Why Is Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes SO HATED?

Nearly two decades on from its launch on the GameCube, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes doesn’t have the best reputation, to say the very least, especially when it comes to the series’ most hardcore fans.

On paper, the idea of re-experiencing the original MGS1 – one of the greatest games ever made – with enhanced visuals, improved gameplay, and redone storytelling should have been an exciting one, but the execution of those ideas left a great deal to be desired in The Twin Snakes, to the point where, for many of the series’ biggest fans, it’s become a prime example of how not to remake a game, especially one as enduringly popular as Metal Gear Solid.

Here, we’re going to dive into exactly where all of that dissatisfaction towards the game comes from.

Source to music: maklibek

[stinkybeam]

Twin Snake was the only reason I bought a Game Cube. I am surprised people hate it.
And in those cut scenes comparison, I saw no problem with the Twin Snake.

[SilentKnight]

Love it or hate, it should still be included in the Master Collection. It's still a Metal Gear game.

[endeavouring]

Played the hell out of the original and I still enjoyed Twin Snakes. Hell, every once in a whle, I enjoy playing it again through Dolphin. I always laugh when some parrot the same silly argument that first person mode breaks or makes the game far too easy as they're forced to use first person for the entire game.

[kct]

My biggest gripe with the argument that the FPS mechanic ruined boss fights is that you could just choose to not use it and play them like the original. The original is still the better of the two versions, but I always enjoyed TTS. It’s nice to have the option of playing either one when I go back to it. I actually hope they include it in the Vol. 2 collection.

[blackhawk]

I really loved TTS and this is coming from a person who played MGS1 as a kid and loving that. I thought the redone VAing was decent for being out of David Hayter's paychecks. I can't stand the echo of everyone's audio in MGS1, heck it even has car traffic towards the end of the game. I'll agree that TTS has a weak soundtrack, but I did like how they changed up Encounter from EVERY boss fight, which got old fast. I do disagree with people saying Ocelot's fight was ruined in TTS. There are speedrunners that throw grenades across the room, which out chasing Ocelot. I also played Integral with FPV only and encountered the same issue. I also liked how TTS added hot steam pipes to the Ocelot fight, which is a nice change. But I think both games are good and fans are just holding MGS1 on a pedestal.

[Dirt_Serpent]

What kills it for me the most to be honest is the music. the original had the best soundtrack

[robotsex]

I love the Twin Snakes. It actually really bothers me that some people can't appreciate it like I do. I cannot disagree more regarding the criticisms of the cut scenes. I love the re-worked scenes. I love the choreography and bonkers nature of them. It's like watching an awesome anime - I completely dig it. I like the gameplay tweaks, and the better graphics. I remember playing it as a freshman in college; it was the game that got me to fall in love with the series. I will always have a strong love for this game.

[SausageWardog]

The only thing i hate about it is the price this game goes for

[ExcelHedge]

I'll probably get roasted for this but, Screw it.

I'd rather play The Twin Snakes than The Original and it should be ported to other consoles just as much as the other games.

[evilmonkeywithissues]

I don't think it's fair to hold the cutscenes against the Twin Snakes remake. The original expressed characters in pain by having their heads spasm to the point of absurdity. I realize that there wasn't much that can be done with the stuff animations from that time period, but seriously it's a bit much. On top of that, we had literal ghost hauntings and don't forget Eva's over the top animations from Snake Eater. Don't even get me started on Vamp. Dude can't go a single scene without turning it into a gymnastic event.

[joaoslarq]

If only square had this percentage of faithfulness to the original FFVII...

[ulibarriL]

The remake formula is simple, but difficult to execute.
1. Retain the features that made the original so good.
2. Improve on what the original lacked without screwing up number one.

Twin snakes failed on both accounts. While the general gameplay was done pretty good, the boss fights just did not give the same feeling of how high the stakes were in those encounters. They changed the dialogue, added elements that weren't needed, and even took away the challenge of some of them entirely. The music also didn't queue in as effectively as the original. The original MGS was a movie first, and a game that immersed you in it second. Twin Snakes lost that, and it was basically just your run of the mill video game.

[CaptainGrackle]

Cutscenes were directed by Ryuhei Kitamura who was known at the time for his zany action movies like Versus and Azumi (Hideo Kojima actually has cameos in both of those films). Some of the stunt team on Versus also went on to work on Devil May Cry 3, Devil May Cry 4, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Bayonetta cutscenes so this type of action is firmly in their wheelhouse.

Did the cutscenes fit MGS (at the time)? Not really but as a huge fan of that style of action I loved it.

[myksanchez]

The dialog and the melodramatic over-acting is what makes all of the games cringeworthy. The final nail in the coffin was seeing Snake jump up and flick kick multiple rockets out of the air; hideo kojima is hokey as hell...

[Drexxyl]

I never knew the game was hated so much. I think it's league better than the original, it''s over the top goofy which is exactly what Metal Gear Solid is. And whoever says the voice acting is worse needs to clean their ears, Mei Ling no longer has a bad stereotypical asian accent, and even Gray Fox sounds way better. I honestly think most people never even played this game cuz it was on the gamecube, and is now mad expensive to buy.

[maximillionroivas]

Who the hell hates this game?! I love this remake.

[Luna-ouhs]

Twin snakes was better than the original change my mind

[Attivian]

I loved this game. I don't care what the haters say. If anything I like the new head canon that this was just Otacon's retelling of the original story. Embellishing the action moments as he saw it.

[klukina]

this was hated back because it was gamecube exclusive. i was jealous as ps2 player but not hated this game.

[mathewyoungblood]

I love this game I probably beat it at least 50 times when it came out. I didn't even know people didn't like it.😅