A New Era Hideo Kojima has an interesting history of "retiring" after just about every Metal Gear installment.   He had no plans for the series after "Metal Gear".   There was a closure ending to "Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake".  "Metal Gear Solid" was supposed to be a one-time deal. And finally he accomplished the true form of the series with "Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty".   When time came to discuss MGS3, he offered to pass the director torch to someone new.   Nobody was willing to step up forcing Kojima back into the director's chair.  Yoji Shinkawa returned as the art director as well. "Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater" was unique in every aspect.   Vast majority of the game took place in outdoor surrounding with a stern focus on jungle survival.   It was also a prequel, dating back to the Cold War era of the 1960's with Big Boss as the controlled protagonist.  This installment aimed to explain the origin of the series and all the events that lead to the formation of Outer Heaven as seen in "Metal Gear".  The central theme of the game is SCENE.   MGS1 and MGS2 tackled the issues of GENE and MEME, what is passed on to the next generation, genetic and non-genetic.   MGS3 shows how these two factors are affected by time (SCENE) and the changes it brings.   What you believe and what you pass on is relative to the time frame you live in. Gameplay Features MGS3 makes a drastic change to the surroundings the Metal Gear series is accustomed to by switching from the futuristic man-made structures to the open outdoor settings.  There is a wide range of areas including forests, caves, rivers, lakes, and mountains; each one requires a different approach.  There are indoor locations present, but they are few and are towards the end of the game.  Usually Snake starts the game inside of the enemy base.   This time Kojima wanted to show the process of getting to the actual base by having Snake start out miles from his destination.  In addition, there is a wide range of daytime and weather conditions as the mission takes place over the course of several days.   This includes daytime (dawn to dusk), nighttime, and even rain conditions. The outdoor settings are directly connected to the new survival gameplay.   The "jungle" does not offer rations around every corner forcing Snake to hunt for his food.   So in addition to looking realistic, these locations are crawling with small animals such as frogs, birds, mice, rabbits, fish, crabs, birds, snakes, and many others; all of which can be hunted for food.   However, some of the wildlife can fight back; poisonous snakes, a lake full of crocodiles, and even wild goats that like their personal space.  Mountain Condors will actually come down and begin to eat the bodies of the soldiers you kill.   Certain animals can be used as weapons against the enemies.   Releasing a poisonous snake or dropping a hornets' nest near guards can provide a good distraction.   Feeding poisonous or rotten food will weaken the soldiers as well.   This technique can even be used on one of the boss characters.  Another new feature is the Camouflage System.   Snake uses different pattern uniforms and faces paints to blend into his surroundings.   A very heavy emphasis is placed on this feature, including several boss fights.   The level of effectiveness of the disguise is shown in a small percentage meter on the screen.   The higher the number, the more concealed Snake is.   Walking instead of running, crawling instead of walking, slow crawl over fast crawl; all of these affect the percentage number.  There are other camouflages and face paints that can be found along the way including boss battles.   It is possible to defeat all the boss characters using only the tranquilizer and stun attacks to drain their stamina bars instead of health.   Doing so will reward the player with a special use camouflage from each boss.  The special uses vary from having a Soviet flag on the front that stops the Russian soldiers from firing to stamina draining active camouflage.  When hiding in the water, a Croc Hat can be worn to disguise as a crocodile.  A small Online features is added where the players can download and save camouflages from the official website. Major changes in MGS3 were the introductions of the Stamina Bar and the Cure Mode.  In the past when Snake was injured he would eat a ration and restore the health bar.   This time consumption of food restores the stamina instead, which in turn will increase the rate of recovery of the health bar.   The stamina drops the more active Snake is.  The less stamina he has the slower his health will recover and the first person aim of weaponry will worsen (with hands getting shaky).   Once the stamina drops to the half point, Snake's stomach will make growling noises.    Eating rotten or poisonous food will slowly drain the health bar.  At this point the player can either use the medicine or just spin Snake around which will make him throw up.   The new Cure Mode enables the player to treat injuries directly.   When entering this mode the menu options will be filled with medical items and tools; splints, disinfectants, stitches, antidotes, and others.  Injured parts of the body will be highlighted with indicators on the types of injuries; fractured bones, burns, bullet wounds, blood-sucking leaches, and poisonings.  Replenishment for the medical items can be found in medical boxes as well as various plants in the forest.  Curing the wounds will not restore the health bar, but it will allow it to heal faster.   There is an item called Life Medicine that will restore life directly, but those are fairly rare in the game and are hard to find.  As with the previous installments, there are secret items available upon completing the game.  Simply finishing a single run though will unlock the infinite ammo Patriot gun (from the final boss fight), a camera, a tuxedo outfit, and a Revolver handgun.  If you manage to capture the secret Tsutchinoko snake and keep it through to the end of the game the Infinity Ammo face paint is unlocked (works the same way as the Bandanna in the previous games).   Shooting all of the toy Kerotan Frogs (one in every area of the game) or beating the game without setting off any alerts will unlock the Stealth Cammo.  "Snake Eater" includes a mini-game called "Snake vs Monkey" in which Solid Snake (not the MGS3 protagonist Naked Snake/Big Boss) has to catch "Ape Escape" style monkeys.  In addition to containing tongue-in-cheek humor with Roy Campbell, bonus items usable in the main game can be unlocked by progressing through various stages. Abilities and Enemy AI All the general abilities return from MGS2 with some additions and modifications.   In addition to running and walking the new Stalking motion is introduced with Snake taking slow and noise-reducing steps to get close to guards.   While in the Hanging Mode the player now has the option to aim and fire a weapon.   Swimming under water or crawling through tall grass automatically switches the camera into First Person view mode.  Snake can now roll a barrel to knockout an enemy patrol.  In certain locations there are stationary guns which can now be operated and used against the enemy.  While running, Snake retains his ability to do a forward roll.   In addition, he can slam an enemy to the ground (instant KO) while running up to them.  The traditional punch-punch-kick combo returns as well. A new combat system CQC (Close-Quarter Combat) expands the limits of the old choke hold.  Once placed in the choke hold the player has a variety of options that rely on the pressure sensitive buttons of the PlayStation 2.   Repeated tapping of the button will choke the guard to a KO, or if continued the neck will be broken.   Snake can also bring his knife up to the guards face to interrogate for information.  The guard can be tripped up from the choke position and taken down on the ground, face up or down.  Pointing a gun (handguns can be used with CQC) from that position will cause the guard to cover up laying face down.  A hard press of the button, while holding the enemy in a choke hold, will slice his throat with a knife.  Snake also has the ability to shoot while holding a solider in the choke hold, using him as a human shield.   Forcing the guard to give up items at gunpoint works the same way it did in MGS2.   The Enemy AI has been improved once again.  The guard behavior is somewhat reminiscent of "Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake", they patrol slowly, stopping from time to time and moving their heads from side to side.  In the past games the guards could not hear the footsteps unless they were made on noise-sensitive flooring.   Approaching guards in MGS3 can only be done successfully with Stalking.   Walking or running in close proximity to them will give away your position and they will turn around.  This time, not every soldier can call for reinforcements, but they can communicate with each other.   As such, taking out the "radio guy" will ensure that the backup can't be called in.   If they are called in, MGS3 does have an improvement of MGS2.   The flow of guards is not infinite as before.   Eliminating all the area guards (most importantly the radio guy) as well as the first wave of the backup will end the Alert Mode.   As with MGS2, the guard teamwork is very organized and methodical.   In certain areas there are guard dogs that help the guards track and attack Snake.   Tossing the dog some food will cause it to go to sleep after eating.  A sleeping dog is easier to get around.  There is a lot more depth to the boss fights this time around.   Similar to what was introduced in MGS2, the boss fights are not linear and have a greater range.   In fact, the fight with the sniper The End (100-year old sniper) is one of the most revolutionary boss fights ever.   It takes place in 3 adjacent jungle areas and can literally last for hours.   It's a sniper duel with no action music blasting; moving from area to area, using the Directional Microphone to find the target, sneaking, and keeping out of the sniper's view.  But fighting isn't the only option for this battle.  Saving the game during the fight and reloading will start with a scene of Snake falling asleep and the sniper getting the best of him, forcing the game to earlier stages.   Waiting a week to load that save point will start it out with a cutscene of The End dying from old age.  Additionally, the entire duel can be skipped all together as the player has an early opportunity to assassinate the sniper at an earlier place in the game.   Weapons and Equipment All the items you find are stored in the Backpack, which has to be accessed in order to select which items you desire.   Those items are then found in the traditional MGS selection menu.  The weaponry is not as advanced as what the player was accustomed to in the previous game (set in 2007-09) and is modeled closely after the technology of the 1960's.  However, the types of weapons and their use are pretty much unchanged; handguns, tranquilizers, rifles (U.S. and Russian), various explosives (including the early C3 plastic explosives), mines, and an RPG missile launcher (which in contrast to the Stinger has to be reloaded after every shot).  A change is made to aiming the Sniper Rifle as no pills are needed to keep Snake from shaking.  Instead, the accuracy of the shot will depend on how complete the Stamina Bar is.  It also can be fired in an Over-the-Shoulder View, not just First Person.  A knife is used as part of the CQC system and can be used on its own as a weapon or a tool to cut down food and medicine.  Cutting ropes while in combat on the rope bridge will cause wobbling and the guards will slide off, falling to their death.  The knife is also used in the Cure Mode as a surgical tool.  When Snake is captured, a fork is used in a similar fashion until his gear can be found.  Smoke grenades are a new feature and can be used to slip past the guards unnoticed.   WAP grenades generate fire and will set the enemies ablaze.  Stun, WAP, and regular grenades can be used for blast fishing as well.   The silencers now have limitations and will wear out with frequent weapon use.  A torch is added for the cave part of the game, and it can be used as a melee weapon as well. The equipment is somewhat similar to the other games, though the uses do vary.   Snake now has a cigar instead of cigarettes and it has multiple uses, including doubling as a mini-flashlight in a dark cave and as a tool in the Cure Mode to remove leaches.  A directional microphone is vital, especially in one of the boss fights.  The series classic cardboard box is back, but isn't used as much.   There is no point of having it in the jungle areas and the majority of the indoor locations are more effectively infiltrated with uniform disguises.   However, using the box to be transported as cargo at the final base can be useful.  In addition to the tranquilizer weapons, there are now Cigarettes and Handkerchiefs that have knockout ability, putting the guards to sleep.   They come in useful when using a disguise.  There is a suicide Death Pill that can be taken to end the game or fool the enemy.   Taking it will "kill Snake" and prompt a "Game Over" screen and thus stopping the attack of the enemy.   The player has the option to end the game or take the Recovery Pill and return back to action.   This is one of the methods that can be used to escape the prison cell.   The radar system is not present as the game takes place in 1964.   However, there are various sensors that can be used, such as sonar, to identify locations of enemy personnel or animals.  The radio works the same way as before, but the screen changed.   The silhouette of Snake can be seen kneeling down with his hand to his ear.   In some cases, such as a hard injury conversation, the figure will move in an appropriate fashion.   Game Development and Cultural References Prior to "Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater" there has never been a fully interactive jungle setting in video games.   Hideo Kojima stated that the development process was very difficult as in contrast with urban environments, the jungle does not have a flat surface. The protagonist in "Snake Eater" has to cross uneven terrain, including rocks, rivers, and dirt mounds. As a result, the collision engine used in previous installments could not be used, and a new one had to be built from scratch.   The gameplay camera was kept in the traditional MGS top-down view.  However, this was problematic in forest settings as the player didn't always see what was happening.   The new 3D camera was developed for the game but was later left out.   Kojima stated that he saw MGS1, 2, and 3 as a trilogy and wanted to keep the camera elements the same.   In addition, he stated that the 3D camera gave him motion sickness.   Due to the criticism the camera angles spawned, Kojima did add the 3D camera as an option in the expanded version of the game, "Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence".  "Snake Eater's" musical score was composed by Norihiko Hibino and Harry Gregson-Williams, who provided material for both cut scenes and the game it self. Hibino wrote the game's opening theme, "Snake Eater", a distinctly Bond-like vocal track which also appears in the game proper, as performed by Cynthia Harrell.  Composer and lyricist Rika Muranaka provides a song called "Don't Be Afraid" which is played during the ending for the game. The song is performed by Elisa Fiorillo.  In a break from tradition, one of the ending themes of the game is not an in-house production, but Starsailor's "Way To Fall". Hideo Kojima later revealed in his blog that he originally wanted to use "Space Oddity" and "Ashes to Ashes" (by David Bowie) for the ending themes because of the space development theme of the game, but during the game's development that theme lost its significance. One of his colleagues then advised him to listen to Stellastarr, but Kojima heard Starsailor. He liked the song "Way To Fall" and chose it as an ending theme. The game features numerous references to the cinematic media of the 1960's.  The character ParaMedic that saves the game data talks to Snake about a movie every time a save is performed.   Further, comedic comparisons between Snake and James Bond are made thought certain radio dialogue scenes.   As before, posters and magazines found in the game feature references to other Kojima games and MGS3 itself.   The character Major Ivan Raidenovitch Raikov is a direct reference to Raiden from MGS2, including potshots at his dubious sexuality.  In fact, an MGS2 poster of Raiden can be seen inside Raikov's locker. Release and Reception The game was released in U.S. first with the Japanese release a month later.   The European audience had to wait until the following year for their copy.   As with MGS2, the Japanese and European versions had new extras like the European Extreme difficulty setting, Boss Survival, Demo Theater, new camouflages and face paints, as well as new levels for the "Snake vs Monkey" mini-game.  All of these were included in the expanded "Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence" version.  The reception to the game was very positive and it sold 3.6 million copies.   However, this was considerably lower than the first two MGS titles.  This was primarily due to the fact that the market in 2004 was swamped with other big franchises.   While the Metal Gear series was still viewed as one of the best it was just not as popular as before.   The U.S. gaming audience, which makes up a large portion of the profits, was more focused on the mindless violence of games like "Halo 2" and "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas".   Furthermore, the industry in general was starting to move away from the pursuit of absolute realism in games established by the PlayStation era in the mid 1990's.