Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Review: Here's to you
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the final instalment in the tale woven by Hideo Kojima and co over a period exceeding 20 years. The series which helped playstation to its success and has had some of the greatest characters in video games in it has a lot to live up to in its canonically final part, but does Metal Gear Solid 4 achieve these lofty aims? The fact of the matter is that Metal Gear Solid 4 is the definitive game in the series. It addresses nearly all the control and game play issues that the previous games had while also continuing the story in an incredible way and providing PS3 with a whopping exclusive.
The greatest strength that Metal Gear Solid 4 has is its story. Kojima has developed incredible stories in the past, but his storytelling is at its height in this game. Metal Gear Solid 4 is the direct sequel to the events of Metal Gear Solid 2, and begins 6 years after the end of that game, presenting the world as a bleak place. Solid Snake has become an old man before his time, yet he is called upon one last time to stop Liquid Ocelot from achieving his goals. All the major characters still alive are back from Metal Gear Solid 2, yet the game manages to weave the events of Snake Eater and the first Metal Gear Solid game into the story in a completely natural and coherent manner. Characters including Raiden, Eva, Otocon, Vamp, Naoimi and Meryl, among many more, have their stories finished here. Its incredible that the writers managed to do this with a story that at this stage has so many strands and intrigues. The Patriots, FoxDie and the legacy of Big Boss are all addressed, and all the questions that fans of the series have are answered in this game.
Metal Gear Solid 4’s tremendous story is unmatched in terms of its hitting power as it benefits from the huge lore legacy that the series has built up over 2 decades. This causes a huge problem for newcomers: they won’t have a clue what is going on. Metal Gear Solid 4 is unassailable for people who have not been keeping up with the series, so to get the satisfaction and pay off that this game can provide you need to have at least an idea of what is going on in the story. The good news is that for those who have been following the series there is nothing quite as powerful or emotional in terms of story in any other game. There is a huge amount of fan service in this game and nods to past games. A certain enemy from Metal Gear Solid 1 makes a hugely memorable appearance, and the game continues the tradition of some of the deepest and most interesting characters in gaming. The story is primarily told through semi interactive cutscenes, and there are a LOT of them as is the series tradition. The script is of an incredible quality, with characters motives being realistic and interactions feeling plausible and doing justice to the characters, giving them emotional weight.
Metal Gear Solid 4 is a visually stunning game. It's apparent that Guns of the Patriots squeezes every pixel possible out of the PS3 and renders them beautifully. Character models are large and impressively rendered in real time, and transitions between cutscenes and gameplay are seamless and natural. The details on characters clothes and weapons are amazing, just look at Snake’s face in the game and it looks close to real. The game looks like a CG film during its gameplay. Animations are fantastic, and environmental effects from damage to buildings, to explosions or water streams all look incredible. Dirt will settle on the camera lens or water droplets that will lightly cascade down the screen . Camera angles have been greatly improved by the inclusion of a controllable camera this time, allowing the visuals to be appreciated all the more. There are 5 levels and they are each distinct, as you travel from the Middle East to the jungles of South America and to other distinct areas. Metal Gear Solid 4 is one of the most beautiful games ever created, and is a wonder to watch.
As if the story and visuals weren’t enough, the soundtrack and voice acting are incredible. The soundtrack contains songs from the history of the series and some new stuff of equal quality. The soundtrack covers the entire breadth and depth of the MG universe thanks to the included iPod functionality, which plays various songs that you unlock once you've discovered the classic songs throughout the game. The Haunting and melodic music from this game will remain in the players mind for a long time after hearing them, as they perfectly complement the scenes they accompany. “ The Best is Yet to Come”, “ Love Theme” and “ Here’s To You” are just a small part of the amazing score which is one of the most memorable from any entertainment piece I have experienced. David Hayter again does a masterful performance with Solid Snake, and all the other characters are also phenomenal. The delivery of dialogue and quality of the script is perfect and every character is perfectly suited to the voice they have.
Traditionally the Metal Gear Solid games have had clunky controls that stuck closely to outdated norms. Metal Gear Solid 4 changes this trend, adopting modern control conventions. There is a fluidity to the controls that previous games in the series lacked. When firing a weapon you can switch from third person to first person with a quick and painless toggle. The camera is controllable and just moving Snake around is smooth and simple. The way to approach gameplay situations has also been expanded. Stealth is still king, with rewards for killing few or no enemies at all, but straight forward guns blazing approach to combat is now viable. This makes the game more accessible from the perspective of actually playing it. Similarly the inventory system has been improved and made more simple. You can customise weapons that you unlock with an in-game point system that you use to purchase them from a salesman named Drebin who also happens to play a role in the story.
Psych and stress metres have been integrated into the game. These govern and influence Snake's mental state in the middle of battle. The Psyche meter is directly below Snake's health gauge and affects his physical abilities and his accuracy with weapons. The lower the Psyche meter, the harder it is for Snake to remain effective in combat. The meter can be further impacted by his Stress meter, which gauges the tension that Snake is feeling at any point in time. Its an in interesting way to link the story line condition of Snake to actual game consequences, enhancing both in a non-intrusive way. The game has a huge selection of weapons, and you will be given numerous chances to use the selection of them across the span of the campaign. Snake also has new gadgets, including the Solid Eye System, which frees him from the constant swapping back and forth between goggles and binoculars in the field, and the Mark II which is a small robot that Snake can use to take out enemies remotely.
Metal Gear Solid 4 has an 8 minute installation, and also needs to install each of the 5 chapters before playing them. However once you begin play there is no loading, its all a seamless experience. Production values are of huge quality and scale in this game, with battles involving large numbers of enemies and allies. Large scale events will happen through the game, some of which are hugely memorable. Boss fights are excellent and will inspire tension and fear at times as well as excitement, which is what good boss fights should do. Metal Gear Solid 4 is an innovative game that attempts to break the fourth wall between itself and the player in a number of smart ways that largely work. The series does not rest on its laurels and avoids stagnation. For a series as old as this, its incredible that Metal Gear Solid 4 manages to stay at the front of gaming on so many fronts. Metal Gear Solid 4 does have an online mode, but its difficult to access and plays poorly. Its a throwaway part of the game but takes nothing away from the core single player experience.
Metal Gear Solid 4 ticks so many boxes that it is incredible. The game is packed with thrilling action sequences, increasing production values while maintaining its quality and polish of music and characterisation. The storytelling is of the highest quality, and any fan of the series will get to see all the story threads finished and the end of Snakes journey. The visuals are stunning, and the campaign is easily long enough to entertain. While it is unfortunate that new players cannot realistically enjoy this game, I appreciate the dedication that Kojima Productions have to their fanbase here as the game is completely catered to them. If you have a PS3 you need to play Metal Gear Solid 4, which I think is arguably the greatest video game ever made, and a fitting send off for one of the greatest characters ever conceived, Solid Snake.
Pros:
- Incredible visuals
- Music that is inspirational and emotional, perfectly complimenting the game
- Brilliant characters who are genuinely attractive and interesting and fantastic dialogue
- The greatest story in the medium is finished in this game
- Good boss fights
- Long single player campaign
- Differing and equally viable approaches to combat
- Incredible choreography in the cinematics
- Top level voice acting
- Improved controls
- Huge selection of weapons and gadgets
- Greater scale and production values
- Tasteful fan service and nods to the series
- Raiden is redeemed
Cons:
- Cutscenes can be too long
- Inaccessible to new comers
- Multiplayer is bad
Wtf:
- Health warnings about smoking during the chapter installations
Score:
- 10/10
