Once in a while, there are games that come out that are so prolific, so thought-provoking that while they may forget a lot of games that they have played in the past, these titles will never be forgotten. The Metal Gear franchise is one such array of games. And Metal Gear Solid 3 does not dissapoint. And although it has its share of flaws, it can be said it is one of the greatest games of 2004.
When I first heard Metal Gear Solid 3 would be prequel, I felt sort of dissapointed because I wasn't a prequel man. I didn't like exploring the past when you were already in the present. I leave that up to books. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Metal Gear Solid 3.
It's story is the highlight of this game, more than the gameplay mechanics, visuals, sounds or others aspects of a game. The story shines and stands out the most. It starts out as "Snake" or as we currently know him, "Big Boss" heads of into the jungle to save a scientist who developed a walking mechanized tank that can fire nuclear weapons, sound familiar? Snake eventually rescues the scientist but is betrayed by his former teacher, "The Boss" and that is where the story really kicks off.
The game is full of plot twists, shockers, and incredibly theatrical moments, but not to the extent of Metal Gear Solid 2; it is not as convuluted as MGS2 was. Throughout the game, you will never feel for a moment that you aren't in some sort of movie game. But make no mistake, this is Metal Gear Solid, not Indigo Prophecy. It is still full of action and intense fire fights, and in the gameplay aspects, it also does a superb jobs. albeit there are some quirks.
The gameplay is once again top-notch maintaining a lot of the previous games mechanics and introducing new ones. You are still able to choke, throw, punch and kick enemies, however a new system called the CQC or Close Quarters Combat systems has been introduced. There is whole new repertoire of moves that you can do such as new combos and throws that are invaluable in certain situations.
Gone are the soliton radar and codec, and in are the menu map and radio. The menu map is not as advanced as the soliton radar is, but does its job nicely, which is to determine where you are, and the radio is fairly similar to the codec.
Recurring mechanics also include the top-down camera and first-person aiming, which are still implemented perfectly. Also newly implemented are the camouflage and face paint. You have a camo index in the top right corner of your screen and it is there where you find information about your camo index. The camo index determines how hidden you are from enemies or if enemies can see you. You have to play smart and use your surroundings in accordance with your camouflage and face paint to ensure the attainment of the highest camo index and stay hidden from enemies.
Also included are eating and healing yourself with bandages and the like. Myself, I did not find these aspects particularly important. They seemed more like a novelty than an actual gameplay mechanic.
Moreover, unlike other games, the environment plays a very important role in this game, choosing the appropriate camouflage, ducking behind the right cover, these are all in tune with the environment of the game and you have to think and play smart to take advantage of these. But since the environments look gorgeous this is not a major hassle.
I am not a particular strickler on the graphics side as long as the gameplay is top-notch, but MGS3's graphics are absolutely fantastic, the lighting is beautiful, the environments are stunning and realistic, but the thing that strikes me the most is the atmosphere,it is absolutely terrific. It is just captures the tone and adds to the memorability of the game.
However, there were some parts of the game that were so dark that I couldn't see anything, especially with certain kinds of camouflage, but then again it might be just my TV, but that was certainly a bother. That was with the highest bright setting in the game and on my TV.
One of the other highlights of the game is its astounding sound. Probably the overall contributor to the incredible atmosphere of the game. The background music was exquisitely done and polished to perfection, no sound felt out of place. The sound is probably the deciding factor that catapulted this game into hall of fame status. With riveting, chilling and sometimes just endearing themes, it's crystal clear that MGS3's sounds are absolutely perfect.
Finally, we end up with the extras, MGS3 is loaded with them, from Hidden Camouflage and face paint, there is also the constant, stealth camouflage and infinity item that make succeeding playthroughs easier. Also there are mini-games like Snake vs. Monkey and finding those infernal frogs. Sometimes they appear in the most unexpected places.
In conclusion, Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of the best games, if not the best game of 2004 and possesses one of the greatest stories in the history of gaming. It brought tears, anger, laughter and warmth to my heart. And although when you finish it and wish there was more you feel dissapointed, it is a game that you will never forget. So now, we just have to wait for Metal Gear Solid 4 to come out, and it will be a very long wait.
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