"Milkman said:As an answer to your first question, uh..yeah, evolution these days is kind of about westernizing these Japanese franchises. Japanese game development has pretty much stayed stationary for the past 5 years and I thought Metal Gear Solid 4 was a pretty refreshing reminder that they can strike this balance of making the game more playable for everyone while still staying true to their fans. Obviously, you feel like MGS 4 was a downgrade but you're honestly the first Metal Gear Solid fan I've ever say that, so I'm thinking you're in the minority."I know you can't really criticize a favorite list but hey, I'll do it anyway.So, we define evolution these days by how westernized it becomes? What an ethnocentric approacj. Accessibility? I had a really hard time with the fact that my dad couldn't get a hold of MGS4. He's a fan of the series just like I am, but he couldn't figure out all the complex commands required to accomplish anything in the game. Accessible games don't have a learning curve that steep. The stealth mechanics may be improved, but it doesn't really matter, because there was just too little stealth in the game. I'd also love to know how exactly the gameplay and story mesh together so well? That "meshing" occurs the same in each of the games.Metal Gear Solid 4 is the best game in the series. Why? Because it evolved. It became more Western and in turn, just a more accessible and fun game to play. The shooting, which is usually TERRIBLE in Metal Gear games, was extremely tight, while the stealth mechanics were also very improved and gratifying. For me, MGS 4 is the brilliant example of how to mesh together a compelling story line and great gameplay. Plus, it looks pretty nice too, eh?This may have something to do with me not loving Metal Gear Solid or MGS 3. Don't get me wrong. The games are great and I definitely enjoy them immensely. The original was groundbreaking for sure, but it had its flaws. As for MGS 3, once again, great game but the gameplay and story don't mesh together nearly as well as MGS 4. But MGS 2...Now, if there is any game that deserves to share the a number five spot with another MGS game, it's that. I can't really explain why I like MGS 2 so much more than the original and MGS 3 but it just feels so much tighter. I feel it's along side MGS 4 as a game that combines these hugely technically impressive cut scenes and great gameplay to find the perfect middle ground.And I assure you again, I'm not trying to bash MGS and MGS 3 and I know this is your list and none of what I just typed really matters to you. Just my two cents."As for how compelling the story is, are you SURE you played 3? I mean, that story was cohesive, it had some great themes and great characters. Metal Gear Solid 4 was a fanservice that defaulted to nanomachines to explain absolutely everything. I honestly can't understand how you don't think 3 had the absolute best story and cutscene choreography of the series. Four had that crawling scene that was quite impressive, but other than that it drew too much from the other games. 4 had a bigger budget, but 3 was just a whole lot better.What you typed does matter to me. I've played these games religiously, and I think it's blasphemous to say that the fourth game is as good as its predecessors in any regard aside from technology (both graphically and gameplay wise). I reiterate, it was a fanservice, and one I just couldn't love as much as the games that came before it."
We obviously have total different views of the MGS franchise. You sound like you don't really want the franchise to change all that much, which is understandable as a fan. Fans usually don't want their beloved things to change drastically from what they know and love and I get that. But as someone who is a fan of Metal Gear Solid but I thought it had alot of flaws and I feel that those flaws were finally ironed out completly in MGS 4. As for their not being enough stealth in MGS 4, I don't really see where your coming from. I think it's definitely possible to sneak your way through 90% of MGS 4. It might be easier to just shoot some dudes at some points but I don't feel there is anything wrong with that, which once again is just differnt views on the franchise.
Also, I didn't aim to make it seem like MGS 3 had a bad story or that it wasn't compelling. Metal Gear Solid always has a great story and it's not that I think that MGS 4 has a better story but it's told in a much better way. I found myself watching a cutscene and then looking at the clock and seeing a half hour had passed by even though it felt more like 10 minutes. To me, that's the mark of just brillant storytelling where I watch an hour long cutscene and not feel like it interrupted the flow of gameplay at all. As for your fan service point, yeah, I give you that. Much of the end of the game is complete fan service. The only scene I felt went on WAAYY too long was the final Big Boss - Snake scene, which just felt so forced and downright stupid. That, along with the wedding scene and Raiden's family moment were a little much.
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