Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

  Hey hey hey, it's Zabu and here be my MGS4 review...I'll post more of my (old) reviews as soon as my blog stops being a douche!!

(As always all feedback is welcome)

What can easily be touted as the best PS3 exclusive title and the game most wanted by 360 gamers, MGS4 is ready to tell the finale of the epic story that is Solid Snake.

Hideo Kojima has been dispersing information about Snakes life for the past 12 years that, in the games world, has spanned over 5 decades…Do the long, convoluted puppet strings get snipped or does Snake live to reach retirement?

STORY & CHARACTERS:

The Metal Gear Solid series has always had a huge, colorful cast of characters and MGS4 not only brings most of them back, but also introduces a few more that will be as memorable as their predecessors. While I won’t go into every cast member, I will delve into a few just so you can get an idea, starting, with the titular man himself, Solid Snake.
Those who have played the earlier games in the franchise will notice Snake has undergone a slight (sarcasm implied) cosmetic change. He is no longer the strapping young buck he was in the previous games, now he is older, thanks to the cloning by his father years before. While still an ass-kicking machine, Snake does encounter a few senior hang-ups, for one, he can’t crouch like he used too, should he stay crouched for too long, his stamina depletes at an alarming rate. Still, being able to save the world while looking 60 years old, has to be a fantastic feat.

Next up, the antagonist of the game, Revolver (Liquid) Ocelot. I know what you’re saying,” That must be a typo,” actually, no, you’re wrong. While not trying to get too much into the details, let’s just say Ocelot is not the same gent from MGS1. With his lower arm missing from an attack by Grey Fox, Ocelot decided to graft Liquid Snakes (Solid’s brother) arm to replace it and ultimately it took over Ocelots personality, resulting in a new villain.

Convoluted?! Yes! Interesting?! Yes! This is just a small example of what we have come to expect from Kojima over the course of this series. Next up is one of his most controversial characters to date: Raiden.

Introduced in MGS2 to much dismay of the fans, Raiden was the rookie that stopped Solidus Snake and prevented the Patriots from being destroyed (which turned out to be a bad thing) thus setting everything in motion for MGS4. While I personally loathed Raiden in MGS2, I was blown away after seeing him action in MGS4. He was badass by definition in every scene he was involved. In fact, I uttered something during the course of the game I never thought I would utter: “I want more Raiden!!”
Raiden’s character truly did a 180 as far as likability and development. Now a hardened soldier and with the haunted past from MGS2 following him, he is ready to die and goes balls out at every chance that prevents himself to do so. Raiden truly came a long way from the early, whiny rookie from before, and I am definitely looking forward to controlling him more in MSG: Rising later next year.

As for the actual story of MGS4, I really can’t go into it without spoiling nearly everything since everyone may or may not be what they seem. I will say, it is borderline Summer blockbuster by Michael Bay but done right. With some cinematics reaching upwards of 30-40 minutes (no lie), you will find yourself enveloped deeply in the plot and intrigue by these characters and will find it hard to pull away. With the script written and directed by Kojima himself (in his supposed last MGS directing job), the story is told as intended and does indeed wrap up most of the loose ends from the series, though not all are answered.

GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:

OK, so this is where the MGS catches a lot of its flack, the gameplay portion. The reason being, that the gameplay is not played as much as it is watched. As I said before, the cineamtics can be long but they aren’t completely devoid of interactivity. There are moments during cinematics where by having the controller in hand you can witness flashbacks (to earn extra Drebin points) and control the camera. While not a huge level of interactivity, it’s a nice touch to prevent you from completely zoning out while watching.

As for actual gameplay, the controls are solid (no pun intended) and the camera moves exactly where needed thanks to the transition to a fully rotating camera system. The only problem I had with the controls is the fact that there aren’t enough buttons to do everything with a single button. There are a lot of combination button presses required to pull off some attacks and weapon usage. While not game breaking, it’s arduous and can be frustrating during a hectic firefight.

On the other hand, another gameplay aspect that always haunted the earlier MGS games and practically turned it into a shooter: the enemies are endless. Let me clarify, in earlier games, you could take out an entire screen/area of enemies and then roam free without the worry of whether or not you would get caught. MGS4 changes that up completely and made it so there are never ending streams of enemies to complicate Snake’s mission. When an enemy is killed, moments later an enemy is there ready to continue his planned route while on lookout. This makes it so stealth is the name of the game rather than an afterthought. I commend for actually implementing this better and hope it continues in later games as well.

Another gameplay element that isn’t really new to the series, or gaming for that matter, are context sensitive moments. The MGS series has always done a great job with this mechanic and MGS4 continues that streak. Ranging from a simple hold up to boss battles, the context sensitive gameplay moments are a great way addition and help make some of the battles memorable and enjoyable, instead of turning them into simple “shoot, dodge, repeat” bosses like other games.

Needless to say, if you loved the gameplay in previous games, there is no doubt in my mind that that you love will carry over into MGS4. If you didn’t then don’t expect anything too new to change your mind. Tried and true gameplay is the motto here.

GRAPHICS:

The bread and butter of this series have always been on presentation and graphics. As usual, MGS4 does not disappoint in this category. With breathtaking visuals and character designs, Kojima Productions has found a way to push the PS3 to make some of the best looking video games characters of all time. Their depictions border on lifelike. From facial cues to body movement, every single frame of animation id in point and looks outstanding. As for the ex/interiors of the levels, such work as been put into the smallest of details. In areas that would be considered unnecessary and irrelevant, you can expect beauty. This team really knows how to make an area as drab as battlefields explode with life/luster.

There are NO faults in the graphics department, reliable as always, the MGS series triumphs again while making other games pout about wishing they could look this good.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Having played the entire MGS series multiple times and anxiously anticipating this title as much as the first, I can say without a doubt, this is a must have for fans. With a gorgeous soundtrack by Harry Gregson-Williams, story by the brilliant Hideo Kojima and great voice acting from David Hayter, this title belongs on any MGS fans shelf. With the story ending the chronicles of Snake as well as wrapping up most of the loose ends from the last 12 years.

I wouldn’t recommend this as an entry into the series (obviously), but I urge those not involved in the series to get into one the best tales of our time. With all the ups and downs of a novel or movie, this series will always be solid (pun definitely intended) and will no doubt stand the test of time. I await the inevitable side stories and hopeful continuation of the series at a later date.

As for my final score, you could probably imagine it gets a perfect score from me, 10 out of 10.

Later days, zabu


  Hey hey hey, it's Zabu and here be my MGS4 review...I'll post more of my (old) reviews as soon as my blog stops being a douche!!

(As always all feedback is welcome)

Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

What can easily be touted as the best PS3 exclusive title and the game most wanted by 360 gamers, MGS4 is ready to tell the finale of the epic story that is Solid Snake.

Hideo Kojima has been dispersing information about Snakes life for the past 12 years that, in the games world, has spanned over 5 decades…Do the long, convoluted puppet strings get snipped or does Snake live to reach retirement?

STORY & CHARACTERS:

The Metal Gear Solid series has always had a huge, colorful cast of characters and MGS4 not only brings most of them back, but also introduces a few more that will be as memorable as their predecessors. While I won’t go into every cast member, I will delve into a few just so you can get an idea, starting, with the titular man himself, Solid Snake.
Those who have played the earlier games in the franchise will notice Snake has undergone a slight (sarcasm implied) cosmetic change. He is no longer the strapping young buck he was in the previous games, now he is older, thanks to the cloning by his father years before. While still an ass-kicking machine, Snake does encounter a few senior hang-ups, for one, he can’t crouch like he used too, should he stay crouched for too long, his stamina depletes at an alarming rate. Still, being able to save the world while looking 60 years old, has to be a fantastic feat.

Next up, the antagonist of the game, Revolver (Liquid) Ocelot. I know what you’re saying,” That must be a typo,” actually, no, you’re wrong. While not trying to get too much into the details, let’s just say Ocelot is not the same gent from MGS1. With his lower arm missing from an attack by Grey Fox, Ocelot decided to graft Liquid Snakes (Solid’s brother) arm to replace it and ultimately it took over Ocelots personality, resulting in a new villain.

Convoluted?! Yes! Interesting?! Yes! This is just a small example of what we have come to expect from Kojima over the course of this series. Next up is one of his most controversial characters to date: Raiden.

Introduced in MGS2 to much dismay of the fans, Raiden was the rookie that stopped Solidus Snake and prevented the Patriots from being destroyed (which turned out to be a bad thing) thus setting everything in motion for MGS4. While I personally loathed Raiden in MGS2, I was blown away after seeing him action in MGS4. He was badass by definition in every scene he was involved. In fact, I uttered something during the course of the game I never thought I would utter: “I want more Raiden!!”
Raiden’s character truly did a 180 as far as likability and development. Now a hardened soldier and with the haunted past from MGS2 following him, he is ready to die and goes balls out at every chance that prevents himself to do so. Raiden truly came a long way from the early, whiny rookie from before, and I am definitely looking forward to controlling him more in MSG: Rising later next year.

As for the actual story of MGS4, I really can’t go into it without spoiling nearly everything since everyone may or may not be what they seem. I will say, it is borderline Summer blockbuster by Michael Bay but done right. With some cinematics reaching upwards of 30-40 minutes (no lie), you will find yourself enveloped deeply in the plot and intrigue by these characters and will find it hard to pull away. With the script written and directed by Kojima himself (in his supposed last MGS directing job), the story is told as intended and does indeed wrap up most of the loose ends from the series, though not all are answered.

GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:

OK, so this is where the MGS catches a lot of its flack, the gameplay portion. The reason being, that the gameplay is not played as much as it is watched. As I said before, the cineamtics can be long but they aren’t completely devoid of interactivity. There are moments during cinematics where by having the controller in hand you can witness flashbacks (to earn extra Drebin points) and control the camera. While not a huge level of interactivity, it’s a nice touch to prevent you from completely zoning out while watching.

As for actual gameplay, the controls are solid (no pun intended) and the camera moves exactly where needed thanks to the transition to a fully rotating camera system. The only problem I had with the controls is the fact that there aren’t enough buttons to do everything with a single button. There are a lot of combination button presses required to pull off some attacks and weapon usage. While not game breaking, it’s arduous and can be frustrating during a hectic firefight.

On the other hand, another gameplay aspect that always haunted the earlier MGS games and practically turned it into a shooter: the enemies are endless. Let me clarify, in earlier games, you could take out an entire screen/area of enemies and then roam free without the worry of whether or not you would get caught. MGS4 changes that up completely and made it so there are never ending streams of enemies to complicate Snake’s mission. When an enemy is killed, moments later an enemy is there ready to continue his planned route while on lookout. This makes it so stealth is the name of the game rather than an afterthought. I commend for actually implementing this better and hope it continues in later games as well.

Another gameplay element that isn’t really new to the series, or gaming for that matter, are context sensitive moments. The MGS series has always done a great job with this mechanic and MGS4 continues that streak. Ranging from a simple hold up to boss battles, the context sensitive gameplay moments are a great way addition and help make some of the battles memorable and enjoyable, instead of turning them into simple “shoot, dodge, repeat” bosses like other games.

Needless to say, if you loved the gameplay in previous games, there is no doubt in my mind that that you love will carry over into MGS4. If you didn’t then don’t expect anything too new to change your mind. Tried and true gameplay is the motto here.

GRAPHICS:

The bread and butter of this series have always been on presentation and graphics. As usual, MGS4 does not disappoint in this category. With breathtaking visuals and character designs, Kojima Productions has found a way to push the PS3 to make some of the best looking video games characters of all time. Their depictions border on lifelike. From facial cues to body movement, every single frame of animation id in point and looks outstanding. As for the ex/interiors of the levels, such work as been put into the smallest of details. In areas that would be considered unnecessary and irrelevant, you can expect beauty. This team really knows how to make an area as drab as battlefields explode with life/luster.

There are NO faults in the graphics department, reliable as always, the MGS series triumphs again while making other games pout about wishing they could look this good.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Having played the entire MGS series multiple times and anxiously anticipating this title as much as the first, I can say without a doubt, this is a must have for fans. With a gorgeous soundtrack by Harry Gregson-Williams, story by the brilliant Hideo Kojima and great voice acting from David Hayter, this title belongs on any MGS fans shelf. With the story ending the chronicles of Snake as well as wrapping up most of the loose ends from the last 12 years.

I wouldn’t recommend this as an entry into the series (obviously), but I urge those not involved in the series to get into one the best tales of our time. With all the ups and downs of a novel or movie, this series will always be solid (pun definitely intended) and will no doubt stand the test of time. I await the inevitable side stories and hopeful continuation of the series at a later date.

As for my final score, you could probably imagine it gets a perfect score from me, 10 out of 10.

Later days, zabu