Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence

Hideo Kojima has an ability I call the ability to redeem himself- that is, the ability to do some of the weirdest things and yet, in the end of the day, come out better. While some game developers will do extremely grandiose projects and mess them up, it seems like whatever Kojima Productions does, no matter the situation or topic, they do it well.

So when I heard there was to be a Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, I wasn't surprised. After all, Kojima Productions has a strange habit of wanting to go back to old projects and tinker with them, if just slightly. This is great to those of us looking forward to their new innovations, but destructive to our wallets (Especially when we had the original already). But, for the first time in this history of the Metal Gear Solid games, I can honestly say that Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is the most packed Metal Gear Solid game ever.

So, before I launch off into a review, I'm going to break it down into two sections- the main game (Ala Disk One, “Subsistence”), and then the Subsistence additions (The second disk, “Persistence”) along with the additions (The Theatrical disc). Being as there is so much on each, I actually debated about writing two reviews, but in this case, I'll just break down the whole package.

First off, the game. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a divergence from the main setup of Metal Gear Solid, and is intended to be a prequel to the events surrounding the original Metal Gear Solid. As Naked Snake, you travel through Cold War Russia and stop Colonel Volgin, as well as members of the elite Cobra Unit, to find the kidnapped defected scientist Sokolov and bring him back to the United States. This whole plot line is quite different than the futuristic pseudo-cyberpunk Metal Gear Solid plot line gamers are familiar with, it definitely has it's up points, and changes the play system in some new and innovative ways.




First off, being as it's during the Cold War, there is no such thing as the nanomachines, nor many of the weapons seen in previous titles. This means that Naked Snake, for all intents and purposes, is as naked as his name implies, and is left to his own devices (As well as some older technology) to assist him in traveling through Russia safe and sound. Instead of the Sneaking Suit or Raiden's Skull Suit, Snake is literally left to standard military BDUs, and must switch out the camouflage depending on the situation and location to keep as hidden as possible. From forest camouflage to desert camouflage, everything must be changed and modified depending on his situation, and his prowess in hiding is now represented in a percentage value on the screen at all times. So, during the game, a large part of getting through the long jungles and huge fortresses is ensuring that the camouflage you wear is matching your surroundings- like putting on “Brick” camouflage around bricks, and the like.

Another new addition is the complete destruction of what most of us knew as the “Medkit” system. In the original Metal Gear games, all the way up until now, the way you healed any character was exactly the same as in most video games- you just picked up a medkit, and you immediately healed (Or saved it for later). In Metal Gear Solid 3, you use the “Cure” system, which is a cross between first aid in the field and painful self surgery. Using your “Stamina” meter, you can generally sit and heal all of your minor wounds in-game, but any major wounds (Such as a bullet stuck in your body, or a third degree burn) needs to be healed from the cure menu with medicine or ointment of some kind, or else a large percentage of your health will be permanently gone until you do so. These little cure setups can range from putting a bandage on a bleeding cut to digging out a bullet with a knife, so there is a lot of differentiation to the system, but it all boils down to “Having the right stuff”.

The battle system in the game has also been significantly ramped up to the point where it sometimes feels more like a third person shooter and less of an actual sneaking game. Snake will get caught often, and with that in mind, it is imperative to collect weapons and ammo and learn how to use them well. This is okay, however, because you will be loaded to the gills with weapons quickly, from standard pistols to shotguns to an AK-47. The guns all act differently, deal out different amounts of damage, and even weigh differently, so everything is unique and tailored to different gamers (For example, anyone looking for a Rambo-esque time should try shooting an AK-47 without any kind of silencer).All of this took some time to get used to on my part, because the original Metal Gear Solid games essentially taught me to sneak and not shoot, while Metal Gear Solid 3 kept pushing me to “Pull out that gun and unload”.

With that in mind, a lot of Metal Gear Solid 3 is deviation from the gameplay gamers saw in Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2. You are encouraged to shoot more, to be a tad more brutal in your moves and actions, and not regard getting spotted as the end of the world. Enemies do not magically appear in the game to sweep the area, so it is now possible to kill all enemies in the area and continue, which generally became my number one method to get through this game. I would even go so far as to purposely trip alarms just to get more enemies, mow through them, collect their items, and move on without the worry of getting ambushed. While this is against everything set out in the original series, this kind of methodology is unique enough to make it fun and not annoying or arcade, and ends up fitting the whole game surprisingly well.

Some parts of Metal Gear Solid 3, though, tend to be a little bit arcane, and even though this seems like it would make the game bad, the result that most gamers found the quickest and best are sometimes the stupidest. For example, the game requires you go and kill a specific officer and steal his clothing. Well, the issue is, if they spot his body, it's game over, so you're left with a body in a bathroom and tons of scientists running around, ready to spot you. What do you do?

A. Hide in a box, trip some secret button, slide him through carefully
B. Do some endlessly complex and stupidly frustrating trek through the area with the body
C. Kill everyone inside. They can't see anything if they're dead.

While it is wrong in a lot of ways, a lot of gamers I know who played this game found option C to be best. Running through the base with my AK-47, I found out that instead of dressing-like-a-scientist-and-not-being-spotted, the best course of option was to run in, fully clad in my camouflage, and completely unload on the unsuspecting citizens. More times like this arise, especially later in the game, where you find sometimes doing something the stupid way is more entertaining and faster (Like knocking Eva out and dragging her through the jungle) instead of the slow way (Helping her walk).




The story aspect of Metal Gear Solid 3 is really what makes it a great game, but because I don't want to spoil it, I'll leave it simple. Whereas I originally felt this to be a bad side story, further examination into the story results in some awesome plot twists and turns, and I was left on the edge of my seat- nothing was predictable, nothing mundane- all exciting and fast paced. One of the nice things I found about this game was the sheer fact that it kept moving and never hit a slow spot, and the story never felt like it forced you or just made endless problems just to extend the game's life. And the ending, by the way, wins my personal award for the best ending in the series, and possibly one of the best endings in gaming period. I obviously won't say what happens, but it's just good.

One of the upgrades to the game in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is the camera setup. Originally heralded as the one thing that kept MGS3 from a perfect score, it has now been fixed up to an entirely third person setup, which is actually quite nice and comfortable, as opposed to the original fixed camera position. While this can sometimes result in some lag because of the wider view angles, it still is a major upgrade that helps this game out, though it can be reverted to the old camera at any time. Personally, though, I preferred the over-the-shoulder setup, as I could appreciate the graphics and environments much more.

Overall, Metal Gear Solid 3 is a phenomenal game. While I've tried not to drop any spoilers here, the story is great, the characters are interesting, and as usual, the gameplay is top notch. While it takes some time to get used to the jungle aspect and the overall confusing system, once you ARE accustomed to it, you can't put it down. This game definitely gets five stars from me, from the start to the finish, it oozes quality and prowess, and really is a killer app for the Playstation 2.

Now, let me touch on the Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence aspect of this game, namely, the additions.

First off, the main topic of this Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is the Online mode. While it is nowhere near as big as one could wish for, the online mode of Metal Gear Solid 3 is surprisingly interesting and amusing, and leads to some truly frenzied matches of espionage and shooting. The matches generally consist of one character (as Snake) running around attempting to steal some item, whereas all of the other players (as soldiers) attempt to find and shoot him/her. Obviously, the whole game is stacked against Snake, but in no way is unfair or irritating, and the ending result is good.

Oh, as a side note, while playing this game, you can pick different models, one of them being Ocelot. Do not play Ocelot, he exudes stupidity and this odd gay feeling. His clothing, his salute, and generally anything he does is full of stupid. Do not use him, if only just to please me.

However, one of my main complaints about Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence's Online Mode is really something that Kojima Productions can't fix- the plain and simple fact that console gaming seems limited compared to PC counterparts. Whereas console gaming is very simplistic and tries to oversimplify everything, from connecting to playing, I miss the ability to have more control over my character. But, then again, other gamers may like the simplicity- it all depends on what you want.




Other additions include Snake Vs Monkey, a timed Ape Escape themed mini game setup where Snake runs and attempts to catch fast, cartoonish monkeys who seem to be smarter than him, and Duel mode, where you fight the bosses from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, except timed, and in some cases, specially limited. The catch to these is that these modes are pretty hard for anyone but experienced gamers, and require insane amounts of skill and thought to truly beat them within an acceptable time limit. Still, if you can actually play them, the mini games are fun and fast paced, and definitely something to do when you're not killing your own team in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence's Online Mode.

Another nice addition is playable versions of both Metal Gear 1 and 2, the MSX versions which are truly worth a play if you have never played them before. As it's including the true-to-the-creator MSX version of Metal Gear, there is no doubt that it is a great play, and a smart way to boost the offerings of the Persistence disk. There's not much to say- good emulation of a game.

But, personally, I found that the biggest reason to get this game is the special theater mode included on the Persistence disk, which includes spoof videos of many of the in-game cutscenes from Snake Eater. These cutscenes are humorous and quick (Or in some cases, long but hilarious, like METAL GEAR SIGINT) and had me rolling on the floor, laughing at the clever ways it parodies itself. Honestly, this is the first time I've seen a gaming company so blatantly make fun of itself, and it's so good that I really hope others follow suit. Some of these videos can be found online different places, so if you need any kind of reason to get this game, go download one and see for yourself (I recommend METAL GEAR SIGINT, as it is so dumb yet hilarious it gets the point across).

Also, by the way, the game optionally came with a Theatrics disk, which is good, but only for collectors and hardcores. It's nice to have so much on one disk,

When it comes to the offerings of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, it really is a decent addition to the series, and definitely the game to pick up if you are forced to choose between the original and Subsistence versions. This is by far the most packed of any Metal Gear title, and I really enjoyed the quality work put into making sure it gave me the bang for my buck. Not only does it have a phenomenal single player game, but it's got a great Multiplayer too- one hell of a purchase for anyone with a PS2. Five stars to this game, no doubt about it.

5 star(s) out of 5

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