Steam

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metal Gear Solid 4. It’s been a long time coming but Metal Gear fans finally have something concrete to look forward to. Although series creator Hideo Kojima has moved on to other projects, his long-beloved stealth action franchise is making a grand return to the forefront of gaming with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Now that we have our first look at Delta’s gameplay from the new trailer shown at the Xbox Games Showcase, we’re even more excited to get our hands on it. But for now, we want to take a look back at the original Metal Gear Solid 3, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year on November 17th, 2004. Specifically, we’re going to talk about how MGS3 tells a more vital prequel narrative than most other franchises can match. What was at the time seen as a course correction from Metal Gear Solid 2’s lack of Solid Snake playtime and perhaps even a delaying action of paying off 2’s narrative threads to the eventual Metal Gear Solid 4, the benefit of hindsight has shown that MGS3 is a critical installment in the series’ mythology. Sure, it received great reviews on release, but why does the story not really work if you just played MGS1, 2 and 4 as a trilogy when they happen in chronological order? Let’s take a look at what makes MGS3 so essential. A New Mission After two games set in a “few years in the future” sci-fi setting, Kojima went in an entirely new direction with Metal Gear Solid 3. The mechanics and systems he used to create such iconic stealth action gameplay in MGS1 and 2 could have been iterated on to even greater success, but 3 made the bold leap of developing new ways to engage with the genre. From the camo index system where players had to adjust their disguise to match their surroundings, needing to hunt for food in the wild to keep up stamina, curing serious injuries in the field, and depriving players of many of the futuristic gadgets that were so helpful in previous games, MGS3 forced fans to rethink their strategies as they explored the ******* jungle in pursuit of objectives. The mission took players through a variety of exotic locations and exciting sequences, with the Shagohod chase in particular being one of the best action set pieces on the PlayStation 2. Yet if the Metal Gear franchise is known for anything gameplay wise besides stealth, it’s a penchant for creative boss fights against bizarre villains, and MGS3 has one of the best rogue’s galleries in the franchise. The Cobra Unit were incredibly expressive both in visual design and how they let the ways they fought give players an insight into their personalities instead of each one telling an elaborate backstory as they *****. The bosses interacted with the new gameplay systems, such being able to use camo to hide from The Fury, or tricky players giving The ***** food poisoning using rotten food to quickly drain his stamina. The crown jewel of the Cobra fights was The End, which used a massive environment and all the game’s stealth mechanics to create a proper *******’s duel that for some players went on for over an hour. Kojima’s talent for merging story and gameplay reaches its peak in the game’s final encounter: the battle between Snake and The Boss. With only 10 minutes before the arena is bombed to smithereens, all of the skills players developed over the course of the journey, especially in regards to sneaking and CQC, are tested as they try to defeat Snake’s old mentor. The white flowers and trees of the arena matching The Boss’ outfit, the slow build up of the Snake Eater theme song as the timer winds down, and forcing the player to push the button to deliver the final shot during what appears to be a cutscene all coalesce to form one of the most artistically resonant final battles in game history. The design template Kojima used in previous games is expanded and refined into its purest form in MGS3, making the game a fitting prequel not just in story, but also in gameplay. In Love and (Cold) War Set in 1964, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is, at first glance, a back to basics take on the Metal Gear series. Snake is back in the lead role, albeit technically not the same one as previous games, with the protagonist instead being the original Snake, aka Big Boss, whose DNA was used to create the clones Solid, Liquid and Solidus. The setup is essentially classic MGS action but in the jungle, and with a 007-style spy thriller/romance angle added on top. The complicated philosophical concepts and labyrinthine bad guy plans from MGS2 are dropped for a more straightforward Cold War story about Snake trying to stop a nuclear war from breaking out, while also dealing with his relationships with his apparently traitorous mentor, The Boss, and his budding maybe-maybe-not romance with his spy companion EVA. What some likely took as an artistic retreat from Kojima into less controversial territory has instead revealed itself over the years to be a conscious addition of key emotional context to what had become a sprawling multi-decade saga. Trying to connect all the various threads of MGS lore and the political machinations of dozens of characters and factions can be a dizzying prospect, but MGS3 cuts through the chaff and reminds the audience that these are stories not just about nations and lofty ideas but about characters, ones who MGS3’s script mines for a surprising amount of depth. At the center of it all is Snake, a man and soldier still holding onto the last of his ideals, only to lose all of it as he “succeeds” in the mission that would break both him and his hope in his country. His battles with The Boss, who is revealed to not be a traitor but instead a patriot allowing her reputation to be destroyed in order to preserve world peace, shatter Snake’s ****** in everything he’d ever been led to believe in. Meanwhile, his romance with EVA turning out to be a ruse to pilfer him of the Philosopher’s Legacy ruins his ability to put trust in anyone besides his fellow soldiers. These two relationships crumbling not only gives an answer as to why he eventually becomes Big Boss, the villain of the original two Metal Gear games on the MSX2, but also establishes that the recurring theme of soldiers being betrayed by their governments and wanting to build nations of their own that had been one of the central running motifs of the series, has a foundation that goes beyond the conflict fans were already familiar with. Even before Solid Snake was born, this was just a fact of this world, and cementing that world is what makes MGS3 so crucial to its immediate successor. A Solid Circle Besides telling its own story, MGS3 also adds important definition to the world of Metal Gear that helps solidify (hah) the plot threads that MGS4 would conclude. Sure, in timeline order, MGS4 is technically a sequel to MGS2. But when looking at the actual meat of plot and world-building, MGS3 is the game that most informs MGS4. We’re talking about more than basic stuff like learning about the Shagohod, which was the genesis from which Metal Gear technology would later develop, or introducing the character of Big Boss to series fans who never played the original two MSX games (which, let’s be honest, is most of them). MGS4 only works as an ending to the saga because of how it builds off of MGS3’s themes and characters. Nothing that happens in MGS3 is a “bonus”; it is the beating heart of a saga Kojima had been telling across numerous games since 1987 The idea that the conflicts between soldiers and their governments that led Big Boss and other Metal Gear villains into wanting to establish some version of Outer Heaven are cyclical across history only sells if we’ve actually seen that conflict, well, across history. The reveal that EVA is the one who gave birth to Solid and Liquid and truly did love Big Boss despite her betrayal would come out of nowhere without us becoming invested in her in MGS3. And without getting to know them when they were young and charismatic, the twist that the Patriots, the ultimate villains of the entire Metal Gear saga, were in fact the mission support team who helped the original Snake (and by extension, the player) in the 1960s wouldn’t register as such a tragic gut-punch. Sure, there are worthwhile prequels that fill in lore gaps or recontextualize aspects of plot or character: Rogue One, Andor, Better Call Saul, House of the Dragon, and Furiosa to name a recent few. But what makes MGS3 stand out from the pack is that in most other cases, later stories in the timeline work perfectly well on their own without the prequel material. Metal Gear stories set after MGS3, such as MGS4, MGS5 or Peace Walker, don’t really function dramatically without knowing the story from MGS3. Nothing that happens in MGS3 is a “bonus”; it is the beating heart of a saga Kojima had been telling across numerous games since 1987. It is the connective tissue that brings the original MSX games, the early Solid series, and the final entries together into a single whole. That it’s also an excellent title on its own terms, full of some of the series’ most exciting action set pieces and strongest character work, only further cements its status as the greatest prequel ever made. Carlos Morales writes novels, articles and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Twitter. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Square Enix has published the launch trailer for Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail, which is viewable below. Launching on July 2, Final Fantasy 14’s fifth expansion will bring the game up to version 7.0. It will introduce the continent of Tural, two brand new jobs (Viper and Pictomancer), a new playable race (female Hrothgar) and a major graphical upgrade, among other features. Read More... View the full article

The endgame is the bread and butter of every looter shooter. The First Descendant is no exception, and now we have a better idea of what to expect from its endgame activities. In a breakdown video on June 13, The First Descendant developer detailed the “endless endgame content” we can expect, including several activities to complete and goals to achieve. One of the first things mentioned is unlocking new Descendants and Ultimate weapons. Each Descendant has a unique playstyle that synergizes with specific Ultimate weapons, and the developer added that more Descendants are currently in development. View the full article

Taira no Masakado is one of the most hidden demons in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. Here's where to have him join your team, if you can beat him. View the full article

There are 200 Miman to find in Shin Megami Tensei V, here's where to find each one of them. Updated with Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Miman! View the full article

While the unveiling of Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been a long time coming, the first glimpses of gameplay are making it look more like a fantasy-themed Mass Effect game than any Dragon Age game before it. As BioWare's longest-running and most successful franchise next to Mass Effect, Dragon Age has been through significant changes since its initial iteration in Dragon Age: Origins, which closely resembled the classic Baldur's Gate games which BioWare also worked on. As the series advances, however, it may be losing its RPG roots almost entirely. View the full article

Before being shelved by ZA/UM executives, the Disco Elysium spin-off project, codenamed X7, was on track to be “the most ********* Disco since Disco.” This comes from a June 13 PCGamer report where current and former staff of ZA/UM, the studio holding the rights for the Disco Elysium IP, talked about how almost the entire X7 team—headed by Disco Elysium writer Argo Tuulik—faced surprise layoffs after the sudden cancelation of the project. As Project X7’s lead writer, Dora Klindžić, says in the report, this was doubly bizarre as the X7 demo had a largely positive reception internally. View the full article

The Nic Cage-led ******'s Wonderland movie now has its own video game, but it's nothing like the Five Nights At Freddy's games thought to inspire ******'s. The 2021 movie appeared to share a similar premise to the popular FNAF franchise - although its filmmaker, G.O Parsons, stated any similarities were purely coincidental, and it was inspired by restaurants such as Chuck E. Cheese, with the original idea coming about in 2015 just before the first FNAF game was released - but with one key difference: Nic Cage's mute janitor could ****** back against the deadly animatronic creatures that thought they were hunting him, resulting in an array of violent carnage. View the full article

Life is Strange: Double Exposure will respect the player's final decision from the first game and won't be declaring either original ending canon, Deck Nine has confirmed. Following the game's initial reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase last weekend, an extended livestream aired last night, which included interviews with key developers and Max's returning voice actor Hannah Telle, plus 15 minutes of gameplay. The stream dug into details about the new setting, Max's new powers and, crucially, the way in which the game aims to stay true to the player's choices from previous titles. Two console generations and nearly 10 years on from the first Life is Strange release, it's unsurprising that you don't import your save info from LIS1 directly into Double Exposure, but Deck Nine has a plan to ensure that your experience in the latest game still reflects those long-ago choices. While previous follow-ups Life is Strange 2 and Life is Strange: True Colors both straight-up just asked you which ending you got in the original game, Double Exposure will be taking a slightly more organic approach for this direct sequel. Read more View the full article

One Reddit user, u/caponica23, shared a disappointing review of the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge laptop packing the X Elite chip. After running benchmarks like GeekBench and CrystalDiskMark along with some subjective battery and gaming tests, the results were... not great. Read Entire Article View the full article

FromSoftware's Bloodborne launched in 2015 and was highly praised for showcasing what the then-new PlayStation 4 was capable of during players' exploration of a blood-drenched gothic world. Surprisingly, it has remained one of the few major PlayStation exclusives of that generation not to be ported elsewhere, despite fan demand for a "new-gen" patch for the current PS5 console and a PC release. View the full article

Gears of War: E-Day could be released next year, it’s been claimed. According to The Verge’s sources (paywalled, via Reddit), a few months ago Microsoft was targeting a 2025 launch window for the newly announced game. It’s unclear if that ******** the case, and Microsoft didn’t announce a launch window for the title when it was revealed during Sunday’s Xbox Games Showcase. Read More... View the full article

****** is the new superboss of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, and beating him unlocks a new mode and raised your level cap. View the full article

The vast open world of Fallout 4 features many quests with different rewards, including one at Cambridge Polymer Labs. Once devoted to research, this place continues its work even in the desolate Wasteland to create a new type of polymer. As with many missions, your character can get caught up in this place's experimentation and is forced to either help or ****** to escape the laboratory. View the full article

Back in February, Graham wrote about potential redundancies at Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM following the cancellation of a standalone expansion to that game, codenamed X7. Now, PC Gamer’s Ted Litchfield has spoken to 12 current and former employees about the circumstances surrounding the cancellation, notably the details of the layoffs, the expansion, and the “humiliation campaign” suffered by writer Argo Tuulik as apparent retaliation for his participation in last year’s extensive People Make Games documentary. You can, and should, read PC Gamer’s report here. Read more View the full article

The impenetrable wall of crossover fiction known as Kingdom Hearts has come to Steam. The games have been on Epic Games Store since 2021, so they're not new to PC folk. But this does open them up to players who shy away from Epic's storefront. I use the term "open up" loosely, because Kingdom Hearts is popularly regarded as a tangle of ******-crossing JRPG confuse-o-plots that require diagrams and multiple explainer videos to follow. I don't know if that's true, having never followed Alice down this Buster Sword-shaped rabbit *****, but it is the popular joke. And, looking into Goofy's cold, ***** eyes, I find I am afraid to question it. Read more View the full article

Ubisoft have announced that Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is finally coming to Steam on August 8th, making it much easier to play on Steam Deck and desktop Linux. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

For those who aren't afraid of spoilers, here is how the endings play out in Shin Megami Tensei V. SPOILER WARNING. View the full article

The final closed beta test will run from June 27 to July 4. View the full article

The Dual Destiny is a new Exotic mission in Destiny 2 and requires you to bring a friend to complete it, leaving many solo players frustrated. After Destiny 2 players discovered the new Exotic mission, they found out you need two players to complete it. Unfortunately, you can’t even launch it solo, so you have to get a friend or LFG with someone to complete the mission. The Dual Destiny mission rewards Exotic class items, some of the strongest Exotic armor pieces in the game, and naturally, solo players aren’t happy with this requirement. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Another big Minecraft update is live now with Tricky Trials bringing with it new decorative blocks, hostile mobs, items, weapons, paintings and the trial chambers. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

The first trailer for Lollipop Chainsaw RePop has been revealed alongside a release date for the game. It will be released digitally on September 25, 2024, for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. Lollipop Chainsaw RePop is a remaster of the 2012 Grasshopper Manufacture action adventure game Lollipop Chainsaw, which sees players step into the shoes of chainsaw-wielding cheerleader Juliet Starling. Read More... View the full article

*** national treasures Inkle - they who looped the globe in 80 days, vaulted the heavens and sang of the highlands - are making a brand new investigation-ma-jig called Miss Mulligatawney's School For Promising ******, though the presskit notes that this might not be the final title. It's set in the titular 1920s boarding school, where you can expect "tuition in ******, Geometry and a wide range of team sports, all within the beautiful setting of our isolated country estate". Also some murders, possibly. Read more View the full article

The orcs and goblins of the Greenskins, the sizeable gourmands of the Ogre Kingdoms, and the ****** Christmas ornaments of Khorne are the next three factions to get new units, lords, and campaigns as part of strategy game Total War: Warhammer 3’s next DLC. The news comes via official posts by developer Creative Assembly on both Reddit and X. Read more View the full article

Do you spend many a long evening just yearning away for a Bloodborne PC port? Well, you're certainly not alone and the good news is that FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki isn't opposed to one existing. He even thinks it'd be a pretty cool idea. Sadly, that still doesn't mean one is definitely going to happen. If you're out of the loop, the reason why that last bit's the case is a pretty simple one. As Miyazaki has said, he and FromSoft don't own the IP rights to Bloodborne, making returning to it in any way a fair bit more tricky than it'd be for a series that the studio did have control over. Still, that doesn't render it totally impossible, and the developer doesn't seem like he'd turn down the chance to work on Bloodborne again, if the opportunity arose. In response to being asked about Bloodborne on PC for what must feel like the nine millionth time in an interview with PC Gamer, Miyazaki has offered some personal views on the idea of it, after admitting that it's not his place right now to say yay or nay to such a thing. Read more View the full article