Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004)

Metal Gear Solid needs very little introduction. Hailed by many as one of the best games of its generation, it really set a new bar in narrative story-telling and innovative gameplay ideas, despite the still rather simple hardware it was built for. Twin Snakes is a remake of that game, coming out 6 years later on the GameCube with touched up graphics and presentation resulting in noticeably enhanced graphics and cutscenes. Elements of the gameplay and plot are mostly left untouched from the original and it's one of the more faithful remakes I've seen. Given this context, I'm going to be very brief (for once) and just discuss this game in its context as a remake, rather than fully review the underlying game it is remaking, which I'll leave for some later date.

So, much of what there is to talk about here is gameplay and presentation. Gameplay still keeps to the formula of a Metal Gear Solid game and there isn't a ton of innovation here beyond the original. I did not play this with a GameCube controller, but I mostly found the controls functioned much the same as the original's, which is a gift and a curse given these games can be a little awkward to control, even if I've become fairly used to it. But the generational difference in this game and the original does mean that Twin Snakes plays a bit smoother. The environments and enemies are easier to parse and maneuver around and that in some sense does take some of the jank out. Otherwise, the gameplay is much the same as the original given the game really was devoted to changing as little as possible.

The presentation is the biggest change for the game and I mostly enjoyed it quite a bit, especially as a change of pace. The graphics of the original were quite good for their time, but definitely still had the look of a PlayStation 1 game, which is pretty rough by today's standards. Characters now have full faces, which makes for much more natural looks in cutscenes when characters are talking rather than the mouth-less head-bobbing of the original. Further, this series has never been a stranger to over-the-top antics, and that spirit was maintained with the newly-choreographed cutscenes in this remake. There are plenty of flips and exaggerated gestures that add even more to some of the outlandish tone amid the grim and serious stories and themes that Kojima is so well-known for. I only played the original for the first time a few years ago so its iconic scenes aren't quite as ingrained in my memory as they likely are for long-time fans. However, I played this on stream with a friend who has loved this series forever and it was pretty fun poking fun at so many of the uncanny moments throughout together.

My best praise for the game is that it's a cool way to re-experience this game and story. That said, one of my favorite things about the original is how impressive a game like it is for a PlayStation 1 game, an appeal that is somewhat lost by this later-gen remake. I think ultimately, unless you have a real aversion to older-style graphics or this one is more accessible to you, I would generally recommend the original over Twin Snakes for a first-time playthrough, hands down. And if I'm to do another replay, I'll still probably reach for the original first. For what it is though, Twin Snakes offers a fun new lens to view the game from for returning players who haven't yet played it.