Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

PS3 review by Patrick Coakley, published on Wednesday 18th June 2008

The wait is finally over, and the final chapter of the Metal Gear Solid series has arrived. Since being shown at E3 2006, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has been one of the most anticipated games this generation. After exploring Snake’s father, Big Boss, in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima has returned to the original plot-lines started in previous games in an attempt to tie everything together into one cohesive story. With all the hype surrounding the latest, and the last in the Metal Gear Solid series, MGS4 certainly has a lot to live up to; it also has a lot to prove being one of the first high profile series to debut on the PlayStation 3.

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When we last saw Solid Snake, he was helping Raiden defeat Solidus and his Dead Cell organization. Guns of the Patriots picks up a few years after the events of Sons Of Liberty; Snake has become physically old, and the world around him has changed significantly. Private military companies (PMC’s) have become very important in the world, fighting wars with no motive other than profit. Soldiers have been embedded with nano-technology that monitors their activities and vital statistics in an effort to standardize the battlefield. Snake is on a mission to find Liquid Ocelot, and he’s going to need the help of some of his old friends along the way, as well as some newer ones.

The immense scope of the story is so large that it cannot be summarized in a clear and concise manner, but it certainly does cover a wide range of topics that will make everyone thing twice about some of the things that could happen, or are even happening right now in the world, such as the standardization of war itself, making it seem as if fighting is just another profession. Not everything is limited merely to the characters to themselves, and is in fact about the world that surrounds them, and how it’s changed. However, the focus is on Snake himself, and how he is coping with this new world. Also, if you’re a newcomer, don’t worry: you’ll get caught up via the cut scenes fairly easily, even if you’ve never played the series before. However, series veterans will likely get more out of the story, with everything from the past titles finally being explained.

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Metal Gear Solid 4 is comprised of five distinct acts (as well as an epilogue) that break up the story. Some of the acts are more based around story-telling than others, but they are all very entertaining throughout, with no “boring parts” included. It can be said that Metal Gear Solid 2 suffered quite a bit because of such areas in the game, like the ridiculous amount of backtracking, or saving Otacon’s sister. None of this is in Guns of the Patriots. It is an incredibly balanced game that always feels just right. Each act takes place in a different environment, keeping interest levels high as well. Each portion of the game feels drastically different than the other, with each act building upon the other. The length feels perfect, longer than Sons Of Liberty and Snake Eater by a few hours.

There are all sorts of new features and mechanics added in this iteration, though some of the more important include the Octocamo, Drebin’s weapon shop, and the Mk II robot. The Octocamo gives Snake the ability to camouflage himself as anything nearby; the player simply leans against or lies down on the terrain or material, and everything automatically changes. Also new is the weapon shop. Guns in Guns of the Patriots are relegated by an ID tag, meaning Snake can’t just use any weapon he finds on the battlefield. Drebin, a weapons launderer whom you meet early in the game, is able to fix the guns in order for Snake to utilize them. As Snake collects extra copies of guns in the game, they are automatically sold to Drebin for currency, which can be used to not only give access to the guns themselves, but also allow Snake to buy customized parts and ammo for his arsenal. All business is automatically conducted through the Mk II, a robot Otacon has built to help Snake on the battlefield. The Mk II can be used to scout ahead, which is very useful for finding different routes in some of the war zones. It also has the ability to whip a cable out, which can be used to attack certain enemies.

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After playing through the first three Metal Gear Solid titles, the controls in Guns of the Patriots are a lot more intuitive and easy to use. Everything is fine-tuned and precise, complete with full rumble support for DualShock 3 owners. If the controls have put you off in the past, it’s worth checking MGS4 out to see if it will change your mind. With a perfected first-person view, the gunplay is just incredible, and where it should have been in past titles. Not only is it easier to aim, but you can also finally move as you would in an FPS, making it that much better of an experience when sniping.

One big thing that has changed is how the game plays now. While originally a stealth series (and even subtitled as “Tactical Espionage Action”), MGS4 breaks away from the old formulas of hiding and narrowly making past the enemy without getting detected, and now Snake has nowhere to hide. You can still play the game stealthily, but you can also rush into gunfights with a machine gun or rocket launcher as well. There is no “right” way to play this game, making it far more accessible than any other game in the series. The amount of weapons also complements this idea, giving players the ability to use a wide variety of guns.

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One thing that is absolutely worth mentioning is the sound, as it stands out as one of the best parts of MGS4. Kojima Productions did an excellent job with the audio design, and words can hardly describe how it feels playing on a heavily populated battlefield, bullets whizzing by and bombs going off in the distant. Everything just sounds so realistic, and is done in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The music is also amazing, with some old classics resurfacing, in addition to a brand-new soundtrack that sounds as if it’s from an epic movie. All of the original cast is back to voice their respective characters as well, with the exception of a few, but this is merely due to changes in the story that affected the characters and how they should sound. Visually, Metal Gear Solid 4 is no slouch either. A smooth frame-rate also keeps the action going without a hitch. The character models are incredibly detailed, and the environments have such an incredible amount of life in them. Everything is just so varied and distinct, with nothing feeling recycled from previous areas. The presentation is obviously some of the best, with such high levels of interactivity in some aspects of the story-telling. The ability to manipulate the camera and the use of flashbacks keeps the immersion level high, especially during the mission briefing scenes in which the player can move the Mk II around freely, viewing anything and everything.

So with all these new ideas and changes going on in MGS4, will gamers that didn’t enjoy other entries in the series enjoy this one? Since Metal Gear on the whole tends to have a particular stigma in regards to gamers either loving it or hating it, it’s hard to say if these alone will convince certain people to pick it up and try it out. There seems to be a lot more of an incentive this time around to play it, as it seems even more accessible than ever. With less restrictions on how you play, it feels a lot more open to gamers who just want to kill things and blow stuff up, which was something that was once frowned upon by fans and the creators alike. Perhaps taking a cue from Resident Evil 4, Metal Gear Solid 4 seems to focus on all the good points of the previous games, and just fixing the problematic ones. There is still a lot of story, and with that a lot of cut scenes, but those are always engaging and tell one of the most intriguing stories in gaming history.

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It’s rather rare that I have absolutely no complaints about a game, but this is one of these particular cases. Nothing stands out as hindering it whatsoever. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will surely set the bar for this generations in terms of quality, and should be the benchmark for a truly great game. It’s sad to see the series finally end, but on the other hand I’ve never seen a series end so superbly. It truly is the end of an era, with a series that has spanned all three PlayStation generations.

Thunderbolt score: ten out of ten

Comments

Clintos
wrote on Wednesday 18th June 2008

Great review and im on the same boat as u. The game is just amazing and im just taking my time with it because I really want to enjoy finding every clue, weapon and easter egg in this game before I let snake RIP. I am sure going to miss him and hopefully later on whoever is the new hero, maybe kojima can suprise everyone and bring snake back as solid ninja cyborg. That would be awesome. :)
Dean
wrote on Wednesday 18th June 2008

Nice review, Patrick. I agree that the MGS games are some of the best in history. Kojima is a genius.
Jay
wrote on Tuesday 15th July 2008

My personal feeling is MGS4 was a waste of money. If you are actually wanting some game-play then this is not for you. The cut scenes, are visual stimulating, but are too long and too many! I found this annoying 1/4 through the game and skipped a huge percentage of it. Which in turn made this a waste of money for me. I quickly beat the game and turned it in to get another game with some actual "game-play."
Sini
wrote on Monday 22nd September 2008

Awesome game, cutscenes didn't bother me, but then I didn't try to skip them. This is story driven gaming at its best.
anticitizen one
wrote on Tuesday 11th November 2008

I don't understand why this game is so lavished with praise. Do the people who give this game tens ever play other games? Seriously, do they? The stealth gameplay isn't as satisfying as Splinter Cell and the shooter mechanics aren't as good as Rainbow Six: Vegas. And for a game that usually relies on its cinematic qualities to compensate for the severe gameplay deficit, I find it extremely lacking in that regard, as well.

The plot itself is so dense and opaque that only the most fanatical followers of MGS could enjoy it. The action sequences are so cheesy and overdone that I can scarcely watch them without being convulsed in laughter. The "tender" moments are equally as absurd (e.g. tears that defy the laws of physics and voice acting saturated in vain melancholy).

The facial animations are also conspicuously lacking. With the likes of Half-life 2 (four years old!) and Mass Effect on the scene, you'd think we'd see more developers implementing believable facial expressions in their characters - especially in a game with such high production values. Beyond that, I found some of the characters to look a little "samey." It also bothered me that each female lead had apparently been in a rush that morning and consequently had no time to button up her blouse - not that I have anything against cleavage. I just think it makes no sense in the context of a bleak, grayscale world.

MGS4 is basically the product of a man with too much creative control. In a way, it reminds me of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland. This is gaming's "1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)."
Ben
wrote on Tuesday 11th November 2008

As they say, you either love it or you hate it. I loved it, something about it just clicks with me and i find all the cheesy-ness part of the fun. Bit like the way i found Half Life 2 immensely dull when i replayed it earlier this year.
anticitizen one
wrote on Tuesday 11th November 2008

I didn't say I hated the game. I actually find the character Snake to be rather compelling. But that's all I found compelling. I just don't see what about the game warrants a ten. If this is the best the medium has to offer in terms of storytelling, then what does that say about video games in general? What does it say about gamers in general? Would you accept this level of incoherence and verboseness in a movie or a novel? If not, then why do you accept it in a game? Give me a decent answer this time. And I can see why Half-life 2 might seem boring to you. In the dismemberment and diarrhetic dialogue fields it is severely lacking.
Patrick Coakley
wrote on Tuesday 11th November 2008

"I don't understand why this game is so lavished with praise. Do the people who give this game tens ever play other games? Seriously, do they? The stealth gameplay isn't as satisfying as Splinter Cell and the shooter mechanics aren't as good as Rainbow Six: Vegas."

Actually, I play quite a few other games, on different platforms even! Imagine that. First of all, why exactly does MGS need to be a "stealth" game? It never was supposed to be realistic. You carry around rocket launchers, assault rifles, grenades, etc. What spy has these? Second of all, to compare the shooter elements to R6V just comes off as silly. The racing in GTA4 just isn't quite as good as GT5: Prologue. Man, I really wish I had realistic racing in my sandbox game, where it belongs!
anticitizen one
wrote on Tuesday 11th November 2008

I never said it had to be realistic. Splinter Cell certainly isn't realistic. It's certainly not as colorful as MGS, but that doesn't make it realistic. Anyway, the reason it's good is not because it's realistic; it's because it has interesting set pieces and gameplay mechanics. It specializes. And don't tell me MGS 4 isn't trying to incorporate a cover system using third-person perspective. THAT is silly. If a game gets a ten, then shouldn't it excel in all areas? Each and every part should be executed masterfully, no? Shouldn't the stealth be as good as Splinter Cell and the action and cover system be as good as R6:V? Say what you will about the gameplay, but don't, for an instant, try and tell me the story is anything but a tangled mess obligated to separate itself out. Take someone who isn't the average, masochistic gamer and get them to sit through a typical 30 minute cutscene involving torrents of redundant dialogue on "the war economy" and "nano-machines" and you deserve an award of some kind. Then ask him/her if he/she would give it a ten. I wish the gaming community, as a whole, would be a little tighter concerning where it places its accolades.
Patrick Coakley
wrote on Tuesday 11th November 2008

Does it really matter if you don't like the story? Not everyone is going to, and you can criticize it all day long but it's obvious that MGS fans don't care about such cheap attempts to degenerate the plot into something so trivial. Is it the most genius or accurate plot ever in a game? Maybe not. I found it to be extremely entertaining, but I am a Metal Gear fan. What you need to get over is the fact that this is MY opinion, so if you don't like it, that's fine, and I don't mind having debates at all. But you'll never get me to change it because that's how I felt at the time of playing and writing the review, and that's still how I feel. Instead of disecting the game, why not just accept that you're in the minority when it comes the major opinion of this game? I REALLY dislike Little Big Planet, but you don't see me whining about it on every single review. I said my piece on the podcast, and that's that.
anticitizen one
wrote on Wednesday 12th November 2008

I never thought of this as anything more than an exchange of ideas. Despite my virulent diction, I really do enjoy the dialogue and your reciprocity is appreciated. Having said that, don't debates exist ostensibly for the purpose of one party trying to persuade another? All I want you to do is explain yourself. I pose questions so that we may find a greater truth. I find the "I like MGS4 because I like Metal Gear" answer to be unsatisfying. Of course, I'd probably only be happy if you were to concede defeat, but as you pointed out, that's not likely. And I hardly think I'm in the minority. I'm fairly certain that the number of gamers who didn't think enough of MGS4 to buy it or play it far outweigh those who did.
Patrick Coakley
wrote on Wednesday 12th November 2008

There are, of course, others that are not particularly fond of MGS4. The difference is, they don't care about it enough to make a point of debating about whether or not it's a good game. Debates are fine, but I think you're misunderstanding the point of the comments section. It is more or less for pointing out mistakes, or posting your opinion in a clear and concise manner. It is not, however, for discussion. If you want to discuss this further, I implore you to use you the forums and create a topic. Certainly, you will find more stimulating activity there, rather than arguing with the author (me) of the article in question.
anticitizen one
wrote on Wednesday 12th November 2008

Do me a favor and click on "More Comments" at the bottom of the page and read the large, bold-face font. Don't worry; I know what you mean. My problem is not with the game, however. It is with this review. I don't have a problem with games with glaring flaws so much as the people who give them tens. All I wanted to say has already been said, though, and I've grown weary of this subject.
Kelvin
wrote on Wednesday 12th November 2008

I actually found this argume- ahem, discussion, very entertaining! Very convincing, and well written rebuttals from both sides =)
Josh Kramer
wrote on Wednesday 12th November 2008

You can't expect anything really productive to come out of an argument like this. So two people have different opinions about something..like THAT has never happened before. I personally think the entire MGS series after the first one has been a bit (just a bit) overrated in general, but I can see how people could love the sequels. Different strokes for different folks. And, it's not like he gave Rise of the Robots a ten; the vast majority of people who have rated/reviewed/given an opinion about this game have given it high marks.
Lantern
wrote on Wednesday 12th November 2008

Ghost? Is that you?! *squint*
Patrick Coakley
wrote on Wednesday 12th November 2008

Well, the great thing about discussions, and this is key here, is that you require more than one side to have one. Except I'm gone after this post. Have fun talking to yourself :). If you get tired, I'm sure there's people that would love to talk about MGS4 and how stupid my review is in the forums!