Maybe I'm just a jaded oldschool gamer, but when I see a full-fledged, massive PS2 game ported so faithfully to a portable handheld, as "Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D", I come away impressed if not in awe. In fact, there are enough thoughtful additions and enhancements over the original game to call this more of a remake. Yeah there's a blurry texture here or there, and yeah there are times when I'm ruefully reminded of how inaccessible the Metal Gear Solid games tend to control (this is not a 3DS exclusive problem, trust me) -- there is even some unfortunate slowdown -- but Snake Eater's character driven cutscenes, it's fully realized jungle-sneaking gameplay and it's enthralling "what if" scenario set in real world wartime history hold up extremely well even today. There's a reason why so many MGS fans consider this the pinnacle of Konami/Hideo Kojima's venerable series, and it's not just because it sets up the rest of the entries so well. There are so many memorable scenes and characters; so much quotable quirky humor. So sophisticated is the stealth-espionage gameplay of Snake Eater that it's truly hard to go back and play the previous ones, as they now feel like mere foundational shells upon which this masterpiece was built from: Ironic when you consider that it actually comes before all the rest in the timeline.
Agent Jack, codenamed "Naked Snake" by his fellow CIA "Fox" operatives back in the States, is on a one-man mission in Soviet Russia during the 1960s Cuban Missile Crisis to secure the safety of one Russian weapons scientist and gather info on a dangerous secret weapon being developed there. But what sounds like a straightforward rescue and intel mission at first glance soon turns into a complex moral war of backstabbing double-agents and defective patriotism, and is further complicated by a renegade gang of powerful mercenaries, all vying for that all important upper hand in the Cold War. The game does a fine job of recreating, allegorically, the high stakes tension and distrust the world powers faced at the time, mirrored here through the nervous relationships of the main characters and their hopeless, unrealistic worldly ambitions. All of this tension further feeds into the gameplay itself where Snake must deeply infiltrate the unknown dangers of a foreign land and do so without leaving a trace, or at least, that's the plan.
Like previous entries in the series, Snake is better armed while sneaking around in a cardboard box than by brandishing a gun; more lethal with a well placed trap than an all out assault, and he is more successful nurturing patience over power. And like previous entries in the series, his style is not for everyone. If slowly observing your surroundings and carrying out small methodical maneuvers to bated satisfaction doesn't sound like your idea of fun, then maybe "Metal Gear" just isn't for you. There's an unfriendly pacing to it all, a strong learning curve especially if you're a newcomer. But fans know that it all pays off when you get that grand sense of reassurance that everything you waited for, planned for, worked like clock work in the end. There's no greater feeling of accomplishment in this game than when you: clear a scene without being found, utilize all the tools at your disposal to do so, and come away with new toys, found in the environment, to do it all again better in the next one. "Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater" asks alot from the player, but it also rewards them greatly when they answer the call. It's a far more personal feeling of achievement that a 20 head-shot kill in your standard shooter could ever give, in my opinion, because you actually do feel just like the badass spy you're portraying.
While Snake is more used to the urban and mechanical landscapes from previous outings -- flattening against building walls and shorting out security cameras -- Metal Gear Solid 3 mostly takes place in an organic jungle, and there's a strong emphasis here on survival in it. The change of backdrop not only freshens the locale and visuals, it inherently revitalizes the gameplay. Snake is sent in with very little on person and he must obtain whatever else he needs from his surrounding environment. Whether that be ammo or nourishment, there is a constant threat to Snake's health if the player doesn't carefully monitor his (constantly draining) stamina, keep his weapons loaded and alleviate his injuries from battle. There is an impressive amount of detail put into the jungle itself to make it feel alive. Snakes slither through the grass, birds fly off when you near them (and can give away your position if you're not careful), and frogs and crabs scuttle across the ground. All of this not only adds to the illusion of the jungle but these animals and plants actually feed Snake along the way and can be captured alive with the tranquilizer gun so that they don't rot.
Eat a rotten food item and you may get a stomach ache, (even vomit: which is loud); Take a bullet from a guard's rifle, and you'll need to: dig out the bullet, stitch it up, apply disinfectant and gauze and finally close off the wound from the air with a bandage. If you're poisoned from venom, you'll need the antidote. Medical care is another aspect of the whole survival motif here, and it's this type of deep micro management that adds another layer of strategy to the stealth gameplay. If you're leaving trails of blood everywhere or your stomach is growling when an enemy is near, you're doing it wrong. You would think this would be an annoying aspect to manage every time you're shot, for instance, but because this injury management is so quickly accessed from the touchscreen, it's usually just second nature once the player knows exactly how to treat a given wound and has the resources for it. Okay it's a little annoying after awhile...
Where Snake use to get by crouching behind crates and hanging off of railings, (he can still do this in some areas), he must now utilize the cover of foliage, the depth of water and more importantly, the advent of camouflage. Snake not only has a number of ways to physically hide within a setting, but he now has the opportunity to blend into it. He can change patterned outfits practically on the fly (especially with the added touch screen features of the 3DS), and can paint his face different colors. He can also wear certain disguises or costumes to fit into different situations.
This flexibility in Snake's appearance is also crucial to his success, in that many of Snake's futuristic hand-holding tools from the later games in the timeline are stripped from him here for historical accuracy (no hand radars here for instance), but that only means the player must use what archaic tools they do have in more clever ways, and the camouflages totally open up these possibilities and fits nicely with this new jungle setting. Find yourself stuck in a thicket of tall grass? Switch to a green outfit with a lined pattern... Crawling in the dark? Paint Snake's face black. Or switch to a rain-patterned getup to blend into the bad weather. The Camouflage system is easily one of MGS3's most venerable additions to the series. While it's unfortunate it's effectiveness in a given environment is almost wholly determined by a mere number readout in the upper corner (there are some ridiculous instances where enemies CANNOT spot you if you are at 100% blend no matter if they are right on top of you), it is simply great fun guessing which suits to put on in what environments and realizing you were right.
This customization is further bolstered wonderfully by the 3DS camera enhancements. Using preshot photos from the SD card, a user can upload a part of their image and use it as custom camouflage. You can even pause the gameplay to take a brand new one and use that. And when you acquire the in-game camera, you can actually take pictures of textures from in the game and use those to create new camo. It's certainly a neat addition, and works better than probably expected. There is the occasional result that actually turns out worse than the camo you're already wearing, and far too often the game would read my images as "too green", but I actually did create several good custom camos that gave me 100% blend in certain key areas.
While we're on the subject of 3DS enhancements to this edition, I just want to come out and say that the 3D is well done, but subtle. The visuals, though dated in spots (this is no Revelations), still have a realistic vibe by themselves. But the 3D not only breathes life into the jungle, it gives the gameplay a breath of fresh air. One of my biggest frustrations with the original game was that whenever you snuck into grass sections, you would automatically be put into first person, and it was very hard to view your surroundings in this state (this was before the free form camera of "Subsistence"). It was so hard to determine how much grass was still covering you without moving to separate the blades in your view. While you still are forced into first-person, the grass looks AMAZING in 3D. I can tell exactly how far away I am from that poisonous python shifting around in the distance, and because of this I am much less likely to accidentally stumble onto him, get bitten and alert the guards nearby. You can make out every little blade of grass in the depth spectrum. Very nice indeed.
The addition of 3D not only enhances the overall gameplay but it makes the awesome cutscenes more cinematic than ever. There was clear thought put into how these dramatic scenes would translate to the 3D space, and there are several slick pop-out moments where things are emphasized in front of the view to great effect. It never feels gimmicky, only makes it all the more awesome (and I can't gush enough how well directed the cutscenes and the character voice acting already is. These are simply some of the best in_game cinematics ever to grace the industry, and they do a fantastic job of telling the story).
The only time the 3D feels gimmicky is when it's forced to shut off. There is the unfortunate side effect for instance that whenever Snake aims his weapon in first-person that the game auto-converts back to two dimensions. After some experimentation and research as to why I've come to the conclusion that the player's eyes would tend to uncomfortably cross when trying to aim down a 3D sight while also aiming through a bunch of 3D grass (try it with the scope item, see for yourself). Naturally a person in real life would close their eye in this situation. That said, I don't know why he couldn't at least have maintained 3D aiming outside of grass (I recommend equipping the combat knife if you need to do some first person aiming). You could argue that Snake himself is closing one eye, but that argument falls apart when a later event concerning him entirely negates this idea. It's a minor nit pick but it is definitely distracting when the switch happens.
Other 3DS enhancements run the gamut from helpful -- you can now crouch walk and aim in third person, and yes there is a free camera) -- to the unnecessary -- I find the whole use of the system gyroscope for balancing along tree branches and bridges to be more nauseating than interactive. Too often when climbing trees especially, I would fall off because I didn't have the 3DS in a neutral position to even start the tilting mini game correctly. On one occasion I fell from a tall tree to my death due to this. I find balancing mini games obnoxious anyways, so your mileage may vary.
Other control issues stem from the original games design. For as sophisticated as Metal Gear Solid's gameplay has become, the controls always feel so cramped and confusing -- unfriendly. I know the game is trying to do complex things, and must do complex things to the scheme in order for the player to perform such feats, but I've never played a recent Metal Gear where I didn't accidentally detach from a wall while pressing against it, or accidentally lie down instead of standing up. These issues have plagued the general MGS control scheme for awhile, but it's a little worse here without the analog feedback of a PS2 controller's buttons, for instance because you must now hold down the button in context. Also this is yet another game that is far better played with the Circle Pad Pro attachment, as moving the camera with a second control stick feels so much more natural than tapping face buttons to inch it in the desired direction. The CPP is especially more accurate for aiming weapons, but one could get by using third person aiming without it. It certainly doesn't break the game if you don't have a CPP, but it is highly recommended you acquire one because the game is SO much better with it.
Finally, there must be mention of the great sound design of this game. From the sexy 60s Bond-like title theme to the intense bass-pumping alert phases, MGS soundtrack is highly memorable and effective. Furthermore, the series mainstays of the enemy alert exclamations and the codec bleep all add to the quirky personality that is Metal Gear and enhance the ambiance. Mouses squeak under floor boards, distant doors slide open and close and your motion detector updates regularly with a subtle blip. It all only adds to the tense, awareness-demanding gameplay.
"MGS: Snake Eater 3D" is a very faithful remake of the original, taking the best elements of the console experience and peppering them with a healthy does of handheld charm and unique 3DS functionality and accessiblilty. It should be noted however that just because it's a really good game, doesn't mean it makes for the best portable experience. Save spots are far apart (you can save manually though), and some cutscenes and character chatter often last longer than a standard bus ride for instance (because of this I had to replay a large section of the game again, as I had been putting the game in standby after my commute, and forgot to save manually). It's still probably best played at home, and because of this the HD collection recently released for the home consoles, might be the better choice (and is certainly the better value for your money). However there's nothing else quite like this on the hand held market and certainly not one that makes such good use of the system's 3D, and proves yet again that there is something very special going on with this little handheld now. That said, I still must insist you pick up a Circle Pad Pro attachment with the game. It makes all the difference (just don't go buying it for ripoff prices off Amazon, you can order it directly through Nintendo's support/parts site).
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Customer reviews
Replayability, good storyline, but too short.
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2015
Though it is not the first in the series as far as when made, it is the first in the events of the MG series. This game made me laugh, got me nervous, tested patience, even had me cry at the ending. This is a good game for people to start with if they never played Metal Gear games. This game may be available for other systems, but the 3D feature and being able to play on the go makes Snake Eater 3D my favorite game of all time. You will practice observation, stealth, and within the storyline they do mention dates that actually happened in this world. A genius creation by Konami, but will last a few hours, since the story line is too short but has good replayability. If you have a 3DS and you are considering a new game, please try this amazing game, and you will not regret it!
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2015
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Gotohellcadz
Definitely worth a pickup if you wanted MGS 3 on 3ds however...
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on November 16, 2017
