Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D Review

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It’s been 8 years since Metal Gear Solid has come out for a main Nintendo console, and 12 years since it has come out for a Nintendo handheld. With the introduction of the 3DS, Solid Snake is looking to infiltrate the system with Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D.  Those who have played Snake Eater before may find it hard to justify buying it again for the 3DS, especially since the HD Collection recently came to consoles (it’s also hitting PlayStation Vita soon). For those who have never played it before or are looking forward to playing it again on a handheld, Konami has made sure to faithfully recreate Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater for the 3DS. Visual and controls improvements make Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D a game you’ll want to keep in your 3DS.

The Story- The story follows the aftermath of the Second World War, in which the world was torn in two between the East and the West. After the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US government was to send a Soviet scientist named Nokolai Sokolov back to the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, they did not realize that Sokolov was designing a nightmarish weapon, and now the Soviets are to complete its development. Realizing the urgency, the CIA dispatches the covert FOX unit to recover Sokolov. They bring in a lone soldier, code-named Naked Snake.

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Title: Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
Genre: Stealth Action
Developer: Kojima Productions
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Price: $39.99
ESRB: Mature
Release Date: 2/21/12[/toggle_box]

PRAISE:

• No Corners Cut- With many console games that get ported to handhelds, many features are cut or reduced so the game is playable. Thankfully Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D is fully featured and is still as enjoyable as the console version. Those who only enjoyed Nintendo consoles or never got to experience the original won’t feel like they are missing out.
• Looks Great- The graphics have been updated from the PS2 version and it really shows. I  was able to play the original version, the HD Collection and Snake Eater 3D and the graphics shine in this version. From the opening till the final fight, improved effects and models makes this a great looking game for the 3DS.
• Improved Controls- The controls are great with just the 3DS and even better with the Circle Pad Pro. After playing through the game with both controls, the circle pad pro is not necessary to fully enjoy the game and really only needed if you want to play the game like the original and the HD Collection. Without the CPP, the game plays like peace walker on the  PlayStation Portable. Camera and aiming are mapped to the face buttons and inventory and crouching is mapped to the d-pad. The touch screen helps with inventory as well. Also you can now crouch while walking in the game. It’s an important feature that was sadly missing in the original and HD Collection.
• 3D Effect is Amazing- Many 3DS games have tacked on 3D effects that make you glad that there is a slider on the 3DS. Thankfully the 3D is put to very good use here. The 3D creates depth and in some cases helps with sneaking around in the jungle. Weather effects are beautiful thanks to the 3D and a few scenes use it to greatly intensify the action.
• Camera-Flage- Using the camera on the 3DS, you can take pictures of items and use it as camouflage for Snake. It’s an awesome feature and I was able to make pizza, donut, giraffe, and rainbow camouflage before I noticed that hiding in the grass with those colors was far from ideal. It’s a feature that I hope other games on the 3DS will be able to utilize in the future.
• Replayability- There are many different strategies that you can use and you’ll want to play the game again just to see how events play out differently.  The hidden extras that Kojima puts in to his games will make you come back for more.
• Where’s Yoshi?- A cool feature in the game is  finding little Yoshis hidden in the jungle. Its a nice little distraction from killing soldiers and gives players an extra challenge. There are 64 Yoshis, can you catch them all?
• Still a Great Story After 8 years-  Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater is a prequel to the Metal Gear Solid universe and introduces great and likable main characters. An involving story line keeps players interested and villains have unique fights and even more unique features and personality. After playing the game 5 times (twice for the original, once for the HD Collection and twice for the 3DS version), the story has not lost its touch and will intrigue an older generation of gamers and the newer generation. The Voice acting is wonderfully done and I would love if a movie was made for the Metal Gear Solid universe.

AWKWARD SILENCE:

• Please Stop Talking, I get It- Though the narrative is interesting and involving, it can get a little long in some places. Most conversations take place in a Codec radio and those conversations can get really long. There are points where you will want to just press skip so you can get back to the action.
• Cut scenes Can Get Long- When I can cook food, take out the trash, check my messages and go to the bathroom and a cut scene is still playing, that’s when you know a cut scene is really long. They’re cool and flesh out the story very well, but it can take a while to get to the point.
• Gyroscope Controls- There are sections where you have to balance the 3DS in order to stay on a bridge, log or a ledge. It feels tacked on and in some ways destroys the immersion that the game creates.

WELL-DESERVED CRITICISMS:

• Framerate Issues- Sadly just like the original, there are places where the frame rate can slow down and affect some of the actions that you are trying to perform. There’s nothing worse than trying to escape from some soldiers, and then have the game slow down and ruin the sense of urgency that the event is creating.
• Camera Can Be Problematic- There are times where if the enemy is alarmed and you need to hide or fight them, the camera goes crazy and it’s hard to aim your weapon, or use close quarters combat and adjust the camera so you’re in a good hiding place. This gets annoying in action heavy scenarios, here it’s essential to have precision when aiming and when you need to be aware of your surroundings.

CONCLUSION:

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D is a wonderfully crafted game that has a great story, unique features and addicting game play. There are a few things that drag the game down and you will need patience for some of the story elements and extensive cut scenes, but stick with it and you’ll find it to be one of the best 3DS games available.

[box_light]We believe that the score is the least important part of a review. It’s tough trying to assign a numerical value to an experience. Furthermore, is there really a difference between a 7.5 and an 8? Gamers place too much importance on arbitrary numbers. This is why our scores are hidden by default. Only look at them if you absolutely need a number between 1-10 to see if a game is worth your time. You can read our review guidelines here.[/box_light]

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Gameplay: 8
Story: 9
Graphics: 9
Sound: 8
Replay Value: 8
Overall: 8.5

Superb – Better than great–this game’s quality deserves praise. We highly recommend purchasing it. [/toggle_box]

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