Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater- What the hell did they do?

  • Heartcore_Ninja 11 Jan 2008 08:07:38 1,727 posts
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    I never thought I'd say this, but I think MGS3 is awful. Now before we start, I used to be a big fan of MGS and loved MGS and MGS2. Funnily enough however, I only recently got round to playing MGS3 due to me selling my PS2 before the game came out but now I have one again.

    So back to the point. I started playing and I didn't like the feel and found it quite clumsy and different somehow, yet it still felt like a MGS game. I couldn't figure it out at first. Then I realised. The camera and the controls. The camera kind of worked in past MGS games because of the use of radar and most of the level designs- corridors etc. Not so here- most of the time you can't even see enemies in a given area because they are past your field of view, and the new radar gadget- useless, you have to pratically squint to see the tiny little white dots of the map. Alert again- why?

    Obviously Subsistance fixes the camera issue so I thought I'd pick that version up instead. Then a new problem came into sight (just) the controls. They are some of the most stupidly desined, cumbersome controls I have ever used- completely different to the slickness of MGS and MGS2. It took me time to realise and a quick play of MGS2 to find why aswell. Mainly but not only- the aiming and firing system.

    In MGS2 you would hold the fire button to get your gun out and then let go to shoot, with the bumper button giving you a first person view- the laser sight on the socom was nice too. You could also let go of the fire button gently to put down your gun without firing a shot. This system worked very nicely.

    So why then, Konami, why change that for MGS3? Now it's all overly pressure sensitive nonscence that doesn't work properly. Now you must hold the fire button to get out your gun, but not too hard or else you'll fire stray bullets and not too soft or you might get your gun out only for you to put it away again straight after. Then whilst pressed in you must press the fire button really hard in order to shoot. You still have R1 to first person view but now there's also L1 to zoom in with certain weapons. I don't know how that sounds but it's terrible in practice- unless it's my only a few weeks old controller which works fine for other games! Try combing this whilst taking cover behind a tree with the analogue stick for example and it's a nightmare. Alert ...again, why- because you fired stray bullets...sigh.

    Oh and the d-pad controlled sneeking. Oh god why. It works, just but why is it not on the analogue? An analogue can recognise the difference between a sneek, walk, and run so why map sneeking to the fiddly d-pad? Splinter Cell did it, I didn't realise it was that clever.

    So why should I care? It's MGS that's why and I can't believe that I don't like it. I want to but I'm having serious problems with the controls and the camera (which can be fixed in Subsistance). I wanted to know if this is a well known problem or what other players think. I just don't get it- the controls being the main issue really.
  • JetSetWilly 11 Jan 2008 08:23:10 5,720 posts
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    I honestly don't recall having any problems drawing and firing weapons in Subsistence. Never really bothered with the CQC much either for d-pad to become an issue. Sneak. Tranq. Move on.
  • Heartcore_Ninja 11 Jan 2008 08:24:43 1,727 posts
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    disc wrote:
    Subsistence was awesome.

    I take it the controls were the same though?

    I just can't get my head around the control system. If there's something that will help, by all means let someone say so. There's enough people that praise this game, but I'm having trouble understanding how they coped with the shooting/aiming controls fairly comfortably. Like I said, I had no troubles whatsoever with the MGS or MGS2 controls- I think it's the pressue sensitive square button controls that are the problem.
  • SlackMaster 11 Jan 2008 08:28:59 3,156 posts
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    I think they improved upon the camera in the updated Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, which is one reason why I haven't been back to MGS3: SE yet.

    I've never got on with the wacky story and characters post MGS but the gameplay was always fun.

    The problem I found with MGS3 is that the shitty camera just made the game so frustraiting now that enemies weren't restricted to small cones of vision.

    Having no radar just made things a whole lot worse and you'd just spend all your time hiding which was no fun at all.

    I'm not sure I'll get Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence as I already own MGS3: SE unless the price drops to below £20.

    Besides I've pretty much lost all interest in the MGS franchise now and am not really interested in MGS4 at all atm.
  • Heartcore_Ninja 11 Jan 2008 08:31:47 1,727 posts
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    Well I've seen a few but not that many people also complain about the controls but I just can't figure out the draw and shoot pressure sensitive thing to draw and fire. It was better when you released to fire.
  • DUFFMAN5 11 Jan 2008 08:38:05 26,890 posts
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    I though 3 was a great game, way better than 2. I played through many times. One man's meat and so forth........SNAKEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
    The song was great, very Bond!
  • Heartcore_Ninja 11 Jan 2008 08:42:21 1,727 posts
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    So why can't I get to grips with the controls then? Did anyone else have even slight annoyances with them or what? Otherwise could it be my controller...I just know that putting draw and shoot on the same button wasn't that great of an idea. It's not like it's like the Gamecube controller's triggers for example, where you can press them in but then if you press them all the way there's a noticable click.
  • Spiral 11 Jan 2008 08:57:31 371 posts
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    I didn't have slight annoyances with them. They were outright shit. You do get used to it eventually, but it's a case of learning not to try to do anything quickly than them becoming intuitive. As far as I remember the game only got away with it because it seemed to be designed around that concept of doing everything slowly and carefully, and never rushing anywhere.
  • DUFFMAN5 11 Jan 2008 09:01:49 26,890 posts
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    Heartcore_Ninja wrote:
    So why can't I get to grips with the controls then? Did anyone else have even slight annoyances with them or what? Otherwise could it be my controller...I just know that putting draw and shoot on the same button wasn't that great of an idea. It's not like it's like the Gamecube controller's triggers for example, where you can press them in but then if you press them all the way there's a noticable click.

    I can't remember it being a problem, saying that I have/had always "pulled" up the wrong box on all the MGS games. Especially when the heat was on........I don't want to feckin smoke!, well smoke the guard maybe

    I would try and stick with it, really good game
  • Universal_Hamster 11 Jan 2008 09:14:11 4,948 posts
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    I totally hated MGS3 as well, but subsistence really does turn it into a great game if you persevere with the controls a bit.
  • Popzeus 11 Jan 2008 09:24:34 8,425 posts
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    I agree with the OP, MGS3 was bobbins. Really liked 1 and 2, but 3 had none of the magic and was infuriating to play.
  • Deleted user 11 January 2008 09:26:10
    It seems you all suck at games!
  • Hog-lumps 11 Jan 2008 09:32:21 1,138 posts
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    Heartcore_Ninja wrote:
    It was better when you released to fire.

    Hmmm, I think this is still true in MGS3 isn't it? I thought it was only the automatic weapons that you had to hold down hard to fire - which makes sense as they wouldn't be very 'automatic' if you had to keep tapping the button to fire.........
  • Killerbee 11 Jan 2008 09:55:31 5,249 posts
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    MGS3 was a definite improvement over 2 for me. I liked CQC and creeping about in the jungle with camoflage paint on; the story was better than 2 and just generally it all seemed to fit into place.

    Yes, I agree, the controls were a bit difficult and unintuitive, but once you got used to them - and using CQC in particular - they really weren't that hard.

    Great game and I really should play it again one day.
  • monkie_king 11 Jan 2008 10:49:02 984 posts
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    I always found the pressure sensitive buttons on PS pads to be utterly useless. MGS2 only used it for drawing/firing, but I'd still get it wrong 50% of the time when doing hold-ups and things. Wonder what the XBox port did--presumably used an extra face-button to have separate draw and shoot controls.

    The fact that PS2 driving games started putting a meter on the screen to show how hard you were pressing the accelerator shows what an inept idea travel-free analogue buttons are. Sony really missed the boat with the DS2, they'd already seen how good the DC's analogue triggers were. And despite realising their error and changing the design, somehow they've even fucked it up on the Sixaxis.
  • AcidSnake 11 Jan 2008 11:03:14 8,461 posts
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    I played the Twin Snakes on GC, MGS2 Substance on PC and MGS3 subsistence on PS2...

    I loved them all and the hardest to play for me was the pc one...
    Both GC and PS2 offered great controls I thought...Apart from the usual inversion of the accept and back buttons on PS2 that is...
  • JediMasterMalik 11 Jan 2008 11:25:04 11,820 posts
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    mouse wrote:
    It seems you all suck at games!

    This.

    MGS3 was fantastic, and I never even played Subsistence. It had some of the best boss battles ever.
  • Chrono-Kun 14 Jan 2008 15:29:24 467 posts
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    Heartcore ninja, they made it more fustrating to suit the timeline it's in...

    It is the 1960, so they had to change stuff to suit the according timeline it's in... But I did hate the camera... and the stupid squat and crawling button.
  • NewYork 14 Jan 2008 15:38:25 24,807 posts
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    What a thrill...
    With darkness and silence through the night
    What a thrill...
    I'm searching and I'll melt into you
    What a fear in my heart
    But you're so supreme!

    I'd give my life
    Not for honour, but for you! (Snake Eater)
    In my time there'll be no one else
    Crime, it's the way I fly to you! (Snake Eater)
    I'm still in a dream,
    Snake Eater!

    Someday you go through the rain
    And someday, you feed on a tree frog
    This ordeal, the trial to survive
    For the day we see new light!

    I'd give my life
    Not for honour, but for you! (Snake Eater)
    In my time there'll be no one else
    Crime, it's the way I fly to you! (Snake Eater)
    I'm still in a dream,
    Snake Eater!

    I am stiiiiiiill in a dreeeeeeeam,
    SNAAAAAKE EEEEEAAAAATEEEEER!

    /big finish
  • Deleted user 25 November 2010 10:48:57
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  • Deleted user 25 November 2010 10:48:57
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