Metal Gear Solid 3 gets firm March date

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater will be released in Europe on 4th March, Konami of Europe announced today, although we're still waiting for full details on the Europe-exclusive extras that Konami has previously mentioned.

A 4th March release puts MGS3 - a PS2 exclusive, lest we forget that morsel - on store shelves just a fortnight shy of fourth months after its debut in America, where it was critically acclaimed by one and all. Four months is a bit crap, really.

Fortunately MGS3 is distinctly not crap as we made clear in our exhaustive review of the US version last November. It's no push-over, and it takes a while to get going, but once it's slipped into its rhythm its resplendent with the same sort of awe-inspiring genius that made the original MGS such a classic.

Obviously this time it's set in the jungle - in the 60s - as a Snake-like character finds himself caught up in a James Bond-esque tale of Cold War intrigue, giant world-shattering weapons and double/triple/quadruple crosses on all sides. After the confusion that sometimes overshadowed MGS2, it's a positive move.

You can read much more about MGS3 in our extensive import review, which deals with all the important stuff like the Camo Index system, stealth in the jungle, refined mechanics and storytelling approach without betraying much at all about the actual plot. And for those of you who've already played it, we whacked in a couple of in-jokes while we were there.

Naturally when we find out what extra delights Konami has in store for European gamers with this PAL release, we'll let you know.

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