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> Results: Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
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Game re-releases seem to be all the rage, from Ninja Gaiden Black to Dungeon Lords Collector's Edition. Sometimes it's an obvious cash grab, milking fans for all they are worth. But once in a while, something special comes along.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was released to much acclaim in 2004. It's a prequel, exploring the origins of the material covered in the venerable Metal Gear series of games. Taking place in 1964 and set against a Cold War backdrop, the game has you filling the shoes of a Special Forces soldier codenamed Naked Snake while undertaking a mission for the CIA to infiltrate a Russian military base and take back a defector scientist. Things do not go according to plan, and you are plunged into a twisting plot where you run up against the typical array of off-the-wall Metal Gear characters such as the beautiful agent EVA, a crazed Russian colonel with a penchant for electricity, and a young version of one of gaming's most strangely-named characters, Revolver Ocelot. That's all I'm going to say about the game itself. Really, watching as the story unravels is one of the highlights of this series, so I don't want to spoil it. Despite the addition of Close Quarters Combat moves, a camouflage system, and the necessity to eat and heal yourself manually rather than just pick up ration items, the core Metal Gear gameplay remains the same, blending drama and humor, encouraging you to use stealth and avoid confrontation instead of rushing out with guns blazing, and using a lot of cutscenes and CODEC text to propel the story, an element that admittedly continues to disappoint some players who just want pure action.  It looks gorgeous. An 18 month-old game on a six year-old system should not look this good, but it does, with more than the usual variety of environments spanning a range from lush jungle to the more familiar military installations. It also sounds wonderful, thanks to another Harry Gregson-Williams film-quality score and excellent voice work headed by David Hayter as Snake. This Subsistence re-release does not add many things to the main game save one that's very welcome: a controllable camera. The traditional semi-overhead third-person view is still available, but the addition of a controllable camera that you can swing around really eases any frustration with the controls and allows you to better see what a good-looking game this is. But Subsistence isn't just a new camera. The second disc in this 2 DVD set features an all-new Online Mode that provides online multiplayer action for up to eight players. The various modes are fairly standardﾗdeathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag (actually a frog), and rescue (...the duck!)ﾗand put you in the body of one of the guards or one of the special characters (such as Ocelot, Raikov, or even one of the girls from Konami's saucy Rumble Roses wrestling game if you unlock them) depending on how you are performing. It's the Sneaking Mission mode that provides the most Metal Gear-style gameplay, though. One person is assigned the role of Snake, and is tasked with stealing microfilm and delivering it to a drop point while every other player must try and stop him. The relatively simple set of gametypes is bolstered by a good variety of twelve levels (only a handful of which come from the main game), and the ability to tweak lots of options, such as the weapons that are available to players, resulting in many different game experiences. Online Mode won't win any innovation awards, and deathmatch in the third person without automatic lock-on takes some getting used to, but it is a solid multiplayer game that is well worth checking out. Online Mode doesn't take up the whole of disc two, however. There are another TWO full games to play, versions of the original Metal Gear (circa 1987) and Metal Gear 2 (circa 1990) games that were only available for the relatively obscure MSX computer. You won't find cutting-edge 3D graphics here, but you may be surprised to find practically the same sneaking gameplay as the modern Metal Gear titles. Enjoyable in their own right, Western gamers should love finding out what happened in the story between the first Metal Gear game and Metal Gear Solid, as Metal Gear 2 was not released at all outside of Japan.  Still don't think you are getting enough for your money? What about an extended version of the Snake vs Monkey mini-game from the original Snake Eater release? This bizarre crossover pits Snake against the monkeys from Sony's Ape Escape games. The usually brooding Snake thrust into the cuteness of the Ape Escape world makes for an amusing dichotomy, and trying to catch all the monkeys as fast as possible is an entertaining diversion. I haven't even mentioned the unlockable extras available once you complete the main game, such as the Demo Theater which allows you to replay any of the game's cu-scenes, the Secret Theater which provides a healthy number of humorous movies featuring the Metal Gear cast, or Duel, which lets you do battle against any of the game's bosses whenever you feel like it. There are more little secrets to be found, but we're rapidly running out of room here, so let's sum up: Great game. Massive amount of extra content. Budget price. Go buy it. 
Because you're rewarded for not killing enemies and avoiding combat altogether along with the general anti-war themes, I've been fairly lenient with my own pre-teen son and the previous Metal Gear games. This game, however, is very clearly for adults. The "Intense Violence" description from the ESRB should not be taken lightly. There are some graphic cutscenes here, including a very brutal torture scenario. Some of Volgin's violent actions take on a sexual tone against his female companion, and there is evidence of past abuse in that relationship.
The regular gameplay itself can be plenty violent of course. While avoiding combat is still usually the best option, there are plenty of ways to dispatch enemy soldiers and each one is depicted realistically, from stealthy cut-throat kills that produce a suitable amount of blood spray (which can be turned off) to being burned alive via flamethrower. In fact, the depiction is so realistic that for the first time ever I was led to genuinely regret killing these faceless videogame characters during one memorably spooky sequence later in the game. Their screams of pain are quite haunting. The "Sexual Themes" descriptor is also appropriate. While there's nothing too graphic, there are moments of intimacy between characters, on a similar level to a James Bond movie. Continuing in that vein, EVA is very "Bond Girl", shown in (and out of) unzipped-to-the-waist combat gear. All this is rather more than the usual Metal Gear CODEC flirting with your female support team members which is still present. Offsetting EVA's stereotypical appearance somewhat is the fact that she's quite a strong character rather than being depicted as a passive ditz. The Boss steals the award for best supporting actress however, with a calm intelligence that masks her strength and combat ability. In short, players are not subjected to one-dimensional female characters. That's a nice change. Stereotypes are out in force with the Raikov character however. While never explicitly stated, he is clearly shown to be gay, and is depicted as effeminate and cowardly. The rating for Online Mode is less clear-cut. Because it removes any real emotional attachment to the characters, the killing of enemies seems to carry less weight, even though the combat is the same as the main game, blood and all. It actually comes off feeling more like a traditional deathmatch game like Quake or Unreal Tournament. Even though the same characters are running around killing each other, it feels more cartoon-like. If you're comfortable with your older teen playing this sort of game, then the Online Mode may be okay too. Of course, being an online game, you are subjected to the usual immaturity of the community over the headset or the occasional text message, though because a headset and keyboard are not standard components on the PS2, you'll generally see and hear a lot less vulgarity than on something like Xbox Live. As for the rest of the content, it varies. Several of the movies available in the Secret Theater feature risqué segments. These include the two male characters Raiden and Ocelot accidentally kissing, and The End proving himself to be a dirty old man and stalking EVA. Snake vs. Monkey is pretty kid-friendly, as even if you shoot the monkeys, you just stun them, though the introduction has Snake wishing he were rescuing a "hot damsel in distress" instead of apes. Finally, the two original Metal Gear games are probably going to be acceptable to most parents simply because of their age and relatively unsophisticated graphics. This review edited by Dave Long Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Browse Amazon.com's selection of "metal gear solid" themed games Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence |
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