Part 2:

Recently, we took you on an up-close-and-personal look at Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, the soon-to-be-released GameCube-exclusive remake of 1998's classic tactical espionage action game. At that time, we invited you send us any questions that you had remaining about how the game has finally shaped up. We've used all your questions to shape a series of updates, which address the main issues you brought up, piecemeal. If you're a hardcore MGS fan, we've got all the dirt you really want to know. And if you're not a hardcore MGS fan, then approach with caution, because we're going to get into some of the specifics about the plot and characters here, which you may not want to have spoiled.

Today, we'll take a look at the graphics and sound in this highly anticipated remake. Stay tuned throughout the week for further impressions of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes.

The Truth About the Graphics
We received the most inquiries about the ins and outs of the game's graphics. That's understandable, because 1998's Metal Gear Solid was a graphical masterpiece for its time, as was 2001's Metal Gear Solid 2. The incredibly stylish and lifelike visuals of these games contributed to their atmosphere and cinematic flair. So, some MGS fans are a little concerned by reports that The Twin Snakes' frame rate isn't perfectly smooth and that its visuals, while good, aren't exactly jaw-dropping. Anyway, let's get to your questions.

Regarding the game's frame rate, does it dip in certain, specific instances, as in Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for the Xbox, or do frames drop seemingly at random? Is it smooth more often than not? The answer is yes, the frame rate is perfectly smooth more often than not, which is why the frame drops are noticeable in the specific instances in which they occur. Frame drops happen when certain particle effects are onscreen, such as while fighting Liquid Snake's Hind chopper; when multiple enemies are onscreen and firing, such as after reinforcements have come in to attack you; and in certain areas, such as on the top floor of the communication tower, where you can see some of the floors beneath you. The frame rate drops from a smooth 60 down to around 30 or even less in some cases. This is slightly disruptive to the gameplay experience, as frame rate drops tend to be, but it's admittedly a nitpicky issue and certainly not a huge deal. The frame rate drops let's say about 5 percent of the time during play. Will Silicon Knights fix these issues before the game ships? We don't know, but since we're basing this assessment on a near-final build deemed acceptable for review, our best guess is that they won't.

How about other graphical issues? Some fans are wondering about aliasing problems, as in when you see a jagged stepladder effect on diagonal lines. Aliasing is noticeable in some scenes, but then again, it's still an issue with many games. It didn't bother us here. What about the cinematic filter effects from the original Metal Gear Solid, which extensively used motion blur during its cutscenes? There isn't much in the way of motion blur here, but some other effects such as for the ninja's and Otacon's stealth camouflage and the heat shimmer in the blast furnace area of the game look quite good. There are no bump mapping or other high-end graphical effects here to speak of. Characters don't cast per-pixel shadows, so don't expect to see a guard's shadow come creeping out from around a corner as you could in MGS2. As mentioned, some other graphical effects are lifted straight from MGS2, such as guard animations, explosions, and blood effects.

Some other notes about the graphics: Although the character models are about on par here with those of Metal Gear Solid 2, the environments aren't as detailed. Textures can be pretty blurry when viewed up close, and the level of peripheral detail isn't as high as in MGS2, in which you could do such things as shoot over an ice bucket and watch the individual ice cubes melt. Here, by comparison, you can shoot at certain computer screens and they won't show any signs of damage. The environments weren't that spectacular in the original MGS--the game takes place entirely in what looks like an industrial complex--so don't expect them to look too much more exciting here.

Also, the game is plenty bloody. While there's no swearing in the dialogue, The Twin Snakes readily deserves its mature rating because of the amount of blood that's spilled both in the cutscenes and during gameplay. The amount of blood shown is about on par with the original MGS and MGS2, and fans can probably predict which sequences will prove to be the most graphic.

The Sound
1998's Metal Gear Solid featured an excellent, memorable soundtrack and voice acting. Many of you are wondering if the music in The Twin Snakes is different than that of the first game, and whether the newly recorded dialogue was done by the original actors. The answer on both counts is yes. The new soundtrack is noticeable. For example, the fast-paced boss theme from MGS has been replaced by something that's less emphatic and more in line with the rest of the game's music. But the overall tone and feel of the soundtrack hasn't changed. It's still understated and heavy on bass. The music still completely cuts off in certain sequences, too. One reader asked whether the game features the original end theme from Metal Gear Solid. We haven't yet finished the game to confirm, but we would assume so.

As for the voices, honestly at times it's difficult to tell whether all the dialogue has truly been re-recorded, because these are in fact mostly the same voice actors as before. Some characters do sound different, such as Mei Ling, but the main characters like Solid Snake (voiced by David Hayter) and Liquid Snake (voiced by Cam Clarke) sound the same as ever. In some cases, hardcore fans might notice a slight change of inflection in the dialogue, and might not like it. When fighting Liquid in his Hind chopper, we weren't quite as impressed when he cried out "Eat this!", since he sounds much angrier in the original game. Also, when Snake is battling the cybernetic ninja, the ninja keeps crying out, "Hurt me more," but again doesn't sound as sinister as he did in 1998's MGS. These are the sorts of nitpicky changes that hardcore fans will pick up on, but for better or worse, at least these changes are there to note and discuss.

New dialogue has definitely been added in some cases, but the core of the dialogue is the same as before. Bosses still utter the same catchphrases over and over as you're fighting them, for example. Hardcore MGS fans will probably even be able to recite some of the dialogue from memory.

That's it for this installment. Check back throughout the week for more updates on Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes.

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Part 3:

Last week, we took you on an up-close-and-personal look at Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, which is the soon-to-be-released GameCube-exclusive remake of 1998's classic tactical espionage action game. We invited you to send us any remaining questions that you had regarding how the game has finally shaped up. We've used all your questions to shape a series of updates, which, in a piecemeal fashion, address the main issues you all brought up. If you're a hardcore MGS fan, we've got all the dirt you really want to know. And if you're not a hardcore MGS fan, then approach with caution, because we'll occasionally discuss some of the specifics about the plot and characters here, which you may not want to have revealed.

Today, we'll take a look at the gameplay in this highly anticipated remake. Does The Twin Snakes play as well as the original game and the more-recent Sons of Liberty? Read on to find out. Stay tuned throughout the week for further impressions of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes.

The Gameplay
Many readers wanted to know, straight-up, if the GameCube controller was well suited for the game. Yes, it works fine. Metal Gear Solid and its sequel have always featured an unconventional control scheme, and this is true of The Twin Snakes. So, of course, the game takes some getting used to. However, fans of MGS shouldn't have any trouble adapting to the controls here in the long run.

Can the controls be customized? No, not really, but you can choose whether or not the Z button works to toggle the first-person perspective or whether or not you need to hold the button down. You can also invert the Y axis for first-person looking and shooting, if you prefer. Subtitles can also be toggled on or off, and blood can be toggled on or off as well. You may also choose different options for your radar, just as you could in MGS and MGS2.

What if you take aim but don't want to fire off a round? In MGS2, the analog-based fire button allowed you to keep from firing a shot. Here, when you're pressing and holding button A to take aim, you can press button Y to lower your weapon, which is perfect for when you're trying to relieve a guard of his dog tags. (The dog tag-collecting minigame in The Twin Snakes works exactly as it does in MGS2, where it originally appeared.)

What about some of Snake's new moves? Can he whip around from behind a wall to take aim just like in MGS2? Yes, he can. He can also vault over railings, do pull-ups, and fall face flat on a stairwell if you try to execute his barrel roll while he's running up or down steps--just like in MGS2. Also, Snake can walk as well as run if you gently apply the analog stick. However, his enemies cannot hear him running up behind them, for the most part. On noisy surfaces, though, walking is a new option if you're trying to keep quiet, and you can also try to barrel roll right over them. Or you can crawl, just as in Metal Gear Solid. Unlike in the original, however, you can shoot while crawling now.

Another big question is, since Snake has all these "new" abilities now, have the environments changed to force him to take advantage of them? The answer is no, not really. MGS fans will recognize most every square inch of the environments in The Twin Snakes. You can take advantage of some of Snake's new abilities in them, such as jumping over and hanging from a railing while enemy guards slip past, but these are merely options and are not requirements. The biggest change to the gameplay from the original is the same one that's found in MGS2: Now, you're going to be shooting almost exclusively from a first-person viewpoint (though you can't actually move from a first-person perspective). Consequently, you'll notice that headshots are more powerful against both guards and bosses. In the battles against foes like Revolver Ocelot, Psycho Mantis, and Sniper Wolf, shooting them in the head is much more damaging than shooting them in any other part of their body. The damage modeling is on par with MGS2, otherwise. Don't expect realistic damage here. Snake can take a serious beating and can also have up to five rations in his inventory, each of which recovers a large chunk of health.

Metal Gear Solid wasn't that difficult, but The Twin Snakes seems a bit easier overall. In addition to the easier torture sequence, other changes, like how Snake starts out with a full-length life bar and can carry five rations, make it somewhat easy to survive hostile encounters. Some of the boss battles seem a bit easier than before as well. When fighting Liquid's Hind chopper, it's possible to "see" the image of the helicopter even when it's obscured by terrain, thus making it a relative cinch to fire off a rocket as soon as it comes into view. Also, when fighting Sniper Wolf, it seems easier to draw a bead on her, as opposed to the previous game. Perhaps this is due in part to the higher resolution graphics that make it easier to spot her in the distance. Anyway, as mentioned, the game plays more like MGS2 overall than its predecessor.

Are there new weapons in the game? Kind of. The silenced M9 tranquilizer pistol from MGS2 can be found in the very first room of the game, and it works as expected. Also, the tranquilizer version of the PSG-1 sniper rifle can be found. Other than that, it's the same arsenal as in the original, so it again features the SOCOM pistol, the FAMAS submachine gun, the Nikita rocket launcher, and others. Chaff grenades still work to temporarily disable security cameras, though stun grenades don't seem as effective against personnel as they were in MGS. Furthermore, as in MGS2, you can now find "books," which are naughty magazines that will attract the attentions' of guards (those slackers).

Is the save system identical to that of Metal Gear Solid? Yes, it is. You contact Mei Ling via the codec, and she saves your progress for you. Additionally, she imparts a little Chinese wisdom for good measure.

Are there any noticeable loading times? No, there aren't, though the action fades in and out noticeably between main areas, as in MGS2.

How many discs will the game ship on? The answer is two discs. There's a point in the game at which you're prompted to switch over to disc two.

Is the codec different? No, it looks and functions exactly the same as in MGS. Even the codes for the characters you need to manually contact by codec are the same as before, and the handful of animated codec sequences (such as when Meryl removes her mask) are unchanged.

Is there a two-player co-op mode? Sorry, no. When Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes was first announced, some speculated that the new subtitle alluded to two-player gameplay, but they were mistaken.

That's it for today's installment. Come back on Friday for the final part of our Twin Snakes Q&A, when we'll talk about the storyline, cinemas, and extras you'll find in the game.

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Part 4:

Last week, we took you on an up-close-and-personal look at Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, the soon-to-be-released GameCube-exclusive remake of 1998's classic tactical espionage action game. We invited you to send us any remaining questions that you had regarding how the game has finally shaped up. We've used all your questions to shape a series of updates, which, in a piecemeal fashion, address the main issues you all brought up. Today, we'll be looking at the changes to the game's storyline, the new cinematic scenes created by director Ryuhei Kitamura, and the extra content you'll find in the game. If you're a hardcore MGS fan, we've got all the dirt you really want to know. And if you're not a hardcore MGS fan, then approach with caution, because we're going to get into some of the specifics about the plot and characters here, which you may not want to have revealed.

Storyline & Cutscenes
Some readers had specific questions about how, if at all, the storyline of The Twin Snakes differs from that of the original Metal Gear Solid. For instance, one reader wondered if, in light of Raiden's disrobed torture sequence toward the end of Metal Gear Solid 2, Snake would lose his trousers during a certain sequence of The Twin Snakes. The answer, fortunately, is no, though he still loses his shirt. We noted that the button mashing in The Twin Snakes is actually a lot easier than it was in the original, at least on the game's default difficulty. We were in no danger of having to submit to the game's torture sequence (which in turn paves the way to one of the game's different endings), even though Ocelot kindly pointed out that we hadn't saved our progress in quite some time and could risk subjecting ourselves to a big, fat game over.

The original Metal Gear Solid featured a supplemental briefing sequence, which gave a lot of background on Snake's mission and how he was selected for it. One reader wondered whether that sequence made it into The Twin Snakes, and the answer is yes. However, this sequence no longer uses hand-drawn still images. Instead, it's now fully 3D and is shown from the perspective of several different security cameras in a room that contains Snake, his commanding officer Colonel Anderson, and Dr. Naomi Campbell, who gives Snake a special shot during the scene. You may switch between camera angles and can generally fiddle around with the perspective during this drawn-out series of cutscenes.

One reader, who mentioned that he's seen Konami's recent 27-minute trailer of The Twin Snakes, wondered just how much more unrealistic, or over-the-top, the cutscenes are now in comparison to the original. The answer is: They're definitely somewhat more over-the-top. In some cases, the new cutscenes can seem a little too extreme, like when the ninja cuts a slab of concrete from off of the ceiling and sends it flying at Snake. In some other cases, though, the cutscenes are actually a marked improvement. For example, when Snake is captured after his first battle with Sniper Wolf, no longer does he simply throw up his hands and come quietly, which seemed a bit ridiculous in the original game. Now, he actually manages to subdue his three assailants...and only when he realizes that Sniper Wolf has him in his sights does he finally submit to capture.

The cinematic director of the game obviously took some liberties in cases like this, but he didn't mess with the storyline. You can expect the same drawn-out, melodramatic speeches from the game's tragic bosses after you take them out.

One thing that surprised us is that the classic game-over screen from MGS has been noticeably changed. You still hear a random character screaming Snake's name, but you no longer see the words "Metal Gear Solid" as they are spelled out.

Extras
A lot of readers have questions about the extras in the game. Unfortunately, we're not equipped to answer them all, as of yet, since we haven't fully completed the game--let alone completed it on every difficulty setting and without killing anybody and stuff like that.

Some wondered whether The Twin Snakes would feature VR training missions as in the original MGS or in MGS2: Substance. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it.

One reader wondered whether the "ghosts" were back. After finishing MGS, you could replay the game with a camera, and taking photos of certain game areas would reveal ghost images of the game's developers. Since all the other quirks and Easter eggs from MGS seem to have made the transition in to The Twin Snakes, we assume that the ghosts are still in there too.

Are there any extras, such as developer interviews or making-of featurettes? No, not that we can tell.

Is Gray Fox playable? We don't think so. However, this near-final version includes some debug code that says "Demo Meryl Locked" and "Demo Otacon Locked," which implies that these characters are unlockable in some fashion. (UPDATE: A snarky forum user dutifully pointed out that the reference is more likely to the game's two different endings.)

Are Snake's stealth camouflage, bandana, and tuxedo secrets still in the game? Again, we would assume yes, from what we've played.

You may have seen that the game has a few GameCube-exclusive touches in it. Otacon's office features Mario and Yoshi toys that are prominently on display during one cutscene between him and Snake. He's also got his very own GameCube in there, which can be shot up and destroyed during the fight with the ninja. Furthermore, in the sequence where Psycho Mantis reads your mind, rather than look for Castlevania saves, he'll spot saved data from such Nintendo titles as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and will comment accordingly. These and other sequences, where the game interacts with your memory card or controller in some unorthodox way, are generally the same as in the original.

Conclusion
Is it fun? What would you rate it on a scale of 1-to-10? You'll have to wait till the review in early March to get the straight answer to these questions, but for now, we trust that you've got a pretty good sense of what to expect from the game. MGS purists will probably like some of the differences here more than others, while those new to the MGS series will be in for a surprising and often strange experience. In the end, The Twin Snakes seems like it's going to deliver on its basic promise of remaking 1998's Metal Gear Solid with better graphics, MGS2's gameplay enhancements, and some new cutscenes.

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