boss with Anakin, since Solid Snake never becomes a terrorist, despite all the tragic events of his life. Big Boss is not as strong as Solid Snake and his morals are questionable. But we see that the transformation of the skilled soldier Jack (codename Naked Snake) into the terrorist mastermind Big Boss was not simply a result of an impatient nature, fear and vanity. If you play the game until the end, you feel sorry for Big Boss. The game has a tragic ending, and you feel how the life of Big Boss is shattered into pieces. I cannot say more without spoiling it, you have to see it yourself if you want to know more.
The core of the game and its central
character is The Boss - a woman-soldier, the teacher of the future Big Boss. Once again, I cannot really say anything about this character without spoiling the ending for you. But trust me when I tell you The Boss might as well win the title of the single most tragically profound character in the history of video games. The ending literally made me cry. The story of The Boss is deep and beautiful in a tragic way. And when you see the hero in the final cut scene, you begin to realize what the game is actually about. Unlike other Metal Gear Solid games, which try to deal with all kinds of metaphysical and ethical issues at once, "Snake Eater" deals primarily with one issue: patriotism. This is the central idea of the game, and I have never seen another video game that treated this theme with such depth. This theme has more weight in "Snake Eater" that all other possible issues have ever had in the two other games.
Among supporting characters, the two who stand out are Eva and the omnipresent Ocelot. Eva appears at the beginning as a typical "sexy diversion", a kind of obligatory "girl to save" for the main hero. While not being a particularly deep character, Eva is actually a bit more than that. As for Ocelot, it was great to meet again this charismatic recurrent villain of the series. Ocelot appears in every Metal Gear Solid game, and now you meet him when he is very young and witness the beginning of his "revolver" career. There are two great plot twists which are connected to Ocelot - be sure not to miss one of them, which is partially revealed through radio conversation. And of course, as you know from other Metal Gear Solid games, Ocelot double- and triple-crosses just about everybody. "Snake Eater" is no exception, so you can be sure this guy is once again up to some mischief. Just wait till the end of the credits. Meow!
The
graphics in the game are a world of its own. Konami's games are generally well-known for top-notch graphics and attention to detail. You thought "Metal Gear Solid 2" had cutting-edge graphics? Wait till you see "Snake Eater". When I first landed in the jungle and looked around from first-person view, I said to myself: "This can't be a Playstation 2 game". It is astounding how they could create such a graphical marvel using the graphical capabilities of a console that is technically inferior to Xbox or GameCube. The jungle is
alive. If you walk through grass, the grass will move. Birds are flying around. Frogs are jumping in pools. Snakes are crawling. Looking at the sky, half-concealed by tree branches, is like a beautiful quiet meditation in the middle of action. Indoor areas (don't worry, there are plenty of those, too) also look excellent. Try using first-person view whenever possible and look around - you'll notice so many details that you'll be delighted just by that. "Snake Eater" is a step towards next-generation graphics, and a testimony to Konami's care for detail.
The
gameplay also underwent important changes. Some people complained that the other two Metal Gear Solid games were too "arcadish". It is true that there was not much continuity in the famous "tactical espionage action". The gameplay was composed of small unrelated segments, each with a simple mission, interrupted by lengthy cut scenes. There is nothing wrong with that and it was
fun. But if you wanted a more serious gameplay experience, try "Snake Eater". The "arcade" sequences are almost eliminated. No more missile-guiding, burning lasers with cigarettes, or sniping mini-games. So, is there nothing more than monotonous stealth? Well, the point is that the stealth is not so monotonous any more. Instead of being stuck in bases and bunkers, you now have outdoor areas to explore. The locations in the game are much less linear than in other Metal Gear Solid games. They aren't very vast and are pretty straightforward, but often there are several exits to an area and optional locations you might or might not want to visit. Sneaking around in jungle is a whole new experience, quite different from the same activity indoors.
Adding depth to the gameplay is the necessity to eat and to cure wounds. You have a special stamina bar that slowly depletes; in order to restore it, you have to find food. Since food isn't just scattered around in the jungle, you have to hunt. Hunting is really fun, much more so than I imagined. You can either kill animals, and then their meat will become bad after a while, or tranquilize them to preserve them for a longer time. While I did encounter (and ate) a couple of goats, most animals are smaller and harder to notice. The "main dish", of course, are different kinds of snakes, which are everywhere. Basically, you can try hunting everything you see, from birds to fish and little crabs you can barely notice. Curing wounds is pretty simple. You carry medicines and instruments and have to treat your wounds (for example, use knife to cut out bullets from your body, or take an antidote when you are poisoned by spiders or snakes). In addition to that, you can use camouflage: wear different outfits and paint your face to make yourself less noticeable.
As for the main gameplay, it is pretty much the same as in other Metal Gear Solid games: try not to alert the guards. Tranquilize them, when possible. If things go bad, pull out your weapon and try to eliminate them. And of course, the boss battles. Most of them take place outdoors, and while some battles are pretty typical for Metal Gear Solid (like the ones against Volgin or Shagohod), others are quite unique. The battle against The End is one of the most majestic boss battles I have ever experienced. Imagine running around three (!) large locations, trying to spot the nearly invisible enemy. The jungle is full of quiet beauty that is disrupted only by an occasional sniper shot that comes from nowhere. The battle takes a very long time no matter the difficulty level and how well you handle it - a test for the patience, and a very rewarding one.
The Bad
Although I loved the two other Metal Gear Solid games, there were plenty of things to criticize there. I have much less complaints about "Snake Eater". It's not that I like it more than the others, but from an objective point of view it is a more complete and finely crafted game.
The overwhelming "corniness" that dominated the series before is nearly gone in this installment. What is left of it is nevertheless worthy of notice - maybe even more so than in other MGS games. Unlike those, which were set in the "near future", the events of "Snake Eater" take place in the sixties, a concrete historical period. It was easier to accept over-the-top action scenes and all kinds of supernatural and even "magical" things in the other two games. "Near future" is a free setting; in a sci-fi environment "everything is allowed", like Ivan Karamazov says. But soldiers flying around in some sort of futuristic pods (thankfully, only in one scene) don't fit the accurate historical setting, and the "retro" atmosphere suffers. Worse than such anachronisms are some of the characters in the game. The nearly supernatural Cobra unit make a good material for boss battles, but they are absolutely out of place in the sixties. They were supposed to be battle-hardened soldiers who fought in the Second World War, but instead they are the same aerodynamic technology-powered bosses with super-abilities we have seen in the two other games. Colonel Volgin with his electricity-powered body (and especially with his lightning attack) is pretty ridiculous. I would enjoy much more fighting a real Soviet colonel without any of those silly enhancements than some sort of a high voltage freak with tattoos on his face. I guess Kojima couldn't entirely control his typically Japanese urge to exaggerate everything and to mix inappropriate magic and futuristic technology with a concrete historical setting.
The story of "Snake Eater" is truly great, but unfortunately it becomes evident only in the end. "Snake Eater" doesn't quite deliver the same suspense that was so typical for the two other Metal Gear Solid games. The plot twists are fantastic and probably surpass those of the two other games in quality, but they all come near the very end of the game. There is a bit of "empty" story advancement, something that never happened in the other two, which managed to hold you on the edge of the chair almost at any given moment.
"Snake Eater" features one truly great character, The Boss. This character is deeper than any other in any Metal Gear Solid game. But she and the ever-excellent Ocelot are the only "boss characters" who have a personality in the game. Remember how in the first and the second Metal Gear Solid games every boss had a story to tell, every one was an interesting character for whom you could care? Unfortunately, this kind of characterization is lacking in "Snake Eater". I know it was done on purpose, to help the player concentrate his attention entirely on The Boss' story, but I can't see how in-depth characterization of other enemy characters would disturb the concentration. The Cobra unit members (with the possible exception of The Sorrow) lack any background story. Although the battles against them are very interesting gameplay-wise, story-wise they go back to the old days of videogaming, when you defeated "bad guys" just because you were supposed to, and they had nothing to tell and to show you except their desire to beat you. Colonel Volgin earns the title of the poorest Metal Gear Solid villain ever. He is bad. Very bad. That's all you know about him. Once you beat him, you won't think of him any more.
The Bottom Line
To say "Snake Eater" is the best Metal Gear Solid game would not be an exact statement. If anything, "Snake Eater" abandons the melodramatic, over-the-top style of the previous games in favor of a more serious and mature storytelling. While being less complex and perhaps slightly less suspenseful than the other two, "Snake Eater" delivers a deep, though-provoking, perfectly crafted story that is, quite simply, one league above the rest of Metal Gear Solid. At the same time, "Snake Eater" has a couple of great plot twists which will satisfy any die-hard fan of the series. It may lose to "Sons of Liberty" and even to "Twin Snakes" in complexity and sheer amount of unexpected turns, but it beats both in pure quality of storytelling. In terms of graphics and gameplay, the series also reaches a new level in this installment. "Snake Eater" is a Metal Gear Solid that has grown up, a Metal Gear Solid with genuine depth, realism, and sadness, such as we have never seen before.
