Metal Gear Solid 4 Is Amazing
Metal Gear Solid 4, the latest, and perhaps final, chapter in director Hideo Kojima's storied series, has been saddled with impossible expectations, tasked with closing out every aspect the labyrinthine mythology of its predecessors. The franchise has become known for two distinct things; a complex story, grounded in contemporary politics and current themes, and open-ended stealth gameplay. Metal Gear Solid 4 pushes each of these to the limit, and despite the lengthy, meandering cutscenes, solo infiltrations as series protagonist Solid Snake have never been as open-ended or as engaging.
The Metal Gear Solid series is unique in its focus on cinematic sequences, and Metal Gear Solid 4 is no exception. About half of my run through the game was spent watching meticulously staged cinematics, with excellent facial animation and voice acting. Those who have traditionally adored the way previous games present story will be right at home with Metal Gear Solid 4. But those who have been put off in the past by the series' penchant for melodramatic dialouge and lengthy, non-interactive exposition will find themselves as bored or annoyed as ever. Metal Gear Solid 4 surpasses even MGS2 in the density of its cutscenes, which only become lengthier and more frequent as the game progresses, culminating in a final movie that runs a full seventy minutes.
The game, similar to its predecessors, tackles weighty, current themes, returning to Metal Gear Solid 2's overarching theme of control. Behind complex acronyms and buzzwords like 'SOP', 'War economy', and 'nanomachines', lies a single question; how much freedom should we relinquish for the sake of order and efficiency? The choices made in the world of the game, and the consequences that are faced as a result of those decisions, define the conflict of the story.
The plot is interesting, and unlike many other games on the market today, it actually has a message. But it is obscured behind hours of cutscenes explaining subtle, unessential intricacies of the world's terminology, or delving deep into series lore in an effort to tie up every single loose end left by earlier games, an effort that is filled with explanations that feel thrown together at the last minute. I couldn't help but feel that the game cried out for an editor who could strip the non-essential elements out of the script and staging, someone who could allow the underlying concepts and thoughts to shine through without being obscured by sermonizing, melodrama, and monologues. This won't be a problem for Kojima devotees, but it was an issue for me. Luckily for those who are uninterested in story, all cutscenes are skippable, if you choose. One certainly couldn't be faulted for wanting to get to the gameplay.
For it is when the game shifts to your control that things get interesting. As the game begins, Metal Gear Solid 4 leaves the confined spaces and quiet solitude of the earlier games behind, thrusting the player early on into a raging battlefield, as PMC soldiers fight local rebels. The options for guiding Solid Snake through the conflict are numerous, and, unlike earlier games that heavily discouraged the use of weaponry, all options are viable. Running and gunning using the new over-the-shoulder camera to aim is nearly as entertaining as sneaking around, staying hidden with help from the new Solid-Eye gadget, a very non-obtrusive threat ring, and 'octo-camo', which preserves the best aspects of MGS3's camo system with none of the frequent trips to the pause screen. Every aspect feels easier and smoother than ever, thanks to a control scheme that is much more accessible and streamlined.
The environments, especially in the first half of the game, are very open, leaving the player free to choose between plenty of different paths and approaches. There are all sorts of viable options, and while the player is free to pick one method and stick with it if you wish, experimenting with different weapons, gadgets, and techniques (hold-ups, a technique introduced in MGS2 that had always felt clunky, is easier and more fun than ever) is much of the fun.
There are tons of different sub-systems that I don't need to delve into, such as weapons vendor Drebin's shop that affords you a constant supply of weapons and ammo, but those are secondary to the constant stream of new scenarios and surprises that keep being thrown your way. Just when you think you know how the game is going to play out, a new wrinkle is thrown your way. With the exception of one sequence about half-way through the game that overstays its welcome by about 15 minutes, every section will keep you interested all the way through until the game ends.
I have plenty of misgivings about the story presentation. But those barely matter when compared to the richness of Kojima's vision. I raced through it in 18 hours, and when I was done, I couldn't wait to start it again. And that's what's really important. If you have a PS3, you should get this game.
