Metal Gear Solid 4

[Dogg Thang]

I got this earlier, began with the Range to get a hang of the controls and then started the main game. Certainly looks pretty, though most of the facial expressions are pretty dead.

Controls are as clunky as ever, as is much of the animation. I am happy that the visibility is improved but the little wavy circle thing is in the way and would be pretty pointless if they stuck with a radar system that worked, as it did in the first MGS game. They seem to be trying several methods at once to compensate for its absence which is nuts because they got it right the first time. But at least the visibility disaster of MGS3 has been improved.

Love the Octosuit thingy. A great effect and a nice little trick.

Music is stunning. I adore the soundtrack so far. And voice acting is as good as ever.

In spite of the gameplay shortcomings, just like MGS3, the story is beginning to hook me in. Because I didn't see much of the pregame hype, I had no idea that

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Snake was old for any other reason than the game was set in the future so it was a bit of a surprise to see Otacon had barely aged and then the conversation explained it. Quite like that new weapons guy and things got a bit interesting there but why is the mini Metal Gear played for laughs? Does it have a personality or is Otocan controlling it? It's like a bloody Disney sidekick.

So same ol' MGS sequel. Oh but this one has the ugliest monkey ever made.

[jim g]

Do I like Metal Gear? Well, yes and no. I haven't played any of them pre-MGS2. I'm not sure whether I liked MGS2 or not. If i had to summarise, I'd probably say I think the plot was crap, but I liked the execution. Sometimes. MGS3 I've only played briefly and I love the MGS Acid games on the PSP. Portable Ops not so much. Overall, half the time I hate the series, and I've probably mouthed off about it, but I've also defended it on forums. Sometimes I've said I hated it, and then defended it within the space of a single post. Or a single sentence. Oh I don't know... MGS for me, overall... erm... when it's good it's very very good, when it's bad it's horrid? Who knows. Lets move on.

I too have had a love / hate relationship with MG. On PS1 I played the Jap demo, completed the Jap Game several times and then the same in the english USA version and loved it to death. Indeed I still ahve the limited edition silver box, complete with unopened T Shirt and dogs in the loft. Anyway I digress.

MGS2 was OK, but as you stated, awful script. I could never get into MGS3. So despite the hype and the unquestionalbe high production values I came to this one with some trepadation.

First, I had to get out of the COD4 mindset (difficult when you have played it for 21 days online playing time) and second I had to remember to be patient with the cut scenes.

So after 3 hours play, I have gone from not sure, to loving it. It really is epic and after you get past the first encounter with another chararcter it gets really good. I look foward to progressing through the game over the weekend.

A must buy for any PS3 owner (or indeed any gamer)

In conclusion I am very happy. It takes me back to 1997 and MGS1

[saif]

To kind of second what cavalcade said, MG games have balls. As games, they feel like they have been coherently designed and directed by one person (obviously not actually the case) and not by committee. This leads to a few strange moments and things that you "allow" but you can feel love in the detail and stylings. I don't think there are many games that could get away with the stupid opening (the tv ads) but I was so hyped at changing the channel (and "HIDEO 1" being one of the channels ) that I not only allowed it but though it was good. TBH, if something that pretentious was in another game, I would think it was cack. Metal Gear has always been true to itself as it has always had a head leading it. And that did not change.

[EvilBoris]

I'm still a little confused about the story, why is Liquid doing all this?

[Brad]

Cos Naked Snake took the pi$$ out of him in 1962 (Snake Eater)*



*that may not be the actual reason

[Concept]

Well, I finished the game earlier this afternoon. I'm currently digesting my thoughts and writing what I thought on it.

I started with a paragraph, but it's expanded a tad since then.

[TheBlackLodge]

I'm still a little confused about the story, why is Liquid doing all this?

I think to answer that (From what I've read) would open up a big can of spoilers.......

[Uli]

from the reviews i've read i understand that "first play" opinions are pretty worthless given the fact that the second half of the game completely changes the game in respect to gameplay, pace and quality and amount of storytelling. anyone completed it yet and wants to comment?

[themanwithapc]

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Just go near them (from behind) and hold down R1. He should grab them, to slice their throats you press triangle once you have them grabbed.

That is what I'm doing but he keeps flipping them over. I guess I'll have to keep trying.

This is all in the manual and in-game "guide" so I don't think it would count as a spoiler. If you want to hold on to the enemy you will need to slowly creep up behind them (bare in mind you will need to have a cqc compatible weapon equipped or have no weapon equipped at all) and hold R1. If you time it right and keep holding the R1 button you should grab onto the enemy from behind and have the option, via the triangle button, to slit the enemies throat.

So was the octocamo, but it was spoilered earlier, so I thought this might be too. Nevertheless, see the reply above. I'll just presevere and hopefully get the hang of it eventually.

Oh and another thing, why does Snake keep spanking himself at random intervals?

[Rossco]

That is what I'm doing but he keeps flipping them over. I guess I'll have to keep trying.


Oh and another thing, why does Snake keep spanking himself at random intervals?

Its because you're still moving the left stick while pressing it so that flips them, you need to be stationary for it to grab them!



I haven't seen him doing that, but he does always rub his back in pain cause he is teh OLD SNAKE!!

[themanwithapc]

Its because you're still moving the left stick while pressing it so that flips them, you need to be stationary for it to grab them!

Yeah, I read that in the manual too, but I still can't do it. Damn my crappy skills

I haven't seen him doing that, but he does always rub his back in pain cause he is teh OLD SNAKE!!

Looks like light spanking to me though. He strains a bit too, like he's about to go to the toilet or something.

[Rossco]

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"damnit Otacon, get a grip!"

[JP]

OK, even for Metal Gear Solid games that was just very strange!

Just after the boss in Act 2, it told me it was a bonus so don't highlight if you've not passed that area or if you don't want to know about the bonus:

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Has anybody else had that UFO flashback thing? I was crawling around staying as quiet as possible and I swear I nearly had a heart attack as it just came from nowhere.

At least I got some bonus DPs for it.

[Concept]

***Don't read tagged spoilers unless you've finished the game. Non-spoilered parts of the post are good to read.***

Well, I've finished the game over two long sessions and it's definitely a satisfying end to the MGS saga. The ending is

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more fragmented than Snake Eater's but the final scene between Big Boss and Snake was really well handled. Completely floored me. Perhaps it's because I'd recently played the other three Solid games back-to-back, but I haven't been as affected by an ending like that since ICO. It was beautifully done.

I'm digesting the game at present so these are sketchy, compartmentalised impressions.

First off, MGS4 has fantastic jaw dropping set-pieces. Up until the

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end of Act 4

I would have said they were less condensed and more spread out than in Snake Eater (which crammed the last couple of hours with the majority of its high octane stuff), but my mind was blown throughout the entirety of that chapter, particularly the second half where it just throws one thing after another at you.

But first the gameplay. The refinement of the mechanics from Snake Eater are superbly done. One of my main criticisms and dislikes of that title was the way it disconnected you from the in-game action by forcing you into a menu (with no sound). MGS4 has that to a certain extent, but it's reworked and far more elegantly handled in terms of presentation and navigation. While I think the control system is over convoluted now whilst shooting in first-person, I'd have to say the improvements made elsewhere really make a difference. Camo use, context sensitive actions and shooting in third person are more enjoyable, and a few balancing issues in Subsistence have been fixed (namely that enemy soldiers were bullet sponges whenever you used a handgun). The Drebin Shop also allows for a great deal of customisation, acting as an extended and portable version of the system seen in Resident Evil 4. Along with the camo index and improved option set, it's probably going to provide MGS4 greater playability compared to earlier games in the series.

Which brings me on to another point, more than in any other MGS; you can play the game as a stealth title or as a run-and-gun shooter. It's not Halo or Call of Duty, but the penalty for getting caught feels far less restrictive than what I've been used to. If I had a criticism of the gameplay it'd be the same one I've had with the series for a while. Namely that there are too many items which provide little to no relevant use. In certain respects the level design is also a step back (once you move beyond the Middle East) from the partial non-linearity of MGS3's jungle. The interaction you can have between the PMCs and Liquid's army also comes across as binary - feeling limited compared to what seemed to be being promised a few months ago about 'influencing' events on the battlefield. In reality, the mechanic feels more rudimentary.

It isn't something you could say for the visuals. To my mind, this is easily the best looking game of the generation so far. The characters are all supremely modelled, and for the first in an MGS game, they have lip-synching that isn't actually awful. If I have one criticism it's that after having played Assassin's Creed (and to a lesser extent GTA4), the in-game animation system still doesn't feel as though it's moved a whole lot beyond Snake Eater. Outside of that, lighting, colour palettes and environmental detail are exquisite. Not just the way environments are handled (such as

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the breathtaking blue skies at the beginning of Act 2)

, but the way the light is positioned and cast on the characters. Their facial animation is deft, subtle and far ranging and the range of environments, the atmospheric effects... the dust, the snow, the wildlife... the sheer solidity to the entire look - everything comes together to deliver an absolutely gorgeous presentation. Technically, the game manages to render high detail, expansive environments and cutscenes without suffering from texture pop-in or jarring geometry LoD transitions. The former has been even bit of a bug bear for me this generation. While I can understand level of detail changes being prominent in open world titles I've been disappointed to the extent it's appeared in more linear games. With regards to the sound, voice work seem to be more consistent than MGS3 and the background effects to each location are as good as you'd expect. Likewise, there are stirring musical set-pieces too, both new and old. The problem I have is that the trailers indicated that the soundtrack was going to be perfectly choreographed, but outside of those few set-pieces through the game, there simply isn't enough of it that truly stands out compared to MGS1, MGS2 or MGS3. For me at least.

Which brings us to the polish. In terms of visuals there isn't any other game I've played on either the 360 or the PS3 which reaches quite the same level. Sure there might be some that have higher resolution textures in certain places, but when it comes to the overall package and the direction of the art design, the game is out of this world. The mechanical and weaponry design, along with the character modelling are pretty much everything I'd hope the 'next-gen' would be back in 2005.

What is less out of this world are the installs. Now, before anyone jumps on my back, I wasn't really fussed when I heard there would be three-to-five minute installs between each chapter. Or I should say I wasn't until out of curiosity I decided to revisit a save from an earlier act, only to find I have to re-install that particular section every time I want to replay it if I'm in a different act. That's pretty ridiculous. A few of the load times also segment a couple of the chase sequences a little too much, especially in comparison to Snake Eater.

So the plot. What am I disappointed about? Well, the twist as to

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who founded the Patriots seemed a little anti-climatic. After the end of MGS2 (with the reveal of them all being dead for 100 years), I was expecting something a little more abstract. A wall-breaking revelation as to the Patriot?s ideological collectivity. Considering Zero (I haven't played Portable Ops), and in particular Sigint and Paramedic had secondary roles in Snake Eater, it lacked any real oomph. Having said that, the way Kojima reworked their roles into MGS1 (as DARPA chief and Dr. Clark respectively) was a clever touch of tying things together.

I'd also say, even having played MGS3, MGS1 and MGS2 back-to-back and knowing the series relatively well, that there are moments of confusion where things become difficult to follow. The story isn't actually as convoluted as MGS2's, but it does jump from one point to the next too quickly before things can settle in. There's occasionally information and sensory overload, particularly in the briefings. I don't know what newcomers are going to think - if there were people criticising Halo 3 for dropping you into the story without any explanation then God know's what they'll think of MGS4. I'd also say the absurdity of the Beauty and the Beast explanations don't help matters either. The boss battles themselves are well done (none stand out as much as The End in MGS3, but they also aren't as inconsistent - read The Pain, The Fear, The Furry either). No... the problem is

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that they have little to no relevance to the main plot. In MGS1, the bosses where more intimately tied to your progression, both narratively and environmentally (Gray Fox's role, Psycho Mantis taking control of Meryl early on, Sniper Wolf's shooting of her etc. etc.). Put simply, the more consistent environments of MGS1 and MGS3 provided the narrative less disconnection.

On the other hand, a slew of the other new characters fit well into the game. My initial fears that

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Sunny

was going to become Rose 2.0

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though she is in the game, thankfully in a reduced capacity

, were unfounded. Along with

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Drebin

, I found her one of the better characters in the game. There are small interactions between the likes of Naomi, Otacon,

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Sunny

and a number of others which generally makes them more sympathetic and likeable. Which brings me to

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Akiba. He's not a bad character and the way his relationship with Meryl develops is interesting, but there are moments he's in which completely naff up the tension

. MGS4 (like Snake Eater) is more comedic than either of MGS1 or MGS2. While I think the 60s setting and warmth to Snake Eater helped it's comedy to fit in, there are moments in MGS4 where it seems inappropriate. Where it does succeed are the moments of gravity. Those which provide the real turning points. I think I'd agree with the Eurogamer review on this issue - MGS4 may end up losing its focus in details which don't matter to the larger picture, but there are still brilliant pieces of drama which have the ability to take your breath away. From that standpoint there's always something around the corner to keep you engaged, and I think more than any other Metal Gear (even MGS1), MGS4 manages to litter it's breadth with a variety of excellent set-pieces at just the right points.

The altered narrative structure helps with this and, along with the rejigged controls and camera, is one of the game's most notable features. In a good way it reminds me of Killer7 as to how each chapter is spaced out with briefings and the way they fit together. It allows you to get a gauge on the game's rhythm. While I do think the excessive cutscene length hurts the overall tempo, sectioning the game into various chapters helps offset this to a degree by giving the player a rough idea of the beginning, middle and end for each four-to-five hour spell. While it means MGS4 gels less than any of the previous three games it also means the game bookends set-pieces to keep you engaged. Even if you view the narrative as a stumbling block once you get past the more gameplay driven first two acts, there are moments of genius and diversity in the rest that keep you involved

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(the spy section through the drizzly streets of act 3, the amazing chase sequence with Eva, the satisfying stealth focused section avoiding the mini-gekko at Shadow Moses and all the crazy **** which happens from the middle of that chapter for example).

Which brings me on to the set-pieces. There are some (and you'll know which one I'm referring to if you've seen the TGSish-period 2007 trailer), which just floored me. Even by Snake Eater's high standards there are some gob smacking moments, and if you've played MGS3 then you know it has a brilliant, emotive end. Should you have no love for the characters in MGS4 then you'll probably dislike its epilogue (which really would have benefited from being littered with moments of interactivity).

I was intially disappointed by the resolution. That was until

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Big Boss suddenly makes his final appearance in the flesh. That scene in the graveyard

has to go down as one of the most emotive and brilliantly handled end scenes I've ever seen in a game. After having completed it I'd have to say that personally MGS4 is probably the best game I've played post-PS2/Xbox/GC era. It's certainly the most entertaining.

Yes, there are problems and I'm sure like MGS2 it's going to be a polarising game (even with MGS fans), but I found the experience the most engaging in the series since Metal Gear Solid.

It's insane, uneven and flawed. Yet I also can't remember having my jaw on the floor, grinning from ear to ear or being moved in quite the same way with any other title this generation.

[Matt]

Not played it a lot, but enjoying it. Only played MGS1 way back when, so it's all quite new to me. Controls are responsive. I don't like the cover mechanic - firstly you have to be pressed against the wall to attach to it, and I keep longing for the Gears technique of just needing to press a button while close enough. Being pressed right up to it is a bit much imo. Second, when connected, the position Snake takes, I can't really tell if he is connected or not. His head tilts one way, that's not enough visual confirmation for me

Aiming control is a bit ropey, in first person there's that "rubber band" effect when aiming, which I believe is basically the joypad equivalent to mouse acceleration.

Despite those negative comments, the game is shaping up nicely. Visually it's stunning, real next-gen. The environment (I'm on act 1 still) is solid and feels authentic. A great sense of being in a warzone. Some textures are horribly low res, but surprisingly it doesn't matter as the overall art style holds it all together.

And a note to other devs, and people who don't quite get it - they are using v-synch! Oh yes! No tearing, 30fps for the most part, with a little frame drop here and there. I'd imagine looking in to a corner would bump you up to 60fps.

Online could be brilliant but I'm not 100&#37; sold just yet. As well as the aforementioned rubber-band aiming controls, there are a few gripes I've got. The iron sites on some guns mean you can hardly see your target. There also seem to be a exploits already - earlier today I caught someone standing in a bloody wall, cheating little ****er. Could only see an arm and leg. Managed to kill him Also the Close Quarters Combat online seems buggy. You can be shooting someone, and they can run right through your bullets (taking damage, but not being knocked back), execute the move while you are facing them, and suddenly you're spun round and being held. I'd have preferred that move require you to be stealthy, not running around like a mad chicken.

Looking forward to playing it more. Atmosphere is good, the opening (Press Start To Begin), the setting and music, really reminded me of Hitman as it happened.