One of the best games
released in 2002 was Resident Evil. It had terrific gameplay and horrific
graphics, but not a single soporific element could be found. And it was only a
remake. There’s no denying that if every great game was remade the industry
would be damaged. However, I am filled with great pleasure whenever a game
developer gives me the chance to revisit their grand worlds in a new and unique
way. I am overjoyed whenever they take me back in time to when innovation was
created. And I was mesmerized by how they’ve managed to take that innovation
even further. That was done in the Resident Evil remake, and now it has been
done in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes.
GameCube owners might not
be too familiar with Solid Snake’s adventures, so to bring you up to speed, let
me just say that the game is all about stealth. Solid Snake’s missions often
include things like trying to infiltrate a heavily guarded building, attempting
to escape a dangerous area, or trying to assassinate someone (or prevent someone
from being assassinated!). You can’t do any of those things without using an
extreme amount of caution. That’s why Konami has labeled this a Tactical
Espionage Action game.
For many of you, the
gameplay will be entirely new. And for those of you who have played through the
original Metal Gear Solid, the gameplay will still feel very fresh, thanks to
the addition of MGS2’s finest gameplay elements. Being able to peak over walls
was great before, mostly due to cinematic camera angles that came along with
it. That, and the feeling it gave the player – you felt like you were actually
a spy in the middle of an important mission. Sneaking is top priority. Get
caught and you’re toast.
Now you can not only
sneak, but the player can also peak over walls more sensitively, pull out
Snake’s gun and aim the weapon for a perfect headshot. This was impossible
before due to the lack of a first-person view. Hideo Kojima introduced this
innovation in Metal Gear Solid 2 and has now made it a part of the MGS trilogy.
That’s far from the end
of the many updates that Konami has included in this remake. There are a number
of subtle gameplay mechanics that hardcore fans will surely notice, like the
improved walking and running movements, the use of analog shoulder buttons,
additional attack methods, etc. You can sneak more professionally this time
around by running, jumping into a quiet roll, and then by crouching behind
whatever object you’ve chosen to hide behind.
Got a cadaver that’s
giving you a cramp in the neck? Then pick up the body and dispose of it however
you please. Hide it in the shadows, dump it behind a large pillar, or be bold
and place it right under the enemy’s nose. Whatever happens, you’ll have fun
messing with the bodies, as well as the game’s other additions.
The Twin Snakes is using
a two-year-old engine (the same one that powered Sons of Liberty), but when a
game looks this good, who cares how old the technology is! Solid Snake’s
character model is packed with polygonal detail. His face is eerily realistic,
complete with great skin texture and intricate facial details (mouth, eyes,
ears, nose, etc.). Even his hair looks good, though it isn’t as free-flowing as
in other GameCube titles.
Surrounding Solid Snake
is a number of impressive backgrounds. Each one is comprised of different
environments, both indoor and outdoor. The realism here is also quite high, and
is especially convincing thanks to the stellar shadow and lighting job that
Konami has done. The interactivity is great too – try using your gun to knock
out a light or to blast some useless object in the background. Hideo Kojima is
not one to overlook a realistic element just because it isn’t necessary to make
a game good. And after having it in Metal Gear Solid 2, I couldn’t imagine
playing a remake of the first game that didn’t have all of MGS2’s nuances. They
definitely made the right choice to include them here.
One of the reasons for
Metal Gear Solid’s critical acclaim was because of its intriguing story, which
was told with some of the most professional voice acting ever recorded for a
video game. The talented cast, which includes one of the writers of the X-Men
movies, David Hayter, is top-notch. Rarely do the English voice actors compare
to the stars of the Japanese version, but in this case, our version is actually
better! Not to discredit the Japanese actors – they did a great job. But the
English voice actors’ performance is just about perfect. You can really feel
their emotion, especially at the end of the game when things come together and
the story becomes even more serious. It boarders on emotional, and if a
slightly different path had been taken, it could have probably made many a gamer
cry. Who knows — it might have anyway. The characters in this game have a lot
of pain and suffering, but it isn’t on the emotional level of Final Fantasy VII.
Gamers should liquidate
their assets to get this game. (Assuming they knew how great it was and they
had no other funds available.) Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is the perfect
game to complement your GameCube collection. It’s entirely different from
anything Nintendo offers, yet still has Nintendo-quality gameplay. The story
had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end – and I already knew what
was going to happen! I was lucky to have forgotten some of it, making the
revelations a bit more surprising. There are some new elements, too, but I’m
not about to give them away.
Gameplay: 9.5
Underneath all of
these improvements is the original game that made Solid Snake a household name
among five million PSone owners. It was the best in the genre on PSone, and now
it has become the best spy game on the ‘Cube.
It’s
boiling over with excitement. The gameplay is as good as it gets. I love
Splinter Cell, but when it comes to tactical espionage action, THIS is where
it’s at. That alone is all Metal Gear Solid needs to be great, but Hideo
Kojima, having a love of movies and wishing that he too could direct them, made
Metal Gear Solid like an interactive film. The all-new movie sequences are
better than most of the over-hyped motion pictures released in theaters each
year.
There
are only two downsides to The Twin Snakes. 1) It’s way too short. Are you
surprised? You shouldn’t be. Games of this quality are rarely long. But that
comes with the territory. This is an interactive movie, remember? And movies
aren’t long. My advice is that you don’t let the length stop you from buying
it, since it has a tremendous amount of replay value. Enjoy it while it lasts
the first time around, and have fun playing through it again. See how quickly
you can sneak past the guards on the second time around, and see if you can get
through the game without dying. That’ll definitely keep you busy for a while.
2) The
GameCube controller. It wasn’t designed to handle a game like this. You’ll get
used to it in time, but the lack of analog face buttons makes it impossible to
aim without firing. In Sons of Liberty could depress the Square button to aim,
and then slowly remove your thumb to lower your weapon. In The Twin Snakes, the
only way to avoid firing a weapon is by clicking the R button to un-equip the
weapon.
Graphics: 9
Have you seen
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty? What, you mean you haven’t? Then you
must’ve been living under a rock for the past two years (or perhaps a giant
cube?). Either way, The Twin Snakes looks gorgeous.
Sound: 9.5
Stellar music
(consisting of remixed tracks with hints of MGS2) and movie-quality voice acting
make MGS: The Twin Snakes an instant classic.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Looking for a
challenge? The Twin Snakes gives GameCube owners the chance to experience the
challenging masterpiece that broke sales records and won countless awards when
it was released in 1998. The guards are hilariously stupid, but the puzzles and
boss battles will test your brainpower, as well as your sneak-and-attack skills.
Concept: 7.9
Remakes don’t
necessarily deserve a high score for concept. However, The Twin Snakes includes
more subtle additions than a diehard MGS fan could ask for. They’re the kinds
of things that I can’t describe without spoiling the fun; the kinds of things
that will only be appreciated by gamers who played through the PSone version, as
well as its PS2 sequel.
Overall: 9
The Twin Snakes
is as solid as a tactical espionage action game can get. This remake belongs
next to the Resident Evil remake, which to this day stands as being one of the
best GameCube releases. Resident Evil was so much more than a remake, and so is
this. The Twin Snakes has all of the unique levels of the original and features
the same intriguing storyline. Best of all, it has all of the gameplay
mechanics of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. It doesn’t quite feel the
same performing every action with the GameCube controller, but you’ll get over
it. Nintendo loyalists: if you have never played through Metal Gear Solid
before, now is the time to do it. PlayStation loyalists: if you’ve played
through MGS on the PSone, you can’t miss this GameCube remake.
