Videogame Reviews

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Platform: Sony PlayStation 2
Publisher: Konami
1 Player
ESRB Rating: Mature, recommended for ages 17 or older.

Metal Gear Solid 3 is a prequel in the MGS franchise and chronologically the first game in the Metal Gear franchise. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is a re-release of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater with several additional features and enhancements.

Difficulty levels to choose from include Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Extreme, and European Extreme.

In 1962, a Soviet Scientist defected to the West, Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov. One week after Sokolov's defection, it was discovered that the Soviets were constructing missile bases in Cuba, this incident would later be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. With the threat of nuclear war imminent, the crisis was prevented through negotiations between the US and Soviet leaders. It was only on one condition that the Soviets would pull out of Cuba: Sokolov was to be sent back to the Soviet Union. The US government agreed, but failed to realize that Sokolov was to be the designer of a secret nuclear weapon.

In August 1964, the CIA finally realized the dire consequences that could result if this weapon was completed. On August 24th, a lone soldier is sent to Sokolov's research facility, located to the south of the great Soviet fortress of Groznyi Grad, to rescue Sokolov. Backed by radio support from afar, the soldier goes into enemy territory alone. This man's code name is Naked Snake.

The screen layout during gameplay consists of equipped weapons that are displayed at the bottom right, equipped items on the bottom left, the Stamina Gauge and LIFE Gauge which remain at the top left of the screen, and the Camo Index located in the upper right corner. None of these appear during cut scenes. Pressing the start button will open the Survival Viewer which can be accessed at anytime during gameplay. It allows players to change their camouflage, eat food, perform medical treatment, change game settings, and view a map of their current location.

The Stamina Gauge is a big part of this game, if players let the gauge drop very low it will start to have negative effects on Snake's performance, such as a slow LIFE recovery rate. To replenish the Stamina Gauge, players must find and catch food. After shooting or tranquilizing an animal or a certain plant, it will then “pop up” as an item box which players can pick up, an animal will then appear under the “Food” menu in the Survival Viewer. Plants which are used for medicine are automatically added to the stock of items in the “Cure” menu. The Camo Index displays a percentage to inform players of how effective their current uniform and choice of face paint blends in with the environment. The higher the index, the less noticeable Snake will be to enemies.

If Snake is hit by a powerful attack, he will be wounded. When wounded, the LIFE Gauge will display a red meter. In order to treat the wounds, players must go into the “Cure” menu and use a variety of medical items. Depending on how one plays the game will determine just how many times they will need to bother going to the “Cure” menu to heal Snake. The cure system can sometimes be more bothersome to deal with than just disregarding the wounds altogether and interrupts time that could be spent playing the game if curing wasn't an option. The LIFE Gauge will also drain if Snake becomes poisoned or sick but otherwise will replenish naturally over time, but the speed in which it replenishes depends on how full the Stamina Gauge is.

Although the overhead view has been present since the first MGS game, the camera seemed to be worse in Snake Eater due to it's jungle setting. Subsistence adds an additional option to switch the perspective to Snake's back and control the camera using the right analog stick. This third-person view makes it much easier for players to see what's happening around them, but at certain areas this angle can be obtrusive as well. This is resolved by allowing players to toggle between third person and the normal view by pressing down on the R3 button.

A new component not in previous Metal Gear games is the ability to use CQC (Close Quarters Combat) on enemies. After grabbing and capturing a nearby enemy, Snake can execute a variety of maneuvers, dealing damage to enemies, using them as human shields, or interrogating them for information. CQC can only be used with weapons that have "CQC" written in their weapon icon or with no weapons equipped at all. Of course players may also find it more efficient to sneak around or use their tranquilizer gun to avoid enemy detection.

Graphically speaking, Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of the greatest looking PlayStation 2 titles of all time, even surpassing MGS2's visuals by quite an amount. More details on character's expressions and the lush environments all add to the impressive graphics of MGS3. Some frame rate slowdown may be experienced, particularly in the jungle, but shouldn't last any longer than a few seconds. The soundtrack for MGS3 is quite excellent, setting the mood for the various events in the game. The sound effects also help to make the atmosphere feel very authentic.

Subsistence has a second disc which includes a mini-game entitled "Snake VS Monkey," where players control Snake and try to catch all the monkeys in each stage. There is also "Secret Theater" which has several parodies of cut scenes from MGS3. Also included on the second disc is Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake**, both of which are ports of their original MSX console version counterparts. Note: The second disc of Subsistence is not included in the Essentials Collection, and therefore does not have Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.

Metal Gear Solid 3 is an excellent addition to the MGS franchise and has a great balance of gameplay to cut scenes without making players feel overwhelmed. Those who were troubled by Snake Eater's camera should give Subsistence a play through. For fanatics of Metal Gear, the addition of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 is a good reason to buy this game, even for those who had already purchased Snake Eater. With a compelling story, great gameplay and an excellent soundtrack, this game should be hard for any Metal Gear fan to dislike.

* - Subsistence features an online mode that has been closed and is no longer available, therefore it is not discussed in this review.
** = Both Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake will be reviewed separately.

Category: PlayStation 2
Posted by Brukaoru at 10:03 PM | 0 comments  

WipEout Pure
Platform: Sony PlayStation Portable
Publisher: SCE
Single player, up to 8 Players online**
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Wipeout Pure is a racing game for the PlayStation Portable released in 2005 as a launch title for the PSP in North American territory.

Wipeout Pure is about high-speed, fast-paced futuristic racing. A variety of ships, tracks and speed classes await players in single and multiplayer modes. Their place on the start grid, the conditions of winning, the number of laps and the order of the races all depend on which game type players choose and what speed class they race at.

Wipeout has several difficulty levels or "classes" to choose from. The slowest speed class, Vector, is idea for beginners. The medium speed class, Venom, is suitable for players accustomed with Wipeout. The new fast speed class, Flash, provides a greater challenge for those who have mastered Venom. Rapier is intensely fast, this class is suitable for proficient players who have conquered Flash. (Both Flash and Rapier classes are locked initially).

Players are able to choose from a selection of different modes to play in. Whether they want to play a Single Race, race over a series of tracks in a Tournament, test their skills at a time trial, race in ever increasing speeds in the Zone mode, or explore tracks while their ship's energy is replenished in Free Play mode.

During races, players can run over pads to collect items and weapons or gain temporary boosts of speed during races by running over boost pads. In most game modes, players will have an energy bar which represents their ship's energy. If this is reduced to zero through collisions or weapons fire, their ship will be eliminated from the race. If players are running low on energy, they can absorb a pickup or weapon they are carrying and replenish their ship's energy. Different pickups will recover different amounts of energy. Choosing whether to fire or absorb pickups can sometimes be a tactical decision that can make all the difference at a crucial moment, this is especially true as the game's sophisticated artificial intelligence can make enemies in the game challenging to beat, even on easy difficulty settings. Occasionally players can leave the track via jumps. If players travel too far from the track, a recovery system will replace their ship on the track, but they will lose time in the process.

Winning medals is the basis to progressing in every single player mode except Free Play. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded for a top three position in single race and tournaments. Beating preset times in Time Trial will also reward players with a medal as will beating preset high scores in Zone mode. Medals are awarded per speed class (aside from Zone mode). Players can keep collecting medals to unlock hidden content and features.

The graphics for Wipeout Pure are impressive and still hold out to be one of the best looking PSP games even today. Each track provides a unique design that differs itself from others, providing an engaging course throughout every race. The frame rate is very consistent, only noticeably dropping when explosions occur. Loading times are quick, the longest being only about 13 seconds between races.

A good variety of music is presented in Wipeout Pure, with various electronica artists lending their songs to the soundtrack, providing an immersive atmosphere that will intrigue players while they play.

Wipeout Pure has sold very well and has been out long enough to reach Greatest Hits status, thus making the price of the game to be at $19.99 or less. At this price, it should be hard for anyone who likes racing games and has a PSP to pass on this game.


**Multiplayer mode allows up to 8 players to race together, however, this is a relatively old game so it's difficult (or impossible) to find anyone to play against. This being the case, the online mode is not discussed in this review.

*** - Quote was taken from the WipEout Pure game manual.

Category: PlayStation Portable
Posted by Brukaoru at 11:58 PM | 0 comments