Zero Punctuation: Metal Gear Solid 4

[tratorix]

Money is not a factor when writing. He wrote those games HIMSELF, just like Hideo he came up with the overall concepts and all the plot points, and plot holes. He designed an adventure game which is one step away from a book to begin with, and you will have NO point of reference for most of them if you don't play them in order. Hence why its hypocritical. He wrote the games himself and so can't talk when another man writes another set of games with a story that's just as confusing and full of plot holes. I'm calling him out on that one.

As for people who find the cut scenes boring? well, you just should not be playing video games if you have ADD that bad. Its supposed to make it worse.

An adventure game is different from a game that advertises Tactical Espionage Action. And if you're talking about the set of games that starts with 5 Days a Stranger, what was that confusing about them? I found them fairly easy to follow.

As for your last comment, cutscenes are not the point of a game. Games are meant to be interactive. If I want to watch a movie, I watch a movie. I like my games to have interactive parts. Thats why I like games like Mass Effect. The conversation system helps keep you in the game, you aren't just watching characters talk at you for half an hour.

 

[VMerken]

Resident Evil 4 is a mere 2 hours worth of core gameplay so relatively speaking, things are not as bad as the MGS4 cut scenes would make it seem - don't be fooled .

Two hours?! That would be one hell of a speedrun for RE4. That game is HARD, especially on high difficulty.

Heh, I know quite a few people who finish RE4 in Normal within 2 hours. Personally, I've done a 2h27min run on Professional (starting from a New Game of course) on PS2 without using any Rocket Launchers. I've also done a Load Game run on PS2 and finished in 1h51min.

Truth is, with all the new tricks in RE4 that have been found, I and the others can go even faster . Unfortunately, I don't have the time to go all out anymore.

Hence I'm quite positive the pros will churn some really fast MGS4 play in the future.

[...]

By the way, here's a tip for everyone struggling with the controls or finding them "difficult" (and this includes Yahtzee (not only in this game, but several others as well)): practise to get better at them, or play a game which caters better to your noob gaming skills . What, not feeling comfortable having your noob gaming skills called out? Then practise and leave noob-dom, or move on.

 

[TerraMGP]

Says the man whos new incarnation of his series is, well quite frankly bland as salteens. I loved the old Urealms and its just not funny anymore. Go back to mocking D&D/gamer stereotypes and stop rushing though old Memes man. anyways that rant is over.

Why does everyone think that cutscenes are a BAD thing? They are GOOD! I loved the cut scenes in this and I think it brought ALL of the old games togeather very well. My problem though isn't even that he said "if your a fan you will like it if not you won't" Its that he is BASHING FOR THINGS HE DOES HIMSELF WHEN MAKING A GAME! He is a hypocrite, plain and simple.

Seriously though, please try and get Urealms back on track.

 

[Groovewood]

As for people who find the cut scenes boring? well, you just should not be playing video games if you have ADD that bad. Its supposed to make it worse.

Oh yes, watching a 70 year old woman talking for 30 minutes about the illuminati is very exciting...

Seriously: the game's cut scenes are boring. The story is ridiculous, and the game presents it like it's something everyone cares so much about it that it's all they want to hear. Screw presentation, lets just have introduce a character and have them talk for twenty minutes, no need for anything else, we'll just have them walk around talk. Exciting shit.

 

[shadow skill]

Lady. There are more cutscenes in MG4 then there is game play. It's an interactive movie moreso then it is a game. Where did Yatzee lie in his review? Was the gameplay really the best shooter/sneak action game you played? Were the cut scenes really that riveting or did you know half the plot before they happen? At least Yatzhee has played the previous games because his review is dead on if you look at his FINAL POINT. If you are a fan of the series you will love it, but if you have never touched a MG4 game then it is nothing special.

The previous Metal Gear games all try to stand out by themselves where as this one is just like it's trying really hard to tie things together and be good. There has to be at least 70 to 90 minutes of cut scenes in the game. Thats a little more then a little "ADD".

You really ought to read what she said. What does the number of cutscenes in MGS4 have to do with the point Yahtzee made about the plot being convoluted and her related point that he has done the same thing as it relates to convoluted plots in his own game? aIn her estimation.) MGS one and two do not really stand by themselves and three and four are directly linked to each other though it is safe to skip MGS 3.

 

[yzzlthtz]

Yahtzee, while very observant intelligent and funny, comes across more and more as a 360 fanboy who successfully tells the frothing nerd masses what to think about every game he reviews. Between him and Kotaku, there is hardly an original opinion amongst the brainwashed nerd elite.

(i mean that in the best possible way, of course)

Standard (read: boring and predictable) criticisms of this game are way off the mark. I was hoping Yahtzee would come up with something more creative for MGS4.

- controls : not to dis on Yahtzee's obvious mad gaming skills, but last time i checked 3 buttons to shoot in a 3rd person shooter - 1 to aim, 1 shoot, and 1 to optionally zoom/look through a scope
- was pretty standard. Seriously, were you trying to play after doing beerbongs and arm wrestling a gorilla? i find the controls pretty darn smooth. it's just that they don't mimic the oft repeated Gears of War control scheme, so this might throw people off.

-Not for newcomers to the franchise? I never played a single metal gear yet i'm entirely in love with this one (except for the love scenes which i now know when to skip).

- Not a stealth game? useless gadgets?

MGS4 gives you the opportunity to play it however you want to play it. A choice. Not a series of button presses to master, not a single overpowered weapon, but an opportunity to use a vast arsenal of weapons and tools to get through unpredictable situations however the hell you want to. Go up on a hill and snipe people then move in and slit some throats? fine. Cause a diversion with some explosions and then pop behind people, mow them down, find a nice hiding spot and then slip away unseen? do it. distract your enemies with tossed girly mags and sounds and sneak past them all trying to get yourself into the smallest corner in the middle of enemy forces? good times. Go Rambo and tear into your enemies with ferocious military might, leaving no one- friend or foe - alive to tell the tale? If that's what you're into.

And there is one very positive thing i have to say about metal gear solid 4 that may be a no brainer, but i rarely see it mentioned: it's really weird. very very strange. some things i've found, sounds i've heard, in game, are truly bizarre and or silly.

Yahtzee, I usually get something out of your work, but on this one: Yawn. Some chuckles, but I hope you can come up with something more original to say next time.

and seriously, what is it about every video following up with a NG2 preview? have you guys sold out that hard, or do you really love that game like little girl loves a newborn puppy?

 

[Vicioussama]

Says the man whos new incarnation of his series is, well quite frankly bland as salteens. I loved the old Urealms and its just not funny anymore. Go back to mocking D&D/gamer stereotypes and stop rushing though old Memes man. anyways that rant is over.

Why does everyone think that cutscenes are a BAD thing? They are GOOD! I loved the cut scenes in this and I think it brought ALL of the old games togeather very well. My problem though isn't even that he said "if your a fan you will like it if not you won't" Its that he is BASHING FOR THINGS HE DOES HIMSELF WHEN MAKING A GAME! He is a hypocrite, plain and simple.

Seriously though, please try and get Urealms back on track.

People think cutscenes are bad because they have no damn patience to watch and pay attention and realize a good story. I agree that this game could have used a bit of editing but it was still a great story with great characters. People would rather have flashy graphics and shallow shit.. than with a deep good story. It's a problem with our society though.. too much instant gratification has brought people to become impatient, shallow, and selfish. There's too many out there who give sex casually.. too many parents that spoil their children.. too many schools that give trophies to EVERYONE instead of the few who really earned them.

 

[TerraMGP]

If your that bored go out and play paintball or something, or go play HALO. as I said if your ADD, then you should not be really gaming and if you are stick to poorly made FPS games and leave the rest for those of us who can sit though the meat of the story.As for the Chzo series, it was full of plot holes, its no harder to follow than the MGS series or any less interesting but again as I said its a whole set of games about a Pain elemental who spends two thousand years trying to get an accountant to become his new Scion for some reason. I loved the games, I'm not complaining about that, I'm complaining that the stories are both convoluted and overly complicated and that their is no difference at the core. Those who don't find it exciting? well then don't play it because it wasn't made for you. Personally I have no respect for anyone who has to be constantly over stimulated like that, but my key point is yatzee does the same thing and would probably have a 30 minute cutscene if AGS allowed it.

 

[Churchman]

Huge MGS fan here, and would be playing 4 right now if I had the money, and I had to say this vid was AAA+. The "Oh Chrrrist!" when he was trying to explain the plot reminds me of times I had to explain the end of MGS2 to a friend while he was watching it! Controls have always sucked for MGS but don't care, besides, I've always thought of it as more of a movie where you do things then a game. There is alot of humor derived from a game that talks about such serous subject matter while having uber-powerful psychics, Evil Bi-sexual Russian commanders with the power of lighting.


Fans being upset of this vid remind me of the point that yahtzee brought up in his mailbag vid where if your a fan something like this should be shrugged off, unless its not as fun as you made yourself to think.

 

[Magugag]

Not addressing the Yahtzee hypocrisy issue since I said I wouldn't anymore, I just have to say that it has nothing to do with ADD when a person doesn't want to listen to a game go on about itself rather than play the game. Look at me, I'm a Final Fantasy fanboy, self-admitted. Those cutscenes are brilliant, gorgeous and seldom last for more than five minutes unless you've just beaten the game. They are story driven, but do not ramble. There's a difference between having a short attention span or small appreciation for story and recognizing the fact that storyline is given in a redundant and rambling manner. It's not a sign of the degradation of our society because someone buys a game expecting to play the sucker.

 

[TerraMGP]

FF game stories, aside from 9 anyways, stopped being good after six. Again I have to say its not redundant rambling, people just don't have the ability to really care about something and pay attention that long anymore. Its literally ADD. You just want them to 'get to the point' when they are doing it. They are getting to the point, they are just giving you ALL the information. Its INTERESTING. Besides again if you really hate them that much and hate the story skip it. Lengthy character and plot development are in no way signs of bad writing and if your looking for a game to JUST play then why on earth are you playing an RPG?

 

[Groovewood]

Not addressing the Yahtzee hypocrisy issue since I said I wouldn't anymore, I just have to say that it has nothing to do with ADD when a person doesn't want to listen to a game go on about itself rather than play the game. Look at me, I'm a Final Fantasy fanboy, self-admitted. Those cutscenes are brilliant, gorgeous and seldom last for more than five minutes unless you've just beaten the game. They are story driven, but do not ramble. There's a difference between having a short attention span or small appreciation for story and recognizing the fact that storyline is given in a redundant and rambling manner. It's not a sign of the degradation of our society because someone buys a game expecting to play the sucker.

Exactly. A big deal with the game is expectation. When I play a game about vampires, cyborg ninjas, and giant walking tanks, I expect a fun game with action. Not 30 minute cut scenes, explaining all the convoluted story arcs. MGS has a ridiculous story, but the game seems to think it's amazing. It isn't, it's dumb and silly, and I'm all for dumb and silly, but only when the makers have the ability to look at it and say "yeah, that is pretty dumb." MGS treats it's crappy goofy storyline likes it's the definitive work of fiction of the 20th century. Like I said, it's expectation. I expect a silly game with a silly story line to be silly fun, not some bloated self-indulged interactive movie.

And, I don't have ADD, I'm a history major, trust me, I've sat through 5 hour lectures about markings of ancient sewer systems. I can sit through boring stuff, but not when I pay $60 for a game that makes common use of a cybernetic ninja who came back from the dead.

 

[TerraMGP]

Well then why are you buying an MGS game if your not into the story? Seriously. and if its not ADD then you just are not interested, doesn't mean its bad it just means you don't care.

 

[Magugag]

Once again, the point of my post which you completely missed was that I love storyline. I love a good romance or an epic duel of fates and the cliche goodguy badguy struggle. I don't want to just 'get to the point', but pacing, my friend, is part of presenting storyline effectively. Assuming that your audience can remember what you told them ten minutes ago is part of presenting storyline. Keeping things moving and letting the player play the game is part of gaming. When ALL I want is storyline, I pick the the Wheel of Time series or one of George R. R. Martin's books. High fantasy kicks ass, storyline kicks ass, but Final Fantasy proves that you can present complex story without stealing control from the player for a half an hour. And don't bash Final Fantasy ('cept eight or eleven) or I'll open a can of whoop-ass. My point is that when a game allows storyline to interfere with rather than enhance an experience, that game has failed at effectively delivering the storyline. It can be complex and interesting until the cows come home (which I'm not convinced Metal Gear's storylines are) but the game still is not doing its job if gameplay is sacrificed for that complex plot.

 

[Noname55]

Lengthy character and plot development are in no way signs of bad writing and if your looking for a game to JUST play then why on earth are you playing an RPG?

But MGS4 ISN'T a RPG, it's a self-proclaimed "tactical espionage action" game. For an action game, it has way too many rambling cut scenes. Also, saying those who don't like your game's 30 minute cutscenes have ADD is a sure sign of fanboyism (or in this case fangirlism).

 

[tratorix]

I find this whole "The longer the cutscenes, the better the story" idea to be rather annoying. Long cutscenes in games are typically a lot of exposition and nothing else. They break the flow of the game to have characters tell you backstory and character traits. Good writing has this worked into actual dialogue, not just huge infodumps. Just because someone doesn't want the game to stop for a half hour while they play, doesn't mean they are some sort of uncultured idiot.

 

[Lord Doomhammer]

So since this has only been out for about 5 hours and we are already on page 8, I imagine all of you raging fan boys have given Yahatzee enough of your bile for him to do another mail bag show down.

 

[TerraMGP]

Bah, they are just intended for games that are more story than anything. Frankly I think most of the people here who say they don't like the story just find it hard to follow. It makes you think but it does make sense. and Tratoix, if they are getting a game like MGS I would say so. But I am trying to keep my personal opinion out of it, because that opinion states that they would be yes. Fact is though that the game presented its story well and if you really don't like the cutscenes you should not be playing the game in the first place.

 

[spungemonkey]

MGS 1 & 2 were amazing (Never owned a PS2 so I've not played 3) and I really want to play this. I've seen the first 80 minutes of the game via videos on youtube, and your comment about the length of time before your first fight, and the excessive amount of items you have appear to be spot on.

I - however - have not played to game to say whether ot not I agree with your opinion, but in the end thats not why I'm here. I'm here because you're reviews are hilarious and this, as always, hasn't failed.


*Insert Fanboyism here*

 

[TerraMGP]

So since this has only been out for about 5 hours and we are already on page 8, I imagine all of you raging fan boys have given Yahatzee enough of your bile for him to do another mail bag show down.

Seriously your the worst kind of human being, trying to egg others on for a laugh.