Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
A Review - By Gaetano Prestia
The video-game public is often infused in the debate as to whether games can be considered an art form. There are the typical, pretentious and Baby-Boomer art folk who are too into their own interpretation of exactly what art is to even consider the evolution and re-evaluation of art within the community. Just like how film struggled to be considered an art-form (in some instances) for decades, video-games are now also struggling to fit into the prestigious and respectably categorisation of the many different type of medium.
However, just like how Shakespeare made the world love theatre and how Stanley Kubrick tripped us out with his artistic and precise form of film-making, there was always going to be a game that strengthened the argument so greatly, that any debate in future against games as art could be quickly shut down by merely showing a cut-scene, environment or gameplay aspect of this particular game. That game has come, and it’s Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Hideo Kojima has directed one of the most breathtaking, interactive and utterly beautiful forms of entertainment ever conceived and he should be applauded and considered one of the greatest video-game trailblazers of all time.
Hideo Kojima knows machinima. His attention to detail, camera-work, environmental scope and character direction is on par with some of the worlds greatest film-makers, and he can, without a doubt, argue what the true meaning of “cinematic” is. He knows how to create a cinematic atmosphere perfectly and Metal Gear Solid 4 is a perfect example of this. While the game isn’t quite as revolutionary as the first MGS, the story, emotion and tone, coupled together with mind-blowing graphics make this the most emotionally charged and cinematic game in not only the MGS series, but of all time. MGS has latched onto a bar so high above every other game so far this generation that no other game may even come close to touching the soul of its feet. I will sit here and applaud any future developers who can even grab one aspect of MGS4 and match it, or dare I say, out do it, this generation. I’ll applaud it because it will be one hell of a feat. That’s how far a head of its time MGS4 is.
The story of MGS4 won’t sit easily with those new to the franchise. Even for those who are familiar with the series - which spans across games, action figures and manga comic books - there is a hell of a lot to grasp and understand within the confounds of the MGS universe. It might be worth doing a bit of research and reading up on the history of the MGS story just so you can appreciate the characters and tone of the story as you play through it. Unlike other games that are spread out across a series (like Resident Evil, for example), MGS isn’t quite as straight forward and direct and there’s a lot of complexity in its ideas. There’s no point trying to go through the entire story of MGS4 with you now, as no paragraph could explain the true worth of what’s going on. Basically, Solid Snake, the aging, charismatic and heroic soldier, is acting on behalf of the UN in the midst of a battlefield spread out across different areas. Snake isn’t on one particular side and is instead acting as a soul army, but his presence still must be unnoticed and unbeknown to the soldiers fighting each other on the battlefield. This is a stealth title, after all.
The story is a mixture of peace, war, battle, love, relationships, science and morals and while Hideo has tried to give a bit of back story through flashback snippets during cut scenes, you’re going to need a fair bit of knowledge of the back story to really understand what’s going. The game is split up into five great areas and there is a hell of a lot of story to go through and Hideo’s attempt to help those new to the series is applauded, as it not only makes it slightly (if at all) more accessible, but it also gives it some new flavour and a bit of uniqueness through its storytelling.
Not much has changed gameplay wise in MGS4 from previous MGS games. The basic elements of stealth gameplay are still all present with no significant tweaking. There really isn’t all that much more he could have done for Snake anyway. The aiming system has been improved slightly and while it’s still not on par with the typical FPS and third-person shooters (it’s stealth, remember?) it’s a dramatic improvement on what was available in previous MGS titles. In the occurrences where you will be found out (and in some instances where combat is compulsory), aiming is a lot easier and even if you choose to shoot away with auto-aim off, it’s not as loose and difficult to grasp as it was in previous games in the series.
You’ll be introduced to an embarrassingly stereotypical arms dealer by the name of Drebin early on in the game, who is an African American who looks like Sisqo with glasses. Whatever Hideo was thinking of when he came up with this character, it probably wasn’t of the Western World. Clearly the man doesn’t know the basic social appearances of the US of the past 10 years. However, what Drebin lacks in looks and political correctness he makes up in with efficiency and convenience, as he’s a great addition to the gameplay. You can access his store at any time during the game and purchase weapons, upgrades, ammunition and “genetically imprinted” weapons. What’s really impressive (yet ironically inconvenient) is that the weapons fluctuate in price depending on what area you’re in. If you’re in a place that is plagued by battle and war, gun prices go up. If you’re in a quiet area with limited military presence, the prices go down. This is one of a few impressive realistic additions that give MGS4 a unique tone.
The only one negative thing that could be taken out of Drebin’s presence in the game is that he may make it a little too easy to complete a mission. Because of his convenient availability, you could be locked up in an area with bullets flying everywhere without anyway out. Instead of using Snake’s gameplay abilities and stealth action, you can just pause the game, buy a whole bunch of weapons (granted you have “Drebin” points which are accumulated as you pick up extras weapons, which are in-turn sold to him automatically), stand up and go all Commando on the area. While it encourages more action and gives you a better chance of survival, it doesn’t quite feel “Metal Gear”. On one hand, you have some really realistic elements (like stealth, camouflage) but then on the other hand you have the ability to pluck out weapons from anywhere at any point and get out of trouble.
Using tactics and being able to differentiate between the PMC’s (private military companies) and local guerrillas is sometimes crucial to your success in particular areas. While not a necessity later on in the game, early on when you’re still getting accustomed to the gameplay and stealth mechanics, helping out the locals will make it a lot easier for you. For example, if you choose to fight the war and help out some locals who are in trouble, you can walk through their bases in future without hesitation. Of course, the PMC’s will constantly be on your back, but it’s worth taking up the opportunity to get on one side of the war considering you’re not fighting for either.
For those who are looking for a truly stealthy title much like MGS3: Snake Eater, you may find angst in MGS4 being overly action-orientated. Not only is MGS4 strongly action based, but the game seems to push you into engaging in battle instead of sneaking through an area. There are still the areas where it’s a complete necessity to go completely unnoticed, but when there’s constant firing, bombs and screaming going on, as well as plenty of unmanned torrents at your disposal, it’s almost as if the game is telling you to join in the fun and kill some people. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but MGS4 doesn’t have as many stealth aspects as in the past and this may have something to do with its setting and story.
As is common-ground with any stealth title, camouflage is an important aspect of the gameplay. The OctoCamo is Snake’s sensitive camouflage suit that conveniently changes to adapt to the area. By simply lying along the floor or up against a wall, Snake will blend in with the environment. The effectiveness is based on shadows, lighting and other things in the environment, and the camouflage rating out of 100% is an indication of how well Snake is hidden. The higher the rating, the faster your alert status goes down.
Snake’s physical health isn’t the only thing keeping him from death, as a new Psych Gauge indicates his mental strength. The lower the gauge, the less effective Snake is on the battlefield. It’s affected by alert status, battlefield action and the overall rating of Snake’s physical health and it can affect his ability to aim effectively and be silent while walking. It’s important to keep an eye on this gauge, especially in stealth specific areas, as it’s a key to Snake being an effective ghost.
Early on in the game, Snake will be introduced to the Solid Eye, a great little gadget that Otacon introduces to him. It’s a great little feature that will help you in the battlefield, especially in some boss missions. It acts as a night-vision goggle and can even fill you in on enemy health and item locations in the immediate area. You’ll find yourself using this gadget often and it’s a welcomed addition to Snakes gadget library.
Metal Gear Online is a nice little addition to MGS4 and while it’s not a full-blown Metal Gear Online experience (we should expect a full-blown game with updates soon), it adds to an already fantastic disc. MGO features 5 maps where up to 16 people can blast and kill each other. BETA players will be disappointed to know that their Konami ID still works but their statistics won’t be carried over from the BETA. It’s hard to really judge a component of a game when you know that it’s not the 100% finished product. For what it is, it’s a great addition, but probably won’t overtake COD4 as the most online played game over the next few months. Battlefield will probably overtake it as well. However, it is a nice insight into what’s in store when we do finally see MGO in all of its glory.
Metal Gear Solid 4 is graphical perfection. The game has minimal screen tear, if at all, a consistent and impressive framerate and brilliantly rendered character designs. The environments and draw distance are all sublime and add to the atmospheric tone of the gameplay and give the true impression of a live, action-filled battlefield. As for its cinematic direction, this game could probably have been reviewed as a feature film and it wouldn’t have made much difference on the final score. People often debate about the games overly cinematic approach and long cutscenes, but it’s hard to criticise a game that attempts to tell a story in such an emotional and passionate way. MGS4 does that perfectly and mixes it with amazing gameplay that is leaps and bounds above the competition.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots isn’t the most revolutionary game in the series, but it’s the most beautiful. It’s not often that such a word can be associated with a video-game, but this game bridges the gap between gaming and art. It’s a cinematic and interactive masterpiece.
More thoughts
Matt Kelly
It's really rare you get a game that is so solid from top to bottom. GTAIV for example has some really solid game play aspects but ultimately does have it's issues with what it's trying to do. MGS4 on the other hand knows it's gameplay and goal and follows through perfectly. The biggest problem though is accessibility. Unless you've been sitting there playing the evolution of the MGS series there is a lot to take on board first time playing. MGS4 is also one of the few games that does give you a genuine openness in how you play. While yes, you can run in guns blazing and win, the whole game from top to bottom is designed to allow for the slower passed stealth style of gameplay. It's pretty rare you're left with no option but to shoot your way through. It does suffer from the fact it doesn't quite present the benefits and penalties of choosing your style as the previous title has. They're there, it just doesn't quite nudge as hard. Also for anyone who has sat there reading about the fiction of the MGS universe for hours on end, the game is an absolute tour de force and manages to answer a lot of questions while retaining the grand scale of whats going on. It's also really interesting seeing how a lot of the background fiction has evolved from the first game. While Snake has got is Octocamo suit this time around, you'll find that Snakes sneaking suit from the first game has evolved into a mass produced standard issue suit for some people. It's never directly told to you, but if you know what you're looking for you'll see a lot of this from branding and markings throughout the game. Metal Gear Online is something to really watch, during my playtime with the multiplayer it was seriously a lot of fun. There's other games out there that allow you to duck behind things and poke around corners but none present with quite the same tactical usefulness as they do in MGS. However the size of the maps do leave it open for a lot of standard run and gun gameplay, which does work against the pros of the multiplayer. It is very frustrating to be carefully taking out your enemies only to have someone pull a Quake style kill on you. MGO seems set to expand though as time goes on, so its definitely one to keep an eye on.