Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The Good
MGS2 left many people (including myself) feeling a bit awkward. It was fun, of course, and sufficiently challenging, but there were some nagging issues: (1) The abrupt and unfortunate switch to Raiden, a weak and shallow character, early on; (2) a lack of truly showstopping boss fights, and (3) a plot which was needlessly confusing and even illogical.

Thus, coming into MGS3, I had my doubts. I feared that Kojima was suffering from the dreaded Lucas syndrome, and that Metal Gear was doomed to a long, ignominious downfall.

Thank God, I was wrong.

MGS3 succeeds on so many levels. The stealth gameplay has been further refined with the addition of close-quarters combat (CQC), which gives you more ways to deal with guards and bosses alike. The graphics are stunning, as is the music (the import soundtrack is worth the cash). But I'd like to deal with my three issues in depth:

(1) and (3) - Snake is your main man. It doesn't spoil too much to say that this Snake is the man who eventually becomes Big Boss (and thus "Snake" is his genetic offspring). He is a man who, in his own words (or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof), "Never had much interest in other people's lives." This game is the story of his birth, so to speak, into the world as it actually is. Despite his profession, he is an innocent, and his journey out of this blissful state is completely compelling. As he leaves the graveyard at the game's conclusion, you realize you have come full circle in the Metal Gear mythos, and as such MGS2 makes so much more sense. You understand why the Big Boss is who is he, why he did what he does, and his defeat at the end of the second game now feels tragic whereas before it just felt...like a let-down.

It's not too much of an exaggeration to say that I'm still thinking about MGS3's story months after finishing it. It's that good.

(2) - The boss fights in this game KICK ASS. Seriously, these are the best bosses in just about any game, ever. In particular, The End is a vicious old bastard, and your battle with him may frustrate, but damn does it feel rewarding when you beat him.

The Bad
Three things:

(1) - The camera needs to evolve. Perhaps Kojima should borrow a bit from RE4 - an over the shoulder view would make the experience so much more enjoyable.

(2) - At times, interacting with the game world is a bit too complicated. I counted several times when I mistakenly fired off the wrong weapon just because the interface is trying to do too many things. Ditto with CQC - I slit a few throats when all I wanted to do was drop a guard on his head. Oops.

(3) - The much touted survival system (in which you must feed Snake and cure his wounds) is a bit of a distraction. I had no real problem with feeding Snake, but curing him is silly and unrealistic.

The Bottom Line
Not just the best game of 2004, but an important milestone in gaming, period. Hopefully, more designers will stretch the dramatic potential of games. Only when this happens will this much-maligned medium attain the critical and cultural respect it deserves.