In preparation for the release of the latest Metal Gear game, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, the Padinga staff share their favorite memories and moments of the Metal Gear series. Check back daily as we work our way through this classic series and towards the release of its newest entry.
Retrospective: METAL GEAR SOLID 3: Snake Eater / Subsistence
Platform: Sony Playstation 2
After the events of Metal Gear Solid 2, gamers were both eager and anxious about the next entry in the series. Would the game continue the story of unstoppable hero Solid Snake, or would gamers be forced to suffer through the merry adventures of Jack (Raiden) and Rose (and yes, those names are a reference to James Cameron’s Titanic) arguing the whole game? As if to further torture his audience, Kojima and company announced that Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater would not be a direct sequel but rather a prequel. Before anyone could become distressed, it was also revealed that the game would tell the story of Big Boss, Snake’s enigmatic mentor who was the *gasp* antagonist of Snake’s first adventure on the NES / MSX. The promise of more backstory for one of the more illusive characters in the series, as well as the new jungle location and game play changes, instantly started to heal the wounds of being forced to spend several hours on the Codec with Rose.
ERIC:
I’m just going to go full disclosure right off the bat: Metal Gear Solid 3 is my favorite game in the series. The plot is perfect: complex, but not needlessly so like in MGS 2 (which starts to go downhill when Vamp suddenly spouts crap about a bomb that was never mentioned), the characters even more so. Big Boss (operating under the Snake name) is a much stronger character than Solid Snake, his story tragic and compelling. Then there are the Cobras, who make up for the mixed bag that was Dead Cell. Most importantly, The Boss, Colonel Volgin, and a young Revolver Ocelot round out the collection of characters magnificiently, with The Boss stealing the show.
While the fan favorite moment of the game would certainly be the final showdown between Snake and The Boss, my personal favorite would be the sidecar chase. Watching Snake and Eva attempt to escape the fury of the Shagohod is exhilirating. It is one of the few moments in the Metal Gear series where the cinematic excitement is actually playable, effortlessly swapping between the player’s targeting to well chosen camera angles that accent the action.
