Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

  
Metal Gear Solid 4 Review

It is truly amazing that it’s been eight years since I last played a Metal Gear Solid I enjoyed. MGS3 just didn’t do it for me in the ways that MGS2 did and the PSP titles have never really interested me all that much. I was under no delusions when going into MGS4, I knew exactly what to expect and still maintained a little reservation due to how disappointed I was with MGS3. I cannot say how much I enjoyed this game though, it was everything I could have wanted from a next gen Metal Gear Solid and so much more. Now, this game does nothing to reinvent the MGS wheel, but it successfully brings it into the modern era while still maintaining everything that is great about a Metal Gear Solid game.

Now seeing as I’m a little late to the MGS4 reviewing party I’m not going to waste much time on the story aspect. All you need to know is that if you’ve followed the core series then the story of MGS4 will not disappoint. Every single character that has appeared previously is wrapped up here and the overall ending is perfectly executed. The amount of story that the game gets through does warrant numerous hours of cut scenes, as you might expect not all of them are necessary but you’ll still enjoy a good 90% of them.

The biggest difference in MGS4 is how the game plays. Previous games have had a heavy emphasis on stealth and sneaking around enemies as opposed to directly taking them out. However, while that aspect is still present here; the gunplay has been drastically updated and turns the game into an extremely entertaining third person action title. Shooting is now over-the-shoulder and you change from left to right perspectives. You can also go into first person mode while aiming, but you can now move around while doing this. There is a heavy emphasis on upgrading your arsenal to suit the way you want to play, a good 80% of the weapons you’ll acquire can be customised in a number of ways. The improvements to the controls are easily the biggest gameplay change in MGS4, the stealth mechanics are still here and just as good as any other MGS game. However, the lack of the trademark radar annoyed me a little.

The greatest achievement (from a gameplay standpoint) is the freedom in which you can switch play styles. There are no sections tailored entirely to either stealth or action and how you approach them are entirely up to you. There are certainly areas where it’s easier to do action or vice versa but these are also the areas in which doing the opposite of what you’re supposed to gives the best gaming experience. The reinvention of the controls in this ways is what makes MGS4 stand tall above its predecessors. The cut scene to gameplay ratio in previous games stood out because the gameplay always felt a little behind the times. As far as stealth based third person shooters go, MGS4 is way ahead of the curve.

MGS4 also comes with an online MP component, called “Metal Gear Online”. From a purely mechanical standpoint (as I haven’t tried it yet) they do not seem suited for playing against thinking opponents. Although the single player is easily enough to keep you busy for several playthroughs.

I’ve managed to make it this far without talking about how the game looks. It’s very hard not to just state the obvious here, but MGS4 is a stunning game to look at. Everything from the characters, environments, weapons, enemies and anything else you can think of looks incredible. There are (literally) only one or two things that don’t look so great but the only reason they show is because of the quality of everything else. The brilliance of the presentation further enhances why the game is such a fun and engrossing experience.

There really isn’t a single thing wrong with MGS4 depending on what your expectations are going into it. This is a game that doesn’t try to attract any new fans by changing what it does, what it does do is address the mechanics issue by making the game feel up to date. This (much needed) update combined with the story aspect make MGS4 feel very different to most of what’s around these days, despite it being out for over two years now. The   constant freedom of being able to switch from stealth to action at any moment keep the game thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.

The only thing that stops MGS4 from being truly perfect is that it is impossible to recommend to anyone who isn’t already a fan of the franchise. This is fairly insignificant though as MGS4 doesn’t try (or need) to attract new fans any existing ones will most likely have played it by now. However, if you are a fan of Metal Gear Solid, you simply need to play this game.