Retro Review: Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistance

So I was looking through my collection of games and realized that there are quite a few I have yet to finish.So I've decided to write blogs on my feelings and opinions of these games.Alot will be older games that have been out for awhile while there will also be plenty of new games as well.I'm gonna start today with Metal Gear Solid 3:Subsistance.This has been out for quite awhile but considering MGS4:Guns of the Patriots is about to hit I figured it was as good a time as any to talk about it.So here it is.

Metal Gear Solid 3:Subsistance




Metal Gear Solid 3:Subsistance was the first MGS game that I finished.I started but never finished MGS1 and MGS2:Substance.The thing that always threw me off was the camera.I didn't like the limited view that was given.I did enjoy the gameplay and story but in the end the camera would always ruin it for me.So when I found out about Subsistance and the addition of a fully controllable 3D camera I knew I had to get it.



I loved the jungle setting and survival aspects of the game.The gameplay was rocksolid and enjoyable almost all of the time.The only stumbling block was the overly cumbersome controls,but that was something that you got used to.All of the characters were amazing and the amount of variety in the bosses never ceased to amaze me.Alot of people complain about the long cutscenes but I enjoyed every last one of them.Even my wife who is not a gamer enjoyed watching me play solely for for the story cutscenes.
I played the game on hard difficulty and found it to be very challenging but never overly so.I never felt like I couldn't beat a boss,rather I just needed to find the proper strategy to do so.The graphics were amazing for any platform but especially so since it was a PS2 game.

The customizable camo system was great too.It really gave a sense of being in the jungle and trying to blend in with the enviroment.The goofier ones were great too.Although I did find that about halfway or so through the game I would just switch back and forth between the same two or three patterns.But overall the game was better with it and it added a new layer to the way you play MGS.



The online play was kind of hit or miss for me.While it did perform well and some of the gametypes were fun, I didn't find myself getting hooked.One reason was a lack of people that I knew personally playing the game.Everbody knows that having a group of friends that you know personally(or even folks that you have only met online but play with alot) can make just about any game fun.But since I didn't have anybody to play it with it didn't take long before I wasn't playing at all.But considering it was their first outing with online it was still a great addition to an already great game.
Overall my first (completed)MGS game was a homerun.I loved the game from start to finish and would recommend it to anyone.The addition of the controllable 3D camera made all the difference in the world.I also noticed that you could appreciate the graphics better with the new camera.This game is a classic and should have a place in anyone's game library.Now,if you'll excuse me I need to brush up on my MGS skills before Guns of the Patriots comes out.