I got MGS3 for Christmas, and after about four hours of gameplay, I’m practically ready to trade it in. The problems I’m having with it seem so ridiculous that I can’t help but think that it’s just me; I’m missing some fundamental concepts in the game that would make it infinitely more enjoyable.
Keep in mind, I’ve played all of the MG games going back to the 8-bit NES version, so the game’s stealth concept isn’t new to me.
Here’s my beef:
The game is DIFFICULT AS HELL. I mean, it took me 2 hours to finally pass the first real mission, which is conceptually simple.
Things that make it so incredibly difficult:
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The overhead view, combined with the lack of radar, make it so that it’s basically impossible to avoid enemies. The overhead camera view is SO BAD! Even sneaking around, I keep practically running right into enemies because the camera keeps me from seeing them until I’m bowling them over. This wouldn’t be as bad if the old radar system were present; I’d be able to anticipate where they were and which direction they were looking. How am I supposed to work around this?
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Once enemies ARE inevitably alerted, it seems freaking impossible to lose them. Even with my camo rating at like 95%, hiding against a tree or in tall grass is futile; they come right to me, and then it’s a firefight. It also seems to take a HELL of a long time (compared to previous MGS games) for the alert system to return to normal if you’ve actually fought an enemy or been sighted. Again, is there something I’m missing?
How am I supposed to play the game without being able to know where the enemies are, where their lines-of-sight are, whether they can see me or not, and not being able to lose them once spotted? What am I missing?
Take it slow. Slooooooow. Slower than that.
Always know your next move before you make it. Every time you get to a new area, go to 1st person view and scope out the closest hiding spots (preferably tall grass, or crawlspaces under rocks or in logs). Switch to the best camo you have. Look around for enemies, then make a mad dash to that hiding spot when the coast’s clear and flatten yourself on the ground. From there, look around for more enemies and more hiding places. Watch their movements and move from spot to spot when you’re sure that nobody’s looking. Make sure your hiding places aren’t in enemies paths - some guys will stroll through the grass and spot you, and of course as they walk towards you you can’t escape because they’re looking right at you. The only recourse in that situation is a well-placed shot or distraction.
Camo only really works if you’re motionless. If you’re moving, they’ll probably spot you no matter what you’re wearing (though good camo will make them forget about it before they come too close to investigate). The better your camo rating, the closer and enemy can get without seeing you. 85 or so is fine when they’re just walking past, but even at 95 they’ll notice you if they step on your head.
You can move the camera around a little. Not much, but it helps.
If you do take somebody out, make absolutely sure the body won’t be spotted. Put it in one of your previous hiding spots as you proceed forward. This is particularly annoying when you’re already in alert; They’ll keep coming and coming, and as the bodies pile up the next guys will see them and call in more backup. When in alert you need to hide somewhere that they not only can’t get to, but also can’t even see because they’ll be checking everywhere. If you’re hiding under something, scoot away from the entrance so they can’t look beneath and see you there. Grab a book, because once you’ve found your hidey-hole it takes about a minute for red alert to go away and a couple more for orange to disappear (bearing in mind that as they search for you, they’ll probably run into the guys you’ve disposed of and go back into full orange or red again).
In most outdoor areas, there’s usually only one or two guys with radios (you can spot the antennae on their backpacks). Get rid of that guy or his radio, and they’ll be unable to call for help. Those guys are also useful on their own…
Enemies like food, especially if they’re starving. Toss a ration somewhere and if they spot it, they’ll deviate from their paths to go get it. Remember enemies will hear you running and walking. The only way to move absolutely silently is with the directional pad or by crawling