"What a thrill, with darkness and silence through the night." I was coming up for 19 years old when Metal Gear Solid 3 landed on European shores in 2005, and didn't quite understand what was going on during its opening credits anthem. I understood the action-adventure stealth series had long been inspired by creator Hideo Kojima's passion for the James Bond franchise, but until that point, the likeness as I understood it was more of a mechanical one.
For all intents and purposes, Snake was a trigger-happy spy. He had an uber-intelligent colleague in his ear at all times, and had access to the most cutting-edge technology that helped get the job done. He fought scores of faceless foot soldiers, and some of the most memorable, larger-than-life boss baddies I'd ever seen before in video games. And, more often than not, there was a love interest in the mix in some shape or form.
