5/5 ★ – RawMetal's review of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes.

System: Nintendo GameCube Started: July 2014 Ended: August 8, 2014 Flashback Review While discussing my current interest in the Metal Gear series with friends, one of them offered to lend me their GameCube copy of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, a full remake of the original Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation. The story remains the same, and the only differences between the original and the remake are the graphics, cinematic cutscenes, soundtrack, and voice acting. The Twin Snakes is a GameCube exclusive and developed by Silicon Knights—the creators of other notable titles like Eternal Darkness and Legacy of Kain. While Kojima oversees the project. Although Twin Snakes has received mixed reactions from fans, I personally enjoyed this remake despite its flaws that strayed away from the original game's seriousness and atmosphere. My first immediate impression of this game was the graphical enhancements. Gone are the blocky characters of the PlayStation One era, replaced by detailed faces complete with expressive eyes, thanks to the graphics engine from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. In fact, the lockers, tranquilizer gun, first-person shooting, and clinging-on-the-edge-of-a-platform mechanic were in this from Sons of Liberty. It's also a treat to hear most of the original voice actors return, using their real names rather than aliases, and the control system; the Twin Snakes version introduces the Analog GameCube Controller, making the gameplay smoother and more intuitive, significantly making the game stress-free. It is odd that The Twin Snakes has certainly split its fanbase, and having played through it, I guess I understand their reasons. The cutscenes are ridiculously over-the-top. Now I did say in my review that both the original Metal Gear Solid and Sons of Liberty had over-the-top cutscenes and dialog, but The Twin Snakes took it way, way far. Not only do we get anime-style influence, but we even get Slow-Mo moments like The Matrix and John Woo influence for this game as we see slow motion and backflips in action sequences. Additionally, the voice acting seems exaggerated, lacking the authenticity of the original game's performances. While I appreciate both versions, my preference leans towards the original PlayStation edition of Metal Gear Solid. The original version captured a certain tone, environmental art style, and atmosphere that resonated with me. The voice acting and the music score set the tone perfectly. I did like the electronic soundtrack from the remake but still could not match it up with the original version. Metal Gear Solid was meant to be serious with its choice of music, dialog, and boss battles. Comparing it with Twin Snakes, everything felt too exaggerated. It's like I am watching a parody of the original Metal Gear Solid. Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes is a solid remake, and the game still holds up well. I would only recommend playing this over the original game if you care so much about graphical enhancements in video games rather than story and voice acting. However, if your curiosity got the best of you after finishing the classic version, then absolutely play the Twin Snakes version to see for yourself. There has not been another Metal Gear Solid remake until now. Metal Gear Solid 3 is getting a remake soon, titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Will that be a better remake than Twin Snakes? We shall see upon the release of that game.