There will be a time when movies finally collide with video games, creating an invisible line between the two, clashing for survival. That fight has just started. "Metal Gear Solid 3" will likely go down in history as one of the most exhilarating, well produced, intelligent, and flat out fun video games this industry will ever see. Director Hideo Kojima is nothing short of a genius.

Yet again, it's all about stealth. Snake must infiltrate Russia almost immediately after what the history books say was the end of the Cold War. Massive forests provide great cover, but Snake is dropped with a limited amount of equipment and an even smaller amount of food. He must not only avoid contact with the enemy, but also kill to eat and survive.

Everything starts off right thanks to a beautiful introduction, voiced by a fabulous James Bond-ish theme song that fits right into the game. Even the title screen is perfect. This roughly 15-20 hour (some people have reported a nearly 30-hour play time) adventure not only sucks players into a flawlessly rendered forest, but inside various enemy compounds where stealth is at an utmost importance.

Enemy AI remains strong, though "MGS" veterans should play this on nothing less than normal. A new feature, camouflage, gives Snake the upper hand in most situations. Though the menu system is a bit clunky (you need to pause every time), changing camo is almost as important as staying out of sight. With the proper clothing and face paint, you can be free to take out enemies completely unnoticed.

If caught, it's not just health you need to worry about. Stamina now plays a role and eating is the only way to get it back. The only way to eat is to give PETA members a heart attack: killing and eating wildlife. There are some rations strewn about the compound, but most of your daily meals will be of the raw variety. Be careful however. The food will become rotten if not eaten for a long time.

Should Snake become sick, players need to cure whatever ails him. The same goes for any injuries he may sustain. A new cure system is in place, one that requires players to use various medial items contained in Snake's backpack. A bullet not only has to be extracted (usually using a field knife), but disinfected and bandaged as well.

Core gameplay generally remains the same. Sneaking is still the preferred mode of travel and taking things slow is the only way to succeed. Crawling can occasionally prove frustrating since Snake gets caught up on walls and other objects. Moving around to free him usually alerts a guard. Controls are otherwise precise and accurate. Removed almost entirely from the game is any sort of radar. Players have a few secondary devices that can track various enemy movements, but their power is limited by batteries and cannot be used extensively.