Raiden is not in Metal Gear Solid 3. At least, he’s not in the first four hours.

Similar to MGS2, MGS3 features a prologue segment followed by the real mission. MGS2’s “Tanker” portion is called “Virtuous Mission” here (there’s a joke where Snake thinks he’s going on a virtual mission, but Maj. Tom corrects him by enunciating the word “virtuous”). The “Plant” equivalent is known as “Snake Eater,” named as such because Snake’s mission is to go take down the Cobra Unit (similar to Snake going up against FOXHOUND in the original MGS). Again, like in MGS2, there is a plot twist (not much of a twist, though, if you’ve watched any of the recent trailers) that occurs at the transition between the two missions. Unlike MGS2, the transition between these two distinct sides does not mean a change in protagonist. You remain as Snake the whole time. And barring an incredibly odd twist that is further than four hours into the game, you not only stay as Snake, but you stay in Russia in 1964—Virtuous Mission takes place on August 24, 1964, while Snake Eater takes place on August 30, 1964.

If you’ve played the demo disc in our last issue, you’ve basically played Virtuous Mission—except you’ve played a supereasy version of it. The guards are a lot sharper and more attentive in the real game—for example, you can press yourself up against the tree near the beginning of Dremuchij North in order to avoid the very first guard you encounter. Try that trick in the real game, and that same guard notices you this time. Also, that nice long life bar in the demo? It’s a whole lot shorter in the real game. While it took most of the OPM staff a mere 10 minutes to get through the Virtuous Mission demo, the actual Virtuous Mission takes about 45 minutes on the first try.

The transition between Virtuous Mission and Snake Eater introduces a new gameplay mechanic not seen in previous coverage. Everyone knows about the camouflage and the animal hunting, but no one has really gone in-depth into the medical-treatment aspect. Underneath items like Camouflage and Food in the Start menu is a new entry called Cure. Basically, when Snake suffers anything more than a mere flesh wound, his life bar goes from white to red, indicating a need for medical attention. In the Cure menu, Snake’s image is covered with X rays indicating different types of wounds (so far, we’ve seen gunshots, burns, and deep cuts). Much like in the weapon/ item menus, the triggers pull down different things: L2 pulls down a list of medicine, while R2 pulls down a list of surgical items. For each wound, Snake needs to use specific supplies in the right order. For example, a gunshot requires the knife to pull the bullet out, a disinfectant to clean the wound, and a bandage to close it. A deep cut needs the disinfectant, sutures to seal it, and a bandage. A bone fracture just needs a splint and a bandage. There’re even remedies for stomachaches and diarrhea—something that can occur due to eating rotten food.

As a final note, without getting too much into spoiler territory, we’ll say this much: Ocelot is a total wuss in the game, and your first fight with him is very reminiscent of your first encounter with him in the original Metal Gear Solid. Look out for our review next month.

Pub. Konami Dev. Konami Release November

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine.