Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

(TO START READING REVIEW, SCROLL DOWN TO WHERE IT SAYS "METAL GEAR SOLID 4 REVIEW") The core concept of the MGS series had always had my interest. And I'm not what you would call a hardcore fan. It's always been ahead of it's time in every aspect. Game play, graphics, and story. I first experienced the MGS series with: Metal Gear Solid: Sons Of Liberty on the PS2, and to be honest, It was alright. Even though I wasn't crazy about it, I have to say it utilized graphics and game play pretty well on the ps2. Which is how the series held my interest for other MGS titles. MGS4 is an amazing game. I love games with stealth and tactful game play. And MGS4 delivers in aces. Now I know a lot of people can't get into it even if this is a genre you love, and I was the same way at first. There's many reasons as to why people can't get into it, and I think I should list them in detail to see if MGS 4 and the MGS series is something you'd be interested in or not. MGS at it's core is a stealth game requiring you to think and use different tactics. In some ways, MGS is like the Hitman franchise. But even so, there are things about the MGS series that detract people even if this is a genre they like. These might be some of the reasons: - Maybe you find the games interface to be confusing or over complex. - Long cut scenes - Women characters are over sexualized - Stories over your head, or it's of no interest to you - MGS is a Japanese game, therefore, it's heavily influenced by that culture. And some people have no interest in Japanese anime like material or anything similar or along those lines in any type of form and medium. Now, these were my reasons for why I couldn't get into the series at first. If everything or one thing of what I had mentioned was a reason for you not liking or getting into the series, then maybe give it another try. MGS series is a series that has a big learning curve to it. You have to take your time to really get into it. MGS is one of the best if not the best when it comes to stealth and tactics. METAL GEAR SOLID 4 REVIEW MGS4 is a love letter to MSG fans and stealth fans alike. Kojima, the creator and director of the game and the series went all out to ensure the quality of this game. Story: You could try to to understand the story, it's possible to get most of it if you really pay attention, but it's pretty hard to unless you've played previous MGS titles. If you're a fan or want to get into the series, Konomi late last year released MGS HD Collection on PS3 and xbox 360. It contains MGS 2, 3, and Peace Walker. You definitely would have a much better understanding of the story, but like I said, "It's possible to get most of MGS 4 on it's own if you really pay attention." Graphics: The graphics of this game are up to par with games of 2010 to now. MGS has always had top notch graphics, and it really shows in this game. It's hard to believe it came out in 2008, considering just how well polished the game is. I was just amazed at how detailed it was for being a 2008 release. Audio: The voice acting, music, and sound in this game is fantastic. Everything was in sync and delivered beautifully. Game play: game play at first, especially if you're playing a MGS game for the first time can be confusing and seem complicated, or frustrating. Like I said before, this game and all previous MGS games have a learning curve to them and it'll take sometime to get use to. Once you get the hang of it it's a blast. Every things responsive and runs smoothly. You're given a variety of options at your disposal. Numerous guns and other items you have can be used to out do and takeout enemies. You can grab enemies from behind use them as a shield, knock their weapon away, choke, sedate( 2 ways), throw down, drag them, or use your knife to take them out. Enemies can be placed in lockers or hid in isolated or dark areas. If you're spotted by an enemy they'll go on high alert for 100 seconds and seek you out. Ration and Noodle packs can be found and are used to restore your health. Your character(snake) is given some pretty sweet gadgets like: the solid eye which can be used as night vision and binoculars. The octocam suit and octo mask allow you to blend into your environment. The codec can be used and is used to communicate with other characters, and they can help you in your missions. The Metal Gear Mk. II is a remote mobile terminal that can carry out a variety of task, including reconaissance, weapons and item pick up and transport, it can emit an electrical shock to stun enemies, and access computer ports for data transfer. And I'm sure I'm missing a few little things here and there, but there's A LOT of ways to use tactics and stealth in this game. level designs are great, and the developers did a great job of making the world seem a live. Everything feels fantastic, and you can tell that Kojima Productions and developers Konomi went all out to make sure everything in this game worked to near flawlessness. CONS: I have one small gripe about this game and that's vaulting over walls and objects. There are areas in this game were it's clear that your character(Snake)could vault over areas like a log or wall but can't. It surprised me for a game that's trying to be realistic. But in no way did this cause me to dislike or lose interest for the game or game play. I just found it to be odd. Verdict: Now this games not for everyone and it's a game that can be hard to get into, but this is an amazing game that had a lot of work and dedication put into it as all the previous MGS games did. This is a AAA title, and an exclusive to the PS3 that's definitely worth a purchase if you're a fan or into stealth and tactic game play. I'd give this game a 9 out of 10. And really, in my honest opinion, this is one of the greatest series in gaming that's always had great production value and dedication behind it.

I will start with the obvious, the game looks beautiful. The graphical quality does not change between cutscenes and gameplay. Kojima and his team pulled out all the stops on the beauty of this game, as they have always striven to do. SPOILER ALERT Then there is the story. A lot of people harp on the Metal Gear Series because the story is full of twists. One person even said that the plot was twists and only twists. That person missed the point completely. Especially by the end of this game, it becomes apparent what Kojima had been pushing for. The message about humanity is clear... the MGS series has always been anti-war, anti-genetic determinism, anti-environmental determinism, every mistake that humanity has ever made with regards to war and control of the populous has been addressed in some way. Consider the history through which Kojima derives his inspiration. His home country of Japan experienced an apocalypse during WWII while causing an apocalypse in mainland Asia at the same time. In all situations of war no matter who begins the fight or where it starts or ends, the young will repeat the mistakes of the old, and the old will let the knowledge gained from their mistakes slip away with death. Even the most heinous actions, deception, murder, are a means to an end, and the end is all that really matters. SPOILERS OVER Gameplay was spectacular. The MGS franchise is one of very few that has made significant gameplay improvements with every subsequent release. Control of Snake feels much more fluid, yet at the same time you can feel his age in the way he performs. Though he is more agile and powerful than the average human could ever be, he isn't quite the same old Snake. He is THE Old Snake. Old Snake gets a lot of neat toys in this game, too. Most notably is his chameleon suit. If he lays flat, his suit will automatically adopt the pattern of the materials that are on the floor. By pressing the "triangle" button while up against a wall, he will adopt those coverings as well. The second great toy is Drebin's shop. Drebin is a weapons launderer who gives Old Snake full access to replacement ammo and other supplies. ID Locked weapons can be converted to old-world weapons that do not require nanomachine permissions. There are A LOT of weapons in this game. First time through you probably won't get to experience all of them, and that is okay. Just check them out on your next run. The game is only about 10-15 hours long depending on how you choose to play. Also, through Drebin's shop Old Snake can modify his weapon. The first weapon, the M4 Custom is a good all-purpose weapon. It packs a decent punch and holds 30 rounds. It can be modded with a shotgun attachment, grenade launcher, or foregrip for stability. Laser sights and scopes can also be added to the M4 and other select weapons. So play around and have fun. Toy #3 is the Metal Gear Mark II, Hal's minature Metal Gear Rex that is mostly harmless...mostly. When you need a buddy to turn the corner and remain unseen for you, Mark II can cast an invisibility cloak and make sure the coast is clear. If things get sticky, it has a shock wire function to incapacitate unsuspecting foes. The same tool can be used to knock on surfaces to distract your enemies and guide them away from Old Snake's true position. It is a neat little gadget that you may or may not find to be useful. Next up, the enemies. In this game, it is impossible to hate the enemies you fight (except for Vamp) because they are amazing, flat-out. Whether they are GECKOS (bipedal beast machines), FROGS (all-female supersoldiers), or Private Military Company militia-men (remnants of their humanity will keep you grounded), or the Beauty and the Beast Corps (best enemies in of all time in videogames?), enemies are not just targets. Kojima and his crew made the enemies in this game characters to be admired. They neither have names nor faces, but they will f*** your day up very quickly if you do not respect their power. From the top down, they are all capable killers. The humanity of this game lies within Snake's allies. Meryl, Eva, Hal, the Colonel, Mae Ling, Raiden, Rosemary, Naomi, and especially Sunny represent the other side of life. Old Snake is a manufactured product of war, the only life he has ever known. No machine can imitate or destroy the compassion that these individuals shared. This is passion. I won't go on, can't explain much else without major spoilers. Gameplay, people, visuals, this game is stunning. Metal Gear Sold 4 exemplifies why videogames deserve to be celebrated as art. It has the story worthy of novel publishing, breath-taking visuals, engrossing music, and an all-around realism that we celebrate in paintings such as the Mona Lisa. If only more videogame producers put this much time and effort into a game. Production for perfection... long hours, perspiration, and inspiration to produce the culmination of one's efforts... that is art... this is art. If you are a casual gamer, this is not for you. If you have never played the other MGS games, this is probably not for you. Play through MGS1-3 in order to get the story and gameplay straight, and then play MGS4. For everyone who has been trying to compare this game to COD and HALO...come on. MGS4 is not a pure shooter. They put it nice and bold on the cover, "Tactical Espionage Action". That means be sneaky and use force only as needed. Play a "shooter" and judge other shooters with it. MGS4 is NOT, I repeat, is NOT a shooter. Could this go down as one of the best games of all time? Absolutely. Game of the Year? For sure. It is in a league of its own. Nothing else plays like it. Few other games are as engrossed in the mystique of political/sci-fi conspiracy. Too few have such dedicated stories. In most games, the producer's passion is not as apparent. MGS4 had a 105 degree fever with Kojima's ardor for gaming perfection. The game feels like he and his team cared. Gameplay 5 Video 5 - Cutscenes are long but not at all boring Audio 5 Story 5

First and foremost---Don't believe the hype in the negative reviews! My husband and I generally read several reviews from each category to get an idea of what people don't like---however, my poor husband happened upon a short 3 star review (who's writer's name I'll not mention) that TOTALLY ruined the game for him---or so he thought. I'll close this paragraph reminding all the wonderful gamers out there, DON'T SPOIL IT FOR OTHERS, or WARN them if your review does!! Now, I am not the type of gamer who generally plays FPS's (which I don't quite consider this an FPS anyway---this is more RPG than anything!!!) I know there are a lot of complaints here about long cut scenes, etc...but enjoy them, it gives your hands a rest for a moment so you can catch up on the story line---I know some of them ARE long, but NONE OF THEM are an hour. They are important for character development and for keeping you up to date within the context of the story, and especially if you didn't play all the games (or watch someone play them) previously---you need this information to understand, and you get points (pushing the X button for flashbacks) to boot! Anyone who is attached to the characters of Snake, Boss, Ocelot, etc...these cut scenes are integral to understanding the whole puzzle!! I gave this game a 5 star rating based on the simple fact that I loved it (and even cried in places) and I'm not even the person who was behind the controller!! Stunned? Don't be. It should speak volumes to anyone who likes the previous games for their content and not just their FPS-like qualities. I was completely captivated in the game play, the story line, the characters. Once again, in MGS style, it answers many questions, and still leaves MANY more for the player to ponder even after they're finished. My husband and I talked throughout the several days he played, trying to figure out who the culprit was, what everyone's true roles were, it was INTOXICATING in a good way. My role in the experience, was the help him navigate through the game, helping to watch for various clues and mile-markers, helping to keep track of items he'd need, vital signs, etc. It is a unique experience that I hope all of you try it sometime---backseat driving in a good way!! Yes, the controls are a little different, but isn't the challenge what a real gamer is looking for? You'll eventually get used to it and it becomes a lot more smooth. Octocamo is awesome, and its fun to save some of your own too, so play with it and enjoy it---it isn't as useless as some others have said in their reviews. My husband used it more than any other camo in the game. If you are a patient, sneaking style player, who likes to tranq and frisk, or likes to watch nasty robots explode---enjoy your new toy, it will pay off!!! I'll end my review there, because (as I said) I wasn't the player, but I loved MGS3 and I was completely sucked in to this as a watcher---can you imagine how my husband felt? I just spent a 48 hour long day (thank gawd for weekends) watching this game and backing up the player---and I was completely enthralled!!! Buy it, play it a bunch, and anxiously await the next prequel installment with the rest of us.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots truly defines the limits of a non-sanbox game. I bought this game on black friday last year because it was cheap and I heard it was very good, and I'm glad I did. The graphics and the story and the gameplay are all just wonderful. I have replayed the story five times and still play every now and then. Metal Gear Online is pretty fun, and the virtual training is a great way to test new guns and cqc maneuvers. There are also a lot of easter eggs and references to previous games and real life. First, the bad. This game does not have a whole lot of replay value for the campaign. Do not expect much from Metal Gear Online unless you don't mind waiting 10 minutes to have a chance of making it into a 4 player lobby. In other words, not very many people play online. If you are able to get into a match, then it is pretty fun. Also, there may be some cutscenes stretching past one hour which weren't annoying to me, but may be annoying to other people. Just make sure that you have enough time and don't have to do anything immediate within the next hour.The story is pretty complex and may require background knowledge in which case if you haven't played the previous games you could download the MGS database of the PSN store for free, which contains information from the first one, Metal Gear, to the most recent Metal Gear Solid 4. Now, to the good. What must be said first is that the story is absolutely amazing. If you are not playing for the story, then you're missing out and just wasted however much you paid for the game. It boggles my mind how Hideo Kojima could have thought up of such a suspensful story, fit to be a movie in my opinion. I enjoy stealth games, and going from Splinter Cell: Pandorra Tomorrow to this wondered how you don't fail for killing someone or don't have a certain amount of chances for being spotted. the gameplay is very entertaining and is filled with cool little tricks like knocking on the wall or putting a playboy magazine down to distract the gaurds. You could play the game like a first-person shooter or you could play it how it was meant to be played, with stealth. the graphics will not go without credit either. The graphics for this game are just amazing. You actually can see Snake's old wrinkled skin and what-not. In conclusion, this game is the second best game I ever played, Grand Theft Auto IV being the best. All aspects except for replay value (which really isn't that bad) are jaw-dropping. Don't take my word for it though, go on PSN and if you haven't already, download the demo. No doubt this game was worth the money I paid for it. In fact, I might go play it right now.

Not just a game, but a saga in all its epic heroics. Despite what Roger Ebert says, the MG series exemplifies how video games can be a work of art. While MGS3 was the masterpiece of the series, MGS4 is the perfect capstone to the life and times of Solid Snake and the Patriots. The game itself is amazing. 720p and surround sound make for an unforgettable cinematic gameplay experience. Controls are the best of the series being intuitive, smooth, and responsive. The enemy AI is as tough as you want it to be, especially on the Boss Extreme difficulty. There is a wide variety of weapons and tactics available to complete missions, which makes replaythroughs fun and enlightening. With 40 different emblems to obtain using various tactics, MGS4 is the kind of game that just keeps on dishing out challenge after challenge. And with the movable 3rd person camera, excellent controls, and a great storyline, playthroughs are never boring. For those who care little for storylines and character development, you can always just press "start" through most of the cutscenes (but you will be missing out on a great story). It's really the story that makes the MGS series stand out against other video game series. And it's the story that makes it more than just a video game. It's a social critique. ***Possible Spoiler Alert*** For followers that do care about storylines and character development, MGS4 follows Solid Snake on his final mission to save humanity from the threat of those who wish to do it harm. At least, this is what Snake is led to believe at the outset. This is what I appreciate the most of the MG series: the motivations of the bad guys, while self-serving, are also often honorable and well-intentioned. This blurs the line between good and evil and forces the player to think about their own values. Is liberating humanity from the control of an unseen oligarchy of puppetmasters such a bad thing? And what are the repercussions of Snake's success? Are the motives of the people who commissioned Snake for the mission in the best interest of humanity? If so, why is humanity in the state it's in at the beginning of MGS4? Snake is also the perfect antihero. Taking after his father, Big Boss, Solid Snake is a soft-spoken beast of action, and he is the perfect killing machine. Yet the best way to play through the game is by using non-lethal tactics. Consistent with the MG series, the highest honors are reserved for when Snake plays in a manner that values other's lives above his own, despite the enemy's best efforts to end his. It takes a beast of great character to honor the lives of those who hold his own in such contempt. This is what makes Snake a hero: his character is devoid of the selfish pettiness which defines the humanity he sacrifices so much to save. Snake is not only the savior of humanity, he is also the standard by which humanity should strive to achieve.

I've been playing games ever since i was about 13 years old. I'm a female video gamer and i'm almost 23 now, but i've never ran into a game like THIS. Yes i've played the other metal gears, but nothing like this!!! I dont even know where to begin. To start off with the Graphics in this game, its fantastic, its almost as if youre watching a movie. everything is perfect and neat, even movements of their mouths in coversations. everything just about looks as real as it can get. The Bosses are just like your normal Metal Gear bosses like Raven, Mantis, Sniper Wolf, Fortune, Vamp, The End, The Fear etc... Only this time you'll get a blast out of these new bosses. I must admit, the bosses were challenging. like for example, when i fought Laughing Octopus, i was having a hard time finding her, but i was also like "crap, this is a good boss fight!!" and when i fought Crying Wolf I spend most of most of my time hiding under the truck becuase i was getting a bit freaked out, but it was fun as heck!!!!!!!!!! The cutscenes are a bit longer then the past metal gears, there's ALOT of explaining and you have to pay attention and try not to doze off. I did not understand everything they said, but there were times where i wish they had'nt exaggerated some points in the game. but the majority of the cutscenes were actually pretty good Metal gear fans get to do ALOT more in this game then you could in other Metal Gears. one of the first events i enjoyed doing was trying to find Naomi's footprints, then afterwards being chased by the GECKOs while Snake had protect the tank from being attacked, i loved being on the bike with old Eva and seeing slow-motion scenes. and *******Spoilers, i enjoyed that they brought Snake back to shadow moses. It brought back memories, i enjoyed that mission more than anything in this MG4 plus getting to ride the very thing that tried to Kill snake, the Rex. ********* Thats another thing thats awesome about this game, you'll have reappearing characters. bascially MG4 will answer all the remaining questions you have. In this Metal Gear you can buy weapons, or more like buy the license for it. when you pick up stuff or depending how youre doing in battle, you get points for it. so yea, now you have a little shop The ending is the richest I've ever seen. I've never seen a game that had an ending that was almost an hour long. *~Bad Parts about the game *~ The only bad parts about the game is that 1)they did mix up the controls a bit, but its pretty tolerant. I was still use to "O" being the confirm button but they changed it to "X" 2)Everytime youre in a different chapter the game has to install everytime, no matter how many times you've played the game 3) Snake reloads TOOO slow. I didnt like the new Codec actually. I do give points up for the amazing movements of the characters on the screen, but i actually prefer the old fashion codec. If you've been a metal gear fan for a long time, Please i suggest you buy the last part of the story. i loved it ALOT!

Let me start off by saying I have never owned a Metal Gear Solid game before purchasing this one. I had plenty of chances to own the previous Metal Gear Solid games, but never really got into the hype. Well, let me tell you that the hype is real. Metal Gear Solid 4 might be a very difficult purchase to many gamers such as myself. I own a Nintendo, SNES, PS1, Gameboy Color, Nintendo DS, Gamecube, Xbox, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3. I have to say that out of all the games I own, this is quite possibly one of the best games I own. Here are my reasons why: Story 5/5- Having no clue what the story really is about, I did some research on the internet regarding the time line and what exactly the plot of this franchise is about. I ended up getting a basic understanding, but nevertheless was still a little lost. However, as the game progresses, through the many cut scenes, the story started to make sense. This game has one of the best character development and realistic situations. The character interactions are something you'd see in the real world. Game play 5/5- As many videos suggest, this game involves sneaking around enemies, using gadgets, and all the espionage game play. This is no MW2, Black Ops, or any other FPS shooter. It does involve using weapons, but it is not the only way to approach the game. The bosses in the game definitely require the use of guns, but other than that, the game can be progressed using espionage tactics. In terms of tactical game play, this is the game that sets the standard. Visuals 5/5- Amazing. Masterful graphics. Not only are the cut scenes realistically detailed, but the game play moments are very detailed as well. Konami did a great job in making a very good looking game on the PS3. Does not disappoint. Music 5/5- The sounds of the game fit the environment and situations presented. One example - if Snake is seen by an enemy, the tempo goes upbeat. NOTE : If you have music uploaded to the PS3 hard drive, the game offers an option to play your own music. Overall- More games should emphasize story as MGS4 does. It's very rare to see such a perfectly made game nowadays. This game has it all if you take the time. DISCLAIMER : Hardcore FPS Gamers should NOT buy the game since it might be too "slow-paced" for you people. This game is for people who are willing to make an effort to try to understand the story. If done, everything else will fall into place.

This game is definitely one to at LEAST try out regardless if you keep it or not, it is GOY as well. Let's get to the review, again everything I post is my opinion only. Metal Gear Solid 4 is the Final franchise of the MGS series ( before anyway ) on the PS3. You play as Snake, a legendary hero in his final chapters against his brother Liquid. The itself is about 10 - 15 hours depending on your pace, and skipping cut scenes, it would only be about 4-7 hours. Story : 10/10 This game is basically revolving around the story, and if you played the first of the three in the MGS series you will notice familiar characters. For new players, it may take a bit of time to know the characters, but once you do its all good. It introduces new faces and old characters, with the struggle against Snake trying to stop his brother Liquid from taking over the world. In his battles he faces many foes such as the 4 beauties, Vamp, etc. You must stop the Guns Of Patriots from taking over. Overall its a pretty good story, some parts are a bit repetitive but nevertheless amazing. Gameplay: 9/10 This game runs like MGS snake eater, only a bit better. You have a huge arsenal of weapons to choose from, and can upgrade them, sort of like call of duty in a way. The controls are pretty smooth, although it sometimes are a pain when trying to move around ledges and such. There is plenty to do in this game, however be that as it may be I have only one problem with this game. This game is suppose to be a tactical stealth game, as it was in the first one, but it is totally different. This is more of a hack and slash in guns rather then some game where you have to run around undetected. Sure, some parts you need to use stealth but overall it isn't really much. Most of the time you can just run and gun all the enemies in your path without much trouble. To add to that, the weapons have a HUGE amount of ammo. I was so conservative with the ammo in like the first 20 minutes, and ended up realizing I had max ammo for my machine gun. Even though it is kind if annoying, you can still have some fun shooting and trying out all of the different guns. It works a bit different to get guns however. Instead of finding weapons like before, you have this black guy selling you weapons, going near an enemy and getting their weapon will sell you the weapon for money automatically. Its a pretty good feature I will admit. You also get some pretty cool gadgets that will assist you in some parts of the game. The camo is also pretty cool as well, you can even change your face to the following they have, its funny. It also has multi-player, but I haven't played that, I just played for the story. This reminds me, I should also add the fact that this game is more of a movie rather then a game. Most of the time you will be looking at cut-scenes, and if you add it total, it would probably take about 3 hours of the game-play itself. Oh, I also forgot to mention that there isn't any trophies sadly, it would have been great if they added some, but as of 3/26/11, I haven't seen any trophies for it. Sound/Music: 10/10 I personally found the music epic, especially in the ending of the game because it played all of the main themes from 1 up to 4. Let's just say it fits really well with parts of the game. Presentation : 10/10 For GOY, Graphics must be good, and it is. The cut-scenes are greatly made and look beautiful. It supports 1080P, which in return makes everything look pretty realistic in my opinion. Not much to say here, its just great. Overall: 9.5/10 This game is really good and for like $20, its so worth it. You must try out this game, and sure the story may be VASTLY huge filled with talking, and not much killing, its still worth it. I would totally recommend this game to anyone who is willing to try a beastly game. Thanks for reading, KThanksBye:)