Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes Updated Impressions, Part 2

By Greg Kasavin, GameSpotPosted Feb 9, 2004 5:32 pm PT

We delve deeper into the near-final build of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid remake, and we answer your questions about what to expect from the game.

Recently, we took you on an up-close-and-personal look at Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, which is the soon-to-be-released GameCube-exclusive remake of 1998's classic tactical espionage action game. We invited you to send us any remaining questions that you had regarding how the game has finally shaped up. We've used all your questions to shape a series of updates, which, in piecemeal fashion, address the main issues you all brought up. If you're a hardcore MGS fan, we've got all the dirt you really want to know. And if you're not a hardcore MGS fan, then approach with caution, because we'll occasionally discuss some of the specifics about the plot and characters here, which you may not want to have revealed.

Today, we'll take a look at the graphics and sound in this highly anticipated remake. Stay tuned throughout the week for further impressions of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes.

At a glance, The Twin Snakes looks about as good as MGS2, but it's not quite as detailed.

The Truth About the Graphics
We received the most inquiries about the ins and outs of the game's graphics. That's understandable, because 1998's Metal Gear Solid was a graphical masterpiece for its time, as was 2001's Metal Gear Solid 2. The incredibly stylish and lifelike visuals of these games contributed to their atmosphere and cinematic flair. So, some MGS fans are a little concerned by reports that The Twin Snakes' frame rate isn't perfectly smooth and that its visuals, while good, aren't exactly jaw-dropping. Anyway, let's get to your questions.

Regarding the game's frame rate, does it dip in certain, specific instances, as in Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for the Xbox, or do frames drop seemingly at random? Is it smooth more often than not? The answer is yes, the frame rate is perfectly smooth more often than not, which is why the frame drops are noticeable in the specific instances in which they occur. Frame drops happen when certain particle effects are onscreen, such as while fighting Liquid Snake's Hind chopper; when multiple enemies are onscreen and firing, such as after reinforcements have come in to attack you; and in certain areas, such as on the top floor of the communication tower, where you can see some of the floors beneath you. The frame rate drops from a smooth 60 down to around 30 or fewer, in some cases. This is slightly disruptive to the gameplay experience, as frame rate drops tend to be, but it's admittedly a nitpicky issue, and it's certainly not a huge deal. The frame rate drops, let's say, about 5 percent of the time during play. Will Silicon Knights fix these issues before the game ships? We don't know, but since we're basing this assessment on a near-final build deemed acceptable for review, our best guess is that they won't.

The character models are about on par with those seen in Sons of Liberty.

How about other graphical issues? Some fans are wondering about aliasing problems, as in when you see a jagged stepladder effect on diagonal lines. Aliasing is noticeable in some scenes, but then again, it's still an issue with many games. It didn't bother us here. What about the cinematic filter effects from the original Metal Gear Solid, which extensively used motion blur during its cutscenes? There isn't much in the way of motion blur here, but some other effects--such as for the ninja's and Otacon's stealth camouflage and the heat shimmer in the blast furnace area of the game--look quite good. There are no bump mapping or other high-end graphical effects here to speak of. Characters don't cast per-pixel shadows, so don't expect to see a guard's shadow come creeping out from around a corner as you could in MGS2. As mentioned, some other graphical effects are lifted straight from MGS2, such as guard animations, explosions, and blood effects.

Some other notes about the graphics: Although the character models are about on par here with those of Metal Gear Solid 2, the environments aren't as detailed. Textures can be pretty blurry when viewed up close, and the level of peripheral detail isn't as high as in MGS2, in which you could do such things as shoot over an ice bucket and watch the individual ice cubes melt. Here, by comparison, you can shoot at certain computer screens, and they won't show any signs of damage. The environments weren't that spectacular in the original MGS--where the game took place entirely in what looked like an industrial complex--so don't expect them to look too much more exciting here.

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