[Completed on PS3, Not PS2]
8.5/10 (A-)
My MGS playthrough has been continued with MGS3, and like the other two before it, I still really love this game. In terms of which title I prefer between MGS2 and MGS3, this is both harrowing and difficult. MGS3 totally has the edge in certain areas… such as the Codec Crew (Major Zero was obviously much more personable than A.I Campbell, and as the movie-buff that I am… I seriously enjoyed talking to Paramedic after saves. She is so much better than Rose in every single way, and Sigint was also nice to have as well!). I was refreshed by the free-roaming camera system this time around, and it was also pleasant to be able to use the fixed-angles whenever I wanted, because they did help me out with spotting enemies and routes on occasion. The introduced side-characters here all had their moments, like Sokolov’s panzy-mannerisms made me laugh out loud multiple times, Eva as a persona was interesting throughout, and I did enjoy that one cutscene with Granin, also the guards in this entry are pretty hilarious at times. However, I do ultimately prefer MGS2’s side characters overall. More memorable. The bosses are all fairly memorable though… like sure, multiple of the earlier bosses do come off as largely one-dimensional (The Pain, The Fear), which once again pale against MGS2’s Olga and Fortune, and the majority of the battles are exploitable if you even “kinda” know what you’re doing, but MGS3 isn’t at all lacking for “great antagonists”. The Fury brought genuine challenge and even insight into his character, and who he was. The Sorrow is one of my personal favorites, his battle having narrative significance, and was somehow able to recreate the lonely, isolated feeling of MGS1. The Boss is recognized as one of the greatest final bosses of all time, and I’m not here to argue with that. I sincerely love her character, her importance to the storyline, and her true intentions with regards to “Operation Snake Eater”. The narrative itself is obviously much more… “restrained” in terms of its whole “craziness”, especially in comparison to other entries, but it’s also able to use that aspect as a strength to make everything feel much more concise and coherent. This game, like MGS1, plays like a complete experience, a tale from beginning to end, hardly any loose ends… if you’re smart enough to piece things together. Threads here are birthed and ended, and to me that’s where I think I’ll slide MGS3 the edge over MGS2. MGS2 is an exceptional game, and I truly do understand the story, but it leaves a lot of aspects open to interpretation or to be continued with MGS4, while MGS3 can be played as either a standalone experience, or an introduction to the franchise, and while “leaving things open” doesn’t necessarily mean “negative criticism” for MGS2, MGS3 is able to handle everything it needs to within the time it’s allotted, which is symbolic for the mission of the game itself. I do love all of them though.
8.5/10 (A-)
My MGS playthrough has been continued with MGS3, and like the other two before it, I still really love this game. In terms of which title I prefer between MGS2 and MGS3, this is both harrowing and difficult. MGS3 totally has the edge in certain areas… such as the Codec Crew (Major Zero was obviously much more personable than A.I Campbell, and as the movie-buff that I am… I seriously enjoyed talking to Paramedic after saves. She is so much better than Rose in every single way, and Sigint was also nice to have as well!). I was refreshed by the free-roaming camera system this time around, and it was also pleasant to be able to use the fixed-angles whenever I wanted, because they did help me out with spotting enemies and routes on occasion. The introduced side-characters here all had their moments, like Sokolov’s panzy-mannerisms made me laugh out loud multiple times, Eva as a persona was interesting throughout, and I did enjoy that one cutscene with Granin, also the guards in this entry are pretty hilarious at times. However, I do ultimately prefer MGS2’s side characters overall. More memorable. The bosses are all fairly memorable though… like sure, multiple of the earlier bosses do come off as largely one-dimensional (The Pain, The Fear), which once again pale against MGS2’s Olga and Fortune, and the majority of the battles are exploitable if you even “kinda” know what you’re doing, but MGS3 isn’t at all lacking for “great antagonists”. The Fury brought genuine challenge and even insight into his character, and who he was. The Sorrow is one of my personal favorites, his battle having narrative significance, and was somehow able to recreate the lonely, isolated feeling of MGS1. The Boss is recognized as one of the greatest final bosses of all time, and I’m not here to argue with that. I sincerely love her character, her importance to the storyline, and her true intentions with regards to “Operation Snake Eater”. The narrative itself is obviously much more… “restrained” in terms of its whole “craziness”, especially in comparison to other entries, but it’s also able to use that aspect as a strength to make everything feel much more concise and coherent. This game, like MGS1, plays like a complete experience, a tale from beginning to end, hardly any loose ends… if you’re smart enough to piece things together. Threads here are birthed and ended, and to me that’s where I think I’ll slide MGS3 the edge over MGS2. MGS2 is an exceptional game, and I truly do understand the story, but it leaves a lot of aspects open to interpretation or to be continued with MGS4, while MGS3 can be played as either a standalone experience, or an introduction to the franchise, and while “leaving things open” doesn’t necessarily mean “negative criticism” for MGS2, MGS3 is able to handle everything it needs to within the time it’s allotted, which is symbolic for the mission of the game itself. I do love all of them though.