Snake Eater is a prequel to the original
Metal Gear Solid. It takes place in 1964. So, the Snake
character you play as here is not the one you're familiar
with. He's sent into a remote region of Russia to try to
contain a sudden nuclear menace, and things only get
complicated from there. Suffice it to say that Snake Eater
fills in nice chunks of the Metal Gear Solid backstory.
The new Snake is likeable but has a
distinctly different personality than the old, and goes
through some major, dramatic changes over the course of the
game. It really feels like a journey. The two female leads
are also wonderful, both in characterization and voice
acting. large chunks of Snake Eater take place in jungles,
forests and swamps, so the basic gameplay has evolved
somewhat.
Snake's footsteps now make noise, so he has a new "stalking"
mode that lets him creep up slowly behind baddies. Eating
food replenishes
stamina, while
stamina slowly replenishes Snake's life bar. This system is
very well-balanced; stamina lasts a good long time.The level
design, too, is wonderful throughout, with plenty of
opportunities to explore the many facets of Snake Eater's
gameplay. However, the stealth aspect is hurt by the camera
system, which is sadly outdated.
Times have changed since Metal Gear Solid's last major outing, which is why some of the game's imperfections are harder to swallow today than they were in years past. Nevertheless, this is still a great achievement, one that fans of the series will love and vividly remember long after most of 2004's other games are forgotten.
