The Stealth Action Genre made its debut appearance 20 years ago when Hideo Kojima released Metal Gear for the MSX2. Since then the series has spawned many similar titles including Splinter Cell. Now, as the series comes to a close, you can’t help but bask in its glory. But is Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots really a revolution in gaming?
Metal Gear Solid is known for its inventive Gameplay style, but of course, 10 years of the same mechanics can get boring and tedious. But in MGS4’s case, it’s easily noticeable that Kojima kept every aspect of his masterpiece refreshing and new. What really strikes this game, what really makes it notable, is how it shifts mechanics throughout the game. One minute you may be sneaking around the war torn Middle East, and next you’ll be tracking down someone in the jungle!
The smooth transition between the different styles of Gameplay really keeps you attached, you will never get bored, and there are just too many nooks and crannies that turning your head away for one second will mean missing out on something fun, or new, or hidden.
Of course, as most of you readers know already, MGS4 is packed tight with cutscenes, some of them even nearing the one hour milestone. But none the less, the scenes are extremely interesting and riveting enough to keep your attention, especially the amazingly long, and amazingly good epilogue. Some may be turned off because of this, but I encourage you to stagger through every one of them. Trust me; you won’t want to miss them! Nearly every plot point from every game is tied up and explained.
Another worthy Gameplay mechanic is the use of Drebin points or DP. These points act as currency in Drebin’s (the arms dealer) shop. You can fully customize your weapons using the different mounts, this allows you to really go in depth and edit your play style according to the weapons you choose.
The Gameplay though, sadly is not perfect in every sense. The installs do cause minor annoyances after each act, not to mention the small loads every 15 minutes between areas; though these aren’t enough to put anyone off the game, it certainly is a pesky occurrence.
Overall, the Gameplay is a brilliant accomplishment in terms of modern gaming. It’s never repetitive and constantly innovates new ideas as you play. Along with that it’s padded out with cinema worthy cutscenes, beautiful camera transitions and a moving score by Harry Gregson Williams.
MGS4 is easily one of the best looking games of the year. You’ll have a hard time looking for pixilated textures or low-poly models. Everything is detailed, from the gritty walls to the wrinkles on snakes face. Though it’s more comparable to Call of Duty 4 rather than Crysis, MGS4 makes a bold statement in what the PS3 is really capable of!
MGS4 comes fully packed with Metal Gear Online, the standalone multiplayer component set in the Metal Gear Solid universe. But unfortunately, MGO doesn’t live up to its single player counterpart. The communication is confusing and hard to grip, especially when using Bluetooth headsets. The small selection of maps doesn’t help either. Most of the maps come from its predecessor in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence and others are mostly inspired from maps within MGS4. Unfortunately this makes Metal Gear Online Mediocre, and you can’t help but feel it was more of an afterthought.
The controls are definitely worth noting. They have been refined from their uninspired roots. They in fact, are easier to grasp and all around better to use and get used to. Now, instead of shooting when releasing square, R1 has been designated as the main attack button, with L1 to aim. Another new feature to the controls is a much appreciated reload control. Many newcomers will be easily drawn in by the simplicity, but fans may find it hard to get used to the new scheme of things.
In general, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots definitely refines the stealth action genre; it brings a new meaning to the word “sneak”. This game is masterpiece, and raises the bar. To newcomers it will be fun and interesting, and to hardcore fans, it will be snake’s final hour, and possibly his best.
