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0:49 Oh, OK. I have to hold L1 and THEN tap R1 to fire. I like the first-person firing view, and the fact that Snake can fire from the ground. The enemies are pretty smart, staying in cover and waiting for a good opportunity to move in. Now I'm sitting in the building waiting for the "Evasion" counter to roll down to zero.
0:50 I use the camera controls to peek around the corner of the door. This seems to get the attention of some more soldiers, despite the fact that Snake is still perfectly hidden. Did they see the camera move, or something? They send more reinforcements. Here we go again!
0:52 Screw this stealth jazz, I'm making a run for it. Otacon warns me it might be tough to break through. I don't care, it's guns blazing time!
0:53 The new weapon controls are great. It's easy to aim and fire even as I walk through the dusty alleys. Nice over-the-shoulder camera.
0:54 In a new area now, I get spotted almost immediately as I try to sneak behind some guards. I take on the reinforcements, guns blazing, but get taken down rather quickly. Flashes of scenes from old games fly by as Otacon cries the familiar "Snaaaaaaake!" Let's try that again.
0:56 This time I creep along slowly, trying hard not to be heard or seen. A guard thinks he heard something, but decides it was "Just my imagination." He goes to investigate anyway and I have to match his movements around a thin pillar so he can't see me. Eventually I jump into a side alley and make it to a safe spot. Now
that's what Metal Gear Solid is all about!
0:58 I make it to the next CSAP and see a robot's-eye view of Snake. It's a little Metal Gear on wheels! "It's me, Snake," says Otacon from a flip-down screen of the little guy's side. SO CUTE! "Allow me to introduce Metal Gear Mark II." It dances around as Otacon talks. Oh, I just want to squeeze it to pieces!
0:59 The Otacon/Mark II gives me the Solid Eye, an eye patch that gives me night vision and 3-D radar. "The rebels are out there," says Snake. I also get an "Operator" and a tranquilizer gun. Just like old times. The Mark II will follow me wherever I go, but it's got a stealth mode so the enemies can't see him. "It's a war zone out there. Stay on your toes!" says Otacon a bit obviously.
Would I play this game for more than an hour? Yes.
Why? After dumping dozens of hours into this crazy series, what's a few dozen more to figure out what the hell's going on?
This column was based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.
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