Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater scores 8/10 in the verdict of The Games Market editorial team.
Once Upon a Time
Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater
by Simon Larocca·May 16, 2024
Se penso a Metal Gear Solid, and a long-time player like me cannot help but do so, my mind recalls multiple freeze-frames and background music, echoes of unforgettable gaming sessions almost as much as the characters outlined by Hideo Kojima, father of the franchise and creator of one of the most iconic stories of all time.
Eppure, it’s not Solid Snake nor Revolver Ocelot, the two main antagonists, who make the sensitive chords of memory and emotion vibrate in me, but rather her.
The Boss. Immense character who will be our mentor, adversary and much, much more in what is effectively the prequel to the entire saga.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is in fact a masterpiece and cannot be described otherwise.
Released in 2004 for PlayStation 2, MGS 3 takes us back in time, well before the advent of Foxhound, the ultra-secret organization to which the great soldier Solid Snake will belong in the numerous titles released for the MX2 and NES: we will take on the role of a character identical to him, at least in appearance, known during the game by various code names, including Naked Snake.
We are in the roaring Sixties, the Cold War has long since begun between the two blocs par excellence, the West and the East, and in between there are soldiers and heroes, mercenaries and martyrs, cannon fodder exploited by the powers that be, taking advantage of their patriotic and freedom ideals, for which people like The Boss, for example, would do anything.
Our hero Snake is the best student of the Legendary Soldier, and together they created the CQC System, a hand-to-hand engagement method that Solid Snake will perfect in the future: this is just one of the many easter eggs that connect the adventure in question to the later games, in a triumph of revelations and references that will delight those who loved the 1998 game, for example.
Intrigues of political fiction and purely arcade game sections with a nod to the most iconic Japanese anime series of all time are just some aspects of the title in question: the power of the console that succeeded the first PlayStation is truly exploited down to the very last frame, guaranteeing an unmissable cinematic audiovisual experience.
As per tradition, the enemy agents are characterized in exemplary fashion, defining backgrounds that reach very high lyrical heights when it comes to shaking players’ consciences; moreover, the ideas devised by Kojima to face them are always different and testify to the very high level of game design he brings with him, a baggage full of wonders.
The stealth genre, which with titles such as Tenchu and Clock Tower (to mention two cornerstones set respectively in feudal Japan and psychological horror) had previously explored this gameplay mechanic with good results, finds its ultimate vindication with Kojima's title, redefining its basic aspects and concepts.
La screenplay of Metal Gear Solid 3, exactly like the other titles in the series, is at a very high level: the dialogues are creative and elaborate, the characters speak naturally and according to their characterization they relate to other people consistently: certainly, many of them, Snake included, often come across as over the top, also because the choice to follow an epic narrative line focused on action that is often excessive and tends toward exaggeration, typical of films and anime of the genre, is a constant in Kojima's works and, after all, he is loved for this too.
There is nothing left for you to do but play and start a snake-based diet.
8
Pro
A triumphant return of the saga on PS2, Kojima perhaps at his best!
Intricate and complex plot, profound and capable of drawing you into the vortex of the story until the final sequence
Stealth taken to the nth degree, interactions with the surrounding environment that affect the main character, and a lot of exceptional ideas
The Boss. Alone, she could carry the entire game plot on her shoulders. The final duel with her is legendary
Contro
There are no substantial flaws in this title. The only “con” would be not owning it
My name is Simon Larocca, and I am a gamer, collector, and lover of pop culture in all its forms. I go to the cinema whenever I can, I have been reading since I started wearing glasses, so, basically forever, and I have a passion for storytelling in all its forms, so powerful that it became my profession. But as Doc from Ritorno al Futuro would say, there would be no present if one did not look at the past with respect and admiration, and it is the Simon child of more than thirty years ago, give or take a year, who is to thank for that.
Simon Larocca
My name is Simon Larocca, and I am a gamer, collector, and lover of pop culture in all its forms. I go to the cinema whenever I can, I have been reading since I started wearing glasses, so, basically forever, and I have a passion for storytelling in all its forms, so powerful that it became my profession. But as Doc from Ritorno al Futuro would say, there would be no present if one did not look at the past with respect and admiration, and it is the Simon child of more than thirty years ago, give or take a year, who is to thank for that.
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