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IGNCube
IGNcube spent the better half of the afternoon playing both the PS1 game and the GameCube upgrade in an effort to better understand the differences between the two versions. It turns out that the original Metal Gear looks nowhere as good as it did in our memory. And yet, in many cases it still holds up in visual comparisons to the more technically capable Twin Snakes.
There are the obvious graphic changes. Twin Snakes has higher polygon counts, more detailed textures, better lighting and shadows, improved character animation, a more advanced particle system, reflections and transparencies, refraction and more. Tech heads are sure to be pleased. There are the publicized gameplay differences. Twin Snakes incorporates the refined control mechanics from PlayStation 2's hit Metal Gear Solid 2; this means that gamers can do all sorts of things that weren't possible in Twin Snakes that weren't possible in the original. For instance, grungy hero Solid Snake can now be made to aim in the first-person and take out enemies. This addition alone has a profound impact on the way the game is played. Snake can likewise now look around corners, hide and drag guards into lockers, hang off of ledges, run and roll, and more. Perhaps more important than any of these enhancements, however, is the game's hugely updated and more realistic artificial intelligence system. Enemies are smarter, plain and simple. They don't easily forget about Snake; they keep searching, they look around objects and follow the character; they call for backup and generally give players a very difficult time. As a result, there's a lot more strategy involved in completing the game.
But what of the other differences? Yes, new voices have been recorded by the same actors (for the most part) and the dialogue is the same. That noted, there are changes. The Mei Ling character in the title -- who incidentally had a hard Chinese accent in the original game -- now speaks without one. Music is played in different spots. The classic Metal Gear theme song has been changed so that it's unrecognizable. The cut-scenes don't match up with the PS1 game. In Twin Snakes, they run longer and they are far more cinematic; indeed, this is one of the most beautifully choreographed and directed titles for any system.
We have posted a wide variety of side-by-side pictures to help illustrate our point. Note that the images on the left are snapped from the PS1 version of the game while Twin Snakes grabs are on the right. Readers can click on the images below to enlarge them.
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Count up your sins
no problem. forgot some screens....
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