By Michael Gleason

Snake just can’t catch a break. The protagonist of the critically acclaimed Metal Gear series has had to fight legions of footsoldiers, a cyborg ninja and more walking nuclear battle tanks than you can shake a Stinger missile at.

This installment, set in the 1960s and subtitled Snake Eater, returns the game to the jungle, where the series got its kick-start back on Nintendo’s NES. Snake is sent by the government to rescue a scientist before he completes his new project, which could tip the scales of the Cold War and plunge the world into nuclear Armageddon. Veterans of the series know that the story will, of course, contain twists and turns that change a relatively simple mission into a colossal world of betrayal and intrigue.

Snake Eater thankfully avoids some of the sins of the last game. The cinematics are shorter and convey more information, and the ending makes much more sense. However, some of the boss characters in this game are not very well written, which is an aberration in this series. The bosses, especially at the beginning, seem to lack back stories, which means the player cares less. However, the later bosses more than make up for it, and the experience on the whole is good.

There are several new features in this game. Snake, now in a forest teeming with life, must hunt for his food to keep his stamina up. Enemies can now hear Snake, making it a much tougher proposition than before to slip past them. However, Snake is given a new system, called Close Quarters Combat (CQC), that allows Snake to use an enemy as a human shield, get information out of an enemy, throw an enemy or simply kill him. CQC is a lot of fun to play around with and adds a whole new dimension to the game. The new camouflage system also adds much to the game, allowing Snake to avoid detection by blending in with his surroundings.

The graphics are brilliant, accurately conveying the scope and breadth of a living, breathing forest. Snake and his enemies are also fully realized and throughout the entire game, new graphical twists keep the jaw agape in wonder. Once again, the in-game cinematics are on par with many great action films and even surpass some of them.

The game’s ambient audio is terrific, with the jungle noises drawing the player further into the game world. The music, composed by Harry Gregson-Williams (The Rock, Metal Gear Solid 2), is motion-picture quality, with the title sequence mimicking early Bond intros.

The control is good, but having to go into menus to feed and heal Snake wears on the player after awhile. The system, though done well, disrupts the flow of the game, and feels more cumbersome than anything else.

While it would be criminal to go into the story (as any Metal Gear fan knows, the plot twists are the best part of the game), one can rest assured that a great deal of care went into crafting it. The story may be series creator Hideo Kojima’s best yet. It is chock-full of intrigue, but still remains in the realm of possibility, and suspension of disbelief is much easier for this game than its predecessor.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a must-have for fans of the series and a great recommendation to anyone else. Action fans will be blown back in their seat by high-tension battles. Story buffs will be drawn in by the conspiracy-filled plot. And everyone else will find it a great purchase.

Final Grade: A