Review: Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)

Oh, the pleasures of being a European gamer. Patience is not simply a virtue; it's a bona-fide requirement. So it comes as little surprise that the enhanced, expanded edition of Metal Gear Solid 3 arrives an epic seven months after its North American debut. The question is, can Subsistence, even with its battery of bonus features and a previously limited-edition movie disc, make up for the delay or attract those who shelled out for Snake Eater in the first place?

The bulk of the game's playing time for many will be spent with the first disc, a tweaked version of MGS3: Snake Eater with a new third-person camera. Providing full control proves to be a boon compared with the original release's fixed viewpoint, but not perhaps as much of a godsend as expected. While useful in the jungle areas, its limited field of view proves trying; switching between old and new camera is something quickly picked up. Even then, many of the old flaws remain, from the cumbersome camouflage system to the trial-and-error feel of many sections. The game may be spotted with genius, and goes out with one of the finest closing acts in recent memory, but despite the changes it by no means promises to make a fan out of previous doubters. With clear times for experienced players ranging from 10 to 25 hours, it also stands as a lengthy trip through familiar ground for long-time fans, and one that many will find unappetising.

A much more novel thrill awaits elsewhere. The Persistence disc, where the bulk of the bonus material lies, contains Metal Gear Online. An almost perfect translation of Metal Gear gameplay into the online arena, it also provides a convincing, if small, reason to sign up for Sony's online service. Notably slim on community options - a Friends list and Blacklist, search functions and a forum on the official website - it feels like a teasing glimpse of what will appear on Metal Gear Solid 4's multiplayer mode. Play modes are simple and addictive: Capture sees the usual flag target replaced with a frog, Rescue sees you attempting to guard or capture a plastic duck, and traditional Team and Solo deathmatch options are all present if hardly ground-breaking.

A truer showcase of the online potential lies in the Sneaking Mission mode, pitting one player as Snake against a troop of player-controlled guards in a test of how effective his bizarre choice of sneaking inventory is against real people. And effective it is - few moments in gaming can be as satisfying as slipping past seven people disguised as a cardboard box. Even being on the other side is uniquely exciting, with defending players switching from cautious patrol to a breathless scramble as Snake makes his presence felt. The sense of camaraderie and respect is infectious, and supported by the ease of communication with other players (any quick-message is two button presses away, and in an excellent move, players can salute friend and foe alike with a single button-press). With such considerate additions, and an enviable amount of polish, it remains hard to believe that this is Kojima Productions' first online title.

As the adverts say, that's not all; optimised, fully-translated ports of Hideo Kojima's first two Metal Gear titles are also available. Metal Gear may prove tedious at points, but Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake remains enthralling. Fans of the Game Boy title Metal Gear: Ghost Babel will feel right at home. While the remaining bonuses (extra cut-scenes, Boss Rush modes and Snake Vs Monkey) have been available to Snake Eater veterans for some time, their inclusion rounds off an impressive package with aplomb.

Shame, then, that the last piece of the Subsistence puzzle is a damp squib. The extra-special Existence disc, limited to Special Edition copies of Subsistence in the US and Japan and currently making double its RRP at auction, is essentially a Metal Gear movie. The Snake Eater game's cut-scenes, Codec dialogue and additional narration have been edited together with gameplay footage, and it purports to allow players who can't finish the game to enjoy the plot. It could be considered Hideo Kojima's cinematic debut - and it's awful.

The editing is below the par of even the worst TV melodramas, the dialogue's wooden nature amplified when placed to the fore, and the entire experience is delivered not in full-screen glory, but in the same odd letterbox format as the game uses. Any semblance of sense that can be pulled from the game's already complex narrative gets hammered to pieces, and the action scenes are invariably talked over in order to explain the preceding character monologue or dry exposition. The only real bonus is the included MGS4 E3 2005 trailer, again in letterboxed form.

So, the reconciliatory package Konami has delivered us isn't really particularly special; but is MGS3: Subsistence actually worth the delay? Perhaps. As a document of the series past, present and future, it stands tall, and will prove essential for many. But for those without access to online play, especially those players unconvinced by the almost monotonous pace that the main game develops, there may be few reasons to return. Highlighting the series' flaws as much as it celebrates its genius, Subsistence proves to be a very slippery customer indeed. You have been warned.

Rating: 8 / 10

Words by Colin Whiteside