Following its spectatcular unveiling at E3, MGS 3 fans have been getting glimpses of what the game will be like through press speculation and brief statements by the game's creator, Hideo Kojima. Weekly Famitsu, a Japanese press source, secured an interview with Hideo Kojima which offers the first concrete information concerning MGS 3.
Kojima, who rarely passes an opportunity to speak about what in fact is his life's work, was very revealing and offered some in-depth gameplay information. Here are some of the interview highlights:
Noise will play an essential part in the covert aspects of the game. Leaves on the forest floor will rustle and crunch as you walk through them. Accidental noise will alert enemies to your presence, but will also allow you to track targets. In order to make the whole noise experience immersive, Konami will be offering a 5.1 channel soundtrack.
As was revealed by the game trailer, food is also going to play an essential part in the game. Snake is going to have to hunt for food when he gets hungry. The forest wildlife will leave footprints for you to follow, as will Snake, who will however, be able to cover his own tracks. Having caught and killed his prey, Snake will have to eat the carcass immediately or it will eventually go bad, adversly effecting his health. As seen in the trailer, Snake will be able to hang from trees and pick off patrol members with one-handed shots. The catch there will be that any accidental fall could cost him a broken or injured leg. So maintaining your operative in good running order will become an essential part of gameplay.
There is some speculation that the star of the game may not be Snake but Big Boss.
Snake will no longer have the use of his trusty radar in order to reveal enemy placement. The lack of on screen info is designed to raise the tension level, and it's suggested that the radar would, in any case, not be of much use beyond the grid-patterned corridors of previous games. Fears that the game may only be jungle-based for a short while, before Snake locates a building, were put to rest by Kojima. Although there will be some form of indoor environment, two-thirds of the game will be set in the jungle.
Clearly affected by the controversy caused by Raiden's appearance in MGS2, Kojima was quick to point out that there won't be a character switch midway in Snake Eater. Kojima does however love a good twist and he promised that there will be one in MGS 3 as well. Intriguingly, Kojima also let slip that MGS3 will include online support. It's not clear exactly what this will entail, although downloading new camouflage patterns is mentioned. In rumours, bizzarly spread by Sony, Kojima is still mulling over the prospect of Metal Gear Solid Online, but has yet to come up with a viable business model or gameplay dynamic. At E3 last month he also told Sony that any such game would be likely to use the same engine as MGS3.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater will be released next year.