Once again, this is the best game in the Metal Gear Solid series and it pushes the PS2 just as far as it can go. With a total of 20-25 hours for the first time this provides a fantastic experience that will stimulate multiple parts of your brain and make you feel all fuzzy inside. The storyline plays out like a twist-filled spy novel and the rest of the characters and action fit well into this earlier version of the Metal Gear universe. With so much going on this is a game that will easily please fans of the series and help to woo back those who were dismayed by MGS2.
With a beautiful graphical style and dozens upon dozens of things to try out in this highly detailed game playing it once just isn’t enough. There are still issues with the camera system that can become frustrating, but with the general level of excellence everywhere else and considering the limitations of the PS2 this is still an amazing game. This is a true return to form and a hell of a way for the series to wrap up several plot lines in an exciting way. They don’t get much better than this.
/update
Which console hardwrare is best… Does it really matter when it looks this damn good?
Konami (or more specifically Kojima) seems to be able to tap into some kind of hidden processor on the PS2 that other developers don’t have access to. MGS 2 is still one of the best lookings games ever IMO and Zone of Enders 2 was pretty damn amazing too.
The best looking ever? The Xbox port I played must have been screwed up bad as the textures looked like somehing from HL circa 1998.
As for these shots they look good for the PS2 I guess, but I could list any number of games coming out or out now that look as good or better easily.
A question is do they still use the same shitty camera/control system as before or have they tried other games like Splinter Cell and seen how there are far better ways to do it.
That’s the weird thing - the Xbox version looked noticeably worse than the PS2 version. There was some slowdown and the textures did have some banding
I hope they don’t stick a Splinter Cell style “camera system” (if you can call it that) in MGS3. I don’t want to have to steer a braindead camera around all the time
So which games are these that are in the same vein as MGS2, but better? I’d like to know so that I can play them, because I loved MGS2. And don’t you dare say Splinter Cell.
That’s just it, there aren’t many games out there that capture the entire essense of MGS. I know lots of QT3ers have been down on the series due to the lengthy conversations and cutscenes but personally I’m in love with Kojima’s merging of gameplay with cinema.
MGS is about dramatic storylines, solid sneaking (wow i swaer this pun was unintentional) gameplay, attention to detail, moving soundtrack, over the top scenes, excellent voice acting, and overall high production and polish.
Arguably, the one game that captures the same qualities is Kojima’s own Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner but since it’s a pure giant robot action game, a lot of MGS fans probably haven’t played it.
I went over to the MGS3 jungle display to check it out, but unfortunately I had already seen the Splinter Cell 3 demo. Sam Fisher doesn’t preach to me about environmental issues, so I think I’ll pass on Snake’s Jungle Boogie Adventure.
