Metal Gear Solid 3 a name many will recognize, and many will consider to be the greatest title of any game ever released. The greatest game of all time has been revamped, remade and repolished by the lovely Hideo Kojima, but whether it shapes up to my high MGS3 standards is for this review to inform you.
Let's start with the good, shall we?
- Crouch walking - the very thing we yearned for in MGS2 that was realised in MGS4 has finally been added to MGS3, with the addition of this feature being one exclusive to this port. No longer do you have to crawl past guards to avoid detection, simply crouch and sneak at your leisure.
- The aiming - It used to be a tedious affair to switch between auto-aim, strafing and first-person aiming in MGS3, and MGS3: Subsistence. Thankfully, this port includes all three, and an aiming system inspired by Peace Walker in the over-the-shoulder stance; all easily switched by aiming, then choosing on the touch-screen.
- Loading times - the loading times in MGS3 weren't ever bad at all, nor were they in the HD collection. However, the loading times in the port are excelsior, incredibly fast and seamlessly allow for skipping cutscenes during Extreme playthroughs.
- The controls - I didn't think I'd state this initially, as due to owning a 2DS I was unable to play using the circle-pad pro. However, after twenty minutes I found myself accustomed to the new controller layout; the thumbstick moves Big Boss, the face buttons rotate the camera, the touchscreen controls the backpack, and the d-pad controls item management and Snake's stance. The shoulder buttons have now been used for aiming/shooting respectively, much like Peace Walker and MGS4.
- PhotoCamo - Ever wanted to play with flowers over Snake's back, or Patrick Bateman wielding his signature hatchet? Practically anything you photograph can be used as camo, and in a certain area with a certain female Boss, photographing an essay on Microsoft Word will grant you a 100% camo index. ;)
- Replayability - Despite only one save slot, Kojima has finally allowed for something MGS3 veterans have yearned for since its release. New Game +. No, I don't mean beating Normal Difficulty and being able to carry your unlocks over to Normal. No, when you beat the game you are given the option of choosing an "I like..." option once more, then you are able to choose your difficulty, complete with your previous playthrough's unlocks.
- Titles - MGS4 gave rise to a collection of titles, which was emulated and replicated in Peace Walker. This feature is back in MGS3D, only this time they give you hints as to what you need to do.
- Stats - You can now view status from across all playthroughs, your single current playthrough, and your game stats in general. For example, how many alerts you've earned, how many kills you've gotten. Etc. etc.
Now, onto the bad, or at least; not so stellar:
- The camera - it appears to be a hybrid of Snake Eater, and Subsistence's cameras. Causing comfort at one moment, then disorientation at another.
- Resolution - while the graphics look exceptional by 3DS standards, if a guard is far away, good luck landing that clean headshot you can easily pull off on consoles.
- No Metal Gear 1 and 2 - this would have been perfect, and would have enhanced the replay value of the game.
- No Metal Gear Online - for a 3DS that has integrated wifi, there was every bit a reason to include this.
- PhotoCamo takes far too long to intialize and set up with each saved image, though the rewards are wonderful..
Despite these minor flaws, I still stand by giving this game a 10/10, and can finally have my favourite game of all time with me wherever I go. I highly recommend you purchase this game as soon as possible.
In review:
Story: 10
Controls: 9
Sound: 10
Graphics: 10
Gameplay: 10
Replayability: 10
Total Score: 9.5/10