Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GameCube)

.co.uk Review

Metal Gear Solid, one of the most prestigious of all PlayStation game series, is now playable on GameCube. Owners of Nintendo's console will no doubt be celebrating already--with good reason, too. Essentially, Twin Snakes is an updated version of the original Metal Gear Solid PlayStation outing. A new graphics engine--which is every bit as impressive as that of the PS2's Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty--brings the original action bang up to date.

While the storyline in Twin Snakes adheres closely to the original's, the way in which it is told is markedly improved: the original voiceover cast has re-recorded every conversation in the game, giving Twin Snakes a fresh take on a finely weaved plot of intrigue. A first-person perspective is introduced for those who wish to really soak up the Cold War atmosphere, while new cutscenes complete what is a comprehensive makeover for this legendary adventure.

Gameplay is as sharp and intuitive as ever: Solid Snake is one super sleuth, his repertoire of actions is considerable, and controlling those actions is perfectly straightforward. It's a good job, really: the quality of the Artificial Intelligence means that precise control is vital if Snake is to halt the nuclear war that is afoot. Thanks in no small part to its AI, Twin Snakes has an atmosphere that is wonderfully intense--for late-night gaming, this really is video-game perfection. --Jonti Davies

Manufacturer's Description

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes combines the thrilling story of the original Metal Gear Solid with the spectacular graphics and extraordinary gameplay from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, using a specially designed engine based on Sons of Liberty.

The Twin Snakes thrusts players into a stunning 3-D world of espionage and stealth action. Playing as legendary video game hero Solid Snake, gamers will infiltrate an Alaskan nuclear missile disposal facility occupied by a terrorist organisation called FOXHOUND. While the mission is simple--infiltrate the base, seize the terrorist cell and neutralise the weapons of mass destruction, aka Metal Gear--it is the gameplay that is unforgettable. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is an exercise in stealth manoeuvres, covert operations and special ops.

Delivering the essence of Metal Gear Solid and MGS2: Sons of Liberty into one unique experience, The Twin Snakes adds new elements to the gameplay that were not available with the original release of MGS, such as ing and shooting in first-person view, hanging from ledges and opening lockers. Additionally, the game features all-new CG sequences led by Japanese film director and writer Ryuhei Kitamura as well as new character voiceovers, including the voice of the renowned screenwriter (X-Men) and actor David Hayter as Solid Snake.

• Fuses the story of Metal Gear Solid and the visuals of MGS2.
• Incorporates actions from MGS2 such as first-person shooting.
• Exclusively on Nintendo GameCube.
• For 1 player.