Never before has a game justified the need for cinematics in video gaming - such that you need to play this game. Now.
User Rating: 8.8 | Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater PS2
I just finished Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, so I felt it fitting to write a review about it. My first impression of the game was a been there, done that type of feeling. Essentially, this is the same game that I've been playing for six years, albeit with much better graphics. Sure, the CQC (close quarters combat) system is well done and is fun to use, but isn't that integral to the gameplay experience. All it really means is you can hold someone at knifepoint and shoot someone at the same time. That's pretty much all there is to it, but it's still fun to use. Other than CQC, the gameplay is still, to be punny, solid - but stale. No more radar, so being in alert mode in this game is much more frequent than before. Which is ok, because an enemie's bullets to nearly no damage to you. I died only twice when playing the game, once when I had no weapons and once because I jumped off of a cliff. Otherwise, even boss characters pose no real threat. On that, the boss characters are still done very well. They each have memorable battles, but in the end, are pretty straightforward. Given such haunting names as The End, The Fear, The Fury, and The Pain, you'd expect more. But it's still fun and memorable. Other new gameplay quirks include battlefield medicine, which is rather obscure in implementation, but still gives a survival feel to the game. Also, eating to keep stamina up is integral as well, however not as imposing as it could have been (which is a good thing). Lastly, you can wear camouflage now to disguise yourself, which works well, except for the fact that you're really never sure where the enemy is. Chalk it up to the no radar system, but even with the emphasis on stealth in this game - it's even easier than before to run n' gun everything. The graphics in this game are outstanding, even better than in MGS2 (if not the huge jump from MGS1 to MGS2) but excellent nonetheless. The only nitpick with the graphics is that the lip syncing is horrible, almost seemingly a half-assed job. Compared to MGS2, which had relatively good lip syncing, this leaves a lot to be desired. Other than that, the graphics are exceptional. As with the rest of the series, the voice acting has been done very well. David Hayter once again reprises his role as Snake, and once again does an excellent job. This time, his entire supporting cast does an amazing job as well, with the exception of some Russian soldiers not exactly sounding all that Russian. But other than that, a superb job in the voiceover. The music is done well as well, fitting the time period very well. There are many James Bond-inspired themes, most noticibly the intro. However, every song that is used in this soundtrack is done with a set purpose, and every song does it purpose extremely well. Now, with the lead-in that I provided you would have thought that I was going to talk about the story right from the start. Well, I decided to save the very best for last. The story, in a word, is phenomenal. Even though the story gets convoluted once again towards the end, in comparison to MGS2, it is much more straightforward. You, as Snake, are sent in to rescue Sokolov, an arms scientist who was designing a secret nuclear warhead. A roller coaster ride of events ensues, told in some of the most breath-taking in game cinematics ever shown before. The game is excellently choreographed, and seeps with Hollywood-quality stunt sequences and dialogue. Konami seemingly also took a hint from fans, and in this outing toned down much of the CODEC (in this case radio) sequences. Needless to say, if you're going to play this game, play it for the story. Hideo Kojima and the crew at Konami has outdone themselves again. They have made us find another reason to play a Metal Gear Solid game, using an engrossing story and endearing characters. This is unquestionably the best Metal Gear Solid game, and if you're fan of the series - hell - if you're a fan of action movies or video games at all - you have to play this game. 
