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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

A series steeped in tradition provides gamers with the ability to create heroes out of pixels, especially when the series provides the narrative that the Metal Gear Solid series has provided for the last 20 odd years. Some readers may be asking “what are these traditions you speak of?” Well I speak of the tradition of greatness and pure epicness that surrounds the entire Metal Gear Solid storyline. I will not go into too much detail about the game itself but I will tell the reasons that this game is almost the best game ever.

Gameplay
-Metal Gear Solid has come a long way since the ‘80s. Birdseye view is no long all the rage and first person shooters are starting to repeat themselves over and over again in terms of gameplay, so knowing what I know about the MGS series I expected big things from MGS4 and it delivered. The controls are smooth and well placed, everything you could ever need is at your fingertips and easy to find allowing for the sneaky stealth mission or the run-and-gun blood fest. The new aiming system is great, it improves the overall feel of the game by allowing for easy access shooting as unlike previous titles in the series you no longer have to hold 3 buttons and push another to shoot. The length of gameplay is affected by the length of the cutscenes but in no way is this bad as the available gameplay is great and the aforementioned cutscenes are what fans of the series have come to expect. New people to the series can also enjoy the cutscenes as they help to convey a story that in previous titles became very convoluted.

Graphics
-The graphics in MGS4 are simply amazing from the war-torn wasteland in some Middle Eastern country to the frozen fortress known as Shadow Moses. Although not quite good enough to beat Crysis, this game is clearly the graphical master of all consoles thus far. From the opening sequence to the surprising epilogue the team behind the visuals of MGS4 paid an unbelievable amount of attention to detail, and this is further reinforced when you see the cutscenes seamlessly shift into gameplay. The cutscenes are above anything I have ever seen as the overall textures and those of insignificant things, such as trash being blown in the wind, are extraordinary. If you are a non-believer in the graphics of MGS4 than I dare you to take one trip through the microwave hall and not be impressed.

Sound
-The Metal Gear Solid series has long been known for having a great soundtrack that is able to add to the emotions experienced by the gamers, come to think of it I think almost every MGS game has won some sort of best original score award. Anytime a game is able to acquire the services of one of the biggest Hollywood composers its soundtrack is sure to be something great and this is very much the case with MGS4 and Harry Gregson-Williams. The game utilizes original songs, remixes and classics from previous titles. The sound effects are also great whether its during one of the war scenes, with bombs falling and gun fire ringing out from every direction, or in the eerily quiet Shadow Moses which manages to take nostalgia to a whole new level. Overall the sound is excellent as the combination of a great soundtrack and outstanding sound effects adds to the atmosphere of the entire game.

Value
-Metal Gear Solid 4 has a value unlike any other game as it pulls together all the aspects that make-up a great game such as storytelling, gameplay and graphical prowess. The value sits with a couple of things like the experience that it is to play this game, the thought of playing the game that virtually swept GameSpot’s best of ’08 awards and the replayability. The replayability is provided by the variety of ways to complete the game and the sheer number of weapons to be collect, 64 if I remember correctly. The replayability is further added to with the emblems that are collected upon game completion for doing certain things throughout the game, 40 emblems is all that separates you from some cool unlockable stuff.

Overall this game deserves to be recognised the greatness that it is. This game represents what game should be and what they can be when everything is done just right. If you’re not a fan of the series I recommend you get this game purely for the overall experience that is produced by the combination of the aforementioned sections. Metal Gear Solid 4 is a game for the ages and could possibly be the last in the series, so play it while you have the chance.