Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Metal Gear Solid Master Collection vol. 1) (Switch)

 

Someday you go through the rain
Someday you feed on a tree frog
This ordeal, the trial to survive
For the day we see new life! I give my life
Not for honor, but for you
Snake eater
In my time there'll be no one else
Crime, it's the way I fly to you
Snake eater
I'm still in a dream, snake eater!

The last of the PS2 duology of Metal Gear Solid-games. Wrote about it back in 2017 and probably haven't played it since then. Would have gotten the 3DS version if they hadn't pulled it from the 3DS eShop before taking the whole store down. Same story, Naked Snake is sent into the Soviet Union to extract a scientist named Sokolov that have worked on the secret weapon that will be able to launch nukes all over the globes. But Snake is betrayed by the Boss, the special forces commander that taught him everything so he has to get back, rescue Sokolov, destroy the weapon and kill the boss.

Quite the departure from the other Solid games since we now are mostly outdoors and that the main mechanic is using the camo to hide and take your time. Hunt and get resources. And they are as of writing in late 2023 on the way to remake the game for modern consoles (non-Nintendo that is). Don't know why since it still looks good. Snake looks his best here and actually have facial expressions, which makes Big Boss the most fun Snake to watch. That it has homages to James Bond movies is rather fun as well. 

It had other interesting ideas like the fight with the Sorrow. He basically sends the souls of all enemies you've killed along a river you have to walk through, so the more you killed the harder that section is (if you don't do the easy way out by drowning yourself to force the to be continue screen in order to use the revive pill). I recall I didn't kill anyone when playing my PS3, but here I killed a lot more people and the bosses (the bosses especially since I was just tired of them at this point, especially when the Fear constantly regained stamina for some reason). I think it was a reference to the part in the first Metal Gear Solid when Liquid says Snake enjoys the killing... and I know in one playthrough I didn't kill anyone making the comment really weird.

Works perfect on switch, load times seems to be minimal compared to the PS3 version making this an optimal version to play. Missing the trophies though when you have things like the frogs that doesn't do anything I guess... or maybe there is a camo you will get, but it would be nice with an indicator.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Metal Gear Solid Master Collection vol. 1) (Switch)

 

I give my life
Not for honor, but for you
Snake eater
In my time there'll be no one else
Crime, it's the way I fly to you
Snake eater
I'm still in a dream, snake eater!

Continued with the second game and last time playing was 8 years ago. Funny enough that post have been limited due to sensitive content... I think it's due to writing the T-word, but it might just be the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo trying to stop the spoilers being exposed. Anyway, same story and it feels more current than ever. We have discussions about AI that flood the internet with images and movies and whatnot and then we have the EU:s law for Chat Control (proposed by the Swedish commissioner no less) that feels like a first step in monitoring every conversation and then erase unwanted information, just like the plan the Patriots have for GW. So the political and social implications regarding the internet and everything they hint at actually come true, how people create their own filter bubbles and how truth distorts itself around them to fit their beliefs and so on. It's rather chilling.

But how is the game? Still good. Funny how Kojima once again copied the Snake Plissken movies by doing pretty much the same game again, but with added meta commentary why they are alike. Sad a third "Escape from" movie wasn't released. Maybe that I find the Plant-stage rather boring in comparison to the military base at Shadow Moses that I might prefer the first game. It might also be due to Raiden and his bickering girlfriend, I get that it build character, but how often can you hear the question "do you know what day tomorrow is?" without getting irritating? In the tanker you at least has Otacon that is tolerable.

So, PS3 or Switch? Well, I will probably play more on the Switch since it's a hassle to start the PS3 and get the controllers charged up so that you can play on the sofa. But... the trophy system tells you some things you can do, like take photos of the ghosts since they point it out and there is really no hint about it in the Switch version so that is maybe just guides. Then again, it's just for bragging rights and no actual benefit for the gameplay what I know. A bit of a long load time entering Codec-conversations though, I assume it has to do with the 3d-animation of the characters cause there was no problem with it in the first game.

Metal Gear Solid (Metal Gear Solid Master Collection vol. 1) (Switch)

 

What a thrill
With darkness and silence through the night
What a thrill
I'm searching and I'll melt into you
What a fear in my heart
But you're so supreme!

New Year! Old Games in new Packages! This time around we are in for the spy thriller that is the gaming worlds answer to James Bond, Metal Gear Solid. I haven't played the original version of the game before since I first played the GameCube remake, The Twin Snakes and that was apparently several years ago. Same story, but since I've been watching a lot of Escape from New York since then I think I get what was the inspiration. Funny how it came closer in the sequel Escape from L.A. to line up with this games story and it was released almost at the same time. 

So this remaster, works fine. The graphics are a bit dated and I'm more inclined to say that the GameCube version is probably better... or rather they are better, I can actually see the faces of everyone. Not only better graphics, but I actually like the reading from the voice actors better in Twin Snakes. In this Colonel Cambell just threatens Snake to do it, almost screaming at him. In Twin Snakes it's a bit more diplomatic making it feel like I'm caring for the old man so that when he tells me about his niece or how he is getting sidelines by the higher ups, I feel he is as lost as I am. And then we have Cam Clarke hamming it up and it's glorious. And at least the GameCube version have their real names since the original pretty much uses aliases for all except David Hayter.

Still interesting to play it. I recall people saying that by taking later improvements from Metal Gear Solid 2 the game become too easy in Twin Snakes and I can believe it. I had a hard time getting out of the first area. I tried the Japanese special version which had a very easy mode which consisted of an assault rifle with unlimited ammo which got me through the first area and into the base, but I went back to the original game. So I actually played more as a spy avoiding confrontation since I didn't have any weapons, and then I had to "level up" my stats after every boss (meaning I got more health and could carry more ammo). Of course, the Twin Snakes makes the fight with Ocelot a bit more realistic compared to running back and forth in the room trying to get a shoot at him.

Overall, it works fine for me, don't know if the jank in movements is due to lowered frames per second or if it was the original game. And for a on the go experience I might play it more often... but the GameCube game will probably be a better version, if they don't release it on the Master Collection vol. 2. Would love that of course and maybe I can finally get rid of one GameCube game. At this pace my PS3 collection have a higher chance of getting stored away than the Nintendo game.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Get of my lawn!

First game I bought for my, at the time, new PS3 Slim version and in actuality my first very own Playstation I owned (we had Playstation 2 in the family so I had some PS1 classics from the get go). And since my only experience was Twin Snakes and the NES version of Metal Gear (which I never got out of the first forest area) the story was a bit hard to follow. I at least had watched the very long trailers for the other games that tried to sell those games as movies so I knew some characters, but not the big twists of the games. And it doesn't get better that we start in the the damn desert area. I hate deserts ever since playing King's Quest 7 and 5. And now I'm sneaking around like a 80 year old in some middle eastern battleground in search for Liquid Ocelot as he amasses some army of mercenaries. With you have a little mini-robot, a camouflage suit and some kind of futuristic eye-patch. And on the codec Otacon and Sunny. Why was Sunny? First time playing no idea. And playing the rest of the series didn't help much, but she apparently is Olga's daughter... and the question that followed who was Olga? Someone from Metal Gear Solid 2. Anyway, sneak around town you stumble upon Meryl who lead the Rat pack and new bosses of the games, the beauty and the beast brigade.

Original 4-Ever

After the middle east you end up in south america tracking down Naomi who was in the first game and was missing during the rest of the series. After rescuing her you go to some eastern european country where the plot is revealed. Ocelot is highjacking the world controlling system the Patriots created who consists of Major Zero, the boss of Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3. Since every soldier must be connected to it basically Ocelot have full control of all the worlds armies. So you go back to Shadow Moses Island from the first game, which was basically the only major throwback I recognised. Yada-yada, follow Ocelot out on the sea on an old warship piloted by Mei Ling. Fight Ocelot on the top a crashed GW and then we are at the cemetery from the beginning when to my surprise Big Boss appears with Major Zero in a life-support wheel-chair. Big Boss turns of the life-support and then dies himself due to the FoxDie virus that existed in Snake, the end.

It was a fun game, but as you can guess from me skipping it, my first time I didn't even know who half of the characters was since I hadn't played the games they were in. They also released a patch a couple of years later which added trophy support so I basically had to restart the game since it was necessary for it to register. I only mustered to go to south america, after that I preoccupied myself with other games. And a big problem with my original run was the throwbacks to other characters which I didn't know so it isn't much for beginners. Playing them in order is probably the best course of action.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

He always runs when other walks!

The third game in the series and once again I had to wait until the HD release to play it (although my mind gets jumbled over if I played the demo for the 3DS before or after getting the PS3 version). Anyway, the setting is the cold war and Naked Snake is sent into Soviet territory to extract a scientist that is working on a secret weapon that can shift the terror balance toward the russians advantage, the Shogohan (or however you spell it). It's a prototype metal gear. He lands and extracts him, but is confronted by the Boss, his superior officer that coached him through the mission while on the way to the extraction point. You get thrown of the bridge you stand on while the Boss assembles her former secret Cobra unit and takes of under the leadership of Volgin, a soviet officer working in secret to take over the world. And then fires a nuclear missile which puts the US and Soviet on high alert. After recovering Snake is sent back in to find the scientist, stop Volgin and kill the Boss to clear his name and avoid mutual assured destruction.

And we dance, into the fire

During the game you met up with Eva, a russian double spy sent to help you by the americans and Ocelot who tries to stop you (and later turns into Revolver Ocelot). Your enemies besides the soviet troops are The Pain, the Fear, the End, the Sorrow and the Fury. And your own support team is Major Zero, Sigma and Para-Medic appearing in your codec conversations... I don't think there's really that much else to say about this game. Biggest gameplay mechanic of this game was the new camouflage system in what colours you used or clothes (or even if you were naked) that affects your camouflage score that helps you avoid detection from the wild life and soldiers. Also you have to repair yourselves if you get injured with some improvised surgery or hunt for food by stalking wildlife like snakes and birds. Really interesting concepts. But since I'm lousy at games I play on easy and hardly needs to care.

It was fun playing it, but the story seems to repeat itself. Soldiers who are being used by their governments without care. Of course there is no secret society... or it actually tries to explain where it originated from. So after being captured, tortured and eye blown out and the scientist killed you find out that Volgin is sitting on the philosophers legacy which is apparently some amassed wealth from China, Soviet and the US as part of the second world war push to stop the Nazis. But Volgin tries to use it for his own purposes. So the Americans sent in the Boss to get it, but you didn't know that. Eva is actually a chinese spy working to get the legacy for her side while Ocelot that have been your antagonist through the whole game was your actual contact. Everyone backstabs everyone here and there and after defeating Volgin and the proto-metal gear Snake and Eva escapes only to Snake duel the Boss on a field of white flowers that turns red as she dies on the field. Then they escape again on a plane. While surviving the ordeal Eva steals the secret documents on the legacy and leaves. Snake gets back to the US. Gets a medal and earn the name Big Boss.

We Got all the time in the world!

I really liked the game and it could have been to play with Snake and to hear his constant growling or the fact that it is pretty much a James Bond-movie from the 60's with similar music (the snake eater theme really sound like a classic Bond theme). Also it's a bit more low-tech than the other games. There is no nano-machines. No clones and the rest I get a hang on like the nuclear weapons and such. Plus it's set to the backdrop of the cold war with the Cuban missile crisis. I even know who the world leaders are like Kennedy, Chrusjtjov and Brezjnev are. A simpler game for a simpler time.

Oh and the Bond references are Thunderbolt, View to a Kill and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

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Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

The James Bond of video games

The first Metal Gear-game I played... or maybe not completely true since I watched the neighbour play Metal Gear for the NES when I was a kid, but this was the first one I played and finished for myself. Got it as a birthday present... or maybe Christmas. Hard to keep those apart with only a couple days difference. I used to watch the preview clip that came with the Super Play magazine when it come out, together with the other Metal Gear Solid-games and I really liked the cinematic experience, but we never got any game for the Playstation 2, even tough as we bought it it could have included Metal Gear Solid 2. Got two controllers and Final Fantasy X instead. So the Metal Gear debut didn't happen until this game. And it was mind-blowing.

It's a nuclear-equped walking battle tank... and a cyborg ninja!!! AWESOME!!!

It might be totally ridiculous plot with nano machines, shamanistic giants, cyborg ninjas and a walking battle tank, but it's so fun. You play as Solid Snake, hero of former covert operations that stopped Big Boss, the former hero turned traitor that tried to create an eternal war for the soldiers to continue to fight without the "dirty" politicians corrupting the warrior spirits of the soldiers. Snake retired, but is pulled into action to infiltrate an American base on Shadow Moses Island that was taken over by Snakes old group Fox Hound during a military training and demonstration with a governmental official and the head for one military contractor. They threatens to launch a nuclear missile so Snake is sent in by his old boss Colonel Campbell (who I recently found out is voiced by the guy that voices Max Tennyson from Ben10). Objective to rescue the hostage and see if the terrorist can unleash their plan. So they send you in with a submarine and launches you on a torpedo into the base. Sneak in and rescue the first hostage, the DARPA chief and he spills the story. The government had a black ops building a new weapon, a Metal Gear, the same machine Snake fought two times before. And then he dies in a heart attack.

And of course the black guy dies first, how typical.

You get out and meet Meryl, the only soldier who didn't join the terrorists who apparently is Campbell's niece. You get deeper into the compound and discovers the other hostage tied up to explosives, but are put on a revolver duel with... Revolver Ocelot. The fight ends with the aforementioned Cyborg Ninja cutting of Ocelots arm. The hostage spills the beans and... he dies of a heart attack. Gotta be a coincidence. Before the death he tells you to contact Meryl with the code on the back of the box... what box? I think I was able to run back and forth at least two times  over the areas I've already been too before the helpful codec-conversation told me where to look, on the back of the game box... damn fourth wall breaking. So basically the plot has shifted to determine if Liquid Snake, the leader of the rouge agents, have accessed Metal Gear and if he has, be able to stop it. Also the Ninja appears to be a Frank Jaeger, Grey Fox that Snake saved in the first game and later fought in the second game. And the plot only gets more complicated, the rouge agent gets killed one by one until Meryl is caught and with her Snake. Snakes tortured and it is revealed the DARPA-chief have been dead for a long time... which I guess would clue in everyone that the first was a decoy, which is later proven right by another rouge agent before he is eaten by his ravens. Also depending if you withstand the torture or not affects if Meryl will live or die in the end of the game. First time I actually missed how to input the right commands which caused me getting the "bad" ending.

Before the ending I just have to finish of REX

Epic battle where Grey Fox sacrifice himself to save his old comrade. After the battle there's a one on one between the Twin Snakes. Also revealed that they are clones of Big Boss and that Liquid has a real inferiority complex. You beat him and either escape with Meryl or Otacon, the scientist that helped build Metal Gear REX. After a long drive with a pursuing Liquid that fires at you leave the base and prepers for yet another showdown when suddenly, Liquid dies in a heart attack. Earlier it was revealed that the nanomaschines that was injected in the start of the game also contained some sort of virus that simulates a heart attack in the right DNA-coded people. This is the reason people been dying around Snake. Snake and either person following him travels across the snow into the unknown future as the virus within Snake has some unknown parameters that could prove deadly for Snake as well. And then you either get a bandana for unlimited ammo or a cloaking device. And then you replay the game again. I really liked this game. The over the top acting is cheesy fun, the ridicules plot is worthy of a Bond-movie (and in some cases probably are more grounded in reality, I mean, the West willingly giving espionage information to China and Russia? I mean come on!). A pity it took forever after it to get to play another Metal Gear, next one was actually Metal Gear Solid 4 for the PS3 which caused some problems following the continuities in the games in-between.