Let me start off by saying that I am a self-confessed Metal Gear Solid fanboy. Despite this, I'm aiming to be as objective as possible, which is proving extremely difficult in the light of having completed this game. I'm also aiming to stay as spoiler-free as possible.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots
I'd like to start with a typical review opening, something like "Metal Gear Solid and I have had a long history...", but to be honest a typical review doesn't do justice to this game. Would that I could call it a game, it is truly more. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots is more of an interactive cinematic, one which a certain Mr. Kojima can happily and proudly call his own. It's not just the graphics, which have been (as Big Boss would have put it) "shined to a mirror sheen", or the enemy AI, which has been vamped (no pun intended, honestly) to a standard which for the first time seriously challenges the player. Nor is it the vastly improved traditional 4 boss fights seen in every Metal Gear Solid, all of which now feature antagonists with actual histories. But the key shining light of MGS4 is its character development.
As a dedicated reader of books, viewer of films and player of games, never have I seen in a game such fantastic character work, in terms of writing, acting and motion. A lot of characters are involved in this script, and yet each of them (even some with non-speaking parts) are given back-stories and histories. I'll come back to that later, but right now let's look at the core. The game is set 5 years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty. The protagonist Solid Snake is now an aging old man and has been dispatched to a remote location in the Middle East, where several proxy battles are taking place. The world in the not-too-distant future has become dependent on war as a business to support the world economy. The story comprises of 5 acts, each set in different locations. As the old saying goes, them's the basics. Let's delve into what Metal Gear Solid 4 is all about.
The quintessentials that made the Metal Gear Solid series into the established front-runner in the video-gaming industry that it is today are still present. Despite being in a warzone, the emphasis is again placed on the gamer to use stealth to make their way through each area. In order to please the blood-thirsty warrior in us all however, Mr. Kojima has made sure to add the biggest, baddest and most hard-hitting weapons seen (including the infamous rail gun used by Fortune in MGS2) in case for some reason you'd prefer to blast your way through the enemy's defences than sneak about on the ground popping tranquiliser darts into the back of an enemy's head...that sounded too bloodthirsty to be sane so I'll skip right on to some of the key new features to MGS4.
Raiden Makes A Very Welcome Return In MGS4
The most obvious change is the camera angle. Instead of the set camera angles transfixed into each area in previous MGS instalments, Konami have opted for a 360º angle with Solid Snake's position fixed in the middle of the screen (an idea which was implemented into Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, the totally needless add-on to an already excellent Snake Eater). I'm not good when it comes to naming specifically obscure gaming terms, especially when it comes to camera angles, but essentially the right analog stick rotates the camera around Snake, so any danger of enemy's unfairly sneaking up on you from behind (as you quite rightly sneak around doing the same to them) is eradicated. Another great new addition (or more of an enhancement) is the OctoCamo, Snake's new sneaking suit. Based on the blending abilities of an octopus (if you didn't get that originally you don't deserve an education), Snake can now blend in to walls and floors within a second of leaning on them. This development of the Camouflage system from MGS3 enhances the idea of stealth and at times adds a new dimension to the game. In one particular mission aboard a warship, enemy soldiers arrive in their droves to search out any enemies aboard. After trying horrendously through 8 different attempts to blast my way through the hoards (each one ending in a spectacular failure and an even more spectacular black mark on my wall from where the Sixaxis had been launched at it) I finally found that Mr. Kojima had finally managed to do what he had been trying to do for 6 different MGS games. And again, it was the idea of emphasising stealth. I found that by implementing the OctoCamo effectively to hide myself and by picking off enemies subtly yet callously and having learnt the enemy's positions and where they would arrive from, that I could make my way through the ship to my target without problems. Obviously part of the fun of the MGS series is to blast masses of Stinger missiles at unsuspecting terrorists or to kick the shit out of hostages just to hear them squirm (again, a quick change of direction before my bloodthirstiness reaches new heights) but never before had I actually suspected that stealth-only could help you achieve goals. And this emphasis on hiding and waiting brought a tension to me that I had never before experienced. Never before had I actually sat on the edge of my seat, sweating, hoping that the enemy wouldn't find me. Which was when it hit me.
Metal Gear Solid 4 is so much more than a game. For any form of media to reach you on an emotional level is a huge feat, but in fairness the entire MGS series has made a living out of reaching people on an emotional level. However, to entice the player so that they can become engaged on a physical level, feeling real tension and desperation is nothing short of astonishing. Some may say "Wilkopops you brainless fanboy, you're clearly two eggs short of the full omelette", or "Wilkopops, you need to get outside more". The fact is I play games for the fun of playing games, not to question myself and what I'm doing. And I do go outside very often I'll have you know. Metal Gear Solid 4 literally had me sweating with tension and anticipation, anxiously waiting for a chance to move forward once the coast was clear. Metal Gear Solid 4 is so much more than a game. It's a revolutionary piece of art. If Yahtzee likes gaming as an artform, I highly suggest he gives MGS4 a few days worth of play. I doubt he'd be disappointed.
Snake Blends In To The Wall With The New OctoCamo System
Let's return to the forerunning theme I mentioned earlier. Character development. The script alone is packed with fantastic metaphors, themes and humour. The response of Solid Snake to his aging and his subtle deteriorations throughout the game is fantastic. The return of several characters from previous instalments is very much welcomed, and several loose ends from previous games are all tied up in the complicated yet precise plot. The voice-acting, as per usual in an MGS game is top-notch. The fantastic David Hayter provides his best work yet as Snake, displaying a wide range of vocal talents throughout as well as managing to portray a wide variety of emotions within the character of Snake, as he gradually grows to accept fate and destiny in the face of adversity. Patric Zimmerman is again superb as Liquid Ocelot (though it has to be said I do miss Cam Clarke's legendary faux-British Liquid accent). Quinton Flynn is truly fantastic as Raiden, bringing a dark, tortured feeling to the character many fanboys (myself excluded) detested in 2001. Debi Mae West as Meryl, Jennifer Hale as Naomi and newcomer Khary Payton as the charismatic Drebin all showcase some excellent emotional ranges in each of their roles. However, the true star in both character and actor form are Christopher Randolph as Otacon. Never had a character been so underused as Otacon was in Metal Gear Solids 1 & 2, a character with so much potential, potential which thankfully has been recognised in this instalment. As Snake progresses and his health worsens, Otacon is there as a faithful friend to support the elderly stout, but he himself also provides some much-needed humour and even an emotional side which had only been touched upon in MGS2. I can't give away too much, but in several cutscenes from the mid-point onwards, Christopher Randolph and the character of Otacon both provide some of the most tear-jerking moments seen in film, TV or game. His interactions with other characters, his social awkwardness and of course his lovable geekiness are enough to win over any doubters. Such an underrated character is the beloved Otacon, and thankfully in MGS4 he is given ample screen time to make an impact on audiences, one which definitely had me questioning exactly where Otacon was to be found in MGS2.
Otacon - Along With Snake & Raiden - Provides Some Of The Games' Most Poignant Moments
With a game like Metal Gear Solid 4, one issue is always going to be the length of the cutscenes. The pre-launch hype heavily featured the cutscenes and the sheer amount and length of them, with some game sites claiming viewing cutscenes up to 90-minutes in length. From what I saw (and I viewed all of them), there are cutscenes which pass the hour mark. However this was the case in MGS2 aswell. Before each act, a Mission Briefing is shown, most of which take place from a large plane which Otacon and Snake use as their base. These all run well over half an hour and I'm pretty sure that one or two pass the 60-minute mark (particularly if you include the cutscenes between Mission Briefings and actual gameplay). I'd also be willing to bet that if I checked, half the game is taken up by cutscenes, the other half being gameplay. Some may dismay at this news but if you are a fan of the MGS series, you know that you won?t be buying for gameplay alone, but for the story being told from the excellent mind of Mr. Kojima.
If there's one or two niggling doubts I could throw at MGS4, one would be that the infamous Codec is now essentially a worthless piece of equipment. On my first play through I found that I could only call two people on the Codec, otherwise I had to be called by others. And being honest, one of those two people who can be called might as well have not been there, because a lot of the advice given by that character wasn't useful. Any other complaints I have would be to do with one or two of the characters within the game and their basic story within the game's timeframe, however I can't really suggest who without inadvertently releasing minor spoilers. But I'm only really doing this to provide a slightly more balanced review. I'm seriously nitpicking in order to find any faults with this game at all. But after all...
The Character Of Solid Snake Grows Ever More Weary As The Game Progresses. Voice-Actor David Hayter Does A Fantastic Job Of Channelling Snake's Various Emotions
Metal Gear Solid 4 is so much more than a game. It's a shining example of what can really be done with the willpower to create something revolutionary. The absolute genius of Mr. Kojima and the people at Konami has shined through with what is truly the best game of 2008, and without doubt a contender for the greatest game of all time. In a gaming world dominated by the need to grab publicity via controversy, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots stands out for me as the best game in the franchise, and the absolute must-buy for the PS3 system this year, next year and for many years to come.
Wilkopops Says: Buy It
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots
I'd like to start with a typical review opening, something like "Metal Gear Solid and I have had a long history...", but to be honest a typical review doesn't do justice to this game. Would that I could call it a game, it is truly more. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots is more of an interactive cinematic, one which a certain Mr. Kojima can happily and proudly call his own. It's not just the graphics, which have been (as Big Boss would have put it) "shined to a mirror sheen", or the enemy AI, which has been vamped (no pun intended, honestly) to a standard which for the first time seriously challenges the player. Nor is it the vastly improved traditional 4 boss fights seen in every Metal Gear Solid, all of which now feature antagonists with actual histories. But the key shining light of MGS4 is its character development.
As a dedicated reader of books, viewer of films and player of games, never have I seen in a game such fantastic character work, in terms of writing, acting and motion. A lot of characters are involved in this script, and yet each of them (even some with non-speaking parts) are given back-stories and histories. I'll come back to that later, but right now let's look at the core. The game is set 5 years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty. The protagonist Solid Snake is now an aging old man and has been dispatched to a remote location in the Middle East, where several proxy battles are taking place. The world in the not-too-distant future has become dependent on war as a business to support the world economy. The story comprises of 5 acts, each set in different locations. As the old saying goes, them's the basics. Let's delve into what Metal Gear Solid 4 is all about.
The quintessentials that made the Metal Gear Solid series into the established front-runner in the video-gaming industry that it is today are still present. Despite being in a warzone, the emphasis is again placed on the gamer to use stealth to make their way through each area. In order to please the blood-thirsty warrior in us all however, Mr. Kojima has made sure to add the biggest, baddest and most hard-hitting weapons seen (including the infamous rail gun used by Fortune in MGS2) in case for some reason you'd prefer to blast your way through the enemy's defences than sneak about on the ground popping tranquiliser darts into the back of an enemy's head...that sounded too bloodthirsty to be sane so I'll skip right on to some of the key new features to MGS4.
Raiden Makes A Very Welcome Return In MGS4
The most obvious change is the camera angle. Instead of the set camera angles transfixed into each area in previous MGS instalments, Konami have opted for a 360º angle with Solid Snake's position fixed in the middle of the screen (an idea which was implemented into Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, the totally needless add-on to an already excellent Snake Eater). I'm not good when it comes to naming specifically obscure gaming terms, especially when it comes to camera angles, but essentially the right analog stick rotates the camera around Snake, so any danger of enemy's unfairly sneaking up on you from behind (as you quite rightly sneak around doing the same to them) is eradicated. Another great new addition (or more of an enhancement) is the OctoCamo, Snake's new sneaking suit. Based on the blending abilities of an octopus (if you didn't get that originally you don't deserve an education), Snake can now blend in to walls and floors within a second of leaning on them. This development of the Camouflage system from MGS3 enhances the idea of stealth and at times adds a new dimension to the game. In one particular mission aboard a warship, enemy soldiers arrive in their droves to search out any enemies aboard. After trying horrendously through 8 different attempts to blast my way through the hoards (each one ending in a spectacular failure and an even more spectacular black mark on my wall from where the Sixaxis had been launched at it) I finally found that Mr. Kojima had finally managed to do what he had been trying to do for 6 different MGS games. And again, it was the idea of emphasising stealth. I found that by implementing the OctoCamo effectively to hide myself and by picking off enemies subtly yet callously and having learnt the enemy's positions and where they would arrive from, that I could make my way through the ship to my target without problems. Obviously part of the fun of the MGS series is to blast masses of Stinger missiles at unsuspecting terrorists or to kick the shit out of hostages just to hear them squirm (again, a quick change of direction before my bloodthirstiness reaches new heights) but never before had I actually suspected that stealth-only could help you achieve goals. And this emphasis on hiding and waiting brought a tension to me that I had never before experienced. Never before had I actually sat on the edge of my seat, sweating, hoping that the enemy wouldn't find me. Which was when it hit me.
Metal Gear Solid 4 is so much more than a game. For any form of media to reach you on an emotional level is a huge feat, but in fairness the entire MGS series has made a living out of reaching people on an emotional level. However, to entice the player so that they can become engaged on a physical level, feeling real tension and desperation is nothing short of astonishing. Some may say "Wilkopops you brainless fanboy, you're clearly two eggs short of the full omelette", or "Wilkopops, you need to get outside more". The fact is I play games for the fun of playing games, not to question myself and what I'm doing. And I do go outside very often I'll have you know. Metal Gear Solid 4 literally had me sweating with tension and anticipation, anxiously waiting for a chance to move forward once the coast was clear. Metal Gear Solid 4 is so much more than a game. It's a revolutionary piece of art. If Yahtzee likes gaming as an artform, I highly suggest he gives MGS4 a few days worth of play. I doubt he'd be disappointed.
Snake Blends In To The Wall With The New OctoCamo System
Let's return to the forerunning theme I mentioned earlier. Character development. The script alone is packed with fantastic metaphors, themes and humour. The response of Solid Snake to his aging and his subtle deteriorations throughout the game is fantastic. The return of several characters from previous instalments is very much welcomed, and several loose ends from previous games are all tied up in the complicated yet precise plot. The voice-acting, as per usual in an MGS game is top-notch. The fantastic David Hayter provides his best work yet as Snake, displaying a wide range of vocal talents throughout as well as managing to portray a wide variety of emotions within the character of Snake, as he gradually grows to accept fate and destiny in the face of adversity. Patric Zimmerman is again superb as Liquid Ocelot (though it has to be said I do miss Cam Clarke's legendary faux-British Liquid accent). Quinton Flynn is truly fantastic as Raiden, bringing a dark, tortured feeling to the character many fanboys (myself excluded) detested in 2001. Debi Mae West as Meryl, Jennifer Hale as Naomi and newcomer Khary Payton as the charismatic Drebin all showcase some excellent emotional ranges in each of their roles. However, the true star in both character and actor form are Christopher Randolph as Otacon. Never had a character been so underused as Otacon was in Metal Gear Solids 1 & 2, a character with so much potential, potential which thankfully has been recognised in this instalment. As Snake progresses and his health worsens, Otacon is there as a faithful friend to support the elderly stout, but he himself also provides some much-needed humour and even an emotional side which had only been touched upon in MGS2. I can't give away too much, but in several cutscenes from the mid-point onwards, Christopher Randolph and the character of Otacon both provide some of the most tear-jerking moments seen in film, TV or game. His interactions with other characters, his social awkwardness and of course his lovable geekiness are enough to win over any doubters. Such an underrated character is the beloved Otacon, and thankfully in MGS4 he is given ample screen time to make an impact on audiences, one which definitely had me questioning exactly where Otacon was to be found in MGS2.
Otacon - Along With Snake & Raiden - Provides Some Of The Games' Most Poignant Moments
With a game like Metal Gear Solid 4, one issue is always going to be the length of the cutscenes. The pre-launch hype heavily featured the cutscenes and the sheer amount and length of them, with some game sites claiming viewing cutscenes up to 90-minutes in length. From what I saw (and I viewed all of them), there are cutscenes which pass the hour mark. However this was the case in MGS2 aswell. Before each act, a Mission Briefing is shown, most of which take place from a large plane which Otacon and Snake use as their base. These all run well over half an hour and I'm pretty sure that one or two pass the 60-minute mark (particularly if you include the cutscenes between Mission Briefings and actual gameplay). I'd also be willing to bet that if I checked, half the game is taken up by cutscenes, the other half being gameplay. Some may dismay at this news but if you are a fan of the MGS series, you know that you won?t be buying for gameplay alone, but for the story being told from the excellent mind of Mr. Kojima.
If there's one or two niggling doubts I could throw at MGS4, one would be that the infamous Codec is now essentially a worthless piece of equipment. On my first play through I found that I could only call two people on the Codec, otherwise I had to be called by others. And being honest, one of those two people who can be called might as well have not been there, because a lot of the advice given by that character wasn't useful. Any other complaints I have would be to do with one or two of the characters within the game and their basic story within the game's timeframe, however I can't really suggest who without inadvertently releasing minor spoilers. But I'm only really doing this to provide a slightly more balanced review. I'm seriously nitpicking in order to find any faults with this game at all. But after all...
The Character Of Solid Snake Grows Ever More Weary As The Game Progresses. Voice-Actor David Hayter Does A Fantastic Job Of Channelling Snake's Various Emotions
Metal Gear Solid 4 is so much more than a game. It's a shining example of what can really be done with the willpower to create something revolutionary. The absolute genius of Mr. Kojima and the people at Konami has shined through with what is truly the best game of 2008, and without doubt a contender for the greatest game of all time. In a gaming world dominated by the need to grab publicity via controversy, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots stands out for me as the best game in the franchise, and the absolute must-buy for the PS3 system this year, next year and for many years to come.
Wilkopops Says: Buy It
