Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake which sends him around the world in search of his nemesis Liquid Ocelot. Armed with new gadgets and abilities, Solid Snake will change the course of the war in their favor, with the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America and other corners of the Earth to foil Liquid Ocelot's plans for total world domination.
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The Grand Finale of the Solid Snake Saga
Funny how the original 'Stealth Espionage Action' game was born. Failed to create all-out action game due to the limited technology, video game auteur Hideo Kojima instead created a game where you avoid firefight and sneak around the enemy. Since the original inception of Metal Gear in 1987, the series have always represented the best of the best the gaming industry can offer.
Although loosely linked, each iteration was stand-alone game that requires no knowledge of the previous games. It all changed in MGS4. If the past installments slowly build the background of one of the finest video game storyline, MGS4 not only creates an immensely excellent stand-alone plot, but also brings suddenly all previous story to the stratospherically mythological level. One must experience all past games to fully understand and appreciate the level of genius MGS4 provides. MGS4 interweaves all the story so clearly into one satisfying epic culmination and brings its story to a closure. In doing so, Kojima eradicated all the past shortcoming and confusion in the plotline of 'MGS2: Sons of Liberty', and making Raiden the coolest video game character you wish you could play as. (Never thought that was possible, did you?) The ultimate joke on us compliment of Sir Hideo Kojima and his far-out sense of humor for ridiculing him on MGS2 for so long.
Close Quarter Combat (CQC) was improved upon MGS3, and not only you have free-camera, the 3rd person perspective is now over the shoulder instead of over the head, you have the 1st person-like accuracy. Furthermore, you now can shoot and move around in the 1st person perspective. All the movement and combat mechanics have been vastly improved and refined here compared to MGS3.
MGS4 is a stealth action game first and foremost, but now you have freedom to choose how you go about your tactics. You can sneak around without killing, or you can sneak around killing everyone. But most of all, you can just go around killing everything that moves. With tons of high tech weaponry at your disposal, you no longer have to rely solely alone on stealth. Improved upon camoflouge suit from MGS3, you now have octocamo suit. It adapts automatically to any environment you touch. You also have 'snake eye' that replaced binocular and also works as infrared goggle. You also have a useful aid from miniature metal gear called 'MK II' to survey the surrounding and even knock your enemy unconscious. All these do not mean the dynamic of the gameplay changes into all-out action like gears of war. You have to constantly monitor your psyche level. Continuosly shooting your way around will decrease your psyche level that directly affects your efficiency in combat so stealth is still your best course of action.
Metal Gear Solid (MGS) series always pushes the envelope to the very end of bleeding technology of its time. But here deploys Hideo Kojima a truly amazing in-game cutscenes generated by in-game engine to the CGI level seen from Final 'Fantasy VII: Advent Children'. All the staple camera techniques frequently seen in top Hollywood production is deployed here. They even use hand-held camera technique. We are talking about cutscenes directly generated by in-game engine itself, not pre-made cutscenes like CGI (computer-generated imagery). Truly beyond amazing achievement if you ask me. Natunally, the gameplay itself also looks outstanding. Possibly the best looking video game to date.
All the good looking graphics and techniques will mean nothing without excellent voice-actings headed by David Hayter as Old Snake. The music composed by Harry Gregson Williams is another area MGS4 matches on par with the top Hollywood production. Voice-actings and music enhance the overall cinematic experience to another level.
Level design is nothing short of excellent. His near perfectionist attention to details is shown in every single rubble in each level. Maps are very large, although devided by small section and loading screen. One fact that always bothers me no matter which game it is. Loaging screen here is not as bothersome as ones in RPGs but bothersome nonetheless.
There are so many hidden jokes, references to the previous games, and his usual far-out, often wierd sense of humors you need to find to fully appreciate how deep the game as whole truly is.
Is this game perfect? No game ever is. But in this case, I am more disappointed for what it doesn't have.
*****SPOILER WARNING*****
First of all, the game is still too short for game of this magnitude. Gameplay itself last about 14-15 hours if you attack everything in linear fashion. Cutscenes are about 7-8 hours; total about 20 hours give or take a little. 'MGS3: Snake Eater' still stands as the longest game in the franchise.
Next, Shadow Moses was a somewhat letdown gameplay-wise. First time I enter Shadow Moses, and I hear 'Best is yet to come' from MGS1 in the background, it was a spine-tingling experience. Then I run into Gekkos and suicide Gekkos. In the plot sense, that was inarguably the best course, but I wanted to play more stealth action against soldiers and alarms and turrets as in MGS1. I can only hope in the inevitable 'Special Improved Edition' in the future, they give us a standalone mission set in Shadow Moses guarded by the FROGS, turrets, and alarms with boss fights at the end of each stage as bonus so they don't have to disturb the existing plotline.
Next, we need cinema mode just like in MGS3: Subsistence so we can watch all the cutscenes and concentrate in story alone. Right now we can watch all the briefings cutscenes but we need to play the game again to watch the rest.
Next, VR (Virtual Reality) Mission is something you could use to finetune your techniques just like in MGS1 and MGS2. Virtual Chamber in MGS4 just doesn't cut it. Give us VR Mission in the Special Edition.
Finally, I would never thought I would say this. I want to play as Raiden. Give us Raiden, Kojima-San. Maybe Raiden's mission like Snake's Mission in MGS2. Better yet, how about the alternative path like 'Ada Wong' in Resident Evil 4 Director's cut so you can blend him in the existing plotline such as Battle with Vamp, etc. I humbly ask for your forgiveness for our ignorance of the past. Pretty Please with lots of sugar on top, Give us Raiden.
Get the limited edition if you can by all means. It comes in excellent and cool-looking hardbound case. It contains the same original game disc in original Blu-ray case with artwork. But it also contains the second case that harbors two discs. One is Blu-ray disc contains about 150 minutes worth of documentaries from the history of MGS to the Making of MGS4. The other is soundtrack of MGS4. Must-have collector's item for the long time series fans.
At last, Solid Snake's story comes to an immensely satisfying grand conclusion. This is one game you invest your time in characters and storyline so much, you feel attached to the avatar in your actual gameplay. MGS4 is as close to Hideo Kojima's envisioned Magnus Opus since the inception of Metal Gear in 1987. At the end of the game (Be sure to wait and watch until the very end title shows), you will know you just experience the most cinematic video game ever created. The emotional resonance will ringer long after the end credit rolls. MGS4 is man's game like 'Dirty Dozen', not a cheek flick like 'An Affair to remember'. Just like all the previous MGS games, your heart will be filled up with such emotion that makes even grown men cry. Go ahead! Stand attention. Give this soldier a proper respect and one last salute. He really deserves it with all your heart.
Think Inside the box - own the COMPLETE Metal Gear 4 experience.
This review is solely on the extra items included in the Metal Gear 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition.
This was released at GameStop stores. In addition to the Metal Gear 4 game, it contained the following extra materials:
- A limited edition box featuring artwork of Solid Snake and Liquid Ocelot.
- One Blu-ray disc with the following audio tracks:
1. Old Snake
2. Love Theme
3. Gekko
4. BB Corps
5. Breakthrough
6. Endless Pain
7. White Blood
8. Midnight Shadow
9. Desperate Chase
10. Mobs Alive
11. Next-Gen Control
12. Guns of the Patriots
13. Sorrow
14. Father & Son
15. Metal Gear Saga
16. Here's to You
- A Second Blu-ray disc with the following featurettes:
(1) Hideo Kojima's Gene: a documentary on the man behind the Metal Gear games and the leader of the Metal Gear 4 development team.
(2) 20 Years of Metal Gear: a brief description of the progression of Metal Gear games from 1988 to 2008.
(a) Researching Modern Warfare: This shows the military training of the production team to produce more realistic game play.
(b) The Road to Realism: A feature on the travels of Kojima's development team from Morocco to Africa and other locales, leaving no detail unnoticed.
(c) Characters Come to Life: This section shows the motion capture, designs and creation of the game characters, from their Japanese and English counterparts.
(d) The Sound and The Fury: This feature shows the challenges of foley artists to create accurate in-game sounds, from the crunch of gravel underfoot to missile explosions.
(e) Kojima Productions Reaching Out: This section details the trips Kojima productions takes around the world to get in touch with Metal Gear fans far and near.
(f) The Outsider on The Inside: This is a feature on an English-speaking jack-of-all-trades who took his love of video games and pursued a career in Japan.
(g) Hello Logan: A feature on the company behind the in-game commercials
(3) A selection screen for all four of the in-game commercials:
(a) Bomb Shelter Buffet
(b) The 7th Circle
(c) Body of Armor
(d) Celebrity Moralist
The featurettes can be watched with Japanese or English subtitles.
This is quite a nice package of extra materials. It used to be very difficult, if not impossible, to see the trials and tribulations of video game production in a Japanese setting - and it is a real treat to see the unsung heroes behind such an epic game.
Through these extra materials, we gain a deeper understand of Hideo Kojima's inner passion to deliver a video game that not only entertains, but gives players a chance to enrich their lives. It's clear that with over 200 people working for over 3 years on this game, it was a labor of love...and it shows.
My only complaint is that the music in this limited edition is more of a "greatest hits" selection. However, that can be overlooked, with the other extras. If you want the complete soundtrack, you can order it HERE.
If you're a Metal Gear nut like I am, this should already be in your library. If not, you're definitely missing out.
Very highly recommended.
Great game worth the wait
The collectors edition was definitely worth every penny. A must for any die hard Metal Gear fan.
Price: $150.00
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