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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | List Price: $49.99
Discount Price: $38.00
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Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
Brand: Konami/ Kojima Productions
Binding: Video Game
Release Date: 2008-06-12
ESRB Age Rating: Mature
Features: - Although little is known, MGS4 is being touted as the final installment in the Metal Gear Solid series.
- Chameleon-like camouflage system, Octacamo, blends Snake into his surroundings.
- Loads of characters from previous Metal Gear Solid installments will return in this final chapter.
- Slated for simultaneous worldwide release in June 2008, Konami has released very few details about MGS4.
- Built for the PS3, the game is expected to be the finest representation of the console's graphics
THE game of this generation [Posted on 2008-12-28]
Wow! Were to start?
This game is FANTASTIC; it exceeded my pre-release hopes, expectations, and dreams by FAR! Let's dig into the details, shall we?
Visuals: Let us talk about VISUALS - the graphics on this game are SUPERB, yes I said it, SUPERB. Solid Snake looks so real that he could be a real person in real life! The camera angles are spot-on perfect, and the character development is AWESOME! The guys at Kojima really spent some time on this aspect of the game. The character interaction with the environment is something only found on the PS3, no other system can support this level of interaction, and it was developed with great care by those who developed it. No glitchy passing through walls, or other environment obstacles, no falling through "holes" in the environment, that says a lot about the quality of this game. The environments are very OPEN with plenty to explore, not linear like some games. Also no frame rate issues with this game, the visuals are as SMOOTH as partially melted butter!
Audio: How about serving up some Dolby Digital surround sound for ya? Yep, the sound is PHENOMENAL. If you've got the equipment to render surround sound *possibly not for the entry-level crowd* then you're going to love this game. The sound envelops, and immerses you in the game play, creating a visceral experience. The sound tracks are PERRRFECT for the surrounding situations, and on a high-end surround system - the sound bombards you from all directions. But even if you don't have a high-end system, you will not be disappointed with the quality inherent within.
Action: The AI is uber intelligent, if you're spotted, don't expect to readily get out of the situ... Most likely you'll have to RUN, RUN, RUN, and hope, or perhaps prey, to get away. Or alternately shoot all the PMC you want to and run, run, run. *minor spoiler alert* You can play it more than one way, I myself like to use the ol' 22 tranquilizer gun to swiftly and quietly silence enemies, but hey, use the RPG on `em if you like! *spoiler alert off*
Storyline: Here's where this game really excels (as if all the rest isn't enough). The story built into this game really takes its time, develops slowly and methodically, and explains everything in great detail; it's immersive, immense, and intense. It's sort of like reading a well-written book, or watching a well-made blockbuster movie. For those with a shorter attention span it may in some cases exceed comprehension. The way this game is made, it's almost like you're playing a character in a movie, the separation between game and movie is somewhat erased by this title.
Content: Due to the massive amount of content this game employs, it is probably only possible to publish it on BD. I don't want to add too many spoilers, so I'll leave it at that, but there is a HUGE amount of content in this game.
Game mechanics: SMOOTH is the word for this game. Snake moves fluidly throughout the environments, obstacles are easily navigated, and on-screen directions are easy to understand and execute. *another minor spoiler alert* Snakes "camouflage" suit is quite a technological achievement, the ability to hide in plain sight, it works very well. Don't expect to hide when you've already been spotted however, you'll stick out like a sore thumb. *spoiler alert off*
Controller mechanics: The controller scheme is solid *no pun intended*. It's easy to navigate through puzzles (that is if you're not spotted). Switching from one item to the next is as easy as it gets without having biofeedback, someday it may be easier, but right now it's as good as it gets and has been improved from previous versions.
Solid Snake... well what's to say that hasn't already been said, he's one of the best, and most recognizable characters in all of video games. Perhaps only Mario is more recognizable?
All in all this is THE GAME of this generation to date, no other game even comes close in terms of quality and storyline. My guess is this game may well end up as the game of the year in many venues. It get's a perfect 10 or is in the high 90's on most game web sites, including, but not limited to IGN.
Uncontrollable [Posted on 2008-12-30]
Think twice before buying this game. I am a veteran gamer, and thoroughly enjoyed the original Metal Gear Solid for the PS1. I've been in the PC gaming world for several years, but recently purchased a PS3. My fondness for the original MGS combined with the Game of the Year awards garnered by MGS4 to convince me to go ahead and pick this one up.
Yes, it looks incredible. And while other reviewers have complained about the number and length of cut-scenes, I don't mind this a bit; it's part of the MGS franchise, is therefore to be expected, and is actually very well done. Sound quality in the game is also excellent.
Unfortunately, that's where the quality stops. I found this game to be completely impossible to control. The combination of controlling your character with one joystick and fighting with the camera with the other joystick is difficult enough.
But even more important is the run-versus-walk control. Stealth is obviously very important in a game like this, and the difference between running and walking is the difference between being noticed and sneaking by unheard. The only way to walk is to tip the left joystick ever so slightly in whatever direction you want to go. If you tip it even a touch more to any side, you're immediately running -- and immediately noticed. There's no way to get around this issue, or to set your controller's sensitivity to make it less likely to happen. Combine this with the checkpoint save system -- where you cannot save the game unless you've reached a new checkpoint -- and the occasional tip of the joystick means replaying the entire level, over and over and over.
I have spent several extremely frustrating hours trying to get the controls down, but haven't been able to make it to the second checkpoint in Act 1 yet. As much as I loved MGS1, and as promising as this game appeared to be, I'm now faced with returning it, barely played and down $60.
Caveat emptor. Be sure to rent this game first to see if you have the surgeon's hands required to play it before you purchase it.
A top game but like other people say too many cut scenes. [Posted on 2009-01-01]
I love this gave but for some reason they wanted to make it a movie with video game action in between.
I'm not saying it shouldn't have cut scenes, they give you a break in between goals. They should have been shortened considerably and maybe added an extra level added. After I beat the game and played it again I fast forwarded to the game play and was able to enjoy the game more. The reason I think they had a ton of cut scenes was to try to mesh all of the different Metal Gear's story lines together which don't fit perfectly anyway, especially MGS1 and MGS2. I mean nobody can try to decipher all of the twists and turns this storyline has, it's impossible.
I do think this game was great but I want to see more game and less movie.
Amazing [Posted on 2009-01-01]
I had never really played any of the MGS solid before (except for a few hours of MGS3), so I was totally new to the franchise. This is one of the deepest games I have ever played, with the best graphics on any console hands down.
...Not my cup of tea. [Posted on 2009-01-01]
I admit it, I've never played any of the previous Metal Gear games, so this review will be more for the first time agnostics than hardcore fans. I know the fans will skewer me, but I don't really care. In my opinion, a game sequel should be just as accessible for veterans of the franchise as it is for non-veterans. Suffice to say, I just didn't get it.
Right off the bat, the controls and inventory seemed overly complicated, and took a long time to get used to. A lot of it involved holding one or two buttons while rotating a joystick, then pressing another button, or other such nonsense. Checking items or swapping weapons required pausing/exiting the game often which took away from the immersion factor. It probably took me about an hour just to figure out how to play the game.
Basically, you have to sneak through various warzones without being spotted. You have all sorts of gizmos to help you do this (most of which I didn't even bother using) including a combat suit that allows you to blend into your surroundings like a chameleon. This was really fun at first, but after a while you realize how little impact it has on the actual gameplay. If an enemy gets too close, they'll spot you regardless. When that happens, your only option is to shoot it out with the enemies and take a ton of damage in the process. Once you kill all the enemies within your immediate vicinity, you just go back to blending in and sneaking toward the checkpoint. Rinse and repeat.
Since you can kill most enemies through stealth, I figured I'd kill everyone standing between me and the objective with them being none the wiser. This seemed like the most intuitive and funnest thing to do, but what I didn't realize is that after you kill enemies, fresh ones are spawned in, so your only choice is to rush to the next checkpoint with the least amount of resistance. There's really no reason to try anything other than this tactic.
When you finally reach a checkpoint you are treated to these ridiculously long cutscenes which can last up to an hour long! Some games are able to blend story and gameplay seemlessly, but this isn't one of them. It's the equivalent of someone pausing the game and showing you a movie (a bad movie) while it's paused. This game is clearly a throwback to the old Dragonslayer arcade game and CD-ROM games from the early nineties. Needless to say, I skipped all these cutscenes.
Overall, this game has decent graphics and decent sound, but that wasn't enough for me to keep playing. I quit in the middle of act 3. Thank goodness I only rented this.
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