Every story needs a beginning. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater went into the past of the legendary Big Boss, showing how he became the figure that led the great FOXHOUND group. But to series creator Hideo Kojima, now something of an icon among gamers, this wasn't enough, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence was released in order to add more to the game that is one of the most entertaining experiences on the PS2 yet.

MGS3 starts off simple enough: Snake must rescue a scientist from the grip of the U.S.S.R., lest they use his talents to create a super weapon capable of starting, and ending, World War III. But, as we've come to expect from the series, this is not the entire truth. Through the game, you'll encounter twists and turns to the plot, character depth, and an ending that will bring a final twist to it all. The characters are your typical over-the-top villains, but there are also some characters that truly add some depth to the story, and give a lot to the plot. Because of this, MGS3 is perhaps the deepest Metal Gear Solid game to be released yet, allowing the player to really become attached to who the people are behind the soldier's garb.

Susbsistence comes on two discs. The first, Subsistence, gives the original MGS3 game in all its glory, with a few additional features. One is a brand-new camera angle, which is viewed from a third-person, behind-Snake perspective. This seemingly small change adds a whole new dimension to the game, allowing you to be closer to the action, to see more, farther, and new angles on everything. It's a wonder they never included this in the other games, but it seems like a sure thing that it'll be staying with the series. There's also a new difficulty setting called 'European Extreme,' in which the game ends immediately if Snake is seen by a soldier. Then there's the slew of new camouflage options and face paints that were added, as well as the addition of the Demo Theatre, which allows you to view every cutscene in the game (if you've actually unlocked them in the main game,) including a secret cutscene that is really something else.

Now, for all the unlockables, secret items, challenges, and just the game itself, this first disc would have been enough. Apparently, not for Kojima, as the game comes with a second CD, labeled 'Persistence.' This CD is what makes Subsistence a worthy purchase, one might argue, even if you have the original MGS3.

On the second disc is another expanse of modes to play. The first everyone should check out is that of the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2, represented down to the last 8-bit sound-effect, from the MSX. You can see the origin of the Solid Snake we know today, and play the good version of Metal Gear 2, not the travesty that was Snake's Revenge. These are games in themselves, and should be played by any Metal Gear fan, if not just to see how the whole series came to be.

Next is the return of Snake vs. Monkey, which has got to be one of the strangest modes in any stealth game I have ever played. You, as Snake, must take out and capture groups of escaped monkeys as they rampage through various levels of the single-player game. Subsistence adds to this mode by giving you extra stages to play in, and the absurdity of Snake dancing at the end of each level is worth the game alone. However, it is a fun and somewhat challenging mode that allows you to unlock even more from the main game.

Something that has to be seen to be believed is the Secret Theatre. This is a set of parody videos that were originally an inside joke, but now have been released. This group of videos spoofs some of the cinematics of the game, and they are just pricelessly funny. Seeing Snake and the director of the CIA dance in a circle around a field of flowers can't be missed, and even fans of MGS2: Sons of Liberty will enjoy the guest appearance of Raiden in this.

And the last, but probably the greatest, addition to Subsistence is that of an Online Mode. It provides support for up to 8 players, while using the Snake Eater engine to let you duke it out in arenas that look very similar to levels from the single-player game. There is your standard deathmatch and team deathmatch, which are really something different when an emphasis is put not just on running in circles around your opponent, but actually being smart about it, hiding, knocking on walls, luring them, and so forth.

However, aside from those, there's also the more interesting capture, sneaking, and rescue missions to play. The sneaking missions are the prototypical Snake-style missions. It's Snake versus a team of guards, where Snake has to face them down to get to a microfilm and win the round. While it might seem a little lopsided at first, Snake gets a bevy of advantages, such as a high assortment of weaponry, a larger health bar, some quick takedown combat moves, and the ability to camouflage and hide from sight, all which mean that he can succeed just as often as the guards can.(if he plays smart!)

Then there's the rescue mission, in which the red team will be defending a small rubber duck. The objective of the blue team is to find their way into the red base and get that rubber duck back to their own territory. Similar to this is the capture mission, where, on a twist to the standard capture the flag modes, your team must find and capture a Kerotan (a small green frog), bring it to your base, and hold it there for a specified amount of time. That's not to say the other team won't be trying just as hard to get it back, and it's generally fast-paced and full of action.

My favourite was by far the Sneaking Mission. Something about taking on an entire unit of guards as Snake feels really satisfactory. It's just like playing the single-player game, only with actual guards that don't, after a couple minutes, decide that you've left the area. Not to mention the rush you get as Snake. He's just that cool.

Overall, the online mode was a blast. I experienced no lag, the frame rate was solid, and all in all, it felt just like playing a single-player game in terms of the controls and camera angles. There are a slew of options available to you, as well, such as keeping a friends list, a 'blacklist' (think of it as an enemies list), and being able to keep track of all the achievements you've made while in this mode. I hear that there is a bug or two that occur from time to time, but I never encountered them at all.

Usually, I don't quite appreciate 'expansion' games such as this. I tend to find them a little pointless and not really worth the money. However, with Subsistence, it's clear that Kojima didn't just want to make a couple extra bucks, but actually wanted to add some meat to the entirety of the game. With all the unlockables, modes of play, the original games, and of course the online mode, Subsistence is definitely worth the purchase.