Was MGS4 the best game of last gen?

[endtherapture]

I remember there was huge acclaim around this game when it first came out - it was the greatest game ever in every way, the bar was raised, 10/10, 100%, 5 stars, a basically perfect game, the best of the gen. And for 6 months - a year after release this was true.

However it seems now MGS4, originally being the killer exclusive for the PS3, is simply regarded as just another game. A very good game, but another weird MGS game with a strange story. The graphics seem sort of dull and greyed out and the controls and interface look somewhat archaic to what we got later in the gen, and the story still seems pretty convoluted.

So yeah, what do you think?

 

[gorfias]

I bought it but really haven't gotten into it out of the terrorizing knowledge that it is difficult to get to save points. I love a game that is easy to save because, as a Dad of young kids last generation, I needed to be able to save as I never knew when I'd be interrupted next.

From what I've heard, I'll like this (kids in late teens now: going to give this a try).

I think it had the best console graphics when it was released, but that was a while ago. I doubt any game, even FFXIII had as much cut scene material. You can watch youtube clips of them and they are impressive.

But this was an incredibly long generation. Very had to limit your vote to just one. Early on, we had the brief, 3 hour Portal. Crysis 3 a new graphics bar? Story of Last of Us superior?

If I had to give it to one game: Batman Arkham City. Story, graphics, cut scenes, fun game play and not too agonizing to get to a save point.

I should web around, see what others thing.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Fuck no!

It's the worst one of them all. Yes, even worse than MGS2. The whole fucking thing was just mindless fanservice, with a plot that tried to wrap up and make sense of a story that doesn't make sense, and with the worst pacing and level design this franchise has ever seen. We get prepackaged Boss fights with no set up or originality, just hot chicks in robot suits poorly redoing the Boss fights from the previous games. And ofcourse the 'nano machines caused everything' plot device.

The only good thing about this whole game was the return to Shadow Moses, and controlling Rex. But that was just playing off of the love and popularity of MGS1. And the commercials, those were pretty sweet too. It doesn't make all the accompanying shit anymore worth it though.

 

[Wasted]

If it is to you it would be your opinion. Personally, it was a good game but not super memorable.

 

[Zhukov]

I'm rapidly coming to dread topics that have the word "best" or "top X" in their title.

If you're asking me if I like MGS4 better than every other game of the previous generation then I think it can safely be saiPHHTTHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahhahahahaheheheheheeeeh... heheh. Heh.

Thing is, I don't remember it being all that acclaimed. All I really remember people saying was how there was a ton of cutscenes and bugger all gameplay. and that the controls were arse. Oh, I do remember someone saying it got a perfect score from that one Japanese magazine (Famitsu? Famatsu? Or... something?), but they give out perfect scores to all kinds of rubbish.

Besides, if I remember right it came out in 2007, so for anyone who wasn't rabidly loyal to the PS3, it was thoroughly outshone by Portal and Bioshock. Those are the games from that year that were talked about for a long time.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

The ten minutes of gameplay were pretty fun. It was just the ten hours of cutscenes that had more callbacks and references than the Star Wars prequels that made it unbearable. Snake Eater is still the best of the series.

 

[Foolery]

It's the worst one of them all. Yes, even worse than MGS2.

Since when has MGS2 been bad? Unless you're one of those people who still cry about the bait and switch with Raiden.

Anyway, I can really only recommend MGS4 if you're a fan of the series and willing to put with more of Kojima's goofy plots.
I think its' biggest sin is trying to unnecessarily tie everything together to the point of bringing Big Boss back from the dead. The level design was also pretty bland and having access to a gun shop at all times kinda ruins the stealth aspect.

 

[nevarran]

I have a friend, who played that game like 20 times. It's probably "the best game of the last gen" for him.

 

[scorptatious]

I do like the game, but I personally don't rank it as the best game of last gen.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

MGS4 wasn't even the best game of it's series, let alone the best of a console generation.

 

[Something Amyss]

My brother was a huge MGS fanboy, and he still didn't like it. Well, like it much. I'm not sure "best of a generation" is fair.

Thing is, I don't remember it being all that acclaimed. All I really remember people saying was how there was a ton of cutscenes and bugger all gameplay. and that the controls were arse. Oh, I do remember someone saying it got a perfect score from that one Japanese magazine (Famitsu? Famatsu? Or... something?), but they give out perfect scores to all kinds of rubbish.

I remember there were at least a few. And yeah, Famitsu's perfect scores aren't necessarily a sign of greatness.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I bought it used a couple of weeks or months after getting my PS3 and regretted it almost instantly. I was hoping it would get better but I just couldn't get into it. MGS and MGS2 balanced exposition with gameplay and I've heard great things about MGS3 but MGS4 just seemed to have been bloated and, dripping with exposition and, cutscenes. I beat a couple of the bosses but ultimately just couldn't stick with it to the end. I may try again at some point but I don't see MGS4 being the game of last gen or even the best exclusive PS3 game. That's just my opinion of course...

 

[legend forge]

There is no "best game" of last gen. Maybe "best third person stealth action game". I wouldn't know, not a fan of the series.

 

[carnex]

In my opinion...
bwahahahahahahahhahaha, oh man, bwahahahahhahahah, oh my stomach hurts... bwaahahahahahahha
erm, no, not even close.

Some people tend to love it, but this is the first time anyone mentioned it as best in gen that I have heard off. Red Dead Redemption, for example, wipes it's shoes with it. So does Uncharted 2. And 3. But it's all personal opinion.

 

[Gluzzbung]

I have never played it so I won't decry it as the spawn of satan that some people have and, indeed, will probably do after this post. However, for me the best game was probably Dark Souls. I haven't picked up the new one yet because of end of year exams and stuff but, really, that takes the trophy home for me.

That being said I thought the last generation wasn't particularly strong for games. (It's still current gen considering DSII hasn't actually been release on the Xbone or the PS4 yet. That's what I'd say anyway) You had some standout games like Bioshock, The Mass Effect Series, Fallout 3, XCOM and whatever else you want to put there but it feels like both consoles have become a vessel for the franchise. While these may be good, Call of Duty among them as I've thought they've always been pretty solid games, I feel like it focuses people on the big releases rather than being able to go to a game store and just pick up something they've never heard of before.

If anything I felt the last generation was really good for PC titles even though they're a niche market (yes they are, shut up!) It seems that the really big developers either make games PC gamers can play for a really long time like the Total Wars, Starcraft, Diablo and all the MMORPGs or they make indie games, most of which I wouldn't touch with a 12 foot barge pole held by somebody else, but some being really stand out titles, and, let's face it, Minecraft is the one that really kickstarted that off

 

[Madame_Lawliet]

MGS4 is a game of which I am not a fan, in my opinion it's the worst MGS game by a wide margin (goddess, between this and the Bioshock thing I'm gonna have half this site at my throat...). I will admit that it has its moments and there are allot of good things about it, but it's story was so drawn out and laden with retcons and deus ex machina, to the point that it downright insulted me several times, and it all just seemed to about fan service more then anything else. I would honestly rank the MGS HD collection significantly higher then MGS4, although most of the games on that are from the PS2 era so it somewhat defeats the purpose.
But it's a difference of opinion sort of thing, some people like it, some people don't, the best game of Gen Seven is whichever one you liked the best, and if that game is MGS4 then it's the best of the generation for you, that's all there is to it.
If I were to choose a favorite game of the console generation it would have to be a toss up between No More Heroes and Dark Souls, those are the two games that I just kept coming back to, and will lively continue to do so long into generation eight (hell I plan to start playthrough number FIVE of Dark Souls later today).

 

[MrBaskerville]

I like MGS IV, but i don't even think it comes near my top ten, not even if i only count ps3 exclusives (Okay, i'm not sure about this one, it might actually make it if i only count exclusives). It's not that i dislike the game, i just think it was a bit of a let down after MGS3 and it did get a bit ridiculous and convoluted at times, even by the series standards and i wish the gameplay was more focused, there's too many turret segments (read: There's turret segments :/).

My top exclusives in no particular order (Just for fun) :
Demons Souls
Valkyria Chronicles
Disgaea 4
Siren:BloodCurse
Ridge Racer 7 (Incidentally it's also one of my favourite driving games)
Gran Turismo 5
Yakuza 3-4
Resistance 1
And i'll be damned i actually found room for MGS IV, yay.

If i were to include Multiplatform, X360, Wii and Ds then it probably wouldn't even come near a top 50...

 

[Marik2]

I liked it, but the game had a "shut up here is everything now let me make other things" feeling.