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Wow. The best game in the series, and a great game besides.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: July 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Metal Gear Solid 3 is the 5th game in the official Metal Gear canon , and is by far the best of them all.

This is a prequel to the series, set in 1964 and sets up a lot of the history behind the game (Big Boss's origin, formation of FOXHOUND, and why Revolver Ocelet got the name Revolver).

First off, the game is graphically beautiful. I didn't think that PS2 graphics could get much better than MGS2, but this game surpasses that by a noticeable amount. The sound is equally impressive, and the voice acting is, as usual, quite good.

The gameplay much more difficult this time through though. There's no soliton radar. No more warning when enemies are coming around the corner, from the side, etc . There are some other tools you can use, but they aren't as good, and use battery power (a limited resource that recharges when not in use). As you probably already know, camoflague is a big part of this game, but you're not the only one who uses it; your enemies are camoflagued and difficult to spot sometimes too.

This took a bit of getting used to, but adds to the feeling of the game; being cautious and stealthful instead of running full tilt until you see an enemy on the radar like in previous games.

The story, the best part of the Metal Gear series, is superb here. MGS2 got a little cheesy at the end, but this story works great. The pacing, the emotions, and almost all of the characters are done perfectly. The Cobra unit is a little over the top (though I did like The End), and Volgin borders on cartoonishly villainous, but everyone else turns out a superb performance (especially The Boss).

There were a few obnoxious parts in the game that kept the "fun" down to 4 stars (like automatic alarms when a scientist realizes you're there even though enemy soldiers have to call it over the radio first), but overall this game hits 5 stars easily.
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THE EXTRAS

This game comes loaded with extras that are suprisingly worthwhile. It comes with the first 2 games in the series (not the Metal Gear Solid titles, but the originals for the MSX). Both games are worth playing (as long as you can get past the graphics).

In addition, it comes with Snake vs Monkey, a fun and humerous side game where you have to hunt monkeys in the jungle.

I think my favorite was the secret Demo theater, which is a bunch of "outtakes" from the game with hilarious consequences (mostly Snake getting blown up, shot, or run over).

All in all, this has been probably the best PS2 game I've ever played, and definitely one of the best video games I've played ever.

EPIC!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: March 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is one of the greatest video game titles of all time. This is only one person's point of view, but the only games that are on par with the production values of this title are GTA: San Andreas, God of War, and Ninja Gaiden Black for the XBOX.

I played the orginal Snake Eater before this and was torn between both loving and hating the game and for only one reason: The adjustable 3rd person camera, or lack there of, was a horror that ruined the experience. Subsistence now brings the 3rd person fully adjustable camera into play, as others have mentioned, and changes gameplay entirely for the extreme better. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory (SC:CT) was an incredible achievement in gameplay and was always one step ahead of Metal Gear for this reason as well as on-line play. Subsistence is now truly the king of stealth in every way possible. That says a lot because SC:CT is pretty awesome in its own right.

Graphics - Simply put: Breathtaking. I was in constant amazement throughout the entire experience. There is also virtually no frame speed loss; even on-line. These graphics are on par with Ninja Gaiden Black on XBOX, maybe even better in some areas. They are certainly comparable to SC:CT on XBOX. Again, that is saying a lot because XBOX is a more powerful platform.

Gameplay/Control- As tight as, if not tighter than, SC:CT. There is a learning curve, but once you are over the curve, the controls fit like a glove. The game is a stealth game, and excels like no other in that genre. If you decide to take on enemies in head-on action sequences, the controls do faulter a little, especially in on-line play. I do agree with some concerns below about on-line. However, utilizing the Scorpion gun with lazer beam bead will help you blast live opponents away. I hardly ever play any on-line games getting my a$$ handed to me by 8 year olds in Halo 2. With Subsistence I didn't have too much trouble being competitive on-line. One thing that SC:CT does have over Subsistence is the ability to save at any point in the game. Subsistence has a weird transition/save point system that is decent, but can not compare to the "save at any point" functionality that SC:CT utilizes.

Sound - Voice-acting was excellent, though cheesy at times. Weapon and environment sounds are life-like.

Story - Again, only from one person's point of view, but to me, God of War had the all time best video game story. Subsistence comes in second. It was a great story with excellent visuals for cut-scenes. Some of it is a little cheesy, but the twists and turns learned at the end of the game were clever.

Extras: The Dual Mode, Theater Mode, Secret Theater, Snake vs. Monkey, On-Line, and original MG1 & 2 games justifies this title being one of the greatest of all time.

One of the best games EVER!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: March 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Metal Gear Solid is my favorite video game saga so I might give the game a little bit more credit than others. But even if you are not a very big MGS fan you will find this game to be amazing. To me, and to MANY other, this is one of the best games ever. I can't even describe how great this game is. I'll make the review short and sweet.

Graphics- 10 out of 10(this game definitely pushes the PS2 to
its limits)
Gameplay- 9.9 out of 10(there might be one or two places where
you get stuck and get very angry.)
Story- 10 out of 10(MGS has THE best storyline in the
history of video games)
Sound- 10 out of 10(very clear and THE best video game
soundtrack)
Online- 9.9 out of 10(would be better if there were more
people)

I don't know what else there is. Overall 10 out of 10.
I definitely recommend Metal Gear Solid, and Metal Gear Solid 2:Sons of Liberty if you play this game.

I saw that someone earlier wrote in their review that this game has a bad saving system unlike Splinter Cell where you can save anywhere, anytime. That is UNTRUE. In MGS you can, and always have been able to, save at any point in the game. All you have to do is press SELECT to bring up the radio, press down on the d-pad to open the memory, and choose SAVE. You will call Para-medic(a character in the game) and she will ask you if you want to save). You can bring the radio up anytime in the game, which lets you also save at any time in the game.

It's worth a purchase if you've never played MGS3 or are a die-hard fan.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: March 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

If you missed out on the excellent MGS3 when it was first released, then here's your next chance to give the game a go-through. At only $30, this game is a deal.

The main new features Subsistence has are a new 3rd-person camera which is completely controllable with the right joystick, some added Snake Vs. Monkey missions, MSX ports of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2, and an online mode.

At first I found what was included as new material to be lacking, but then I realized its price tag justifies how little there is for returning MGS fans. I say there's little for returning MGS fans because much of the new material is simply rehashing of old material. For example, there's a theatre where you can see all the cinematics from the game. As a MGS fan who's already played the game, I've already seen this. Or take another mode, where you can battle all the bosses at a whim. I've battled all of them before.

If anything, I think it's worth the purchase just for the MG and MG2 ports from the MSX system, and to a lesser extent for the online mode.

The online mode, though, just doesn't work too well. MGS's gameplay is meant for one player. In the 1-player experience, guards don't go after you even if you're hidden (unless you make yourself noticed) and nor do they come running out of nowhere. In most of the online modes of Subsistence, though, this isn't the case, obviously.

My main complaint is that the overhead view that's a staple of the MGS series just doesn't allow you to aim very well whatsoever. Yes, there is the new 3rd-person controllable camera, as well as the first person view, but these are unwieldy to use in the middle of battle. Usually by the time you switch to first person by pressing the R1 button and attempt to aim you're dead. I suppose all that's needed is to get used to the overhead, now 3rd person controlled perspective, but it's just not as natural as aiming on a first person shooter.

The mode that's closest to the actual 1-player experience - the sneaking mission - where one character is Snake and the rest are enemy guards - is the most effective of the multiplayer modes. In this mode, the person playing Snake tries to find the microfilm and return it to his base while the guards try to stop him. Here the gameplay holds up better because it's used for what it's suited for. In contrast, a mode like Team Deathmatch just isn't suited for MGS's gameplay mechanics.

The MSX ports of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 are a great thing for fans of the series, and are great games in their own right. I'm sure many gamers from the NES days will recall playing MG on it. Well, this port is from the MSX (a computer system that Hideo Kojima published the two MGs on), and it's different than the MG for NES in a good way. The NES port had translation issues, as well as they changed some other things. But here we're given Hideo Kojima's full vision of MG and MG 2.

I haven't played MG 2 ever, but here in the US it was apparently released as MG 2: Snake's Revenge, and Hideo Kojima wasn't involved with it whatsoever from what I recall. So here we're given MG 2, as Hideo envisioned it, which is a great thing. The game was never formally released here in the US (we just got the aforementioned Snake's Revenge), so it's a great thing to have on Subsistence.

If you've never played MGS3: Snake Eater, then that's the biggest reason to purchase this game. For 30 bucks, you're getting it cheaper than when it was first released (it was $50), plus you're getting some great special features. Just playing through MGS3: Snake Eater alone is well worth $30.

If you're a casual fan of the series, I'm not sure if MGS3: Subsistence is worth running out to get, unless you know if the online mode is something you'd enjoy. Because that's about all that makes it worth getting to a casual fan. That and the ports of MG and MG 2. As I've said, the online mode isn't all it's cracked up to be (but that's just my take on it - perhaps you'd enjoy it more, for all I know). As a die-hard fan, though: definitely get it.

Subsistence was also released in a Limited Edition, which cost $40 ($10 more than the regular version). The only difference was that it came with a 3rd disc which contained a MGS3 movie presntation using the game's cutscenes and codec conversations. It isn't a big deal, but as a die-hard fan perhaps you want to get your mitts on it. It can't be found anywhere except ebay anymore, however, and it's of course going for ludicrous prices.

If you pre-ordered early enough, you also got a special DVD called Metal Gear Saga Vol. 1. This isn't too big of a deal to miss out on, either, so I wouldn't get in a twist over it. It's a nice addition, though. It goes over the MG and MGS storyline, from the beginning (MGS 3) to the end (MGS 2). Hideo Kojima is interviewed, and says some interesting things about each game. Again, not too big of a deal to miss out on.

I give this game three stars as a die-hard fan. If I weren't a die-hard fan, and I'd have just picked this game up and played it for the very first time, I would give it 5 stars.

As it stands, as a die-hard fan, I don't think it has enough extra features to justify more than 3 stars from me (maybe three and a half if I could go with that). Yes, its price makes up for this, but I was definitely at least somewhat disappointed with the lack of extras.

Evolution

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: March 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The jungle has reopened with a lot more than enough to go 'round
Pros:
-Excellent graphics
-Well done voice acting(Tho some of it is clieche'd/cheesey)
-Great backround music(Even the James Bondish theme song has grown on me)
-the 3rd person camera is freakin' sweet!!(No more looking around in 1st person to find out where enemies are)
-fantastic sound effects
-A very destructive aresonal(along with the shotgun, the AK, and the gun that never runs out of ammo, the patriot!)
-One of the, if not the best plot in videogames(Plot twists hit you up, down, left right, sideways, diagnal, reverse, aw u get it! It's seriously much better than sitting through a class to find out about the cuban missle chrisist)
-I never liked hunting for food........till now
-A lot more camoflauge offered than before
-Pretty realistic(Keeping a eye on everything: Health, Stamina, poison, cuts, and you gotta aim manually to get a good shot, unless you have the scorpion sub-machine gun(Laser sight, and the M-60 machine gun(Too big to aim through)
-Man Ocelot is so bad, he makes his crew look like natural born killers(Seriously, when I ofught him, his troops gave me more of a problem than he did)
-Awwwww... Eva! When Snake is ever hurt, all he needs is some sexual healing(*Sigh* if only that really happened)
-Weird but excellent boss fights, like the old man with the baseball sized eyeballs.(But he can be iced early, just watch out for his wheelchair after assasination)
-Online is the shrimp in the rice. You can team up with people with team death match, captue, and rescue missions, or just flat out kill everyone in deathmatch mode.(And you can be a couple of rumble roses chicks, but ya gotta spend over 50 hours online, something I'm far from doing)
-More snake V.S. Monkey missions(I usally don't play em' much, but yea.)
-The limited edition version comes with a DVD which splices all the cutseenes together and makes it a 3 hour 55 movie, and has a trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4(Altho if you have a limited edition version, it's best not to open them, if you know what I mean)
-No Radien, despite Snake is sometimes called Jack, which was Radien's name(I still don't get what was up with that?)
-Also included are the sequals, or rather the 2 games that came after this, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2:Solid Snake(The 2 japanese versions that didn't come out in america; well the second anyway.)
-One of the best endings I've ever seen(Man, Kojima is just a genious. A prequal yet can beat out his earlier versions in endings)
The greatest prequal ever made, with the plot surpassing it's predissecors
The best Metal Gear Solid experience you can find when it comes to plot, no doubt, and if you have yet to play Snake Eater, don't start there, start here.
Cons:
-What is this game famus for? hmmmmmm, oh LONG CUTSEENES AND CALLS(I doubt that will ever change)
-No Radar, which makes it harder to know where the enemies are, and which way they are looking(Altho it's less of a problem with the 3rd person camera, it's still a problem)
-Even with camo, I get seen as if I were a shadow in broad daylight when I'm standing(Crawling takes a while, but it pays off with a stealth kill, but still)
-Keeping an eye on everything can get repetitive(Like after I healed a gunshot, some butt-monkey shot me with a poison needle)
-Traps are usally hard too see(Like getting stuck with arrows, walking into mines, ect. unless you got thermal goggles)
How could Snake not like James Bond flicks!?(After I saved it once, he talked crap about Bond, and in the 60s Sean Conery was Bond, the BEST BOND. I'd understand if it was Roger Moore, the major had every right to say something back at him)
-Is Volgin gay?(It's just that in a sertain seene he seemed that way)

Metal Gear Solid 3 is back, and back in a bigger, revamped way. Metal Gear solid 3 substance, is definitly better than MGS VR missions, and MGS2: substance by far. If any game developer is planning to make a game they made much more improved, they should check out how better this game is from the regular MGS3. This game is definitly recomended for those who love the MGS series, and those who love stealth games. Even if you have the regular MGS3, grab this, and if you never played MGS3 grab this. If you wanna be in a videogame where survival is not in a horror game, check this out. If you have a PS2 and don't have this game, someone should serve you up with a facial slap.

PS.oh yea... Does the name Saladin ring a bell?

peace

Awe-Inspiring

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: July 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

-After playing this game, I can truley say that I have played the best game ever. I might have even cried at the end because it was that good. If there were any flaws in this game, the Pro's easily made them not noticed.

-This game has more features than you can shake a stick at! Along with the addition of the 3rd-Person view (Along with the original top down, for die-hard MGS fans) this game has a WHOLE other disc with actual things you might actually watch/play! Now not many games that come with the "Special Features" actually come with anything worth looking into. This game brings an Online Mode. Sure it isnt Socom but its fun to play since its almost non stop. Also it comes with the Duel Mode, which allows you to face any boss in the game with Normal conditions, or Special [Basically hard or easy].

ALSO, it comes with Snake vs Monkey, the Ape Escape gone MGS. Its actually quiet fun since the monkeys act the same as in Ape Escape

other things that come on the disc
-Metal Gear Solid [MSX version]
-Metal Gear Solid 2[MSX version]
-Secret Theater [Parodys of the game, recommended Metal Gear Sigint, Metal Gear Raiden:Snake Eraser]

Ok, so i think i made my point on the extras, now onto the Con's

The ONE problem i had with the game, is *POSSIBLE SPOILERS* in the final boss battle with The End, it goes to the normal view [From other Metal Gear Solid games]. Now im guessing its because the PS2 isnt cappable of rendering all of the foliage and trees and such that that scene offers, because even in the regular camera mode it had some lag problems*END SPOILERS*

Also some of the dialouge is somewhat cheesy, but what game doesnt have cheesy lines.

To Summarize, Go buy this. Even if you dont like Metal Gear, then watch the videos [You can watch every cut scene in the game, in order non stop, no matter how far you are in the game].

So go...now

Metal Gear Solid 3 Better Than Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: March 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Metal Gear Solid 3 is without a doubt one of the best Playstation 2 games out there. It's humorous, thought provoking and wonderfully scripted, and tells a fantastic story. However, it wasn't complete. At least it didn't feel complete. Well, Subsitence completes Metal Gear Solid 3. There's so much new material that even those who own the original Metal Gear Solid 3 will love this.

Since the game is basically a special edition, I think you might want to know more about what's new rather than me rehashing out the storyline. New and old fans alike will enjoy Subsistence, and here's why:

For starters, the camera has been reworked. In the original Metal Gear Solid 3, the camera was daunting. Making it easy to get spotted by guards while they were off screen (or you just didn't know they were there). It's easier to work with this new camera. If you miss the original one that much you can always switch back to it. But I think you'll find this camera does a better job of keeping things in perspective. It also makes some, already epic, boss battles even better.

There are more Snakes vs. Monkey levels. If you need a break from the game, this is a rather relaxing mini-game to play. Now instead of five levels we've got more.

Without a doubt, the best new feature in Subsistence is the ability to play online. In the original Metal Gear Solid 3 the only thing you could do online was download extra camouflages. Here, there's so much more. There are five different online modes.

Sneaking mode is where Snake must go in and find a microfilm and sneak it to the exit point. "Capture the frog" is a mode where both teams try hard to protect the frog in their base (the same basic thing as "Capture the Flag"). There's also a rescue mode where a team will help guide... a rubby ducky to safety. This is the only mode where you don't get infinite lives. Then, of course, there is the team deathmatch mode and the regular deathmatch mode. Both of which we know everything about. Still, taking Metal Gear Solid online was perfect. And it's surprisingly addictive and fun. Up to eight players can play, and after that... just watch the time fly by.

The game also introduces a duel mode. You can rush through all of the bosses in MGS3 without having to play the story. The game keeps score for you, and depending on how well you do you might get a camo. It's fun, fast-paced, and once again... works out very well.

If you enjoyed the story to MGS3, you can watch the demo theater and see each and every cutscene and watch the story unfold. It's nice if you want to watch a movie. And since MGS3 has a pretty good story, you might find yourself sitting down and watching it. This means feel free to skip everything int he main game.

Another great feature is in this package Konami included Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. You want to see how far the series has come? This is the best way to do it. These games are NOT easy, though. But it's great to see just how far the series has come since the days on the original NES. This is another treat that makes it worthwhile to those who have the original.

These are the new features in Subsistence, and they're pretty good features. Unfortunately, the problems with the original MGS3 (slow story, long drawn out cutscenes, etc.) still exists. But that's still no problem. You can easily skip through all this. It's also disappointing that you can't use your original save files from the original Snake Eater. Again, something I'm sure you'll quickly overcome.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is worth it. It works well to improve a few daunting things. Better yet, it still keeps the gameplay that made it fun in-tact. The new features are incredible, and any gamer new or old to the series will absolutely love this game!

One of the Best games I have played in a long time.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: April 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Here is my review of one of the greatest games out there.

Graphics 10/10 truly amazing
Sound 10/10
Camera 9.5/10 the new camera is awesome, but takes a little getting use to
Online 10/10 next to socom one of the greatest online games around

Overall 10/10 Get this game now!

If you own a PS2, this is a must have!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I don't like very long reviews so I am going to make this as short and as helpful as I can. (just for the record I am a long time gamer, tester and even a game maker of sorts)

Lets get to the facts:

- The Metal Gear franchise (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake eater) as of now have sold more than 11 million copies world wide and that is for the PS2 alone.

- Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence is an improved version of Snake Eater, with more content, game play elements, camera options and extras.

Now lets get into the game:

Some of the bigger Pros:

-Graphics and sound that make the PS2 feel and look like a next gen console.

-An impressive and compelling story with a surprising plot that in my words can only be described as 3 seasons of 24 and lost put together. (yes, it's got its fair share of sci fi elements).

-I would call it open ended/free roaming, since the story is quite linear but you get to go wherever you want and whenever you want, you can approach every mission the way you want.

-The prequel of one of the most, if not the most anticipated game for the PS3, and I am talking about Metal Gear 4: guns of the patriots.

-Good controls for the ever limited console controllers and a better free view camera, it takes time to get used to it but once you get it nothing will stop the fun.

-Great variety of bosses which require different strategies and weapons to be defeated.

-Great amount of weapons, outfits and cammo options for added stealth.

-Very useful radio options to contact your fellow comrades for info, help, directions or guidance if you don't know what to do next.

Now with the cons, well not really cons but observations:

-The game can be very very difficult at higher difficulties; if you don't set the game in the right difficulty for you it can be very frustrating.

-The game might feel like an interactive movie for some people because of the large and frequent amount of cinematic cut scenes, I am ok with that but some people are not.

-I personally could do without the sci fi elements such as the bosses with supernatural powers, especially since the game does so well melting the story with "real world" events.

Being a very active gamer and having played most of the games on the different consoles and the pc, I can only recommend this game as it sits on top of my "must have" list with only a few other truly memorable games.

PS: this is my first review, but this game totally deserves it.

Great Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: April 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is one of the best games I have ever played. I all the other MG and MGS games, minus Twin Snakes. This game is Snake Eater but improved. The new 3rd person camera look gives you a better look at the screen and a better chance at stealth. Other than that the core game is the same. Then you get the original MSX MG and MG2 Solid Snake games that have never before been released in the USA. Along with that you can rewatch all of your favorite sceens from the game, and new hilarious Special Theatre videos. The duel modes are excellent if you love fighting the bosses over and over again. Next, is the online game. It is extremely fun. You fight real people instead of the artificial intelligence and you never know when you are going to get killed. This game is a must have for anyone who loves stealth games or MGS.

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