While Metal Gear Solid 2 may have been a more impressive leap between entries graphically, Metal Gear Solid 3 did more to change up the formula with more open environments and an emphasis on survival gameplay. Much like its predecessor, the linear adventure is brimming with tiny secrets and minute details many miss upon a single playthrough.
The ten secrets below are known to only true fans of the series, and constantly remind one they are playing a Hideo Kojima game, both for their attention to detail and absurdity. Sixteen years after its original release and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater has aged like fine wine.
10 Killing The End Before The Boss Fight
The End is one of the more frustrating fights if one does not know how to defeat him. Fortunately, players can kill him long beforehand and avoid the fight entirely. After a cutscene involving him, Ocelot, The Boss, the Fear, and Volgin, players can whip out their Sniper Rifle and shoot him from the wheelchair. Funnily enough, the explosion sends one of the wheels flying towards the player, dealing a considerable amount of damage if it hits Snake.
9 Make Snake Throw Up
In the pause menu, players can view a 3D model of Snake, which shows just how impressive his character model is, especially for the PlayStation 2's hardware. If players move the model around fast and long enough, Snake will vomit upon leaving the menu. It takes out a lot of stamina, so be sure to have some food in the inventory to restore it. While a gross easter egg, it has some practical applications, like ridding Snake of food poisoning.
8 Cutscene With Johnny
Johnny Sasaki makes an appearance in just about every game of the series. In this one, he is guarding Snake's cell after his capture and torture. To engage in a secret cutscene, continue to throw the food he proffers and eventually the scene plays out where the two talk and Johnny shows Snake a picture of his child. What an interesting life for Johnny to have lived in the states during the Cold War and then return to the Soviet Union.
7 Hack And Slash Minigame
After Snake's brutal torture session at the hands of Volgin, save and quit the game. Load up the save and Snake will have a nightmare, which the player experiences as a hack and slash minigame. It plays surprisingly well for a quick bonus many players miss. Unfortunately, this secret is not available in the HD remaster which came out on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Vita.
6 Leave Arrows Permanently On The Player
One interesting feature of the game is the injury mechanic, which requires the player to manually heal many of Naked Snake's wounds. After receiving an arrow wound, it is possible for players to heal the injury without taking out the object, leaving it on his person throughout the rest of the game. Just do all the healing possible without removing it to keep the arrow visible.
5 Throw Animals At Guards
Since Metal Gear Solid on the original PlayStation, there have been numerous ways to interact and defeat enemies. The new mechanics introduced in Metal Gear Solid 3 make for even more unique methods of distracting guards. Animals are for more than just eating. Throw snakes and other animals at enemies to distract and scare them long enough to get the drop on them.
4 End The Sorrow Boss Fight Early
Depending on how many people the player has killed up to that point, the sequence with The Sorrow can last forever. Fortunately, one does not have to wait until they go through the whole gamut of ghostly apparitions to complete the section. Snake has all his weapons in the near death experience, so they can just quickly use an RPG-7 to eliminate their own health bar and use the revival pill, expediting the process.
3 Hidden R1 Moments
Occasionally a cutscene will prompt the player to press the right bumper to see the moment through Snake's perspective. Usually these are somewhat comedic, though a few hidden ones are more solemn narrative moments. During the ending when Snake is saluting The Boss's grave press the right bumper to see through his perspective as tears roll down his face. Additionally, press it while he is receiving a medal from the president to see Ocelot giving his trademark salute from outside the window.
2 Use Bees To Distract Ocelot
The Ocelot boss fight mirrors the fight with Olga from Metal Gear Solid 2. With the new gameplay features, players can toy with Ocelot a little more.
Various beehives are on his side of the battlefield, and shooting them will leave him distracted. It gives the player an opportunity for a free hit, but it is also entertaining to look at the iconic character disposing of the bugs with his twin revolvers.
1 Kerotan Frogs
Sixty-four Kerotan Frogs exist in the single-player campaign, nearly one for every room. Some are fairly out in the open, while others are particularly well hidden. They are even in the rail shooting segment, giving players only a small window of time to hit them before the opportunity is gone forever. While a tough endeavor, shooting all of them unlocks the stealth camouflage, making Snake completely invisible to enemies.