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Sunday, June 19, 2005
Don't mess with my snake. | I finally had the opportunity to play Metal Gear Solid 3. My brother borrowed it from one of his friends, so I've been able to sit with it for a little while. I'll try not to provide spoilers, but I will say that I just defeated The End, so that'll give you an idea of where I'm up to.
It's interesting to play this game and to look back on my memories of the overall series. Metal Gear Solid was an amazing game - one of my favourite PlayStation games - and it still holds up pretty well today.
Metal Gear Solid 2 was very controversial and to be honest, I only played the first half (Big Shell). Basically, I lost interest. For me, the biggest problem was that it was starting to be more of a movie than a game. I was tired of being interrupted by the CODEC so frequently - I just wanted to play the actual game. This was particularly a problem during the beginning and it did get a little better. But still, the interruptions were too frequent for my taste. The overall game was good - the actual gameplay was pretty good - but somehow it felt a little stale in general.
I'd heard great things about Metal Gear Solid 3 so I was eager to try it out for myself. And I have to say, it's by far my favourite game in the series already. The gameplay seems to be the most refined and it adds some significantly new elements to the table. Eating animals seemed like an odd idea when I read about it, but in practice it works brilliantly (mostly because it's not a chore, I think). And the whole forest-based gameplay is wonderful. It's truly great fun to sneak around through the grass among your enemies and try not to be caught.
I didn't think I'd like the omission of the radar (a friend of mine really disliked the game for that reason), but I must admit, I'm really pleased with the result. No, there's no radar (although there are alternatives), but I think this game is more fun without it. Rather than simply looking at dots on the screen, you're really forced to pay close attention to your surroundings. I love the fact that I have to be aware of movement and sound around me. It feels very authentic and immersive. Despite the length of the fight against The End, I have to say...it really exemplifies the fun of the game's forest-based stealth. Having a mix of outdoor and indoor environments is also great for variety.
My only complaint? Well, given what I've said it's probably predictable. I don't mind the story or anything - even though it really doesn't keep me on the edge of my seat. What annoys me most is the length of the video sequences. It seems almost like there are as many cutscenes as actual gameplay. Although I did watch all of the sequences, I often felt myself wanting to skip them. A lot of it just seemed unnecessary.
My feeling is that there must be a better way to convey the story without so frequently breaking from the action. Although it's not quite the same, Half-Life's technique is great - where the story unfolds as you actually play.
It may not be the best solution for Metal Gear Solid 3, but still, I'd be quite happy if the game's cutscenes were only half as numerous as they are now. If that happened, I'd be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with the game. For what it sets out to achieve...it succeeds in pretty much every respect. The mechanics could probably be improved in a few minor ways, but generally speaking I think everything comes together very effectively.
So if you didn't enjoy MGS2 so much and you've avoided MGS3...I can only say that you're really missing out. This game totally erases any problems that the second one had and it simultaneously adds a lot of cool new elements to the series. It makes me all the more interested in following the progress of Metal Gear Solid 4 on PlayStation 3.
Mimmi: I thought you'd like the suggestion. ~_^
Harlequin: You lost me there...
SunfallE: Yeah, I think it all comes down to the situation, eh?
elfpirate: I sort of agree with you, but I think that gender equality isn't about 100% equality no matter what. I think it's about offering women the same opportunities as men - and treating them the same way intellectually - but also acknowledging that the two genders are still different. I mean, physical strength is (generally) one area where the two are different. I think a woman can still be equal to a man without necessarily being "the same".
Shin-kun: Oh I'm sure there are British surfer champions. Er...right? Surely at least one of Britain's beaches must be viable for swimming...
Tonykins: Holy crap, it's amazing you just said that. That colour scheme is exactly what I was planning for my room. Red walls (maybe three red, one white), a black wooden frame for my bed, black and white pillows, etc. It would be nice to just give someone the keys and let them go crazy on my room, I would love to see the results.
John: Yeah that's a good point. Perhaps we can take a Californian or an Australian and force them to speak in a British accent? ^_^;
Asuki-chan: There's a time and place for everything, my dear. ~_^
Aaryanna: It's a funky quiz, no? I don't think I've seen your name on myOtaku before - thanks for commenting!
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