Operation Snake Eater

Lore & Background

In 1964, CIA agent Naked Snake is sent to Tselinoyarsk, USSR in an operation known as the "Virtuous Mission." Aided by his superior Major Zero, medical advisor Para-Medic, and his former mentor The Boss, Snake is tasked with rescuing Soviet scientist Dr. Nikolai Sokolov, a prominent weapons developer who defected two years earlier until the Russians forced the United States government to return him in order to end the Cuban Missile Crisis. Zero informs Snake that following his return, the CIA received intel that Sokolov is placed in charge of a secret military project to create a nuclear-equipped tank called the Shagohod, which could end the Cold War. Although Snake locates the scientist, the mission falls apart when The Boss appears before him and announces her intention to defect to the USSR. While her special forces unit, the Cobras, recapture Sokolov for their new benefactor, Russian officer Colonel Volgin, the Boss defeats Snake in close combat, injuring him and leaving him for dead. Volgin swiftly captures the Shagohod, which was being tested in the region, and uses a Davy Crockett nuclear shell supplied by The Boss to destroy its research facility and cover up the theft. The injured Snake is recovered via fulton extraction, moments after the nuclear blast.

In Their Own Story

In the aftermath of the destruction, the Soviet Union accuses the United States of the attack, after detecting their aircraft over Tselinoyarsk. To avoid a nuclear war, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who suspects Volgin's involvement, agrees to allow Snake to return for a second mission. Snake must now infiltrate the jungle fortress of Groznyj Grad, defeat Volgin and the Cobra Unit, destroy the Shagohod, and assassinate The Boss. The story is told through numerous cutscenes and radio conversations. The game's primary antagonists are Colonel Volgin, an electricity-controlling GRU colonel and member of the extreme Brezhnev faction attempting to overthrow Khrushchev, and The Boss, former mentor to Naked Snake and co-founder of the FOX unit. The Cobra Unit, a Special Forces unit led by The Boss, includes The End, The Fear, The Fury, The Pain, and The Sorrow. Snake is assisted by fellow FOX members over his radio: Major Zero, Para-Medic, and Sigint, as well as EVA, Snake's love interest, American defector, and KGB agent sent to assist him.

Reader's Guide

The gameplay of Snake Eater is similar to that of previous games in the Metal Gear Solid series. Snake, controlled by the player, must move undetected through a hostile, enemy-filled environment. Although Snake acquires various weapons (ranging from handguns to rocket-propelled grenades), the emphasis is on using stealth to avoid confrontations. Snake Eater introduces many new aspects of gameplay not present in previous Metal Gear games, including camouflage, a new hand-to-hand combat system called "close quarters combat" or "CQC", a stamina gauge, and an injury-and-treatment system. Two-thirds of the game is set outdoors in a Soviet tropical forest. A percentage value called the "camouflage index" gauges Snake's exposure, on a scale from negative values up to 100%. To minimize visibility, the player must switch between different camouflage uniforms and face paints to blend in with the environment. When unarmed or using a one-handed weapon, Snake can grab opponents and put them in a chokehold, at which point a variety of actions can be performed, such as choking the enemy unconscious, throwing the guard to the ground, slitting the enemy's throat, or interrogating them at knifepoint. Snake Eater keeps track of injuries over the entire body. There is also a stamina gauge which constantly depletes during gameplay; failure to restore the gauge by eating has detrimental effects on gameplay, such as decreasing Snake's ability to aim his weapon and being heard by the enemy due to Snake's loud stomach grumbles.

Did You Know?

• The game is set in 1964, 31 years before the events of the original Metal Gear.
• Volgin uses a Davy Crockett nuclear shell supplied by The Boss to destroy the research facility and cover up the theft of the Shagohod.
• The Cobra Unit includes The End, credited as the 'father of modern sniping'.
• Snake Eater sold more than four million copies worldwide, albeit less than Sons of Liberty.
• A remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, was released in August 2025.