Product Description

Set in the 60s and using the Cold War as its inspiration, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater forces the player to adopt a number of new skills to survive in Snake's new jungle environment. Danger lurks everywhere as Snake explores the beautifully-realised forests, encampments and rivers, with guards patrolling key routes, dangerous animals to contend with, and the uneven terrain and noisy foliage making the silent approaches the Metal Gear hero is famed for virtually impossible.

• Gameplay set in Cold War era 1960's
• Camoflage System: Use different combinations of uniform and face paints to blend into your environment
• Food: Capture and eat animals & plants to sustain Snake's health and abilities
• Close Quarters Combat (CQC): Take on enemies up close and personal with knives and martial arts techniques for silent kills
• Exclusive content for the PAL version includes:
• Duel Mode - Battle through the game's Boss Fights independently
• Demo Theatre - Watch all the cut scenes in sequence
• European Extreme difficulty level
• 2 New Levels in Snake Vs Monkey Mode
• New Face Paint and Camoflage Designs not available in US or Japanese versions

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1887 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Konami
• Released on: 2005-03-04
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Preview
If any one game series encapsulates the new era of the more mature video games which have emerged since the beginning of the PlayStation era, it's Metal Gear Solid. Its complex narrative and equally complex and varied gameplay redefined the way people looked at video games and even if the immediate sequel managed to upset the delicate balance between storytelling and interaction, Metal Gear Solid 3 doesn't look likely to make the same mistake twice.

Taking a real back-to-basics approach, Snake Eater is set in the '60s and sees you controlling Solid Snake (or at least someone that looks like him--and is at least not Raiden from the MGS2) in a storyline that has yet to be fully revealed.

What we've seen of the game shows a much greater emphasis on stealth than ever before, with Snake being vastly outnumbered and appearing to spend most of his time creeping through the jungle, dropping down on guards from out of the trees and hiding in plain sight using a variety of specialised camouflage suits. The sub-title is less nonsensical than you might think as well since Snake must hunt and eat animals--including, you guessed it, our no-legged friends--to keep his stamina up.

Overall the game seems more realistic than ever before (you don't even get the enemy radar to use all the time) and should assuage those jaded by Metal Gear Solid 2's more self-indulgent moments. Snake is back, and he's never looked better... --David Jenkins

Manufacturer's Description
The Metal Gear Solid franchise takes a major step forward on PlayStation 2 with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. For the first time, the game is set in a sweltering jungle where players must fight for survival by battling relentless natural elements, as well as an onslaught of ruthless enemy soldiers. Suspenseful stealth action delivers heart-pounding sequences like never before. The game's extraordinary gameplay and intense plot combine with riveting music, high-definition sound and astonishingly detailed graphics for a completely unique interactive gaming experience.

Customer Reviews

Kojima losing his touch a little
This game is pretty darn good in short. Camouflage, jungle and mountain environments, disguises and hunting for food make this an interesting game which whiles away the boring hours (I had so much fun trapping poisonous snakes and throwing them at enemy troops).

Unfortunately there are aspects that let a brilliant game down. In previous games the route was very linear, which was acceptible as they took place inside buildings/plants/ships etc. The jungle setting could have offered more scope for a wider area but is still very linear. Also, there were always "larger than life" characters in these games, but they were believable and added a nice touch to the game (raven in MGS and Fortune in MGS2 (it turns out she wasn't psychic and it was an electro-magnet deflecting bullets...but then she was...). However, in this, there's a guy made up of bees, another who is very much like vamp in MGS2 but can go invisible and an old sniper who can talk to the forest creatures like tarzan and has a photosynthetic body. Not very believable. But still buy it, it's a great game and has replayability. It's one of my favourites

'Scuse me while I get my breath back.
Allow me to make use of some alliteration: This game is sexy, sleek, sophisticated and sometimes scary to a point where you feel like diving behind the sofa (not that I'd dive behind the sofa of course. My PS2 is in my bedroom!).
You feel the recoil of your rifle as you fire again and again at your enemies, the pounding of your character's heart as he swallows hard and dares to round another corner, possibly into the eyeline of the enemy, the warmth of the sun on the dappled forest floor. You wince in agony as your character takes an unexpected blow from an enemy who has appeared from seemingly nowhere. You feel the grass brushing against your legs as you walk through dense jungles.
Basically, this game grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go.
You are thrown right in at the deep end (no, playing on Very Easy won't get you out of trouble this time!) from the start, although it does give you some time to grow used to the controls and general gameplay, which even MGS veterans may need to take advantage of.
The beginning of the game relies heavily on cutscenes, but the real meat of the game is saved for later as you will find. Don't play for five minutes and then throw down your controller in disgust. Have patience, grashopper.
As it has been said before, there is no radar here. You must make use of other gadgetry and First Person View to find and avoid your foes (we're being stealthy here, remember?).
The boss battles are far more complex than they've ever been, and you have to rely on more than an invisible wall and a few crates to offer you some shelter and a chance to reload.
And if the sheer beauty of this game wasn't enough, if you mess around a little you can uncover some amusing and adorable radio conversations. Sometimes it's nice to pause and giggle when you're up to your waist in mud and trying to fight off an angry crocodile.
Overall, if you miss this game, then you are truly missing out on the gaming experience of a lifetime. Don't let it slip you by.

IMMERSIVE!!!!
Solid Snake returns in MGS's newest installment in its series, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. One of the most highly anticipated PS2 games of the year, MGS3 will not disappoint, especially MGS fans, who will soon notice and find out that MGS3 has improved over its predecessors but yet leaves that MGS trademark which no other game or series can call its own.

Gameplay:
You will notice right off the bat that the game is filled with cutscenes/movies, which begins to tell an interesting and cynical story based around Solid Snake (the main character), while taking place during the Cold War. For all you new to the MGS series, Metal Gear Solid has always been about unfolding a story that will keep the gamer interested through out the game. So give the game some time, especially during the beginning of the game because you won't be doing much. When you finally get some playing time, for all you MGS fans out there, you will realize that this game is made for MGS fans. The gameplay hasn't much changed, although you will notice that you aren't just going through corridors as in previous installments but rather be situated in the jungle (two thumbs way up!). As a result, you must rely on your scope and keep it handy, because in MGS, its all about stealth. Also, you will be able to change outfits and face paint, so that you can "blend" into the surronding areas as you hunt down your prey. Don't forget the stealth gauge, you will be able to increase your stealth level while you are in the shadows and vice versa, kind of reminds me of Sam Fisher/Splinter Cell: PT. While in battle, you can use Snake's overview camera or first person camera while shooting a weapon and also take notice of the pressure point system. The amount of pressure you press a button with will determine wether you perform such techniques as head locks to take one hostage, or just slitting his throat and leave him for dead. I can not emphasize more that if you are a long time MGS fan, you will probably love the gameplay. The bosses are crazy and twisted, all I can say is "wow" and go check them out for yourself, they are superb, some of the best boss battles in the entire series can be found in MGS3. There have been some throw in MGS3, but nothing drastic. There is a new healing system, which allows you to pull up a menu during the game and gives you options to sew up your wounds and regain life. If you are lacking stamina, go find yourself a fork and a spoon, because eating animals you will find will slowly help increase stamina which has been lossed while you have been playing.

Graphics:
The graphics are clean cut (mostly), and look very polished, especially on the PS2 graphics engine. None the less, you will see some blurry patches here and there, especially in the background setting (trees especially), but hey, thats minor. The cinematic scenes/cutscenes/movies (whatever you want to call them) are beautifully done, I mean, you can't ask or find much better than what MGS3 has to offer, especially on the PS2. If you are thinking MGS3's graphics are the best on the PS2, I might have to disagree a bit (Final Fantasy probably, anyways...), from my view point, you just can't go wrong with MGS3 graphically, especially on a console which has decent graphics, but all in all could vastly improve upon its current engine right now. It is sort of hard to compare graphics on the PS2 compared to the Xbox or the PC, but MGS3 is definatly one of the betterlooking games graphically out there.

Sound:
The sound is superb, especially the game sound (shots being fired, explosions, weapons, etc.) for any action/stealth game I think game sound is pivitol. The voice overs/acting adds a touch to MGS3, and although they are not the greatest, you can find far worse in many other games out there. The voice overs/acting do add to the realism of the story, especially since MGS is all about the story around Solid Snake. MGS's music, in MGS2 and now in MGS3 I think is great. The soundtrack was well organized and done, can't go much wrong with MGS3's music (I believe), the sound of MGS newest installment won't fail to disappoint MGS fans and regualr gamers alike.

Last Thoughts:
MGS 3 was made and developed for the Metal Gear Solid fan, no doubt about that. The newest installment brings with it the trademakr MGS stamp of not just being your average action/adventure/stealth game. If you are new to the series, give it some time, it will grow on you, trust me. If you want a fantastic game which is not on any other console except the PS2, MGS 3 will fit the bill. For all you MSG gamers out there, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater will own your soul (my opinion). Its a definant pick up for any gamer looking for a superb game to play and add to his or her growing collection.