Snake Eater is a very open-ended game that rewards creative thinking. There's no "One Right Way" to play MGS3. If you want to haul off and kill every enemy soldier in glorious combat, you can do that (and with a wide variety of weapons to boot). Alternatively, you can take things slow and sneak around the jungle without alerting anyone. And there are tons of little tricks - from dropping beehives on soldiers to tossing out spoiled food for them to pick up - that complement both styles. This flexibility extends to (most of) the boss fights as well, letting you either face them head-on, or hide and strike from the shadows.