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''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater'' (commonly abbreviated '''''MGS3''''') is a '', is available in Japan and North America, and will soon be released in Europe. STORYLINE The events of ''MGS3'' take place during the Cold War in 1964 , in the jungles of the Soviet Union . The player takes the identity of a former U.S. Special Forces ( Green Beret ) and CIA operative, codenamed "Naked Snake", who is sent to the USSR to rescue a defecting Russian scientist and destroy an advanced nuclear-equipped tank called the " Shagohod ". The story unfolds in two parts: the Virtuous Mission and '''Operation: Snake Eater'''. Virtuous Mission On August 24 , 1964 , an operative of the newly formed American covert FOX unit is aboard an MC-130 Combat Talon flying over Tselinoyarsk , Russia. The FOX unit commander, Major Zero (aka Major Tom), briefs the operative on the mission he faces. He is to enter a secret Russian research facility and retrieve an Asylum -seeking scientist, Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov , who was returned to the Soviets as part of a secret bargain to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis . The operative, now code-named Naked Snake, executes the world's first HALO jump into enemy territory. Snake familiarizes himself with the area and the members of the FOX unit, then proceeds to the research facility, OKB-754, to meet Sokolov. As Snake and Sokolov begin to make their way to their extraction point, they are ambushed by KGB operatives and held at gunpoint. The KGB agents are then surrounded and killed by the Ocelot Unit, part of a rogue GRU faction intent on capturing Sokolov for themselves. Snake, using his hand-to-hand CQC techniques, manages to disable all the Ocelot Unit members while Sokolov escapes. As Snake catches up with Sokolov, they spot Sokolov's nuclear equipped tank, Shagohod , undergoing testing on a nearby mountain. The pair begin to cross a Rope Bridge to the extraction point when they encounter a woman, Snake's mentor, codenamed The Boss . Snake is surprised by this meeting, as he had been told that The Boss was serving on a Permit Class Submarine in the Arctic Ocean. The Boss reveals to Snake that she has decided to Defect to the Soviet Union. While this is happening, Sokolov is captured by members of her Cobra Unit . The Boss carries with her two miniature rocket propelled nuclear shells known as Davy Crockett s, which, along with Sokolov, she intends to give to Colonel Volgin, her new ally. Volgin is a member of GRU and, like the Ocelot Unit, is also part of the "Brezhnev Faction", an extremist faction in the Soviet Army which seeks to topple the government of Nikita Khrushchev and install Leonid Brezhnev and Alexey Kosygin in his place. Volgin appears while The Boss is talking with Snake and tells her that Snake must die, since he has seen Volgin's face, and so that their plan to overthrow Khrushchev won't be revealed. Having perfected CQC herself, The Boss throws Snake off the bridge and into the river far below. Snake, left for dead, drags himself out of the river and performs first aid on himself while waiting for extraction by the FOX unit aircraft. Volgin, Ocelot and the Cobra Unit make their escape in several Hind-A Helicopter s, with the Shagohod in tow. From his helicopter, Volgin fires one of the Davy Crocketts, despite Ocelot's protests, triggering a nuclear explosion which destroys Sokolov's research facility. Operation: Snake Eater The FOX unit's Gunship was detected by Soviet Radar as it rescued Snake, thus implicating America in the nuclear attack. President Johnson informs Khrushchev that the legendary American soldier, The Boss, has defected and is planning to topple Khrushchev's rule, and that it was her new faction which was responsible in the destruction of the research facility. Khrushchev gives Johnson one week to eliminate The Boss in order to prove its innocence, and thus, on August 30 , Snake is once again tapped and is deployed into Tselinoyarsk by a D-21 Drone launched from an M-21 (a modified A-12 Oxcart ). Snake's first objective is to meet with ADAM, one of two former NSA Code Breakers who had defected to the Soviet Union in September 1960 . Along the way, The Boss corners Snake and tells him to quit the mission and go home. Snake ignores her warning and the two face off. The Boss disarms him, disassembles his M1911A1 pistol, and disappears. When Snake finally arrives at the designated rendezvous point at Rassvet (where Snake originally found Sokolov in Virtuous Mission), he meets EVA rather than ADAM. EVA reveals to him she is the other defector and that ADAM wasn't able to come to the meeting. She gives Snake a new pistol, as well as a scientist disguise that will help him infiltrate Volgin's bases. After another brief encounter with Ocelot, Snake heads to Graniny Gorki, a research laboratory under Volgin's control. According to EVA, Sokolov is being held there while he completes the Shagohod. Once inside the facility Snake finds the head of the OKB-812 Granin Design Bureau, Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin, driven to drink by jealousy of Sokolov's fame and access to research funds. In their conversation, Granin gives Snake a key that opens a door which leads to the mountains, where he will be able to access a hidden tunnel into Volgin's fortress, Groznyj Grad, and rescue Sokolov. Snake sneaks into Groznyj Grad and succeeds in contacting Sokolov. While meeting, they are caught by Volgin. Both are taken prisoner and tortured, costing Sokolov his life and Snake his right eye. During a break in the torture, Snake escapes Groznyj Grad through its sewer system. Snake meets up with EVA, who returns the weapons and equipment Snake lost when he was captured. He then prepares to return to Groznyj Grad, to destroy the Shagohod and stop Volgin's take-over plot. Snake once again infiltrates the fortress and succeeds in planting enough C3 explosive to bring the complex holding the Shagohod to the ground. However, the explosion fails to destroy the Shagohod and Snake and EVA are forced to flee on a motorcycle. Volgin chases them in the Shagohod, which proves to be his undoing. Using an RPG-7 , Snake disables the Shagohod and, when Volgin emerges from the tank, he is struck by lightning and killed. Snake and EVA prepare to make their escape to Alaska, but Snake is confronted by The Boss. She reveals that her defection was an elaborate set-up designed to get The Philosophers' Legacy, the wealth of the most powerful families from the United States, the Soviet Union and China, from Volgin and return it to the United States. She tells Snake that he must complete his mission; he must kill her and take the Legacy back with him. She and Snake will thus have one final battle; whoever wins will inherit the title of "Boss". They duel and Snake ultimately prevails. He returns to the United States with EVA on a ground effect plane (a stolen VVA-14 ) and is granted the Distinguished Service Cross and the title of "Big Boss" by President Johnson. Snake then visits the anonymous grave of The Boss, a patriot who will forever be reviled by the country she gave her life to protect. The Philosophers The Philosophers were originally formed by some of the most powerful, wealthy, and influential families from the . The Philosophers' Legacy A massive fund was collected during World War II by various powerful and influential individuals in the United States, the Soviet Union, and China, collectively known as "the Philosophers". The fund, named the Philosophers' Legacy, was worth over 100 billion dollars (when currency values are compared, $100 billion in 1945 would today be worth over $1 trillion, and in 1964, it would be worth around $600 billion). After the end of World War II, the Philosophers broke into three national factions and all three branches were desperate to get the Legacy for themselves. Volgin's father was one of the persons assigned to manage the Legacy, and had devised a plan ensuring full Soviet control. To prevent anyone from tracing it, the funds were divided and laundered through banks all over the world, including Switzerland, Australia, and Hong Kong. In Groznyj Grad, Colonel Volgin shows Snake a case of microfilm, and tells him, "This is the Philosophers' Legacy." The microfilm actually contains a financial record of all transactions Volgin's father made when the Legacy funds were divided-up. Operation: Snake Eater, while initially focused on the Shagohod, is actually about this fund. At the end , it is revealed that only half of the money has made it back to the United States (Ocelot reports that the other half could be with the ''). In the process of eliminating Colonel Volgin (and later The Boss), Snake acquires the Philosopher's Legacy, only to have it stolen by EVA while the two slept together. The following morning EVA leaves a recorded message revealing her true identity; she is an agent of the Chinese branch of the Philosophers. EVA returns to China believing she has the Legacy for her faction. However it is revealed that the Legacy was actually in the hands of Ocelot, aka ADAM, who is in fact a Double Agent working for the American branch of the Philosophers (and through them, the CIA). The United States has, in fact, managed to acquire the Legacy after all. NOTE: The actual location of the Legacy has been the source of debate among MGS fans. While the ending plays out looking as if EVA has stolen it, the very next morning Snake removes it from his pocket and tosses it on the table. In fact, EVA never took anything from Snake. She thought she already had the true Legacy as she stood over him, visible when she opens her hands. However, we never see her search Snake's pockets, and it is assumed that The Boss was the one who handed her a fake microfilm. The one Snake has while he listens to EVA's message is the true Legacy, and it is in fact he who completes The Boss' mission and returns it, not Ocelot. Ocelot never claims to have ever had the Legacy, or ever seen to be in possession of it. He merely states to the CIA director that the Legacy is back with the US, nothing more. Many think that The Boss was in the best position to give EVA a copy of the fake Legacy, considering that it was originally The Boss' mission to infiltrate Volgin's ranks and steal it. This would also explain Ocelot's ending statement, "The film we handed the Chinese was a fake," which would then be understood to mean that the CIA charged The Boss with giving a fake Legacy to EVA in order to throw her off while the real Legacy was taken by the US. Characters Main Character ''main article: List Of Metal Gear Solid 3 Characters ''
However, the mission had failed, due to Sokolov's recapture by the Soviets when The Boss defected. A week later, the FOX unit had once again organized a mission and Snake was assigned to Operation: Snake Eater, whose objectives are to: :1. Eliminate The Boss and her Cobra Unit. :2. Assassinate her new ally and host, Colonel Volgin. :3. Rescue Sokolov. :4. Locate the new whereabouts of the Shagohod and destroy it. It was during Operation: Snake Eater that Snake encountered prototype designs for the "metal gear" bi-pedal tank designed by Granin, who was sending them to a colleague in America. This colleague was the grandfather of Hal Emmerich, aka Otacon , a character first introduced in '' Metal Gear Solid ''. During the mission, Sokolov is killed and Snake is captured, tortured; in the process losing his right eye to a bullet from Ocelot's revolver. However, Snake succeeds in eliminating the Shagohod, The Boss, and Colonel Volgin. He is awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and is conferred the title Big Boss by President Johnson. Supporting Characters
Villains
GAMEPLAY ''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater'''s gameplay is based heavily on Camouflage . A meter called the "camouflage index" displays the character's visibility, on a scale from negative values (highly visible) up to 100% (completely invisible). The player is able to put on various uniforms, such as "Tiger Stripe" or "Olive Drab", in conjunction with Face Paint , in order to increase this camouflage index. There is also a fake crocodile head to wear. Hideo Kojima has included a "Naked" camouflage, which renders the player character shirtless. This function is for " Rambo " type players, he says. The emphasis on weapons is higher than in previous installments of the ''Metal Gear'' series. In the game, the Player has access to a shotgun, pistols, various automatic rifles, and grenades. This way, the player character can choose whether to focus on evading enemies or a full-frontal assault. The game is set in the jungles of Cold War Russia , so the environment is a big part of the game. The player can climb trees, hide under grass and swim in rivers and ponds. The player must also live off the land by hunting animals and eating edible vegetation, to increase health stamina, that is drained during gameplay. SNAKE VS. MONKEY ''Snake vs. Monkey'' is a Mini-game included within ''Metal Gear Solid 3'' starring Solid Snake (using the Naked Snake model) which crosses over with Sony Computer Entertainment 's '' Ape Escape '' series. The objective of the game is to capture all the Monkey s within several stages (all set in areas from the main game) using a stun gun. When the player clears a stage, new equipment, such as the active sonar and stun grenades, will become available that makes capturing monkeys easier. The player is awarded with the ''Banana'' camo pattern and a monkey mask after clearing all stages and achieving top scores respectively. The game opens with a comical radio conversation between Snake and Colonel Campbell in which the two make references to other characters from the ''Metal Gear'' and ''Ape Escape'' games, as well other Stealth-based Game s, such as the '' Splinter Cell '' series. GUY SAVAGE ''Metal Gear Solid 3'' contains a secret mini-game called the Guy Savage (as stated in the credits). In this mini-game, the player controls as a character who uses two Hookswords to slash his way through an army of Zombie -like monsters. Guy Savage is completely unrelated to the storyline of ''Metal Gear Solid 3'', and bears no resemblance to ''MGS3'' in controls, graphics, or gameplay. It is, however, very competent as a stand-alone game. It bears some resemblance to '' BloodRayne 2 '' in gameplay. To play Guy Savage, the game must be saved in the cell, after Naked Snake has endured the brutal torture session. When that save file is loaded, the game will go straight into the Guy Savage mini-game. The mode will only last for a set amount of time; when it ends, the screen fades to black, then fades from black to a shot of Snake waking up from the nightmare. If the player was to call Paramedic, they would start talking about Dracula , where Snake would accuse Paramedic of giving him his nightmares. The main game's end credits are what list the mini-game as "Guy Savage" with Shuyo Murata as the director; it is suspected that the mini-game is a teaser of an in-production game of the same name. Although Konami trademarked the name during ''MGS3'''s production, they have yet to comment on it, or confirm a title of that name. The mini-game is also named (the first time for most) as Guy Savage in an issue of PlayStation Magazine. FAN REACTION The reaction of fans and critics alike for ''Metal Gear Solid 3'' was considerably higher than that received by ''Metal Gear Solid 2''. Fans and critics who found ''MGS2'' Like the other games in the series, ''Snake Eater'' was a hit and as of June 2005 had sold over 3 million copies worldwide. MUSIC ''Metal Gear Solid 2'''s composing duo of Norihiko Hibino and Harry Gregson-Williams return for ''MGS3'', providing material for both Cut Scenes and the game itself. After ''MGS2'', Gregson-Williams joked that he would compose for the sequel if it was set in the Amazon as he was tired of composing scores for high tech/industrial settings; he was reportedly pleasantly surprised when he discovered the actual setting. It's been rumoured that Kojima told him the game was set in the jungle so he would compose again, but this is unconfirmed. Hibino provides the game's opening theme, "Snake Eater", a distinctly Bondish vocal track which also appears in the game proper, as performed by Cynthia Harrell . Composer and lyricist Rika Muranaka provides a song called "Don't Be Afraid" which is played during the ending for the game. The song is performed by Elisa Fiorillo . Gregson-Williams provided a new "''Metal Gear Solid 3'' Version" of TAPPY 's "''Metal Gear Solid'' Main Theme". In a break from tradition, one of the ending themes of the game is not an in-house production, but Starsailor 's "Way To Fall". Hideo Kojima later revealed in his blog that he originally wanted to use Space Oddity and Ashes To Ashes (by David Bowie ) for the ending themes because of the space race theme of the game. But that theme was eventually almost scrapped from the game. One of his colleagues then advised him to listen to Stellastar, but Kojima heard "Starsailor". He liked the song "Way To Fall" and chose it as an ending theme. VOICE ACTORS ''English Version''
''Japanese Version''
TRIVIA
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