A year ago, it was 2008. I was a mildly cynical gamer who was still able to praise the traits and merits of a game, as long as it didn't outright frustrate me to play it (see: Kid Icarus). I was heavily anticipating Brawl to be the godsend of all gaming, looking forward to an E3 where Nintendo would unveil a reason to play Kid Icarus or would announce the next Donkey Kong or Kirby game, and was grinning at the prospect of getting an Xbox 360 to fall in love with the Banjo-Kazooie series all over again.
Boy, what a difference a year makes.
Brawl was... disappointing, to say the least, E3 was terribly dull, and, most sadly of all, Banjo's latest game was an immediate turn-off that made me cry for the memory of Banjo-Kazooie (the youngest game in my list of favorites). Every game I got my hands on this year - Brawl, Wario Land, Mario Kart - I'd have to award a score of 8/10: a good game worth the time to play, missing several elements that would help it shine. In fact, most of my reviews on LL are 8/10 games, with a few exceptions.
However, the one element that truly surprised me this year was Metal Gear.
I've never been a fan of the "grim and gritty" kind of games. Having grown up under games like Donkey Kong Country 2, Kirby Super Star, and Banjo-Kazooie, I was used to colorful and quirky worlds with unique elements that made them truly fantastic. However, the Metal Gear series drew me in with a compelling storyline, unforgettable characters, amazing traits, great boss battles, and overall good mechanics. I gave the original Metal Gear Solid, a game dated by ten years with clunky controls and stiff animations, a nine out of ten, calling it a breathtaking experience. I still stand by that fact after playing each game in the series a minimum of three times all the way through. It was truly a saving grace, and because of it, I purchased a PS3 to see the epic conclusion to the series:
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
I set the bar higher for this game than any other game before. If the original three games were amazing, then a game that's being flung perfect scores all around and is being called Game of the Year by multiple sites MUST be absolutely perfect. If I were ever disappointed with even one point in the game, I would have to note it as a disappointment overall. I wanted to feel a rush, a thrill, the ultimate Metal Gear experience that ties together the entire series in a way fan fiction writers can only dream about.
Well, I've played it. I've waited. And ya wanna know how it was? Well, that's the whole point of this Review.
MGS4 is rated M for mature for almost every bad reason in the book.
This review will be scored
on a five-star scale, with five stars being truly astounding to one star
being absolutely abysmal.
Graphics: *****
Just look at a single screenshot
from this game. I don't really care which, just look at one. Almost every
last inch of the Metal Gear world is meticulously detailed right down to
the wrinkles on Solid Snake's face. To call the graphics anything but the
greatest of the current generation, and possibly gaming in general, is
an understatement of the highest magnitude. The game is absolutely gorgeous
from head to toe, with incredibly realistic-looking characters, great effects,
and just a ton of polish and shine all over. What's even more incredible
is that cutscene magic, which dominated games like Metal Gear Solid 3 to
make them look incredibly beautiful (at least compared to the actual gameplay),
is nearly non-existent. Cutscenes transfer seamlessly into gameplay, keeping
the same graphical style and talent all the way through. The detail given
to some of this game's best scenes is nothing short of breathtaking, and
is truly an awesome thing. For example, in an early scene, Snake adjusts
his suit to slowly take the texture of a wall to avoid detection from two
miniature Metal Gear-like things. The two giant robots see a cardboard
box in between them, sense something inside, and immediately squash it.
Red stuff goes flying everywhere as watermelons roll out of the box, stomped
to death. As the robots leave, a watermelon brushes up against Snake, changing
the color of his suit where the melon touched him to the texture of the
watermelon. At the very beginning, MGS4 even includes some real-life video
feed of humans, and even THAT looks like the game's graphics could've made
it. It's tiny things like this presented in a grand scale shown in MGS4
that really make the graphics stand out as some of the best in the business.
Music: *****
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest was a game that I thought had perfect music. Each piece fit the game perfectly, and I liked every single track provided by the game. None of it was forgettable, each was truly unique, and they all created such a great atmosphere that I thought it couldn't possibly be topped.
Oh, MGS4 topped it. It went there, straight to the top, and never came back down.
From the first moment you take a look at the game, it immerses you with a great soundtrack. The opening screen presents a truly sad synth of strings that sets a dramatic tone for the rest of the game. Repeatedly, the game plays homage to previous Metal Gear titles, including remixes of old themes (Mantis Hymn being one that specifically stands out) and even a special "20 Years of Metal Gear" track, specifically devoted to 20 minutes of musical fan service. However, some of the newer music creates an absolutely spectacular world for the game to live in, with dynamic chords blasting out at some of the game's most dramatic moments and soft and subtle tunes for personal, emotional scenes between the main characters. The game provides you with an absolutely amazing soundtrack to see through the game with...
However, it doesn't end
there! Almost all of the recorded tracks in the game, along with multiple
others from previous Metal Gear titles (and even the remix from Brawl!)
are available to listen to at any time. Snake is equipped with an iPod
in addition to his trusty cigarettes this game, and at any time, he can
begin listening to the game's tracks in the heat of battle. Trust me: there
is NOTHING more fun than blasting Japanese Pop music while slaughtering
hundreds of crazed soldiers in South America. MGS4 took the "My Music"
feature from Brawl and improved it, allowing Snake to listen to his favorite
tracks at any time, any place, anywhere. The musical score in this game
is absolutely incredible. The only complaint I could ever give it is that
the incredibly memorable Metal Gear Main Theme was taken out for legal
reasons (it sounded suspiciously like a Russian anthem). The music truly
brings the game to a new level of immersion, complimenting the graphics
perfectly with being at the top of the mountain.
Sound: *****
We're dealing with an all-star
cast of voice actors, here. David Hayter, Patric Zimmerman, Quinton Flynn,
Phil La Marr, Paul Eiding... there's quite the talented cast here, and
those are only the ones I can name off of the top of my head! David Hayter
reprises his role as Solid Snake, giving Snake an even gruffer and deeper
voice to accompany Snake's accelerated aging (see Story for more details
on Old Snake). Fan favorites and new talents alike come and show their
roles, giving incredibly believable performances that really make the characters
in Metal Gear Solid 4 feel like the tortured shells they truly are. Sadly,
Cam Clarke doesn't reprise his role as Liquid Snake, but Patric Zimmerman
(the voice of Liquid Ocelot) does an absolutely incredible job at voicing
the main villain. The rest of the cast also has some great interactions
with each other, creating some absolutely amazing scenes. The sound effects
are also very impressive, the screams of enemy soldiers, the explosions
of bombs, and the "moo"ing of one of the Gekko (it makes a lot more sense
in-game, trust me) really creating an impressive environment of chaos and
fury.
Story: *****
... I'm honestly blown away. This is coming from someone who believed that Metal Gear Solid could never outdo itself in the story department, that it could never seamlessly weave together characters with such depth, emotion, strengths, action, and character in the way it had before, that it would never be able to tie up all of the loose plot ends it left at the end of Metal Gear Solid 2. (Seriously, go watch it on Youtube. Your brain will hurt A LOT.)
But it did.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots paints a brand-new picture within the frame of the old, creating a whole new world for Snake to explore. Solid Snake, now taking on the moniker of "Old Snake" due to unexplainable accelerated aging, has slowly been forced to grow into a new world. This world is one defined by war, where Private Military Companies (or PMC's, as they're referenced by) hire out soldiers to wage war with other soldiers. But battle isn't just about politics or resources or showing dominance; war is what makes the world keep spinning. War has become its own living, breathing economy, more precious than gold or oil, more widespread than a plague. These proxy battles dictate how the world is run, with military superpowers (the United States Army still being considered the dominant force) keeping the world under their control by sheer strength alone, while information about PMC's is considered common knowledge (they're even commercialized!). It is Solid Snake's mission to track down his old foe, Liquid Ocelot, who is combination of Snake's brother and the one enemy Snake always fights that never dies, and stop him from using his PMC's to takeover the world.
That... is basically what is explained in the first 15 minutes of the game, and then some. From there, the story weaves on in a narrative structure that would make the most critical of fanboys drool with glee as Snake progresses through various terrains, meeting up with old faces presented in new lights, and generally fighting for the existence of the human race as we know it. It's an incredibly compelling tale from beginning to end, tying up every question in the Metal Gear series, and reconnecting with every last character who hasn't died up to this point (as well as a few who did!).
It could be said that the story caters solely to fans of the Metal Gear series... perhaps almost exclusively. The approach the story takes is confusing for newcomers to the series, and you'll often find yourself looking up online who some of the characters were and what happened with them. However, MGS4 is just a narrative, driven by story accumulated within the entire Metal Gear series. MGS4 makes all of the Metal Gear storylines previously presented come together, and makes the entire series look like one large, solid story rather than multiple missions based on the same events. The story features NINE HOURS worth of cutscenes to appeal to fans and weave its tale. It doesn't waste a single minute closing the story on one of gaming's greatest heroes: Solid Snake. I can safely say that Metal Gear Solid 4 has THE best story in all of videogames, BAR NONE.
My only complaint? The story
ends.
Gameplay: *****
The Metal Gear Solid series has always been centered around stealth. Metal Gear Solid presented a straightforward, albeit clunky, style to do this in, presenting Snake in a simple, more isometric view with a fixed camera to take down his foes. Occasionally this would differ, like when using a remote-controlled missile or when using a sniper rifle, but it was generally the same formula. Metal Gear Solid 2 improved on this formula, adding new intelligence to its enemies and a much-welcomed first-person view. Metal Gear Solid 3 added a movable camera and a far more open environment, making the game a lot more about positioning relative to enemy routes than about dodging little blips on a radar.
Metal Gear Solid 4 perfects what the first three games tried, that is, to place Snake in a totally hostile situation with few weapons and almost no backup to stop the plans of one insane, power-hungry mastermind, while avoiding enemies at each turn.
Now Snake has even more ways to evade his enemies than ever before. The basics of stealth - crawling, rolling, punching - are all implemented, giving players newer ways to avoid enemy confrontation. However, MGS4 also has a robust list of weapons, upgrades, and items. It's very possible for Snake to ditch the stealth motif altogether and become a one-man army, tearing through soldier after soldier. "Ramboing", as it's been affectionately called, is a very fun way to blaze through the game, and gives gamers the choice to treat MGS4 as tactical action espionage or... well, just plain action. Of course, stealth is much harder, but much more rewarding, while fighting through the game on the harder difficulties is sure to lead to death. Thus, gamers can eventually experience the best of both worlds in multiple playthroughs.
Metal Gear Solid 4 is divided up into five acts. In them, Snake is often put right into the middle of warzones, specifically those in the Middle East and South America. While the PMC's under the control of Liquid Ocelot try to strike down the rebel forces, Snake can either ignore the plight of the home team, or can free them from the PMC's guns, gaining new allies to act as decoys and take out a few soldiers for Snake. Snake can even interact with these soldiers, trading them rations for more ammo and even a few new songs for his iPod. Of course, this is only a MINOR feature included in the game, exemplified to show just how much detail has been put into the gameplay.
In previous Metal Gear games, Solid Snake would have to secure weapons on-site, digging through item boxes until he found the weapons he was looking for. In Metal Gear Solid 4, the weapons system is both made more complex and simplified. While there are guns all around (just pick them off your enemies as you make 'em drop), each and every gun you pick up is ID-locked. The nanomachines inside each soldiers' body locks each weapon to his own person. Therefore, you have to pay Drebin, a gun launderer, in order to take the locks off of your toys. In order to pay Drebin, you earn points by collecting guns and selling them to him - you keeping the precious ammo from each weapon, of course. After accumulating enough points, you can either take the ID's off of your guns, or buy a new one from Drebin's personal stock. I was clearly happy that my favorite weapon from the series - a sniper rifle that fired tranquilizer rounds with a suppressor, and that was owned by one of the greatest bosses in the entire series - was available for purchase, and was incredibly happy to use it. In fact, most of the weapons from the series are available for use. Hypothetically, every single weapon in this game is available for use. That's well over 60 different kinds of weapons, each one at least somewhat customizable with new scopes and flashlights and barrels for more ammo. Of course, if you just want to play it safe and go through the game with a knife, a tranquilizer gun, and good old CQC (close-quarters combat), that's fine, too.
In addition to all of his weaponry, thankfully, Snake's shooting mechanics have vastly improved. Whereas in previous games you would almost immediately freeze to a standstill when aiming your weapon, MGS4 allows for a much more fluid "run-and-gun" approach. When Snake raises his weapon, the game goes from being presented as a stealth game into more of a third-person shooter. Here, you have an over-the-shoulder view of Snake and a targeting reticule for him to shoot through. This is a much-welcomed addition to the series, as previous Metal Gear games had horrible weapon accuracy unless in first-person view, which left Snake immobile. Of course, with the push of a button, first-person view is available as well, and this makes sniper rifles all the more invaluable for picking off enemies. It seems that Kojima Productions went the extra mile to create a functional combination of a totally stealth-based game with the frantic and frenzied world of impulsive and insane war, and pulled it off magnificently.
Each level is very well-designed. For the most part, gone are the narrow corridors and cramped fighting spaces that were so rampant in MGS1. Now, you fight on the streets of a destroyed Arabian war zone, in the deep jungles of South America, in the streets of London, and in several other locations that would be a shame to spoil. Also gone is the previously-reliable radar system, now replaced with a motion detector with limited battery. Snake needs to rely on both his gadgets and his eyes in order to see through the enemy's defenses, creating a far more realistic environment. Levels are often huge and expansive, trailing through area after area of lush scenery or war-torn ruin. Really, it's the most thrilling Metal Gear to experience, hands-down.
Finally, bosses have always been the strong suit of the Metal Gear series. In MGS1, we had the unforgettable Psycho Mantis and Sniper Wolf, as well as the dramatic fights with Liquid Snake and Metal Gear REX itself. In MGS2, the bosses weren't quite as memorable, but Dead Cell brought many a gamer to their knees with a woman who could deflect bullets, an ex-president with dual katana and evil tentacles, a VAMPIRE, and an army of Metal Gears. MGS3 had some of the best fights of the series, consisting of the Cobra Unit, a group of almost supernatural fighters. A drawn-out sniper duel with The End that could very well last almost two hours just highlighted the great battles of that game. Metal Gear Solid 4 replies with a combination of all the previous three: the Beauty and the Beast Corps, four tortured women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, told by Liquid Ocelot that they must kill Solid Snake to free themselves from suffering. Oh, and they have incredibly powerful mechanical suits that make them absolute beasts in combat. Snake must track down every one, including a master of disguise, a painful sharpshooter, and a homage to the great memory card reader himself, and bring them to their knees. Each feels like a combination of the three previous games' bosses, and each has a very fun fight.
Oh, and there's one absolutely INCREDIBLE, BREATHTAKING, AMAZING, MONUMENTAL, AND AWESOME boss battle that I won't spoil here. It's at the end of Act 4 of the game, and to fans of the original Metal Gear Solid, there will be no greater thrill than playing this one out. And, of course, there’s the incredibly emotional fight with Liquid Ocelot at the end, which needs a new word to describe how excellent it is.
And these are just parts
of the whole that makes up Metal Gear Solid 4. There are multiple other
facets of gameplay I've not yet touched but simply don't have the time
to overstate. However, each one flows seamlessly into the next, much like
cutscenes and gameplay. This is what it means to take something great and
make it absolutely outstanding.
Difficulty: **1/2
LOOK! It's a score that isn't perfect! Oh... wait, no... It's the difficulty rating... That's still perfect... Drat.
Yes. The Metal Gear Solid
series has always been rather easily accessible due to selectable difficulty
ratings. The ratings in this game - named after the various characters
of the Metal Gear series - range from Liquid Easy, where you can basically
shoot your way through the entire game, to The Boss Extreme, where you're
basically dead if you're spotted. There are three difficulty levels in
between the two - Naked Normal, Solid Normal, and Big Boss Extreme - that
tend to balance everything out. I personally find Solid Normal a rather
difficult experience to complete, even with my upgraded weaponry and abilities
from already beating the game once! There's generally going to be a difficulty
level that appeals to gamers as they slowly build their way up to the harder
difficulty levels. It's very reminiscent of the Super Smash Bros. system
of difficulty, albeit quite a bit harder due to the general nature of the
game. MGS4 did what it could with the difficulty system, and presented
it in style with an incredibly fun mode of slaughtering soldiers all the
way to the ultimate stealth experience. This makes the game very, very
accessible.
Replayability: *****
It just goes on and on, doesn't it? Metal Gear Solid 4 surpasses each of its predecessors in the area of replayability. Each Metal Gear game tends to last around 15 hours when first played, and then around 4 to 8 in subsequent playthroughs. Metal Gear Solid 4 contains NINE HOURS of CUTSCENES ALONE, which is MUCH better than it sounds when these are incredibly well-written, exciting, movie-like scenes that captivate and boggle the mind. Add in gameplay time of about 9 hours the first time around and 5.5 hours being a challenging time to break, and we're looking at a game that constantly delivers days worth of entertainment every single playthrough. (The cutscenes can be skipped if you want when you're replaying.)
The Metal Gear series always assigns you a rank based on an animal every time you beat the game. Each of these rankings have specific conditions that need to be met. For example, if you're basically getting killed left and right, chomping down healing items, trying to kill as many people as you can, and taking as long as you can to beat the game, you'll probably end up with the codename "Chicken". Of course, if you do everything absolutely perfectly on the hardest difficulty, you'll get the codename "Big Boss", a rather nice step up from all other ranks. There are also some rather obscure ranks, like "Tortoise" for hiding in a cardboard box for over an hour, "Assassin" for not being seen much yet killing a lot of enemies with knives alone, and "Lobster" for spending 2.5 hours crouching on the ground. In addition to just looking cool and being proof of doing both difficult and obscure tasks, many of these ranks grant you new items on subsequent playthroughs. Ending up with a Big Boss emblem nets you a gun with unlimited ammo, no reload time, a mask that makes enemies scream in fear, and a new iPod song that causes some enemies to lose their minds. Of course, this is the most exciting reward, but there are multiple others to mess around with.
In addition, Metal Gear Solid 4 has provided itself with quite a few features based online. Snake's iPod features fourth-wall breaking, in-game podcasts that can be downloaded and that are occasionally worth a laugh. However, I'd assume that the main bulk of the replayability would be featured in Metal Gear Online, the online mode for the game. I haven't been able to connect my Playstation 3 to the Internet yet, so my only knowledge of the mode is watching one of my friends play the game online. From what I saw, however, it seems to be a hilariously entertaining mode, where multiple players scramble in order to take down one player acting as Solid Snake. Of course, Snake has the added benefit of all his toys and stealth, so he isn't TOO overwhelmed by the enemy.
Of course, adding in something
I've never played would not seem very nice. No, this score comes from the
game itself, the main single-player mode, with Metal Gear Online noted
as a side feature that might extend replayability a bit more. Never before
have I finished a game, yet been so incredibly tempted to pick it up again
and play through it. It's truly an addictive and gripping work of art.
Fun Factor!: *****
As one reviewer put it:
This. Is. Living. This game is so incredibly entertaining from start to
finish. There were several cutscenes that honestly left me absolutely speechless,
and one that had me in tears. The gameplay is gripping and incredibly fun
to play through, the thrill of stealth exemplified beautifully. The story
is driven through powerful and emotional characters and scenes, which translates
wonderfully into gameplay. Metal Gear Solid 4 is one of the most captivating
experiences I have ever had the pleasure of playing.
OVERALL: ***** out of *****
Perfect. You'll notice that
every section that I've gone over has a perfect score. That's no mistake.
The criticisms I can give to this game are few and far between, and each
and every one of them rather minor. I'm a diehard story fanatic who will
kill for great characters that translate seamlessly into gameplay. Metal
Gear Solid 4 has translated into that perfectly, appealing to me in JUST
the right way. Yes, the game has install times in between each act that
take a few minutes. No, that's not a problem compared to the quality of
the game. Metal Gear Solid 4 didn't just meet my expectations, it exceeded
them, and created new standards on which I can base games in the future.
Some games can claim to be system-sellers, but MGS4 is the only game that
I'd ever shell out the money to buy a PS3 based on it alone. It'll never
be able to beat the raw power of nostalgia that games like Banjo-Kazooie
and Kirby Super Star give me, but in the fundamentals of the game, story,
and entire presentation alone, I can safely say that Metal Gear Solid 4:
Guns of the Patriots is the best game that I have ever played.
Recommendation:
Tragically, there is but one fault in MGS4's armor: it is not for everyone. There are multiple concepts spread across other Metal Gear Solid stories that are present, but not explained, in this game. I find this fortunate, being a fan of the series and not having to stand through reconnecting with facts I already know, but to newcomers of the series. Though a majority of these facts are explained halfway into the story and it's easy enough to interpret some facts, newcomers mind find themselves lost in the discussions of "Les Enfants Terribles", nanomachines, FOXDIE, and multiple other elements of the story. In fact, there's an entire act that will become about ten times as meaningful and epic specifically for fans of the first game. However, MGS4 is an absolutely amazing experience when seen as it should be: the end of Solid Snake's long, painful mission. Therefore, I not only recommend purchasing Metal Gear Solid 4, but the entire Metal Gear Solid series as a whole. From start to finish, these are some of the most captivating, astounding, shocking, and great games ever to be made. If you already have the right systems to play them on, you can even get the entire collection for under $100. Metal Gear Solid 4 isn't for everyone, but for those who wish to pursue the series, prepare to see one of the greatest videogame characters of all time go through one of the greatest plots of all time. Metal Gear Solid 4 marks the very end of Solid Snake's days, but with this game, Snake can be forever remembered as what he truly is.
A hero.
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