On it's own merits Twin Snakes is an incredible experience, but as a remake it misses the mark.
User Rating: 8.7 | Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes GC
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a remake of the1998 Playstation game Metal Gear Solid. Just like in it's predecessor you take control of Solid Snake, a government agent whos mission is to stop terrorists from launching a nuclear weapon. For those familiar with the series you know the deal: stealth gameplay that requires you to sneak past your adversaries rather than fight them tied together with a tight story and great cutscenes. While the story hasn't changed, everything else has. The graphics and cutscenes have been completely overhauled and built from scratch and the gameplay has been lifted straight from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. All of the moves from that game (hanging from ledges, holding up guards, stuffing them into lockers, First Person Shooting etc.) have been implemented into Twin Snakes. While this is fine and good, due to the fact that the level design is nearly 100% identical to the original's some of them either don't work very well or make the game to easy. There in lies one of the big problems of this remake, other than the graphics and new cutscenes all of the other miniscule changes felt like an aftersight. The big change as I've mentioned earlier are the new graphics and cutscnes. Graphically the game is more or less on par with Sons of Liberty. Other than some slowdown here and there the game looks great. The cutscenes are probably the most significant addition. They are longer and more action packed then those found in Metal Gear Solid. A prime example is the Cyborg Ninja cutting through the guards in the hallway. Those who played the original will be pleased with the the new cinemas. The sound department has seen some changes as well. One of the big draws of the original was the outstanding voice acting. It was believable and didn't sound forced. Most of the voice actors have returned and for the most part it's just as good and in some ways better than the original's. But there are a few problems with some of the voice overs. All of the accents, most notably, Mei Ling's have been removed. It's pretty unbearable at times. However Nastasha and Naomi's new voices are neither better or worse this time around. There have been some changes to the actual dialouge, mostly because of the Gamecube's button set up but only those who've played the original to death will notice them. While it may seem like a negative at first, the soundtrack has been changed slightly, but in reality it is better. Each boss has their own theme this time. It's a really great addition. Those who've played the Playstation original can probably plow through the game in 3 to 5 hours. Players new to game may take up to 7 or 8. While it may seem short the gameplay and story is so good length won't be a factor. There is some incentive to replay the game to get both endings so that extends the replay value. In conclusion, if you have never played Metal Gear Solid before, pick up Twin Snakes. It's an excellent game that will keep you hooked until the end. But those who played the original and/or are die hard fans may be disapointed. Calling this a remake is an overstatement. The changes are all superficial. No changes to the level design or number of areas have been made. You can realy almost consider it a port in some ways. But overall it is worth the price of admission for the new cutscenes. 
