After the embarrassingly awful "Sons Of Liberty", I was greatly welcoming the chance to play a prequel. !Snake Eater" is set in the 60's, decades before the events of Shadow Moses Island in the first "Metal Gear Solid", and the subsequent madness of the second game.
We play as Naked Snake, the biological 'father' of Solid Snake, before he earns the respected moniker of Big Boss. Since we know Solid Snake is actually a clone, Naked is essentially the same character as him, at least he appears that way to the player, in looks and voice. In this game we learn much about The Patriots, the elite secret powers that conspire the proxy battles which will inevitably threaten in the future.
Compared to the inane lunacy of "Sons Of Liberty", the plot of Snake Eater is much more of a straight James Bond style espionage yarn in the jungle, with surprisingly deep philosophical questions being posed about loyalty and the painful choices Snake must make between his comrades and his country. Snake's old mentor, The Boss, plays at the heart of this dynamic, who it must be said, is one of the most epic and inspiring characters in video game history, and you'll have to play to see why.
The mechanics are familiar in some areas, but dramatically different in others. Some things work, but a lot of things really don't, namely the whole "jungle survival schtick" which at first seems like a fun novelty, but soon becomes tired and annoying. Snake must hunt for food to replenish himself, perform DIY medical care on his wounds and change his camouflage to adapt to his environment. Whilst hunting for food can sometimes be an enjoyable distraction -a bit like capturing a pokémon- it feels clunky and implausible selecting a different camouflage outfit every time you want to blend into something, as does pausing mid-battle to bandage a cut or splint up a broken arm.
The other huge issue is the camera, which still looks down on Snake from above. Due to the wide open spaces and lack of radar, it is much easier for enemies to spot you, but because of the camera, a lot harder for you to see them. You have to hit triangle for 1st person view and you cannot move around while doing so, which is incredibly frustrating and led to me being seen a lot. Fortunately there is another version of this game that includes a fully controllable camera view, but I have yet to play it.
The other thing that annoyed were the bosses. Kojima can't help but indulge those sillier ideas of his, who else could think to design a guy who summons a nest of hornets to attack you, or a double jointed cross-bow wielder with a reptilian tongue? While the gameplay is a mixed bag, the main story is captivating. Visually it's the best looking game on the PS2 and it has one of the most memorable and emotional final boss fights ever. So, all in all, a definite recommend.
We play as Naked Snake, the biological 'father' of Solid Snake, before he earns the respected moniker of Big Boss. Since we know Solid Snake is actually a clone, Naked is essentially the same character as him, at least he appears that way to the player, in looks and voice. In this game we learn much about The Patriots, the elite secret powers that conspire the proxy battles which will inevitably threaten in the future.
Compared to the inane lunacy of "Sons Of Liberty", the plot of Snake Eater is much more of a straight James Bond style espionage yarn in the jungle, with surprisingly deep philosophical questions being posed about loyalty and the painful choices Snake must make between his comrades and his country. Snake's old mentor, The Boss, plays at the heart of this dynamic, who it must be said, is one of the most epic and inspiring characters in video game history, and you'll have to play to see why.
The mechanics are familiar in some areas, but dramatically different in others. Some things work, but a lot of things really don't, namely the whole "jungle survival schtick" which at first seems like a fun novelty, but soon becomes tired and annoying. Snake must hunt for food to replenish himself, perform DIY medical care on his wounds and change his camouflage to adapt to his environment. Whilst hunting for food can sometimes be an enjoyable distraction -a bit like capturing a pokémon- it feels clunky and implausible selecting a different camouflage outfit every time you want to blend into something, as does pausing mid-battle to bandage a cut or splint up a broken arm.
The other huge issue is the camera, which still looks down on Snake from above. Due to the wide open spaces and lack of radar, it is much easier for enemies to spot you, but because of the camera, a lot harder for you to see them. You have to hit triangle for 1st person view and you cannot move around while doing so, which is incredibly frustrating and led to me being seen a lot. Fortunately there is another version of this game that includes a fully controllable camera view, but I have yet to play it.
The other thing that annoyed were the bosses. Kojima can't help but indulge those sillier ideas of his, who else could think to design a guy who summons a nest of hornets to attack you, or a double jointed cross-bow wielder with a reptilian tongue? While the gameplay is a mixed bag, the main story is captivating. Visually it's the best looking game on the PS2 and it has one of the most memorable and emotional final boss fights ever. So, all in all, a definite recommend.