Finally, a couple of answers to exactly what in the hell was going on in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Taking place in Cold War-era 1964, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater delivers on the same giddlily euphoric buzz that one felt after playing the original Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation back in 1998. Calling Snake Eater a “good game” is like calling a BMW an “okay car.” Many play the Metal Gear Solid series for its cinematic qualities just as much as for its gameplay. Without divulging too many plot points, suffice it to say that the central plot involves Solid Snake on a mission into the Soviet Union to rescue a scientist responsible for designing a powerful nuclear weapon that is capable of mobility. Indeed, this game has plenty of gorgeous cutscenes- fortunately; they don’t exceed most players’ threshold of patience. There’s little or no secret to fans of the MGS series that 1964’s Solid Snake = Big Boss. What makes the storyline of the game so fascinating is the transformation of the character from an idealistic man with the skills to combine spy and hardened soldier to a jaded survivor who would be capable of forming a rogue squad of commandos gone terrorist decades down the line. The biggest additions to gameplay are the introductions of camouflage and CQC. Since the game takes place in such an open environment compared to prior titles, Snake must blend into the environment through face paint and camouflage outfits. In the first few hours, it feels awkward and cumbersome to constantly pause the game and put on a new outfit, but eventually it becomes second nature. Also, there are downloadable camouflages that Snake can use, although the current selection online seems to be more novelty than utilitarian. In CQC (Close Quarters Combat), Snake can do more than simply flip a guard over his hip or break his neck. With CQC, he can now also interrogate guards, slash their throats, or use them as shields. It’s a handy addition to gameplay that helps, either while playing stealthily to gather information or to cover Snake in the middle of a shootout. While in the jungle, the player must take steps to ensure Snake’s health throughout the game. When Snake is shot, stabbed, burned, or poisoned, cures must be applied or his maximum health potential will stay lowered. His stamina will go down as the game progresses; it can diminish even faster if he runs too much or if his backpack is overloaded. To increase his stamina, he must hunt and partake in the wildlife, hence the subtitle of the game. Snakes, rabbits, crocodiles, rats, mushrooms- you name it, he can stab it and make a ration out of it. Much like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, food is a highly important subsection of the game (and Snake’s stamina reduces faster than C.J.’s), but it’s not the be-all/end-all of the game experience. Graphically, Snake Eater is one of the most gorgeous games to ever grace the PlayStation 2. It utilizes the PS2 hardware in ways that would make the un-savvy eye think they were watching an Xbox game. Characters move smoothly. The design that has gone into villains such as The End, The Fury, and The Sorrow is brilliant. The environment looks gorgeous. Natural landscapes are captured It is truly a marvel to cast eyes upon. If there are any complaints, it’s that some of the sequences get tedious. Those with thin patience might not get over the constant pausing of action to change outfits or to cure/feed Snake. The boss battle with The End might take players up to an hour (yes, an hour) to complete, and that’s if Snake doesn’t run out of stamina and end up back at the prison. It’s a bit unreasonable, in my opinion. The first-person targeting view can be a bit cumbersome in the middle of a shootout; I still prefer the third-person auto-targeting from the original MGS; it’s more conducive to a firefight- an option to do either one would have been nice. Also, by the end of the game, as fantastic as the title is, you will probably be ready to call it a day and are tired of characters constantly resurrecting themselves yet again. However, the climactic battle with a certain character is powerfully poignant. It is the only time I’ve ever felt awkward (and a bit remorsefully sad) to press the Square button. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is certainly the longest game in the series. To get through the game quickly enough for a review, I played on Very Easy and still logged in twenty and a half hours, although to be fair, I didn’t use the EZ Gun too often until the end of the game, which makes the overall experience, well, easier. After the critical disappointment with Sons of Liberty and the advent of games such as Splinter Cell, many have questioned director Hideo Kojima’s ability to devise a counterattack to Sam Fisher’s sudden popularity. Indeed, after seeing both Snake Eater and Chaos Theory in the same day at E3, one JIVE staffer (who will remain unnamed) said, “Sam Fisher just made Solid Snake look like a bitch.” After playing through Snake Eater, Ubi’s got some very big shoes to fill. It’s not a perfect game, but its flaws are rather minor and forgivable in the grander scheme of things. It’s truly one of the finest games that has come out for the PS2, and for Metal Gear Solid fans, it’s unquestionably worth playing. Rating: Five out of five tree frogs.