marconelly!
Veteran
Very true. I love how they shine through the trees, and through the water, and how they overbright even your character if you get in the way. Oh, and if you try to look at them in FPV, it's so bright it's ridiculous I also love how water reflects everything (reflections of everything are probably a staplemark of visuals throughout MGS games , like your torch, or the exploding hooverpods...Yes, that section is so amazing. MGS3 features the most impressive, artistically and probably also technically (as in best result with least power), effects of over exposure lighting I've ever seen. Particulary during evasion in that very section...
Another location that I particulary liked is a location where you can get to after the fight with Fear. Instead of going where you're supposed to go, just go through the other door, and you'll end up at the same location where you initially entered the warehouse from - only this time it will be daytime. The water there, and the whole scene, is just jaw droppingly gorgeous looking. I'm amazed that they recreated that whole scene for the daytime, and made it that pretty, considering how really not obvious it is that you can get there in the first place, and how few people will probably get to see it.
Also, pretty much the whole area where you fight The End. The river, the changing weather, the trees, everything is just beautiful.
Hard difficulty is perfect for a first time playthrough if you're already versed with MGS2. I'm very happy I started the game on that difficulty - so far it's been just as challenging as I'd like to - never frustrating, but at times really difficult (like at the fight with Fear, where I died a lot, until I realized I have to strategize more)I have to get that HDD and play it through again soon (on hard level this time). I planned to wait until the PAL version but I don't think I can hold out that long.
I don't know - I think I'm just as much in awe with graphics, as I was with MGS2 - and concerning everything else, even more so. It's just an incredibly gripping game that keeps getting more interesting and more involving as it goes. I haven't felt this way about a game since Ico, and to me, that's probably the ultimate compliment I can give. As for visuals, MGS2 basically started off with it's best looking scene and rarely matched or topped that. MGS3 just keeps getting better and more impressive every time I continue playing it.It lacks the "dear god this is what next generation is all about look at the rain the lighting the art direction the physics oh where the hell did my jaw go" effect MGS2 had, though.
Just as some kind of reference, before I started playing MGS3, I played Half Life 2 for about an hour, and watched a friend play it for couple more hours. You'd think having seen such a high profile PC game now would spoil anything and everything on consoles, but that's just not the case. Despite all the technical flaws, like the lack of mip-mapping, the visuals in MGS3 are so tightly woven, the effects so cleverly used - the game just feels warmer, more inviting...