Sorry, still no Solid Snake
This is the third in the series of stealth-action games and it is the first I've played in the series. The story is apparently a prequel to the other games, so I'm not getting any information I shouldn't have, which is actually significant since these are very plot-heavy games. I've heard the critique that you watch Metal Gear more than play it, and while the game does have more cinematics than probably any game I've played, the actual game is fun to play too, once you get the hang of it.
The plot centers around Naked Snake, the code name of an elite CIA operative that has been asked to enter Russia secretly and rescue a Soviet scientist that wants to defect. Naturally, something during the mission goes horribly wrong, and Snake is thrown into an internal power struggle between Khrushchev and a rogue officer named Volgin. At Volgin's side is a mysterious woman named 'The Boss', who trained and fought beside Snake for many years prior to her defection to the Soviet side. The rest of the villain roster is filled out by Ocelot, an arrogant Soviet officer that uses pistols, and the Cobras, an elite fighting unit comprised of four men with very unique abilities (one shoots bees, for example). Throughout the game Snake must dispatch them in a series of creative boss battles that have several ways of winning, some unlike anything ever done before. For example, at one point you enter a section of forest guarded by an ancient sniper known only as 'The End'. You can either kill him the regular way, sneaking around and shooting, or you can turn the internal Playstation clock forward two weeks, restart the game, and he will have died from old age. Yes, you can skip an entire boss battle.
The rest of the game plays like other stealth action games. You sneak around forests, labs, military compounds, and other environments attempting to remain as invisible as possible. If spotted, a meter on the top of the screen will tick down as the guards try to track you down. Remain hidden, and the guards will eventually leave you alone. Be seen, they will shoot you. To take them down, you have a variety of methods. There are the standard weapons: pistols, assault rifles, shotgun, but other, more sneaky methods as well. There's a cigarette that shoots knockout gas, a cardboard box to hide in, and porno magazines that can be thrown at guards' feet to distract them. Or, if you get close enough, there are hand-to-hand takedowns. Besides the bosses, you can beat this game without killing a single enemy.
What sets Metal Gear Solid 3 apart from a game like Splinter Cell is the storytelling. The plot is divulged in a series of impeccably (for a game) directed cutscenes, and the game does begin to feel like an interactive movie after a while. Once the terrible English language voice acting is gotten used to, that is. The story is a mix of espionage thriller set in the Cold War, mixed with the batshit crazy characters designs of an anime movie. So, you know, awesome. I'd recommend this game to anyone with a PS2 (or 3, since it's backwards compatible). Make sure to watch the tutorial videos, since most of the techniques that prove most useful throughout the game aren't taught to you. But once you've got the hang of the controls, it becomes incredibly fun.
