Editor’s note: the opinions expressed in this editorial represent the views of the author, not Gamer Headlines as a whole. Major spoilers from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater are also included in this editorial. Enjoy!
Exactly 10 years ago today, the critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, and as a result, Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid creator and director, left a lasting impression on the gaming world with one of most revered titles of all time. There’s no better way of marking a 10-year anniversary than doing a retrospective on Snake Eater (well, except for playing game, of course), and I always felt that Kojima made the right decision by revisiting the origins of his illustrious franchise and, in the progress, created a compelling, enticing and emotional narrative from beginning to end.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is regarded by some people as one of the best installments from the franchise, but it was even more unique for how it allowed the opportunity to jump directly into the series without any prior knowledge of the complex universe Hideo Kojima had already created. The franchise started with the release of Metal Gear in 1987 for the MSX2, leaving Kojima to take a break with Solid Snake’s story (who had played the role of the main protagonist in every title until Raiden’s introduction in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty) and refresh the series by introducing a whole new generation of gamers to the origin story. Just as Kojima is looking to take a similar approach in the eagerly awaited Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain — with Big Boss’ coma allowing people to reconstruct events from his past, meaning that newcomers can grasp the story a little bit easier — Snake Eater was a rare opportunity to open new doors in the franchise and, more importantly, added important layers to a narrative that Kojima has continued to explore and develop to this date.
Set during the ‘hottest’ period of the Cold War (1960s), Metal Gear Solid’s history-infused narrative truly blossomed to its full potential in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, as Kojima reiterated the U.S.’ unstable relationship with the Soviet Union, all the while tying in with the universal MGS theme of an impending threat of all-out nuclear war. Watching Naked Snake, an agent of the CIA black ops unit FOX, perform “the world’s first HALO jump” into the Soviet Union’s sovereign territory still has me on the edge of my seat each time I watch it. The story was an emotionally-charged rollercoaster from beginning to end, and the character development was nothing short of outstanding. Furthermore, Kojima once again proved himself to be quite the wordsmith by delivering some truly inspirational speeches and memorable comments from specific characters, with one of my personal favourites said towards the end of the title: “There’s only room for one Boss and one Snake.”
The chemistry shared between Naked Snake and The Boss is still one of the best I’ve seen in gaming to date, and Kojima penned some of his finest work by making this mentor-disciple relationship so beautiful and dramatic. Kojima didn’t fall down the same avenue of adding a cliché love story between these two characters, instead he made this relationship more complex than anyone could imagine. Was she his love interest? Was Snake the only one who understood the solider mentality she had? Was this a relationship between two people that can never be perfectly labelled? Perhaps the latter is best question to ask, although people’s perceptions on the matter have demonstrated the phenomenal writing produced by Kojima, as he opted not to spoon-feed answers to his audience, rather they observe the distinct relationship these two characters shared and forge their own opinions. Not only that, Kojima made us pull the final trigger on The Boss after one of the most climactic boss battles I’ve witnessed, and the director would later demonstrate the profound impact it would have on Big Boss’ story arc in future installments.
From Major Zero talking to Snake on the codec about developing a snake-shaped weapon to Cynthia Harrell’s opening theme song of “Snake Eater” setting the tone of a James Bond-esque spy thriller, Hideo Kojima didn’t hesitate in using his quirky sense of humour and combining it with a true “Tactical Espionage Action” experience. Snake Eater was a huge leap forward for Kojima in terms of the new mechanics integrated in the gameplay, and it was an aspect he absolutely perfected. With the ability to hunt for food in order to replenish stamina, having to heal serious wounds inflicted by the enemy and selecting the right camouflage to blend in with the environment, it reiterated how much Kojima continues to refine and evolve this fundamental aspect in each installment.
Yoji Shinkawa, a man who needs no introduction for any MGS enthusiast, once again brought to life the unique characters Kojima had envisioned in Snake Eater, as the members of the Cobra Unit — The Pain, The Fear, The End, The Fury, The Joy (The Boss) and The Sorrow — were equally as distinct and memorable as the FOXHOUND squad he had designed in Metal Gear Solid 1. Aesthetically, the art direction in Snake Eater was a crucial area to concentrate a significant amount of attention towards, and Kojima went the extra mile by combining this with music. The vibrant colours of the jungle combined with the cries of wild animals or the rustling of brushes really did create the experience of actually being in that that environment. Snake Eater, like every over Metal Gear Solid installment, has certainly withstood the test of time with its impressive visuals, story, music and mechanics, with the title reinforcing this statement when it was re-released as part of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection and Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection.
One criticism I’ve always had for Snake Eater is the fact that voice actor David Hayter assumed the role of Big Boss. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always found Hayter’s performances to be delivered to the best of his ability, but as Kojima continued to explore Big Boss’ story in follow-up installments, the voice of Solid Snake should never have been the same as his father. Hayter sold the voice of Solid Snake so well due to the complex nature of the character — a pawn who was manipulated by the U.S. to eliminate his father and had no sense of direction (or purpose) in his life before the events of Metal Gear Solid — but Big Boss was the complete opposite of that during the beginning of Snake Eater.
During a recent AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) session on Reddit, Hayter summed up the key differences between Big Boss and Solid Snake as two different people, and his explanation reaffirms my belief that the voices should have been different — it would have also made the criticism towards Kiefer Sutherland, Big Boss’ voice actor in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, less harsh:
“Solid/Old [Snake] was a guy who was under government control and manipulation from the time of his birth.” He carried a lot more baggage and conflict from the beginning. Naked Snake, particularly in Snake Eater, was in the prime of his powers, and ready to conquer the world at the beginning of that game. It was only over time that he realized how f’ed his situation would be.”
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater has an enduing legacy for what it achieved in gaming, and I believe Kojima has continued to demonstrate his famous reputation with each title he has developed in the franchise. It’s truly mind-blowing to believe that it’s been 10 years since Snake Eater was released on the PlayStation 2, considering Kojima harnessed the full potential of the console’s software and the title still looks extremely polished. Whilst I sit here and wait for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain to be released — or, for that matter, a release date to be confirmed — Snake Eater reminds me of the sheer quality that the franchise has continued to produce with each installment.
