As sad as it may seem, the Metal Gear Solid franchise is coming to a close. The third and final entry to the series, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, will be hitting store shelves this November.
The Metal Gear Solid franchise has evolved by taking the game play from its predecessor and adding to it. Just as MGS2 added in things such as hiding in lockers, dragging dead enemy soldiers, and first person shooting, Snake Eater adds in a bevy of new features. Out of them, the most interesting ones are probably the new camouflage system, hunting, and the close quarter combat techniques.
MGS3 takes place sometime in the 1960s. The US government sends Snake behind enemy lines in Russia in order to free a captured scientist who is developing a nuclear weapon of unbelievable power. It has not been confirmed yet who Snake actually is: whether he is somehow Solid Snake, Big Boss, or someone entirely new yet is not known yet. The player will most likely uncover the story piece by piece as the game progresses. Most of MGS3 seems to take place in forests and jungles, as the player sneaks around, dispatches guards, and eats snakes.
That’s right, I said eat snakes. MGS3 employs a brand new way of regaining health and staying alive in general. As players play through the game, they will begin to get weary and tired. Without proper nourishment, these afflictions will begin to affect them in different ways. For example, guards will hear Snake’s stomach rumbling if he hasn’t eaten for a while. Eating also helps Snake heal more quickly, steady his hand while aiming, and keep his strength up in general.
The game includes many different types of food for you to hunt and eat including snakes, insects, and various types of fruit. All food must be actively hunted in order to obtain. Fruit must be cut down from trees, and animals must be shot or knifed. To further the hunting system even more, Konami has added two different ways to hunt animals. You can either shoot them outright with a bullet for a straight kill, or instead shoot them with tranquilizing darts to put them to sleep and keep for later. Animals who are killed should be eaten quickly or they will spoil, tranquilized animals, however, will be able to be saved until needed later. You are also able to use food as bait to trick your enemies; Snake can place spoiled food on the floor and trick guards into eating it and becoming sick.
Snake Eater features a brand new way of staying concealed from your enemies. Besides the classic method of ducking behind corners and staying behind walls, you will also be able to change your outfit and makeup to try and camouflage yourself to match your surroundings. The game features the Camo Index that shows what percentage you are hidden to your enemies. The percentage changes in real time and everything from the clothes you are wearing to how fast you are moving is reflected in the Camo Index. Snake has also picked up a few new moves in order to take advantage of this new ability. The stalk move allows Snake to slowly follow his opponents without being heard in order to dispatch of them.
Besides the usual blasting of guns and grenades, Snake has also acquired up a slew of close range moves. In the past Metal Gear Solid games, Snake’s hand-to-hand fighting moves have been limited to a few punches and a kick. Now he has tons more moves thanks to the close quarters combat (CQC) system. By holding down the CQC button, Snake will wrestle with his opponent and eventually end up behind him, where he can do things such as slit his throat, break his neck, or place his knife up against him and interrogate for information. Snake is also able to use his victim as a human shield and can shoot from first person while holding someone.
The wait is nearly over, as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ships to retailers on November 15th. If you can’t wait that long to get a taste of the sweet MGS action, you can pick up the November issue of OPM, which includes a demo of the game. Be sure to check back with myGamer once the game releases for a full review.