Home News Archive Features Forum About Us Contact  
     
metalgearsolid.org Metal Gear Solid MGS2: Sons of Liberty MGS3: Snake Eater Other Games Kojima
 
 

REVIEW PAGES:

Page 1 (Intro)
Page 2 (Gameplay)
Page 3 (Graph/Sound)
Page 4 (Story)
Page 5 (Epilogue)

Back

Author: FinalFantasy7


For many fans the real reason they look forward to a new Metal Gear game and want to play it is not for gameplay, but to enjoy the story. One of the main reasons why Metal Gear series will always be the top dog of the stealth games is because; of the heavy and detailed plot Hideo Kojima develops for these games. He does not just tell a story, but presents it in a manner, that you can only be astonished by. His stories always have a deeper meaning than what we don’t see at first until we sit down and think about it. People have analyzed the ending of Metal Gear Solid 2 in hundreds of different ways. Some expect him to fully answer all the questions because of the cliff hanger ending, while others don’t expect him to answer anything, but only provide us more background information and allow us to decide the outcome. But what everyone of his fans can agree on is, Hideo Kojima is a very skillful storywriter who puts lots of details to the plot of his games.

MGS3 story is no different; Hideo Kojima has once again outdone himself by creating a very fanciful story that is a flawless blend of reality and unrealistic elements that make a true Metal Gear game. With MGS and MGS2 story Hideo Kojima had freedom to choose how he wanted to make his stories and still make them realistic because they were set in post-modern “world of tomorrow.” He had the freedom to choose what the future will be because it has not been written yet. He made Arsenal-Gear crash into New York because he can and no one can question him about it because it’s set in the “future” he created. But when creating MGS3, Hideo Kojima had to follow guidelines set in the past because, MGS3 is a prequel. The future is already determined and laid out for him. But even with this Hideo Kojima created this tale of cold war espionage that is built on real world fact and history. Hideo Kojima altered many historic facts with this story, yet the sense of realism is never lost. Even when seeing the Fear jump from tree to tree did I not feel any loss of realism in MGS3, nor did I feel any lack of reality when The Pain was sending in ample amounts of bees after me. This game in every way feels real like Metal Gear Solid felt real even with a physic, a man who can copy others down to there blood and a undying twin. Metal Gear Solid 3 story is based off so much historic facts of that time, that you actually feel immersed into the 60s Spy vs. Spy era and feel true feelings for the characters that only original MGS made me feel.

But this Metal Gear game is quite different from all other Metal Gear games. Metal Gear Solid 2 always had a dйjа vu feel for people who played Metal Gear solid. But with MGS3, there is no feeling like that. This is a new story, set in a new era with totally new cast of characters. Big chunk of the story is a very elaborate tale of spies, backstabbing, double agents, Cold war tensions and fear of War. This game outdoes MGS and MGS2 because of this. Not because it has confusing plotline, or because it has a straightforward story, but because it draws the players into the story and make them feel for the characters. Overall story wise the whole game feels new and complex that is a different type of story than MGS or MGS2.

This game has it’s own share of plot twists and “Holy shit” moments. But that is not done by pulling a Raiden like twist or popping in Patriots. Most of the surprises presented in first ѕ of the game are similar to liquid/mater surprise in MGS. The surprises have lot to do with espionage and spies. In many ways MGS3 is actually deeper than MGS2. The only reason why MGS2 story was complex was huge plot holes, cliffhanger ending and too many twists. The players has to listen to 3 different people’s version of what S3 really was in last one hour of the game. Without the two fake explanations of what S3 is, that one hour could have been used to clearly explain what it really way. That was what caused the casual gamers not to understand what the real plot of MGS2 was. When it comes down to basics all MGS2 really was in introduction of a secret organization and there plans to test a program they will be used to manipulate general public.

MGS3 tells a different kind of story that is more complex than that. Only MGS3 does not have double twists or triple twists like MGS2 did. The way the plot is presented is pretty straightforward, but the actual plot is not straightforward. Most of the time in MGS2 was spend revolving about plot twists and lies. But MGS3 uses the extra time to develop other characters other than Snake. At some points in game we see cutscenes of snake watching Volgin, ocelot and Boss though binoculars. This adds more to the story and character depth of other characters other than Naked snake. MGS3 has very reduced radio calls compared to MGS2. But much of the details now became optional. The back story on the bosses is not forced onto you though a 30min before fight and after fight cut scene. If players choose to they can call there team to get more details the bosses and there background. MGS3 is a complex story built on historic facts that tells the tales of spies, cold war, espionage and manipulation in a clear manner
That can only be compared to MGS storytelling.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Similar to past Metal Gear games, Metal Gear Solid 3 story is deeper and more complex than it first seems. A simple mission of leading a scientist back to America turns into a multi-national incident that no one expected or planned...not even the Patriots. Like every story, Metal Gear series has a beginning and birth of everything that is important to the story. Metal Gear Solid 3 is really about the birth of The Patriots and there funding.

Before World War 1 and World War 2, there existed a powerful group called The Philosophers. They were a group of world leaders who worked together to settle differences in secret meetings and conduct world affairs. They decided the fate of the mankind to an extent. But when their members began dying, the countries grew apart and world wars started. Due to the loss of there power the world is almost chaotic with all these wars and almost the start of a new world war.

At this point a new group named The Patriots are forming. They are US leaders in politics and business, who want to take over the world. They first send in there agent, Ocelot to infiltrate GRU and steal the Philosopher's Legacy. The Philosopher's Legacy is 100 Billion dollars that originally belonged to the Philosophers. But during the world war Volgin’s father stole the Legacy and set up a money laundering business. After the death of his father, Volgin inherited this 100 Billion, which he used to set up his base and start the whole revolt so he can get the ultimate power in USSR.

But due to uncontrollable circumstances, Ocelot can not successfully get the money from Volgin. So the Patriots create a plan to send in a spy over to his side and aid the spy in proving her loyalty to Volgin so she can get closer to the money. The Boss's true mission is to infiltrate Volgin's GRU and steal back the Philosopher's Legacy. Snake's role is to infiltrate Russia and “create a path” for The Boss to get inside GRU and gain Volgin’s trust. So the whole point of snake’s mission is to manipulate him to be at right place at right time so Boss can prove her loyalty to Volgin by severely hurting Snake. Unfortunately everything goes wrong when Volgin fires a Davy Crocket nuclear rocket at Sokolov's old research facility, causing a multi-national incident. It was something Patriots did not plan on.
To make things worst Volgin balms The Boss for firing the rocket at the Russians. The US is forced to agree with the Soviets and promise to fix this problem so that The Boss's true mission and Snake's next mission will remain covert. The patriots use the excuse of killing Boss to send in snake again into the enemy’s territory so they can manipulate him to be in places where Boss can prove her loyalty too. Like The Boss says when Snake returns to Russia, she never really defected. She was loyal to her purpose, to the "end". This was here orders and she would follow them even it means hurting snake.

But because of the nuclear explosion the world almost goes to another world war. Khruschev calls Johnson and insinuates that The Boss and Volgin should be killed. The US if forced to go along with what is suggested just to avert a war, with the Russians. The Boss’s next mission becomes to die at Snake's hands, relieving her country of blame for her supposed actions in detonating a nuclear bomb. It means that even if the US government wanted her dead for a crime she didn't commit, she would let the US (that is snake) kill her out of loyalty for here leaders. All the time Snake is told propaganda of what Boss is causing and how dangerous she is, when all she is doing is following the Patriots orders. The Patriots needed this 100 billion dollars as the startup money to create this organization that will restore the balance in the world and unite it back.

Snake does not learn about any of this until after he kills The Boss. After Boss’s death Snake and EVA go back to a cabin in the jungle for some “action”, only EVA has worn some knockout lipstick and she knocks Snake out with it. She records a tape explaining the true mission of the Boss all the manipulation that went on and leaves it for Snake. After snake gets back from his slumber, he plays it. EVA explains that she was a spy for China, attempting to steal the Philosopher's Legacy. she goes on to explain The Boss's true mission and the unplanned incidents that happened. While EVA is explaining this long story, Snake can be seen entering Johnson's office, getting medals and congratulations. When the President wants to shake his hand, snake is reluctant. Johnson grants Snake the title of Big Boss, because he is above even The Boss. When other people want to shake his hand, Snake stares at them like they're worthless and walks out. Major Zero, Para-medic and Sigint are there too, and he doesn't say so much as a word to them. Then he goes to Arlington and stands in front of a grave dedicated to an anonymous American patriot. He salutes to the grave just as EVA is finishing her story. This shows why Big Boss created Outer Heaven and Zanzibar land to create problems for the patriots.

After the end of the game, we learn that Ocelot is still alive and has bought back the 100 Billion dollars to the Patriots. Metal Gear Solid 3 does not exactly answer all the questions people had after MGS2. All MGS3 does is provide the backstory on the patriots and hints who the people on the disc Hal had at end of the game were (names of the dead Philosophers). But the game ties up the all 3 themes of Metal Gear series to show what exactly creates and shapes a human into being unique.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

\ Go to the top \ Next: Epilogue \

 
© Copyright 2004 MetalGearSolid.org - All rights reserved. Please read our privacy policy.