This review isn't meant for the Metal Gear veterans out there, but for those who are thinking of getting started.
User Rating: 8.3 | Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes GC
Honestly, I’m somewhat reluctant to review this game since I have nothing revolutionary to say about it that hasn’t already been said. However, I think I’m different than many of the people out there who either love the series or hate it – I’m somewhere in the middle of the two extremes and for that reason I hope to speak to those who are on the fence about whether they might like to begin in the first place as I once was myself. Therefore, if you have yet to play this game or any of the others in the series, listen up…here’s one man’s opinion who used to be in your shoes. And with that said, let’s jump straight to the bottom line – I like this game. Overall it provided me not so much with what I was expecting to get, but with its own experience that I found quite enjoyable to play through. However, it wasn’t without wading through some flaws… The story. Okay, well the story itself wasn’t so much of a flaw for me as it was how some of it was executed. There are two systems of belief on this subject – some hate long cutscenes because they get in the way of gameplay and some love them because they enhance and bring meaning to the gameplay. I’m on the side of loving them…when and only when they are done well. Thankfully, most of the cutscenes in this game are done very well…for the most part. They tend to be longwinded and difficult to follow at times and they get a tad preachy a time or two, but all in all I thought they enhanced the game rather than detracted from it. However… …there are times when the acting could have used a little bit of help. Especially the actor voicing the lead character, Snake could have used a bit more coaching at times since his inflections seemed never to change. He sounded like he was out of breath at the end of every line and I’m sure this was the actor’s attempt at sounding like a weathered soldier in a Clint Eastwood sort of way, but still, it grew a little thin, which isn’t to say he did a bad job. All in all I liked the performance; I just got tired of the inflections. Other actors came across at times as melodramatic, however this was often the result of the lines they had to read, which leads me to… The subplots. While some were quite good and had every reason to be included, there were a couple of romantic elements that seemed…contrived? Hmmm. Maybe ridiculous or insipid would be a better fit. In any event, when the story stuck to its main premise, I was on board. Yet when I had wade through a few silly scenes of a love struck whining and saccharin melodrama (ahem…cough…Otocon…cough), well let’s say I was left wondering what the hell Kojima was thinking. And there was one part where a psychic character started reading my memory card and in the process took a massive wrecking ball to the fourth wall that came off as simply inane, but I won’t saying anything more on the subject for fear off spoiling the experience for you. The point is, while the story isn’t perfect and the cutscenes are quite long, all in all I found it all to be enjoyable for the most part and a good addition to the overall experience. One thing worth noting – while many of the action scenes are as badass as you’ll want them to be (guns blazing while Snake dodges slow-motion bullets Matrix-style and his adept ability to engage in intense hand-to-hand combat with the elegance of an uber-ninja) once the cinematics end and you’re given control over the action, everything suddenly falls flat on its face. You can perform a three button combo for melee attacks which consist pretty much of a couple of jabs and a roundhouse kick. Or, you can fire off rounds from one of your guns. That’s it. And to go from watching Snake flounce around like a raging ballerina on steroids during the cutscenes, only to be left with the above mentioned and very unrewarding three button combo mashing mechanics was very, very unfulfilling to say the least. Let’s not mince words here – when you’re in control, Snake fights like a little sissypants. Period. But luckily, this isn’t why you’re playing this game and the moments I just mentioned are few and far between. Because, where this game fails in the action department, it completely makes up for in stealth. If you like stealth games, you should love this one. It’s done very, very well. In fact, it’s the bar by which most other games have strived to achieve. So, if sneaking through a corridor, trying to go silently undetected by your enemy while peering from around a corner and taking him out with a tranquilizer dart to the head, or creeping up behind him and choking him into unconsciousness or death sounds like fun, you’ll find hours or enjoyment here. Keep in mind that there is a bit of a learning curve in this game with regard to the stealth abilities, especially if you haven’t played a game like this before. Additionally, there is an appreciation curve that is even longer, or at least there was for me. What I mean by that is, though I had the gameplay mechanics down pretty soon into playing, it took me a bit longer to really start enjoying them. That may sound strange, but it wasn’t until I got comfortable enough with the controls and I no longer had to think about what I was doing that the game really took off. And though it took an hour or so for this to happen, once it did I never looked back. It was a lot of fun, which is the most important thing of all. The bottom line – for me, the strengths of this game far outweighed the weaknesses to the point that I am willing to forgive every criticism I have. Is it perfect? No. I don't think so. And I can’t even say that I am now a devoted fan of the series like so many others out there. However, I don’t need to be. It was an enjoyable ride while it lasted despite the fact that I never collected a single dog tag, nor do I ever plan to replay the game on a harder difficulty level. It turns out you don’t have to be a fanatic of the series to have a good time with it. So, if you’re on the fence, hell, give it a shot. Go pick up a copy, it’s only 20 bucks. I’m glad that I did. 
