My Take on MGS4 Not Making IGN's Top 100 Modern Video Games List

Fahed Jaradat writes "Let me start this off with a quote, "Opinions are like...., everyone has one." And, that's why I broke this blog down into three categories, facts, assumptions, and opinions so that you can separate facts from assumptions and opinions."

[jidery]

MGS4 is too good to not make this list. At the time the game was revolutionary and did things no game before it ever did. It was the first PS3 exclusive to truly take advantage of the hardware and blu-ray.

[lil Titan]

i dont know why people take IGN seriously anymore

[MaxXAttaxX]

All the good IGN editors are either leaving or were laid off...

Their top 10 is alright.
Just ME2 shouldn't be there and RedDeadRedemption shouldn't be there. MGS4 was nowhere to be found within 100 games and Fallout 3 is overrated and booori---zzz.

I hope the world takes their list as nothing but opinions.

[I_find_it_funny]

Couldn't care less about that list,

I won't even go through it, I mean 100 clicks? seriously IGN?
I'D LOVE TO SEE THE STATS how many people who viewed #100 Demon's Souls clicked their way to #1 without skipping LMAO

[GrandTheftZamboni]

My perception of North American gaming sites, especially big ones is that they are just marketing outlets for western games. Their employees work for salaries and they better be nice to whoever pays them and that's mostly american game companies with big marketing budgets. No bias, no conspiracy, just business.

[SuperLupe]

Yep same here, MGS1 is my favouritre game ever with FF9 and MGS3 isnt far too.

MGS2 and MGS4 were excellent games but not legendary.

[vsr]

May be the editors are unmatured / fanboy kids

[AngryTypingGuy]

MGS4 is nothing less than a masterpiece. You can't know all that went into this game unless you play it yourself.

[SilentNegotiator]

"My perception of North American gaming sites, especially big ones is that they are just marketing outlets for western games. Their employees work for salaries and they better be nice to whoever pays them and that's mostly american game companies with big marketing budgets. No bias, no conspiracy, just business"

Case in point, Jeff Gerstmann. Fired, obviously for giving the crappy "Kane and Lynch" a deserving score, from Gamespot. The publishers put enough marketing dollars into Gamespot to feed Cuba for a decade. Then when Jeff's review hit, he was quickly fired.

That's what integrity gets you in this industry.

Btw, I don't think "North American gaming sites" is a fair analysis. I think most sites, regardless of continent of origin, have been doing this.

[GrandTheftZamboni]

@SilentNegotiator

"Btw, I don't think "North American gaming sites" is a fair analysis. I think most sites, regardless of continent of origin, have been doing this."

I agree. I didn't mean it as in "ONLY" North American gaming sites. It's just that because of language I only visit English speaking, mostly US sites. I can assume others do the same.

[Sillyace92]

I didn't think MGS4 was that good of a game. So does that mean I'm wrong too?

[Hoje0308]

Nope, I loved MGS 1 and 3 and was bored by 2 and 4. And....here come the Kojima fangirls...

[RedDead]

I agree, story was all over the place, I can't blame Kojima for that honestly, it's quite hard to finish up such a plot. MGS 3 and 1 didn't have that problem because both of them didn't have anything leading up on them. 3 is my favorite anyway. 4's gunplay was better than 3, but the overall gameplay was better in 3 I thought, hunting and animals and stuff was better than stress.

[mastiffchild]

Consensus of those who've played it would say yes, you're wrong too. Thing is, as you're pointing out, this is about opinion but as a lot of people who've played MGS4 would say it's as good, and better, than anything this generation leaving it out of a list like this does make a site look like they've a grudge against Kojima or Sony. I'm sorry, but it's just like leaving out Bioshock, SMG, COD4, Fallout3 or Mass Effect2.

Some games are obviously worth a place on a list like this because of their impact and standing among gamers and MGS4 is a lot of people's favourite game this gen-definitely still better for me than anything else I've played in the past four years or so and a lot of people agree making this omission see a bit silly and making IGN look either biased or stupid.

Personally, I found Fallout3 to be a massive step backwards for the series. The FPShooting was crap, VATS arbitrary and the story underwhelming(and the loss of atmosphere really hurt it for me)but I'd be shocked if that too got ignored as so many agree about it's quality. MGS4 should definitely be on anyone'as list made to show this kind of thing and that it isn't either looks like a massive oversight or like someone somewhere isn't being honest or fair. Even if you just look at detail and how Kojima masterfully ties so many loose ends together with MGS4 you should be able to appreciate the amazing depth and quality of the complex universe Kojima created for us and for himself and his characters. Missing out on genius like this just loses IGN a lot of credibility and aligns them with some of the most ignorant and wildly inaccurate trolls ever seen.

[ngecenk]

if you're just a commenter on N4G, I couldnt care less. but if you're a huge media driven by professionals that have to maintain credibility, yes, it is important to put a list NOT ONLY based on your opinion. Like it or not, MGS 4 is a maestro. Not everybody loves maestro, I can deal with that. But you cant judge a game just based on your opinion.

I cant find even until now, a game that put so much content in it. I cant find any game contains so much variation in gameplay like MGS4. Heck even the AI can react based on your action. and dont get me started with the graphic innovation of MGS4. Of course you cant compare it with current game, but by the time it released, it was a major breakthrough.

I really dont get it why it didnt make it to IGNs list. Im sure either they forget to put it or they just didnt play it at all.

[turnerdc]

I agree. MGS 1 and 3 are pure gold. MGS 2 and 4 didn't really do much for me.

[kaveti6616]

@mastiffchild

By your logic, you're wrong. If IGN can leave MGS4 out of their list and still be the most popular gaming review site, then it means that their opinions are shared by more people.

I played MGS4. I disliked it. The story was so cheesy. I guess I grew up and with MGS4 I realized that the Metal Gear Solid story is immensely childish, but that's not what bothers me about it. It's childish but it tries to pass itself off as something serious and complex.

And the gameplay is horrendous. Snake moves so damn slowly. And as with many cutscene-heavy games these days, there are tiny moments of gameplay in between long, drawn-out cutscenes. A cutscene will ensure for 5 minutes, end, then there will be 3 minutes of gameplay (move from point A to point B) and then there will be another long cutscene.

For the hardcore MGS fans, maybe the game is good, but that's really not a good argument. Hardcore fans of any expressive material will thing their chosen work is the greatest thing on Earth.

I found MGS4 to be un-compelling.

[Saladfax]

I think the story and structure are (for the most part) just fine, but the script writing seemed to suffer from quite a large amount of redundancy, especially in 4.

[Rainstorm81]

@ sillyface

You're not wrong cause its your opinion, but when IGN as a site gives the game a 10, then leaves it off thier top 100 list, it shows no continuity within the site and thier review scores cant be taken seriously at all, as they constantly contradict

[dangert12]

To be honest it don't make any sense
sure they gave it a 10?
there games should be listed by there review score
if they say its 10/10 and don't want to play it
or its not in there top so many something is drastically wrong

[Downtown boogey]

I wouldn't say it was revolutionary, BUT it is my favorite game of this gen thus far. It's just damn good!

[ReservoirDog316]

MGS3 was better than MGS4 on every regard, except graphics of course.

Having said that, it deserves to be on any top list for the microwave scene alone. First time in history a medium actually translated real pain to put you in the shoes of the character on screen. Revolutionary to say the least.

PW, though very fun and very very good, was sorely lacking when all was said and done though. Just thought I'd thow that opinion in there.

[PhoenixDevil]

I agreed with your comment tho I have a more complex view on it. MGS3 is as a, stand alone (not including the other games in the franchise), stealth action, game simply one of the best games ever

MGS4 as a franchise ending (as in to a fan who has played all the other games), stealth action 3rd person shooter game is an amazing game but the fact it does so much with good shooting mechanics means it can b distracted from what made the others so great

I love them both tbh tho it seems that 3 is all the stuff that fans love about the series in a great game and 4 is most of that stuff with some great new stuff that appeals to more people but slightly less to some fans, most will agree its an amazing game

As for the microwave scene (original reason why i was going to reply) the first time I went through it my heart was genuinely thumping as i mashed triangle so much thinking that i didnt make it n sitting there for the brief second it took for the cutscene to take over. Thats why its deserves to be on the list :D

[RevXM]

No mention to Uncharted DF?
I though DF was the first game that really proved something about ps3. Hell DF still looks stellar to this day. Great game on many levels dude.

MGS4 sure have done things that no other game have.
And it is my fav game of all time.
unique, rich and deep in so many ways!

[SlaughterMeister]

A lot of people (including the people at IGN) believe that Peace Walker is a superior game to MGS4. Considering that they set a specific rule disallowing the inclusion of more than one game per series, it makes perfect sense to have Peace Walker in the list.

I thought the game was great. The limitations of the PSP are fairly obvious, but they don't cripple the game the way Portable Ops was.

MGS4 not being on this list does not make the list biased, all the arguments against the list makes you all look like fools. Kojima did a damn good job--and PW is on the PSP, no less! Stop whining about the fact that MGS4 isn't on the list and start celebrating the fact that an MGS game is the one that finally made the PSP a must-own console. I bought one just so I could play this game. And I bought the Limited Edition. (Which means I own two copies.)

Stop whining and go play PW. It's awesome.

[Adam2101]

i dont have IGN but that just sucked, i mean you put games that really suck, and you dont mention MGS4? not even in the 90s!

its opinion of course but a surprising one.

[Adam2101]

i dont hate IGN but that just sucked, i mean you put games that really suck, and you dont mention MGS4? not even in the 90s!

its opinion of course but a surprising one.

[Criminal]

@Jidery I remember, back then I had 2 games to show off my fat PS3, MGS4 and GTA4.

[TheLastGuardian2010]

Don't get why people care about a list someone made. If I made a top 100 list no one would care, don't see why this shouldn't be the same case, regardless if it came from IGN.

[Hitman0769]

yeeeeeeppppppppp

[Ninver]

Trolls will be trolls. MGS4 has the best story and some of the most diverse environments in a game to date. IGN is just seeking attention. Don't feed them.

[kaveti6616]

It does not have a good story.

The MGS plotline is convoluted rather than complex.

It is overly dramatic rather than mature.

[Laika]

actually, it does have a good story. compared to most crap that games spew out these days. there is tons of back story and lore. it may be convoluted but it doesnt mean that its not good.

[kaveti6616]

"compared to most crap that games spew out these days. there is tons of back story and lore. it may be convoluted but it doesnt mean that its not good."

I don't compare MGS's storyline with anything. When I'm playing the game and experiencing the story, I cannot keep myself from rolling my eyes at how silly the story is, and how much it insists upon itself.

The game's story is just bad. Yes, if you compare it to a game like Earth Defense Force, where a bunch of giant fucking ants are destroying the Earth for no reason and you have to kill them, then yeah, MGS has a story.

But I don't want to compare MGS with anything. On its own, the story is about nanomachines and paramilitary factions fighting with each other through supersoldiers and clones of supersoldiers and there are ninjas and genetically modified mutant humans whose every act and statements are dripping with innuendo.

It's cringe-worthy. And with MGS4, I'm hobbling around as a geriatric who needs to smoke cigarettes or read playboy to calm himself down.

And as funny as that ^^^ sounds, it gets annoying.

Convoluted stories aren't good. Convolution kills stories.

Edit: And yeah, before anyone calls me out, my synopsis of the story is specific to MGS4. I don't have the patience to ridicule the entire series.

[8bit_Nes_Rambo]

If you don't like MGS' story than you must hate videogame stories in general, because it's considered to be one of the best. Really though, I wish Kojima would make 2 sets of games with two differing stories. One for those who like post modern, complex stories and one for the muttonheads who use such trappings as "convoluted" because they aren't smart enough to wrap their head around it. Stick with the souless, geopolitical babblings of a Clancy game or the ham fisted "My first read through of Atlus shrugged" pap of Bioshock, Kaveti.

[t0mmyb0y]

MGS4 is the most emotional game I've ever played. Beats Heavy Rain without a doubt. It really makes your feel like you are there, going through what they are.

[Rhythmattic]

Well . I'm gonna out myself here...

I've been a gamer since pong, but, however, I'd never played a MGS until MGS4...

It was one of the most:-
immersive,
entrenching,
fun,
intense,
hilarious,
Saddening,
addictive game of my life.

Dont get me wrong, I love all genres, but this one.... Games have changed.

[t0mmyb0y]

Well said man

[JonnyBigBoss]

Did you see their top 10? Yeah, I don't have a similar opinion to IGN AT ALL.

Either way, MGS4 is on my top 5 list of all-time. It's the only game I've ever played that made my heart sink. A truly captivating experience.

[TheLastGuardian2010]

Well they had Bioshock at number 2. Which I agree with. Best game this generation.

[pepsilover_2007]

i need this list was crap when iphone games got on it they really should have put mgs4 on it, the order of the list was horrible too IMO, its like they just drew from a hat almost

[Angels3785]

That is almost unacceptable. What if they didn't put Mario in there? Snake is one of the greatest faces of the Playstation Brand! One of the most famous in GAMING!!!!!!

[Veeger]

What's IGN anyway?

[madara0sama]

ignorant gay noobs

[Hicken]

And now the little credibility IGN had with me is gone.

[consolez_FTW]

GTFO, Go back to IGN comment section spammer! That IGN disease is starting to spread to N4G, we must destroy it before it continues on!

[Criminal]

Yeah, those damn Nike shoes links are super annoying.

[GunofthePatriots]

IGN is dumb. They are seriously one of the worst video game website out on the internet.

[pepsilover_2007]

worst than hiphopgamer?

[spektical]

me2 , rdr , super mario galaxy and fallout3 are not better games than mgs4.

the only knock on mgs4 is the long cutscenes. I thoroughly enjoyed them, but I can see why others would not like them

[Takoulya]

MGS4 was pure art, that's really all there is to it. My favourite game of all time.

[Firstkn1ghT]

Why would it be? I guess if you like massive plot holes, cartoony characters, silly AI, and more cut scenes than actual gameplay. Never understood why people enjoyed this game. I guess they're fond of that silly Japanese style.

[consolez_FTW]

How can you talk? you most likely never played MGS4 and judging from your comment history I highly doubt you've even touch a console besides the 360. Massive plot holes, Silly AI, and cartoony characters....yeah you've never even laid eyes on the greatness that is MGS4.

[telekineticmantis]

what do you expect, it get's slow after E3.

[nightmarex121]

Seriously why is me2 #1, god i fucking hate how people think bioware are gods or something, they are fucking overrated, they aren't even in the league of rockstar, naughty dog, or blizzard.

[ReservoirDog316]

Just sayin, KOTOR was very very very good. I think it did a better job showing the star wars universe than even the movies.

ME was good, ME2 was great. KOTOR was very near perfect.

[OhReginald]

didnt they give mgs4 a 10 out 10 BEFORE they changed their way of scoring games?

[Dazel]

Didn't make the top 100, are they ducking serious. It has to be in my top 3 PS3 games. Only Uncharted 2 pips it imo.

[Laika]

didnt ign have a top ten games of each year of this past decade? im pretty sure mgs4 made that list. so......wtf

[kamakaz3md]

gimme trophies and ill attempt to play it again...

[Takoulya]

Technically, the game has a built in rewards system for each playthrough. I honestly don't understand the whole need for trophies. I'm on my 5th playthrough of MGS4 for the BBE run and I'm still loving it, with or without trophies.

[kamakaz3md]

i like rewards that are integrated with the ps3, not just the game, or it just seems all messy to me... im not a fan of the game either, but id play if there were a point too... i like the sound of trophies. now mgs rising is another story, and if its playable with move, say goodnight to the 360 version, its gonna be sick

[TheOtherTheoG]

The reason why it wasn't on the list was that, if you were attentive, they were only adding one game per franchise on the list, and they chose Peace Walker over it, having played both, something I agree with.

[megalonagyix]

MGS4 can suck it... a GAME is a INTERACTIVE MEDIA not an MOTION PICTURE... Sorry, but as a game, it doesn't live up to the classics.

[Pintheshadows]

Woah, I appeared to have travelled back in time. I better go warn my past self of the kettle exploding. /s

[gypsygib]

This gen will be defined by the revolution of online MP and IGN puts a SP only game on there as number one!?

Although, I'm kinda sick of the game, number one should be COD or if not, either Halo, Gears or Uncharted 2

And not having MGS4 on there is just plain ignorant. Seriously, it was one of the best game this gen.

[ZBlacktt]

Who gives a **** what this Jeff Haynes guy thinks? Obviously we all know the impact MGS4 had on the gaming world. I don't need some nerd clown to tell me otherwise. Still to this day, nothing on the PS3 has come close to what MGS4 did day one in sells. The world was waiting for that game. The game is already legend and cannot be touched.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Well, this just is a bit silly isnt it? I mean Metal Gear is listed and they do discuss why they chose Peace Walker over MGS4. They even stated the rules that one one game out of a franchise would make it... so get over it already. This author strikes me as the "I will find something wrong with everything" type.

[omi25p]

Im more of a splinter cell guy..

[th3_d3an]

ASSNINE MOST LISTS LIKE THIS ARE MADE JUST FOR THIS PURPOSE TO CREATE CONTROVERSY. LETS MAKE A LIST OF GREATEST BOXERS EVER AND NOT PUT ALI ON IT WHAT A A JOKE!

[Takoulya]

CAPS ARE AWESOME!!!!!!11!ONE!11!

[DrFUD]

MGS4 was blacklisted because MS couldn't get it.

AC Brotherhood is better than AC:II but since Brotherhood is better on PS3 that too had to be dealt with.

Halo Reach in the top 20 is not only a Reach it's quite a Stretch (but why not, it sold big, right)

GTA IV?
GTA IV? (no need for jokes because it is already)
http://www.somethingawful.c...

Red Dead in the top 20.
Red Read really?

L.A. Noire is better on PS3 so no soup for you. (or top 20)

Based on IGN Rockstar love it might not be a joke to guess Agent is going to score the first ever 12 on IGN...unless it stays PS3 exclusive in which case it drops to an 8 and IGN says it doesn't match GTAIV or Red Dead so don't bother to buy a PS3 since you can go back and play those games on 360 instead since the brainwash master says so.

Oh, and Uncharted 2. (tough crowd)

[abczby]

They had MGS: Peace Walker in there. That is what represented the MGS series in the countdown. Mass Effect 2 was in there, but there was no Mass Effect 1. Halo: Reach was in there, but there was no Halo 3. Uncharted 2 was in there, but there was no Uncharted 1.

Read IGN's write-up explaining how their countdown works before crapping your pants bro.

[NHDrumline17]

NONE OF YOU GUYS READ THE FIRST PAGE!!!

"Now, as you've just come out of this coma and probably have friends and family to catch up with, we want to maximize your time. A lot of rad franchises have multiple rad games, but we boiled those down to one installment to represent the series and let you see the most games possible. Similarly, if a game had an awesome expansion but it didn't redefine the experience, we just pushed the DLC into the consideration of the game itself."

Peace walker made the list, representing the series at #37

[D3athc3ll]

Id take it they forgot bout MGS 4, for they cant be that RETARDED!

Giving it a perfect 10? They sure forgot bout it!!

[mttrackmaster38]

I refused to click 100 times. My computer locked up using the fastest chrome plugin. Fuck this stupid list.

[kingofhalo2050]

I was honestly expecting MGS4 in Top 10 if not #1. I stopped reading the least after i saw first few picks.