Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Released in the fall of 1998, Metal Gear Solid (a next-gen revival of the classic Metal Gear) represented a true masterpiece of its time. Hideo Kojima's stealth gameplay concepts were new and fun; the story was deep and thrilling; and its themes, from government conspiracy to nuclear tensions, made the game startlingly meaningful.

It was followed three years later with Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and while MGS2 pushed the envelope with even more gameplay innovation and provided a new story, it couldn't (indeed little could) contend with the powerful plot and theme of the original. With that in mind, Silicon Knights remade the first Metal Gear Solid for Gamecube - but took parts of MGS2 with it.

The story (left completely untouched from the Playstation MGS) puts retired FOXHOUND special operative Solid Snake in a secret mission on Shadow Moses island, Alaska. A terrorist organization made up of other FOXHOUND members has taken over the nuclear disposal facility on Shadow Moses, and threatens to make an attack in 24 hours unless their mysterious demands are met. Snake must use his stealth sneaking and combat skills to prevent catastrophe. Full of interesting characters, innovative story elements, and dramatic plot twists, the story of Metal Gear Solid is certainly not second fiddle to the gameplay. It could be said, however, that the game puts too much of the spotlight on the story; a significant portion of Twin Snakes, perhaps more than half (or at least what seems like it), is purely cutscene.

Twin Snakes' gameplay is gleaned more from MGS2 than its predecessor, incorporating advanced stealth tactics and abilities invented to up the ante on the original. The name of the game is stealth, first and foremost, and though Snake can punch, kick, and shoot with the best of them, his best weapon is still silence. The goal is to get through a number of areas (mostly large indoor rooms, but some sections are outside, like a snowy field), and though you could pick a fight with everything in your way, it's usually more beneficial to sneak around it - especially since rations are limited. Utilize a number of items and techniques, from tranquilizer shots and camera-disabling grenades to crawling along the ground or hugging the wall; and, since the enemy AI (which can be remarkably intelligent in higher difficulties) will respond to seeing fallen comrades, you can even stow bodies in secluded rooms or lockers. There are really a bevy of stealth concepts, and using them all to your benefit is the heart of the MGS challenge.

Graphically, Twin Snakes is - for the most part - pretty gorgeous. Facial and clothing details, falling snow, even explosions all look good. The cutscenes are directed wonderfully, if a bit larger than life at times (in addition to being fairly long), and the in-game graphics are just about flawless. The game's soundtrack isn't too prevalent; the only thing it's really good for is staying out of the way - forgettable tunes don't distract you from your sneaking. Sound effects sound good, and most of the voice-overs are excellent (though Snake's consistently husky voice could get on your nerves).

In the replay department, Twin Snakes has three distinct offerings: collectibles, difficulties, and miscellany. Various enemies in the game have dog tags you can collect, and there are certain places in which you can take a picture, and a ghost image of an MGS developer will appear; these collectibles have no reward but accomplishment. Twin Snakes has a variety of difficulty settings which can become quite challenging - one option, for instance, gives you a game over as soon as Snake is detected. Other things include two endings (depending on a choice you make mid-game) and unlockables for completing the game a certain number of times.

Though it has solid (pardon the pun) gameplay and an intriguing and well-written story, MGS:TS is not without flaws - some writing errors remain in the script, some parts of the game just seem awkward ("wacky game" moods conflict with "serious drama" themes), and, not to overstress the point, but the cutscenes are far too long and too frequent. In the end, if you've already enjoyed Metal Gear Solid, MGS:TS is little more than a novelty; but if you're a devoted Metal Gear fan, or if you've never played MGS, Twin Snakes is definitely a worthy play.

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