Metal Gear Solid 4 Review
Okay I realize I’m a little bit behind on the MGS4 review but I just got my ps3 some while ago. I’ve long been a Metal Gear fan, despite never playing the first one. I know, I know, I’ve committed a grievous sin to MGS fanbase. I apologize. While you were all enjoying playstation I was still playing Super Nintendo. And I’m not complaining, Yoshi’s Island is still the sweetest game ever made.
Back to it. I’ve always enjoyed how Hideo Kojima was able to create a story that took itself completley seriously while also at the same time, not taking itself seriously at all. Example, there’s lots of politics and theory within the games which most people don’t understand, and I’m not going to lie…I don’t understand it either. I don’t think anyone does. It’s like the Emperor and his New Clothes. Nobody wants to be thought an idiot because they don’t understand a lick of what’s happening in the Metal Gear universe. Than Hideo creates boss characters like Fatman who is a rollerblading fat guy who plants bombs that you have to defuse. I think it takes incredible skill as a storyteller to weave both reality and complete fiction (of the most bizarre) yet engage your audience.
Rollerblading Unibomber? Why not
Now the newest installment, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots puts an end to the Metal Gear franchise…for now. The game in it’s own right is a huge epic masterpiece which is both it’s strongest points and it’s weakest. When you are actually playing, the game immerses you into a war torn environment where you serve no side and must stealth(or if you so choose, Rambo) through the levels. You’ll have to play the game several times just to catch on to some of the smaller details that are put into it. Needless to say the game is awesome. From it’s boss fights to the new camp and weapons systems.
Where this newest game starts to fall apart is the cinematics. Some of them are incredibly
Must look both ways...
fun to watch. Nothing beats over the top anime action. Sadly very few of the cutscenes involve this. In fact sometimes an epic fight is going on one side of a split screen, while you’re doing something else on the other side. Cool idea…sure. Does it work…no! I want to watch the epic fight, not fight of machines! The section I’m talking about in particular is incredibly frusturating because you’re charged with a mundane task that is irritating at best while a fight you’ve been waiting to see go down since Metal Gear Solid 2 is unfolding…except you can’t watch it…unless your eyes go different ways.
Sunny
The rest of the cutscenes are horrendously boring and do
I share your IBS misery Akiba
nothing but fuel further plot points no one really cares about in the game. Listen, I love games with a story. In fact I think games need to focus more on story…but Hideo here threw out the baby with the bathwater on this one. Depending on the kind of player you are, you will probably watch more cutscenes than you will be playing the game. Still don’t believe me? The epilogue (as in after you’ve fought the last boss and there’s nothing left for you to physically play) there is still an hour plus of wrap up to go through. Now the cutscenes did introduce us to some fun characters like Sunny and Akiba. But other than that you’d better bring a book or something else to do especially when you see the words “Mission Briefing”. All that being said about the cutscenes (which was the worst part of the game), the ending of the game was actually pretty good. An hour long good…no, but it put to rest a lot of questions and lots of interesting things happen.
Some definite highlights were a motorcycle chase where you’re the gunner and an epic last fight with…well I’m sure you can guess who. What’s neat about the last fight is they throw cinematics in when certain blows are dealth to either you or the enemy. Now that is how cinematics should go. And if that wasn’t enough, as you fight the game plays all the different main themes from the Metal Gear Solid games which really just overwhelms you as the player. If feels like you’re in an epic movie battle and that you really are Solid Snake.
In short the game is worth it, but I’d probably wait till the game goes down in price.
