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GameCube | RPG | Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Boxart for Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes 60 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.0
  • SOUND: 3.5
  • CONTROL: 4.5
  • FUN FACTOR 4.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.6
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.2

Review: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Review by MAJORMIKE | 03/18/2004 | 18:27:11 PM PST

MGS: The Director?s Cut?

It?s almost impossible to evaluate Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes without holding it up to the PlayStation original. It sounded great on paper: Remake one of the greatest games ever created with enhanced graphics, new voices, and additional character abilities, and it can?t miss, right? Oh, yes, it can.

MGS: The Director?s Cut? With the success of the Resident Evil PlayStation remake on the GameCube, retooling MGS in a similar fashion probably seemed like a slam dunk?especially with Silicon Knights (of Eternal Darkness fame) playing a key role in the development. Starring Snake, an all-around, self-loathing, one-man army who must prevent a group of terrorists from launching a nuclear missile, MGS has a stealth-is-best emphasis that?s apparent in some of today?s most popular titles (Tom Clancy?s Splinter Cell, for instance). Coupled with the innovative play engine are riveting cinema cut-scenes that actually heighten the suspense of onscreen action and further immerse you in the plot. But in translating the game from the PlayStation to the GameCube, a lot gets lost. For MG vets, playing Twin Snakes isn?t a new gaming experience, per se; rather, scenes and events slowly unfold, and the first thing that pops into one?s head is how much more enjoyable it was the first time, along with the frequent query, ?Why did they change that?? You don?t notice what?s been added as much as what?s been taken away.

The (Dis-)Union of the Snake The revisions are most noticeable in the cinema cut-scenes. The original sequences were tightly constructed and kept the plot on track; in Twin Snakes, they?re self-consciously riddled with fancy ?bullet-time? slow motion and other gratuitous, overdramatized effects (for instance, the wall portraits during the battle with Psycho Mantis are especially grating) that do little but draw attention to themselves. The gameplay has also undergone an overhaul?or in this case, a transplant?as the MGS2: Sons of Liberty abilities (dangle from railings, use weapons in first-person view) and weapons (like the M9) are available here; yet they aren?t necessary to pass MGS?s levels, which remain almost unaltered from the original designs.

One big hook of Twin Snakes is the razor-sharp graphics, which are loaded with fine details. Here, too, though, Twin Snakes sabotages itself with a flagging frame rate and bouts of slowdown that occur when too much activity crowds the screen (that is to say, often). In Twin?s corner are responsive controls that work well with the multifaceted interface and solid sound effects. Overall, Twin Snakes isn?t a bad game by any stretch, but as an opportunity to enhance an already awesome gaming experience, it misses the mark. Those who have never played Metal Gear Solid may rate Twin Snakes higher, but for seasoned vets expecting an enhanced or even somewhat new Metal Gear experience, Twin Snakes do not equal a better game.


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