Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

~Intro~
    Metal Gear Solid 4 is the final chapter of Solid Snake's epic battle between his crazed brothers, the multitude of government conspiracies and even time itself. A lot can be said about Metal Gear Solid 4: technically it's a renouning achievement both graphically and artistically. There are liters of features from online play to a shooting gallery. The single player provides the closes thing to an interactive movie. The story pulls no punches and finally delivers on the promise of concluding everyones storyline. Finally, the sound effects, voice acting and sound track provide an engaging melody that will do a happy dance all over your ear drums. The simple answer is yes, MGS4 lives up to the hype. Yes, it provides an epic conclusion to a beloved franchise; yes, it concludes snakes tale for better or worse. But, simply saying yes isn't enough, simply explaining this game isn't enough; one must experience this to grasp it!!

~Story~ 8.0
    This is by far the worst part of reviewing a game that is extremely story driven. How much is too much? I want to explain the story but now days anything is considered a spoiler. I can say that if you're a fan of the series all your questions will be answered in extreme detail. If you aren't a fan of the series you may want to go look up this tale on Wikipedia before embarking since 90% of the story is rapping up the past 20 years. I guess that's MGS4 greatest weakness story wise; it isn't very open to newcomers. I've played every single MGS multiple times; but someone that isn't woven into the mythology of MGS probably won't understand the random references and characters. For example: the first act is based around Naomi's siding with liquid even though she was considered neutral at the end of MGS1. Someone whom hasn't played the original ps1 game won't really understand the relationship between Snake and Naomi. Unfortunately, casual fans will simply not grasp the most impactful moments. Though the events are entertaining, a bit of MGS knowledge is required to garner full enjoyment.

~Gameplay~ 10.0
    MGS has always incorporated different gameplay mechanics in past MGS games but the one mechanic that rises to the top is stealth.  This iteration is no different but there have been some major changes in streamlining previous mechanics. Veterans of the series will quickly realize that the initial half of MGS 4 is similar in style to MGS 3 Snake Eater. The environments aren't super similar but the mind set is the same; outdoors with pending environment as cover.

    Lets start with the first and most obvious change to the core gameplay mechanics, the Octocam suit. Essentially, the Octocam system is an extension of the previously used camouflage suits from MGS 3. The difference coming in how the system is implemented. Instead of having to clumsily pause the game, go into the camouflage menu, select a suit, check the stealth rating and repeat. The Octocam suit can both manually or automatically detect different textures on both ground and wall surfaces, quickly blending snake into his surroundings. This time around snake doesn't flatten on walls, instead a content sensitive icon will appeal near them. By pressing this button, snake will move up to the wall, activating the suit. Not only does this mechanic provide a sleek and intuitive system to quickly maneuver around combat; it also provides snake with a sweet gadget the series is know to have. 

    Snake has also acquired some physical maneuvers that greatly improve an already impressive arsenal. First, in the stealth department we have a hump-type move that allows snake to crawl on the ground without exposing his position. This move may seem useless, but proves useful in situations were slowly creeping up to your opponent without losing stealthy demeanor is vital. Speaking of moving around, snake can also row on his back now. From here he can shoot his weapon, throw grenades and even play dead. Playing dead is quite fun but more importantly useful. This can be done on both his stomach and back and works perfectly when near fallen combatants. Another added move is a crotched position; though this does increase the level of stress on snake's body, it's a good way to maneuver quickly through battlefields without completely being expose.

    The next major gameplay tweak comes in how snake fires his weapon. Now I knew that Resident Evil 4 was going to impact the industry in a positive way, yet I couldn't have dreamt of a better scenario: Gears of War, GTA IV and now MGS 4 have all implement an over-the-shoulder style mechanic that made RE4 so amazing.
MGS4's implementation is just a flawless as its presentation. Another addition is the ability to play through the game entirely in first person. I know this sounds weird but the controls work perfectly, so any native to FPS games will most likely be pleasantly surprised.

    The last major improvement is the addition of new gadgets and weapons. Obviously, snake always brings new gadgets like a barrel and drugs to help stimulate his psyche and body. The coolest upgrade is the expansion of Snake's arsenal. No longer will snake sneak around with just a pistol in hand. This time around snake starts out with all types of assault rifles, pistols, submachine guns, sniper rifles and shotguns. Snake not only has access to all these awesome weapons but he can now disarm enemies and take there weapons. Now if this wasn't enough, there is also the ability to buy new weapons from Drebin the gun launderer; whom grants snake the ability to customize weapons by adding laser points, grenade launchers and suppressors. 

    Now what do all these improvements mean to the series? Basically, it creates the best gameplay out of all of the MGS games, period. Since there is a war going on if you choose to sneak by everyone in the conflict, great. The improvements come in combat, were snake doesn't feel limited when having to shoot his way out of a situation. This allows for the best of both worlds for any type of gamer. Get caught in a situation that requires some Rambo-esque moments go right ahead; don't feel like fighting anyone,  just sneak by one ground hump at a time. No other stealth or action game has rivaled MGS4's perfect blend of action and stealth. No other game has such a plethora of mechanics to fully create the experience the user wants.

~Sound~ 10.0
    The soundtrack is an ovation to every Metal Gear, a fans wet dream. No sound effect is left behind, no sound left untouched. Thanks to apple product placement, snake is equiped with an IPod which allows him to listen to previous music as he runs through his adventure. The overall soundtrack is just as amazing as previous editions and sound effects fit perfectly.


~Graphics~ 10.0
    I'm probably not going to surprise anyone by saying that MGS4 has probably the best artistic prowess since Super Mario galaxy. The difference being, MGS4 has the technical horse power to back it up. When you are in "war zones" there are literally dozens of enemies fighting, explosions and mayhem happening with minor hits to the framerate. Textures and environments are extremely detailed and unique. I've never had a problem with any MGS graphical palette so my opinon hasn't changed with this iteration.

~Features~ 9.9
    MGS4 has a lot to offer on every front, first and foremost , a stellar single player campaign that will last a good 20 hours or so. There is also online play which is similar to MGS3's online component with tons of improvements. Of course there are also tons of unlockables and hide secrets scattered throughout the world of MGS4. I'd say the replay value is pretty high with so many extra goodies to munch on.

~Conclusion~
    The biggest flaw with this game doesn't lie with the game itself but with the end user. If you haven't played and loved the previous games you aren't going to really understand the big deal with MGS4. This game really wasn't made as a stand alone game. Users really need to be knee deep in MGS Mythology to fully understand the entire experience. Every other aspect of the game is flawless; it somehow finds a way to appeal to just about every type of gamer out there regardless of the tactical action label. Obviously, I would recommend this game to anyone that loves the series as it's easily the best one. Action fans would probably get a thrill or two out of MGS as well. Do yourself a favor and rent or buy this game. Just find a way to experience this epic adventure at least once!!

Story - 8.0
Gameplay - 10.0
Sound - 10.0
Graphics - 10.0
Features - 9.9
~ Overall - 9.58 ~