Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
(GameCube)
Reviewed By
immaculatewang
Rating: 4.5/5
The Playable Action Movie.
I'm
starting with this particular entry in the series because it's the
freshest in my mind. Keep in mind this is not an original game, but a
remake of Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation, which has been ported
to the Gamecube.
First, a bit of History:
The Metal Gear series debuted in the late eighties on the NES, or, as it's known in Japan, the Famicom. Published by Konami, the game stared Snake, a lone government operative sent to investigate a terrorist faction. This is a key theme in the series, as are:
Giant Robots.
Over the top boss battles.
LOTS of firepower.
Some sort of inter-government conspiracy.
Being sneaky, rather than gunning the opposition down.
Getting Started
The game doesn't really do the greatest job of teaching you the controls; so before you begin serious play, I recommend you both read the booklet and run around the initial area there. There are a couple of guards, so you can practice both your sneaking and shooting. And running.
Learning Curve and Game Play
Pretty easy to pick up, actually. For the most part, the control scheme, while complex, is very intuitive. Although, there's a bit of a snag in moving with your gun aimed when holding up enemies. You'll understand what I mean when you play. In addition, there are different difficulty modes, depending on your familiarity with the game.
The game itself is played from a third-person perspective most of the time, either top-down, or from the side. The camera is fixed for each room, though it will change to accomodate you if you are peeking around walls, hanging from railings, etc. Additionally, you have the option of going into a first person view for the sake of such things as spotting enemies and precision firing. The camera is easily one of the best features of the game. A game with no camera issues is rare.
The plot has you infiltrating a nuclear warhead storage facility off the coast of Alaska. You are inserted through a loading dock, and, as far as gameplay goes, you have a bevy of options to choose from. Instructions and objectives are offered to you through an interface known as your Codec, which is a sort of communication system between you and your superiors. This can be accessed by pressing Start and A together. I recommend pressing Start first, as A will cause you to fire your currently equipped weapon. This can lead to some sticky situations!
The controls are very precise, and as I've stated, intuitive. If you push a direction on the stick, Snake will move that direction. Weapon selection is quick and easy to perform, and there are a load of support items you can use, from Rations to heal with to Thermal Goggles to pick out landmines and infrared beams.
The layout of the game is fairly straight-forward; you move through an area, attempting to avoid all guards an cameras that you see. Both can be disabled, but remember that if you kill a guard, more personnel will be dispatched to look for him. Hide the body well.
This was one of the first successful stealth action games on the market, and part of the reason was simple fun. Sneaking through a heavily patrolled room is very tense, and for the most part, there is no music playing, so that you can hear guards' movements. The Gamecube version was a feeling of nostalgia for me, but in the original, I remember being caught by a guard for the first time and hearing that burst of music that just popped me out of my seat. That tension was prevalent everywhere, from crawling through air ducts to fighting a sniper duel in a blizzard.
Graphics
Hands down, this game is beautiful. The Playstation version was wonderful for it's time, but looks a bit dated compared to its sequel on the PS2, as well as pretty much every other game of modern times. The graphical upgrade the game received in its port to the 'Cube was greatly needed. Facial expressions are crystal clear, individual fingers move...these are things taken for granted in a lot of games these days, but which are obvious improvements in this one. Additionally, the extra processing power provided by the 'Cube allowed Hideo Kojima, the series' mastermind, to completely remake all of the game's cutscenes. This means that the scenes are fuller, more detailed, and more over the top than they ever were.
Sounds and Music
One of the most impressive things about the game was that when Kojima remade it, he didn't just upgrade the graphics. He redid everything, including the sound. All the original voice actors were called back to reread their lines, which makes for an interesting experience if you played the original. All of the lines you remember are there, they just...sound different. This is both a good and bad thing in itself; while some rather glaring errors were fixed, the decision was made somewhere to drop the accents from several foreign supporting characters--a jarring thing to hear for a veteran of the series, though it won't be noticed by a newcomer.
Sound effects themselves are wonderful. Each gun has a distinct sound, and you're not the only one who can hear them--guards will come running to the sound of gunfire. Additionally, every thing is crystal clear, from knocking on walls, to bodies falling to the ground, to the sound of Snake running in the snow.
Music is sparse in the game; most times all you'll hear are variations on the main theme. This serves a purpose, however, as I've mentioned earlier. Music will only key in when you are spotted by guards, and then it is loud and tense, to really get your blood pumping. The music did an absolutely wonderful job of setting the atmosphere.
Final Thoughts
All in all, this is a wonderful game with only a few minor drawbacks; if you've played the Metal Gear games before, this is nothing new. It's a retread of the first with the gameplay engine of the second. On the other hand, a lot of features introduced in the second game, such as nonleathal weapons and dog tags, are now available in this redux.
Recommended For
The game's labeled mature, but it's really not that bad. I'd say no to kids and anyone who's kinda squeamish. It's violent and bloody, but not more than any decent action movie out there, which is exactly what it feels like--a playable action movie.
First, a bit of History:
The Metal Gear series debuted in the late eighties on the NES, or, as it's known in Japan, the Famicom. Published by Konami, the game stared Snake, a lone government operative sent to investigate a terrorist faction. This is a key theme in the series, as are:
Giant Robots.
Over the top boss battles.
LOTS of firepower.
Some sort of inter-government conspiracy.
Being sneaky, rather than gunning the opposition down.
Hide
and go seek is Snake's favorite game!
Getting Started
The game doesn't really do the greatest job of teaching you the controls; so before you begin serious play, I recommend you both read the booklet and run around the initial area there. There are a couple of guards, so you can practice both your sneaking and shooting. And running.
Learning Curve and Game Play
Pretty easy to pick up, actually. For the most part, the control scheme, while complex, is very intuitive. Although, there's a bit of a snag in moving with your gun aimed when holding up enemies. You'll understand what I mean when you play. In addition, there are different difficulty modes, depending on your familiarity with the game.
The game itself is played from a third-person perspective most of the time, either top-down, or from the side. The camera is fixed for each room, though it will change to accomodate you if you are peeking around walls, hanging from railings, etc. Additionally, you have the option of going into a first person view for the sake of such things as spotting enemies and precision firing. The camera is easily one of the best features of the game. A game with no camera issues is rare.
The plot has you infiltrating a nuclear warhead storage facility off the coast of Alaska. You are inserted through a loading dock, and, as far as gameplay goes, you have a bevy of options to choose from. Instructions and objectives are offered to you through an interface known as your Codec, which is a sort of communication system between you and your superiors. This can be accessed by pressing Start and A together. I recommend pressing Start first, as A will cause you to fire your currently equipped weapon. This can lead to some sticky situations!
The controls are very precise, and as I've stated, intuitive. If you push a direction on the stick, Snake will move that direction. Weapon selection is quick and easy to perform, and there are a load of support items you can use, from Rations to heal with to Thermal Goggles to pick out landmines and infrared beams.
The layout of the game is fairly straight-forward; you move through an area, attempting to avoid all guards an cameras that you see. Both can be disabled, but remember that if you kill a guard, more personnel will be dispatched to look for him. Hide the body well.
This was one of the first successful stealth action games on the market, and part of the reason was simple fun. Sneaking through a heavily patrolled room is very tense, and for the most part, there is no music playing, so that you can hear guards' movements. The Gamecube version was a feeling of nostalgia for me, but in the original, I remember being caught by a guard for the first time and hearing that burst of music that just popped me out of my seat. That tension was prevalent everywhere, from crawling through air ducts to fighting a sniper duel in a blizzard.
Graphics
Hands down, this game is beautiful. The Playstation version was wonderful for it's time, but looks a bit dated compared to its sequel on the PS2, as well as pretty much every other game of modern times. The graphical upgrade the game received in its port to the 'Cube was greatly needed. Facial expressions are crystal clear, individual fingers move...these are things taken for granted in a lot of games these days, but which are obvious improvements in this one. Additionally, the extra processing power provided by the 'Cube allowed Hideo Kojima, the series' mastermind, to completely remake all of the game's cutscenes. This means that the scenes are fuller, more detailed, and more over the top than they ever were.
This is not a nice man. But
neither is the man that he's killing.
That's justifiable, right?
Sounds and Music
One of the most impressive things about the game was that when Kojima remade it, he didn't just upgrade the graphics. He redid everything, including the sound. All the original voice actors were called back to reread their lines, which makes for an interesting experience if you played the original. All of the lines you remember are there, they just...sound different. This is both a good and bad thing in itself; while some rather glaring errors were fixed, the decision was made somewhere to drop the accents from several foreign supporting characters--a jarring thing to hear for a veteran of the series, though it won't be noticed by a newcomer.
Sound effects themselves are wonderful. Each gun has a distinct sound, and you're not the only one who can hear them--guards will come running to the sound of gunfire. Additionally, every thing is crystal clear, from knocking on walls, to bodies falling to the ground, to the sound of Snake running in the snow.
Music is sparse in the game; most times all you'll hear are variations on the main theme. This serves a purpose, however, as I've mentioned earlier. Music will only key in when you are spotted by guards, and then it is loud and tense, to really get your blood pumping. The music did an absolutely wonderful job of setting the atmosphere.
Um, I wouldn't move if I
were you.
Final Thoughts
All in all, this is a wonderful game with only a few minor drawbacks; if you've played the Metal Gear games before, this is nothing new. It's a retread of the first with the gameplay engine of the second. On the other hand, a lot of features introduced in the second game, such as nonleathal weapons and dog tags, are now available in this redux.
Recommended For
The game's labeled mature, but it's really not that bad. I'd say no to kids and anyone who's kinda squeamish. It's violent and bloody, but not more than any decent action movie out there, which is exactly what it feels like--a playable action movie.