Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GameCube) Preview

By James H. 01.01.2004

Earlier this year, 'Cube fans were treated to a very stealthy game from an unlikely source- Ubi Soft. This game took the form of Splinter Cell, a gadget enhanced, deeper story and graphically far supreme iteration of Metal Gear Solid. Many saw this and straight away were enthralled with its captivating, spectacular graphics, its unique and enhanced gameplay and the option to play as a very cool member of the secret service of America, Sam Fisher and bought the game. So, then can Metal Gear Solid retake its once dominant crown?

No collaborationists here! Helping the enemy, and cooperating with them is not something you want to be doing, giving away clues as to information and the whereabouts of yourself is not a good thing to do. Stealth is the game- and Solid Snake is the name.

Originally, entitled simply Metal Gear Solid, the first game on the Playstation the game is the Gamecube's first Metal Gear game. Receiving a massive graphical upgrade, tweaking gameplay elements and much more can only be good for the series. Straight from the very start of the game, the graphical upgrade that the title has received becomes very prominent. The start up screen looks much more crisp and polished along with Solid Snake himself who looks much more realistic and impressive when in comparison with the original, bland Playstation model. The games cinematic sequences are diverse and original, thankfully making the game seem much newer though as the game is still in relatively early development the graphics don't look totally finished. Textures on walls, objects, rooms and landscapes still look identical though, we expect this should all be drastically improved for the release day.

Screenshot for Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on GameCube

Such features showing this are the way Solid Snake's hair sways in the air, resembling that of the Playstation 2 games. The landscapes and areas that Solid Snake will have to infiltrate the strong hold of his ex-comrades in the cold, snow-covered lands of Alaska. Though, the graphics have been promised a full overhaul, this is yet to be finished, which is why the graphics from the current screens look rather old. Each area of the parts you are to infiltrate are poorly rendered already though Silicon Knights are promising to have all this improved to the Gamecube's standard of graphics.

Screenshot for Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on GameCube

The game starts you off deep into the Alaskan lands, slowly approaching the well-built, heavily guarded strong hold. You are unarmed and you have no clear means of how or where to begin infiltrating the base. Finding your way around the edge perimeters of the base takes a fair amount of time, then working out and memorizing the repetitive motions and sights of the Patrol Cameras and the Security Forces takes a while as well. The gameplay isn't tedious, in anyway unlike Splinter Cell and some other stealth and espionage based games but the slow to steady pace of the game makes everything seem that bit more rewarding when completed. Initially, once inside the base you will have to begin the often daunting process of moving from room to room filled with strategically placed cameras and men. Again, these can be viewed often as a puzzle, taking out one guard may let you reach the door safely, though they may be watched or followed by a camera making the gameplay much harder and providing you with a challenge. These rooms would often be very near to impossible to complete were it not for the presence of the line of site feature.

Screenshot for Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on GameCube

Aside from the sufficient graphical upgrade, Gamecube gamers will also be treated to some new stealthy abilities to be used by the Snake himself. The environments have been slightly edited to suit new aspects of play such as hiding in lockers when hiding is the only option, clambering across high ledges to get a stealthy view of the goings on of the above floor and for a first person shooting perspective letting you shoot much more manually.

As Silicon Knights have proved before with there latest work on the Gamecube, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, we have all seen their wonderful and talented, unique abilities for creating very impressive visuals to create sudden and shocking effects. Eventually, Metal Gear Solid should and will look near on par or better even than Eternal Darkness possibly surpassing that of the two Playstation 2 Metal Gear Solid games graphically.

Screenshot for Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on GameCube

Final Thoughts

At its time, this was one of the best games, now, many years later Konami are once again hoping to redefine the stealth genre with the same title, only with updated graphics, whole new aspects to the gameplay engine and the original game itself to be able to release a Gamecube Metal Gear Solid within short time constraints. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is looking set to be a game very worthy of you spending your money.

Developer

Konami

Publisher

Nintendo

Genre

Adventure

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  9/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  10/10 (11 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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