Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)

...being the original MSX titles, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, both of which have been perfectly translated to the PlayStation 2 hardware. I'm all for bonus games, especially if they're classics, so being able to play these gems (Metal Gear 2 especially) is just wonderful.
Finally Disc 3 which is only available with the limited edition Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence which features a special 200 plus minute MGS3 movie comprised ...
...playing Metal Gear Solid 3 for the second time, the biggest thing you'll notice about the game is the new vantage point. Instead of the classic top-down view of past MGS games, and then a close-up view when pinned up against walls, you have a new behind-the-back angle that is similar to Splinter Cell although on a totally different level in my opinion.

There is a newly added Duel Mode, just like in substance, a game where you can battle ... more

This game was released a long time before in the US, and we Europeans had to wait eagerly for a while extra as usual, but forgetting that, there are 2 types of subsistence games you can buy, the limited edition one with 3 discs and the standard one with 2 discs.
Disc 1 is called Subsistence and it contains MGS3 in all its glory, except this time it comes with six degrees of difficulty, a new behind the pack third person view that allows for better camera angles, and new face paint and outfits for Snake to wear. But aside from these features, it's pretty much the same game, though the new perspective does add a whole new dimension to the gameplay, and the difficulty levels, some of which make the game almost impossible to beat, provide lots of replay value.
Disc 2, Persistence, is full of lots of great stuff, the most significant being the original MSX titles, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, both of which have been perfectly translated to the PlayStation 2 hardware. I'm all for bonus games, especially if they're classics, so being able to play these gems (Metal Gear 2 especially) is just wonderful.
Finally Disc 3 which is only available with the limited edition Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence which features a special 200 plus minute MGS3 movie comprised of the game's cut scenes.

If you're playing Metal Gear Solid 3 for the second time, the biggest thing you'll notice about the game is the new vantage point. Instead of the classic top-down view of past MGS games, and then a close-up view when pinned up against walls, you have a new behind-the-back angle that is similar to Splinter Cell although on a totally different level in my opinion.

There is a newly added Duel Mode, just like in substance, a game where you can battle against any of MGS3's bosses, except in this case, you're gunning for a record time and a high score. It's cool because it gives you the opportunity to kill the same old bad guys several times over as well as experiment with different strategies that will make you a boss killer pro and more used to the AI of Metal gear solids in general.

The real meat of Subsistence, though, isn't its amazing single-player, it's the online multiplayer. There are five different modes to play; including Death Match and Team Death Match which are just kill everyone affairs, but the last three, Sneaking, Capture, and Rescue, are somewhat unique and at times incredibly entertaining. In the Sneaking game, it's Snake against the world as one player, as Snake, must sneak past the guards (the other players) to steal the microfilm. It's quite intense for both sides, especially since Snake can use his camouflage to make himself invisible. Capture is pretty much Capture the Flag except you're trying to snag a cute Kerotan frog. Lastly, in Rescue, one side is holding a rubber duck hostage and it's up to the other team to get it back by any means necessary.

The online mode is cool, no question, and I like how I can keep a buddy list and view all of my stats, but the third person perspective isn't perfect because it's at times difficult to get a good view of the environments. It's just not as user friendly as the cameras in most first person shooters, where it's a hell of a lot easier to quickly maneuver the camera to get a good view from behind.

Some things you'll want to keep in mind while playing the multiplayer online are little nuances that are prevalent in the single-player as well. If you shoot your gun off like crazy and run around like a maniac, chances are high you're going to screw yourself over and blow your cover. This isn't a shooter like Halo where you want to just run in, guns blazing, and blow up your enemy. Stay sharp and stay quiet, that's the key of it. If you've played any MGS game before, chances are you know about the cardboard boxes. You know that if you have a cardboard box it somehow makes you invisible to your enemy. Now, in real life, we all know that wouldn't happen. If a cardboard box was running around and had eyes peering out of a peep hole, you'd probably do something about it, maybe a little more than just getting a question mark over your head. In Subsistence, you're playing against real live people online, so naturally, they're smarter than that, well… most of them I guess. Although you've got a little bit of leeway here because the levels are set up with a few boxes around the area in pretty convenient locations. So if you stay calm a do the right thing, chances are you'll wind up sneaking around okay in those boxes and being able to pop out at the right time and make your kill, which feels great if it works.

Subsistence comes packaged with some nifty things in it; you'll be able to play through the various boss fights of the game at your leisure and you'll also be able to watch several different videos, including the cinematic and parody shorts. If you were fortunate enough to get the Limited Edition copy, which really is limited, you also get a movie version of MGS3 packed in there that adds all of the cinematics together and throws in some extra narrative on top of it, and luckily I got mine, and it's a great deal for any MGS fan.

In my opinion, the online play is what makes this game a fantastic well worth purchase, as you can literally play it everyday. Altogether the gameplay is very addictive and competitive especially with the 3rd person view which I find totally immersing and varied.
The voicing and characters are the most cinematic experience you can get in a game as previous Metal Gear Solids show. The plots are very interesting and keep you on your seats and also have immense detail and explanation, and the story co-insides with issues of war from the past.
The graphics are superb whether it's in-game or scenes, the graphics stay the same which are probably the best in-game graphics on any PS2 game.
The music is inspirational and extremely professional, just like the previous MGS's, and the Snake Eater intro from MGS3 still brings back nostalgic memories. The gaming life is infinite if people keep the MGS spirit strong by playing it for years to come online. Although there aren't as many people online as I would expect, around 400 people at one time and some servers tend to lag which is a pain when your skills go to waste in frustration of shooting something that is no longer there.

If you've played Snake Eater and you loved it, there's no reason not to get Subsistence, unless you do not have broadband or a network ready PS2, but the 3rd person and parody scenes make up for it. Even if you have spent your time playing the game 100 times, the new camera angle adds a lot of freshness to the single player campaign. Not just that, but the online multiplayer is really amazing and it is clearly one of the best the PS2 has yet to get on the service as PS2 is not as recognised for its online play. If you're a newcomer to the series, you should go pick up the game right now and try to get the limited edition if possible as it's one of the best values you can find. Metal Gear Solid 3, no matter what version you're playing, is a wonderful game that really pushes the boundaries of storytelling in this medium, it will be remembered as a gaming classic in the years to come and I would highly recommend that you make an investment in this, fan or no fan, it's a bargain.

 

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