MGS1 Times 4
People lets get one thing straight before we continue. Stop posting stuff that isn't a direct review of the game, and stop posting reviews when you haven't played the game. It is so demeaning to people who read reviews. Stop posting your ratings based on previews. Play the game then write a review. And for crying out loud, stop giving games a 10. There are no perfect games.....no game will ever be perfect. No matter how great it is or may be, there will never be a game that is completely and utterly perfect. Giving 10's just to give 10's isn't a true review of a game!
Getting to the game now....for those who have played the previous games in the series, you will be in for a rather surprising game. MGS4 is an extremely well done game. But like ALL other games, it has it's faults. MGS4 feels like a movie, but with interaction and gameplay to go along with it. Most games in the series were gameplay driven games with cinemas in it. This game very much feels like the opposite. It feels like a movie, but with interaction and gameplay tied heavily into it. Having said that, Kojima has really created an incredible work of art. I completely respect the amount of cinemas that are present and I respect the way he tells and finishes the story.
Presentation- The overall presentation of the game is among the greatest of all time. The game is presented in such a movie-like way it truly takes a lot of guts to even attempt something like Kojima did. Not only did he take a shot at using a boatload of cinemas, but for me, he completely pulled it off. I'm not going to lie, this is a game that features a LOT of cinemas and story driven cinemas to help tell an incredible story. But it seems like a lot of people tend to move away from liking things like that. But the truth for me is that if the game plays great, and has a deep and rich story, the cinemas help make a game what it is. And for this game, the cinemas help drive how good of a game it is. Kojima is film maker trapped inside a game production studio. He uses extremely different camera angles and completely does things that will remind you of a film. MGS4 is presented in one of the best ways possible. It is truly an epic experience.
Graphics- We all heard the negative feelings Kojima had stated about the graphics a few weeks back. But he quickly took back his comments and said that the game looks great but that they wish they could have utilized the power of the PS3 a bit better. Overall the graphics for MGS4 are stunning and brilliant. The game runs in a kick ass 1080P and a solid framerate throughout. The game features some incredible texture work. The textures on Snake's body suit are quite impressive to say the least. While some levels will look a bit less detailed then others, on a whole the overall graphical feel of the game is extremely consistent and very well done. Most levels look fantastic with uber details of attention. The game looks fantastic on almost every level. Some may question the overall look of the game, but i can assure you that MGS4 is among the best looking games on the PS3.
Sound- If you got the Limited Edition of MGS4 like i did, you will definitely give the soundtrack a listen. The soundtrack features very epic sounding themes from the game and certainly pulls off what the game was going for. The in-game sound effects are super rich and very well thought out. The music in the game is brilliant and fits perfectly with the mood and story of the game. It reminds me a bit of "Halo's" theme, not necessarily the sound, but the overall feeling it leaves. MGS4 hits very well in the audio category. They mesh top notch sounding sound effects and brilliantly composed tracks to set the mood and overall feel of the game.
Gameplay- If you have played the previous MG games than you all know that the controls have been funky in the past. I can assure you that in MGS4 almost every single issue you ever had in a MGS game has been adressed or certainly tuned up to be better. Overall the game handles and plays extremely well. The mesh of 1st person and 3rd person is seemless and works incredibly well. I would love to see more games pull off what Kojima was able to do for this game. The controls feel tight and comfortable and definitely have been fixed through previous MG games in the past. But MGS4 really hits its high note in this category because it does exactly what you love about the series. It feels very similar to the past games but just looks way batter and feels right at home. The overall gameplay is dead on where it needed to be for the next gen iteration.
Lasting Appeal- While i can honestly admit i HAVENT participated in the online portion of this game, I will go ahead and say that the game is incredible even without the online portion. The game finishes a story that most will appreciate and love. The game feels like a masterpiece. It will take you on about a 20-30 hour journey and give you everything you need and want to know about what becomes of the story. Without spoiling anything, the ending will come as no major surprise but will definitely feel rewarding and satisfying at the same time.
Overall MG games will go down as one of the great series of all time. Assuming that Kojima does in fact end the series with this iteration, i would certainly respect and applaud him for completing a fantastic and truly great experience. MGS4 hits the fans of the series exactly where they want. It completes and finishes an epic and remarkable story. For those who haven't been a fan of the series, i will still go out on a limb and say that you will love the experience Kojima has created. Some will hate the amount of cinemas in the game, and will wonder why there isn't more gameplay to substitute certain situations, but the game is outstanding the way it is. MGS4 is a reason to buy a PS3 and reason to spend the money. MGS4 is a fantastic and remarkable masterpiece. Is it perfect.....absolutely not....but it certainly is among the greater games out there.
