Review 10 - Patrick Allen - Metal Gear Solid 3
From DIT Experimental Gaming Group
Patrick Allen – Metal Gear Solid 3
Released in 2004 Metal Gear Solid 3 is the fifth game in the Metal Gear series and the third to bear the name Metal Gear Solid. While the first two “Solid” titles take place from 2005 – 2009 the third takes the action back to 196 shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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Gameplay
Like its predecessors MGS 3 is a stealth-action game which encourages the player to avoid conflict and sneak past their enemies. That being said it is pretty flexible in this regard and it's entirely possible, and some might even say easier, to complete the game with a more gung-ho attitude.
This instalment introduced several new elements to the series most notably the stamina, camouflage and injury systems.
The stamina system is used to control the rate at which the player's health regenerates. Over time the player loses stamina at a rate dependent on what is happening in the game ie. whether they are being attacked, running around etc. This lost stamina is replaced by eating food in the form of animals and plants in the environment.
The system is well implemented and surprisingly deep, different foods will replenish varying amounts of stamina. Even then, the amount of stamina is not consistent and can vary over time depending on the player's feeding habits.
The camouflage system as you might expect is used to conceal the player in the game's different environments. You can use different camouflage on your face and body which will effect how well hidden you are on a percentage scale. Where the player is positioned also has an effect as well as their stance.
The system works quite well, the environments don't change too rapidly so changing camouflage is not something you have to do too often. On top of that there are several camouflage types that work well in most areas meaning that those who dislike the system can more or less bypass it. On the other hand the extra depth and strategy that is offered by the system should entice most players.
I feel that while the stamina and camouflage systems were well done the injury system paled in comparison. The idea is that when you are attacked or hurt there is a chance that you will be injured. To treat these injuries you must apply items using a menu. The problem is that often you must use three or four items to heal a single injury. Couple that with the fact that you seem to be injured by every second or third attack and you have a recipe for tedium. I feel it would have been wiser to either streamline the process or else remove the system all together and tweak the stamina system to keep the difficulty relatively unchanged.
Graphics
The graphics in this game can be summed up in one word; stunning. Granted when compared to current gen titles they could be construed as underwhelming the fact is that this game pushed the PS2 to the limit and was certainly one of the system's finest hours from a graphical stand-point. MGS 2 set the bar high despite being released early on in the PS2's life cycle but it would be fair to say that MGS 3 outdoes its prequel in all departments.
Character models have been noticeably improved. This is particularly important in the MGS series as they employ a cinematic style of storytelling but all cutscenes are rendered using the game engine with actors acting out scenes using motion capture.
The most impressive difference is the scope of the game while the previous games were almost entirely set indoors MGS 3 is mainly set in the jungle and mountainous terrain. Each setting teems with life and often the player is greeted with vistas stretching out for many miles before their eyes.
Camera
The camera is one of the most disappointing features of MGS 3 although this was addressed in the expanded version Subsistance. The camera is fixed in a bird's eye view above the player. The actual area around the player that is visible is woefully inadequate. Remember that the point of the game is to try and sneak past your enemies, this is nigh on impossible given that you can see for around fifteen feet in any direction while the computer can see you from maybe twice that. There is a first person perspective but it is impossible to move when using this. It just really feels like a shame that they couldn't have implemented an over the shoulder or otherwise rotatable camera especially given the detail that went into the games visuals.
Conclusion
MGS 3 was one of my favourite games for the PS2. It had a gripping story which was well presented. The gameplay is relatively solid despite a few niggles such as the injury system. All in all it's a good little game and is well worth a play through.
Video
Note - Version shown is MGS 3 Subsistance which has an improved camera.
