My Thoughts: Metal Gear Solid 3

The Guardian of Screwattack writes: "Metal Gear fans aren't going to like what I have to say."

[GamersRulz]

you shouldn't start off the series by playing MGS3, it's the biggest mistake you can ever do.

[49erguy]

I'd say the opposite. Arguably the best game in the series and the first chronologically is the best place to start. If he didn't like MGS3. the others won't do much to convince him because SOMEHOW after playing he doesn't care about Big Boss. I didn't think that was possible after playing MGS3, but it looks like this person thought nothing of the story or characters.

[BitbyDeath]

"I'd say the opposite. Arguably the best game in the series and the first chronologically is the best place to start"

I disagree, if you start straight at 3 then you will not understand all the complex relationships the characters have which are explained in 1 & 2. (Particularly Revolver Ocelot who is my favourite character)

You will not get the full emotion of the game by only having played 3.

[NukaCola]

It is best play them in order, but you can play them in any order if you choose, however youa really shouldn't play MGS4 before you play all the others. MGS4 is such a fan service to the series and a lot of people who played it this gen without playing any MGS before, are completely confused. So save the ending for the end.

[49erguy]

@BitbyDeath

I see what you're saying, but MGS3 was my first and it was immediately the best game I'd ever played at the time. Besides, Big Boss' story stands on its own. I'd say he would have more of a connection to 1 and 2 after playing 3. Seeing who Ocelot was, why he decided to move to a revolver, etc.

[morganfell]

@GamersRulz,

I think it is the second biggest mistake. The biggest would be MGS4. But you are correct. You might as well watch The The Phantom Menace as your first foray into the world of Star Wars.

His comments are a compendium that demonstrate he should be doing anything except writing about games.

"The rest of the soundtrack wasn't all that memorable." I am not even going to comment on that ridiculousness.

His remarks concerning the VO work of Suzetta Minet prove he was simply looking for an excuse.

Forget it, I am through. If I go through this article correcting his mistakes line by line I'll need far more room and time than he took with the game. The fact he has yet to play the game on hard is an indicator.

But the biggest red flag of all is the fact this is the first time he has played the game. I can't say enough about the stupidity this entails.

Look, as a game reviewer one needs to be thorough. But one also should be well versed in your own craft. That means there are some series so legendary that you should have played them in order to insure you have the breadth and depth required of a well informed game journalist. The HALO Series, FF Series, Zelda series, and Metal Gear series just to name a few.

And if he is a beginning journalist, and every remark this person makes reeks of a sophomore's view, well come back when you've grown up enough to sit at your news desk without a booster seat.

[SaiyanFury]

While I wouldn't say it's a capital gaming crime, I started the series on the 3rd game. Before that one, the series had always been kind of obscure to me. I'd either not heard of it, or just not paid attention. A friend of mine was really into the third game, and I aroused my curiosity. I played it and was blown away. So I bought the 2nd game, and then the first. Obviously not the best way to play the series, but I did come to understand the complexities involved in it. Sure, playing the series chronologically is the ideal way to play it. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

[NateCole]

I agree in a way. The thing is i always thought of Big Boss as the devil incarnate from what i gathered from MGS1,MGS2 and what i read from the previous games on NES.

So it was a suprise to play as him in MGS3. Originally i had huge reservations about playing as Big boss when it was announced that MGS3 is a prequal however when i played it completely blew my mind. Everything finally made sense from his perspective which was further reinforced in MGS4.

[JAMurida]

Wait... What?

I started on MGS 3 and had no problem. In fact, it made me want to get the MGS 1 remake on Gamecube and so on to see how the story went.

Not to mention, MGS 3 is technically the first part of the series. If you wanna play it in chronological order, (3, Peacewalker, 1, 2, 4), I think it went like that.

[ZBlacktt]

MGS3 is the best when it comes to the series and fan votes. You also have to consider the game came out back in 2004. Back in the PS2 days as you said in your write up. So back then, it was SO ahead of it's time if you stop and look at the games details.

If you planned on playing the game this late after it's come out. You should have waited a few more weeks when it gets re release in the MGS HD Collections. Then it will be more up to date with HD polished looking graphic's.

The game is not for everyone that's for sure. The story is deep but so is it's fan base in number's. Notice how still nothing to this day has touch MGS4's first day sales record for the PS3? Some 1.4 million sold day one. This was back when the PS3 was still $499 and $599 in price. It raised console sells up 4003% as well. The game is still talked about daily as just wow, was that bad a$$!

[Man In Black]

Ah, I loved this game so much, even more than MGS2. Must've replayed it at least 10 times, it was that awesome. Can't wait for the HD version. The last few hours are among the best in gaming.

[Imalwaysright]

Even by today's standards i can honestly say that MGS3 imo is definitely the best game ever made and what sets MGS3 apart from all the other games is the story and most importantly its unique and charismatic characters. Yep MGS3 is my favorite game because of its characters! Its not the gameplay( wich is great) but the care and thought that Kojima put into making those characters and the interaction between them that makes MGS3 full of memorable moments.

That is why a game like Gears 3 with beutiful graphics, visceral gameplay, awesome online but horrid story, dialogs and forgetable characters imo should never get more than 9/10 or GOTY awards. If youre not even trying to do it right whats the point of doing it at all?

[49erguy]

Gameplay wise I can understand EXACTLY why someone would hate MGS- its not for everyone. In terms of story, Solid Snake's can get a little to weird for some, but Big Boss' story is among the best in gaming. THE best if you ask me.

[Kurt Russell]

Gameplay wise, I always put off playing them. Took me ages to play the 1st 3, and enjoyed every one of them... But yet I still haven't played 4 AND I DON'T KNOW WHY!

[bahabeast8619]

mgs aint for everyone its a game youve gotta get into the first one i played was mgs 4 loved it deep rich story telling great smoothe gameplay and sweet graphics i had to go back and play part one and two now that the collection is coming im gonna get them all :)

[Ocean]

Snake Eater is my personal fav out of MGS, MGS2, MGS3, MGS4....never got to play the 2 games from the 80's

[NateCole]

Best ending in any game bar none for me for sure

For me it really is hard to pick between MGS1,MGS3,MGS4.

MGS1 is how it started for me and it started the whole saga for me. It was new, bold and way ahead of its time. Even now when i play it its hard to imagine that it is a PS1 game when you compare to other PS1 games.

MGS3 and the tragic tales of the corbra's, the boss and naked snake really put alot of what i knew already into prespective.

MGS4 i pick slightly ahead of MGS1 and MGS3 because it brought everything together form the beginning to the end with flashbacks and similar locations from the previous games like the jungle, the unrban complexes and offcourse going back to Shadow mosses. I had goose bumps when i got to that stage because it brought back so many memories. The same with the jungle mission as i got the Russian forest vibe from MGS3.

All in all. To me its simply the best gaming series i have played.

[bahabeast8619]

mgs 1 graphics dose look wayyy better than other ps1 game i noticed that. and i played on my old ps1 still going strong after 14 years and loads of dust :)

[ZBlacktt]

I still own the both my PS1's and the very game I got Dec 26th 1998. Still own the VR Missions as well along with the LE MGS3. Which I never opened.

[P_Bomb]

Guy hates the ending cuz he couldn't relate. I thought it was a fantastic ending, one of the better ones out there. You see Big Boss seething at the US Government behind his teary salute, the seeds of revolt (that would later grow into Outer Heaven) are planted and continue to grow in Portable Ops & Peace Walker.

No need to directly relate to the politics & military chicanery anymore than I can relate to being a billionaire playboy in a bat costume, but as long as the charachters believe in their world and are truthful in their portrayals, I can empathise. I get it. Betrayal is a universal theme. Doesn't matter if the charachter is a space marine, a S.T.A.R.S member or an electrically charged bike courier.

[RankFTW]

MGS3 has such a sad ending, makes me cry every time :(.

[NateCole]

The author is an idiot for not getting the ending. Then again he doesn't really know the full history.

Spoliers

After all the crap Big Boss went through he realise later that he was betrayed by the people that he worked for.

Big Boss is a solder through and through and always does what he is ordered to do. However he is not a machine and as a solider he couldn't accept the fate of what has befallen his mentor the boss especailly the way the she had to die and what will become of her legacy. No solider should ever be treated the way the boss was treated including her legacy. Hench outer heaven and Big boss ideals.

The Boss will go down in hsitory as a traitor that almost cause nuclear annihilation even though she was sacrificed to prevent one by dying by the hands of her star pupil willingly knowing this. It really is a tragic story.

When he was receiving his medals you can see how disillusioned he was about everything especially the authority.

What really brought it home for me was the final salute and the single tear drop in the end. To me it wasn't about revenge or hate of the authority.

Its was about honoring the bravest, selfless and greatest patriot/solider/mentor/friend he had and missed with a resolve to never let any injustice like it happen to any soldier again.

[EazyC]

lol at this version of the MGS 3 theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[sasuke99]

mgs FTW!

[cooperdnizzle]

MGS is the best series ever made! My favorite would have to be MGS4, with mgs3 right behind it. Might even say that i like them equally, the only thing is i have beat msg4 like 15 16 times, and have only beat mgs3 like 5 6 times. So something that msg4 did made me keep going back and back. The worst of them was msg2, but i would still put it as one of my favorite games of all time. That should tell just how good the series really is. That the worst game of the series is still better than some of the "Best games ever made" In the public eye. MGS FTW.