MGS4 Review Score Discrepancies?

Has anyone noticed that the review scores for MGS4 can go as low as a flat 8 and as high as a perfect 10? There was more of a consensus for GTAIV, but the question is: what is the reason behind this discrepancy? There must be more interpretation involved...

[CViper]

The majority of reviewers call the game amazing gameplay, amazing visuals, amazing innovative game elements...

The people that dont like the MGS series\games said:

Theres no innovation
the cut scenes are too long
They dont like the game
The visuals are amazing.

In the wake of more than 20 10/10's given out for this game, the minority Eurogamer and Edge reviews just highlight the unfortunate truth that some sites are just plain biased against the PS3, but its what everyone has said in the past. 1up and Gamespot even came around for this title, which they never do.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Theirs is just nonsense. They are written poorly, and just trash the game. Thats why sites like IGN & Gamespot that rank in the top 100 visited sites in the world have scored this one 10/10. More people will see that, than will see any of the 4 80's from the group that complain about cut scenes and installs, and more than likely weren't that good at the game. The rest of the world doesn't seem to care.

[jamilion]

those idiots are even bigger idiots cause i havent seen a single review AFTER the game has been released award mgs4 anything LESS than a TEN!

[Gamingisfornerds]

Have you seen some of the scores they've given to 360 games?

So tell me, who exactly are they then favouring over the PS3 and 360?

I'm getting a little tired of this bias bullsh*t, you fanboys are seriously pathetic. Everyday I read news on this site it get's more and more pathetic. Unbelievable.

The scores on average for MGS4 are amazing so far, so seriously...chill out.

Edit:

mass effect: Eurogamer: 8 Edge: 7 average gamerankings: 9,1
NG2: Eurogamer: 7 Edge: ? average gamerankings: 8,2
Gears of War: Eurogamer: 8 Edge: 8 average gamerankings: 9,4
bioshock: Eurogamer: 10 Egde: 8 average gamerankings: 9,5

[mikeslemonade]

The individuals who gave MGS4 lower than a 9 are straight up peasants who can't appreciate a complex story in a game like I can.

[Boldy]

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Theirs is just nonsense. They are written poorly, and just trash the game. Thats why sites like IGN & Gamespot that rank in the top 100 visited sites in the world have scored this one 10/10."

Ok, it might just be me but wasn't Gamespot thee most hated website amongst the PS3 owners because of their "biasness," and now they give MGS4 a 10/10 and now all of a sudden all sins are forgiven, Gamespot is now credible. *scratches head*

[znu]

no boldy, it's not just you ;)

i stopped going there after the ratchet and clank review
i realized how sh*tty they are, they gave a platformer to a guy who plays only sports games, and then he complained about the advantages of the game

then the kane and lynch fiasco...

they lost all respect from me

[fishd]

THIS SUMMER
REVIEWS ARE PAID FOR
BUT MGS4 IS SOLID!

[Boldy]

Ok good, cuz CViper had me a little confused. One month hated and then the next loved? A little strange if you ask me.

[pumpkinpunker]

congrats PS3 owners.

However, PS3 fanaticism for this game just shows how starved the PS3 owners were for a great exclusive game. Most act like the game is flawless which is sort of creepy in light of the flaws that have been pointed out by reviews. I mean, I can list flaws on my favorite games of all time. here is a list of a few of my favorites:

*some spoilers but if you haven't played these games already then don't call yourself a gamer*

Half-life - the end boss is meh. all that great exposition and you fight this giant baby-looking thing floating in air. some of the physics puzzles are weak and clumsy. the planet xen is sometimes great, sometimes not-so-great.

Half-life 2 - yet again, unimpressed by the end boss. driving control could have been better for the vehicles. enemies are recycled too much. You can get sick to death of killing the same aliens/combine/striders sometimes. still, my favorite of all time, though!

COD4 - unlimited respawn for the enemies in some parts and not others is so last-gen. at some points you don't know whether to clear the area or just run because the enemies will keep respawning. It's just trial and error which leads to immersion problems and frustration.

Bioshock - running around collecting ammo too much. also, the difference in difficulty level from normal to easy is too large. my roommate loved this game until he hit one frustrating point that bothered him so much he outright refuses to play it again... ever.

Portal - too short. they should have made this a full-length game and sold it seperate from the orange box but I guess valve wasn't willing to take the gamble. it would have been awesome if it was epic in length and scenery like half-life 2. now, they're sort of setting themselves up for fail in portal 2 if they don't add fps elements.

[baum]

When Eurogamer and Edge give 10 to halo 3, and they give 8 to MGS4 and all the games you just mentioned are rated below halo 3 in their book, then they might not be biased, just stupid or complete sellouts.

Edit:

You would think they are fans of that kind of game, but Edge gave resistance a 7 out of 10, and Eurogamer a 6 out of 10. So how do you justify the 30 to 40% discrepancy? Forge? Because in terms of specs, its 640p versus 720p, The storyline in Halo is the definition of generic, and it's also too short. Explain that. Is it still Stupidity? Sellouts? Or biased towards brands? Who knows, but all three things point at one thing: Credibility is non-existent.

[Gamingisfornerds]

The last two comments here on N4G have cost me 2 bubbles. Just shows what kind of trash visits this site. Well constructed posts with a healthy perspective obviously aren't very popular here!

Oh well, nothing worth crying over...although! ;P

Edit @ baum: Yes, that is the more likely scenario indeed (the "stupid" thing that is, I don't believe in the "sellout" myths myself). ;)

[CrazzyMan]

8 - GOOD game, i REPEAT GOOD.
8-9 - a game between GOOD and GREAT.
9 - GREAT game.
9-10 - a game between GREAT and MASTERPIECE.
10 - MASTERPIECE.

You COMPLAINING, that at WORST case MGS4 is a GOOD game? =)))
Come on people ENJOY the game, FORGET the scores, GR and Mc SCORES matter only to FANBOYS.

[pumpkinpunker]

If you don't like it fine, but don't act like there is some conspiracy at hand. Halo's multiplayer owns everything except maybe COD4. COD4 is the first console game to be Halo's equal or maybe better depending on preference in multiplayer.

[baum]

"1.12 - halo is a AAA great game series
If you don't like it fine, but don't act like there is some conspiracy at hand. Halo's multiplayer owns everything except maybe COD4. COD4 is the first console game to be Halo's equal or maybe better depending on preference in multiplayer."

It doesn't have to be a conspiracy, as in they don't have to be biased or sellouts. They just have to be stupid. It's not that I don't like Halo, it's that a lot of people think it's just like Haze. You even said it yourself that Halo 3 is a multiplayer game, as everything else in the game is weak, from the graphics, to the story, to the campaign to the length. COD4 has a very similar score to Halo 3, yet COD4 rapes it in every aspect. So how do you explain that?

Just explain, why is it that Edge and Eurogamer gave 10 to halo 3 and 7 and 6, respectively, to Resistance? Don't be a fanboy, you have to admit that is complete bullsh1t. The games are not really that different, except the storyline in Resistance is original (it's not WW2, and not in the future, like most FPS), the guns are made by Ratchet and Clank developers, which frankly means a lot, if you played resistance.

I never said conspiracy, people should make their own conclusions, and I just present the facts, and the fact is that Edge and Eurogamer have had HUGE discrepancies with tons of games, especially when compared to Halo, when Halo is, as you said, a multiplayer game (why didn't Bungie just release that in 2006 over XBLA? That would have been cheaper and faster).

[Megaton]

After playing through the entire game, I seriously don't understand how anyone could give it less than a 9 (I'd say 10, but I'm sure you could dock a point if you tried). Maybe it's because it's still fresh in my mind, but this game is above and beyond anything I've ever played in the last 20 years I've been gaming. I agree with IGN in saying this was the perfect send-off for the most legendary of heroes, and I agree with GamePro when they say we probably won't see another title of this caliber for years.

Not innovative?
It's the first game I've ever played that got me emotionally engaged during actual gameplay, not just CGI or in-game cut scenes (microwave hallway anyone?). They broke down that wall in a beautiful way.

Cut scenes are too long?
The game wraps up the most complex story in gaming history, spanning over 20 years. You think you're going to crank it all out in a couple ten minute scenes? They're all worth watching and done beautifully to boot.

Story is confusing?
Seems like this is more of an issue with the reviewer in question. The old pros saw this for what it is, and some of the newer sites rated the story low. I think it has less to do with bias and more to do with casuals growing within the gaming journalism industry. If you can't appreciate a story as in depth and dramatic as this, I really question your ability to review games professionally.

Install times suck?
Take a leak, get a drink, a bite to eat, and grab your phone in case someone calls while you're playing. By the time you make it back to the couch, the game will be ready. This is such a non issue, and I find it absurd that it gets as much coverage as it does.

[lessthanmarcus]

GameDaily already said in a previous article that their staff prefers Xbox 360. They gave MGS4 an 8

[Seraphim]

I think for the most part it's that they don't like the game. I've never liked MGS much. Not my style of game but I still have bought MGS2, MGS2 Sub, MGS 3 Sub, and now MGS4 w/ only really playing about half of MGS2. However even in disliking it I can still give it credit for which it's due. I can look outside the box of my personal taste to give credit to any game that deserves it. And I think the problem w/ reviews is often the reviewer forgets that they should be reviewing the game for what it is, not what they like. Sometimes when asked to review a game they need to look outside the box when scoring it while sticking to the cold hard facts when actually writing the review. Obviously they shouldn't have someone reviewing it who doesn't care for the genre, gameplay, or game itself but the fact of the matter is that sometimes they do. Based on my own opinion I'd give MGS a lower score than it deserves. Probably an 8 on the older ones simply because I'm not a fan of stealth games and because because the shooting mechanics aren't to my liking. But knowing and seeing it's a fantastic game despite my dislikes about, and despite that I don't care much for the game, I have no problem placing the appropriate score and/or review for any MGS game...

I guess the fact of the matter is always that reviews are someones personal opinion. Really no better than any one of your piers. I think gaming journalists need to look outside the box on occasion to give credit where it's do. They shouldn't be writing a personal opinion on a game. They should be writing an educated review based on what the game is and not about what they dislike about it. No developer is making games for you or what you like. Write a review for the people. And on another note I think they should do away w/ scores. Let the review speak for itself. Because w/ a lackluster score often the review praises the game. Or like with Haze, so many reviews said such an Average game yet the scores didn't nearly reflect average... I don't know. Reviews are so pointless and meaningless to me. I just don't get how people can actually base their decision to buy a game off them in the first place. And the entire industry, for the most part, is broken...

[Nathaniel_Drake]

I'm not saying other mags, or sites are bias, but you have to be a little critical of a site that gives Halo 3's story a 9.5, and gives MGS4 a 8.7, now come on now, even I think there is something there that doesn't quite fit

[Nathaniel_Drake]

I would've agree with you there, but the presence of the confound of Gamespot losing most of it staff, and saying that they are trying to get back the respect and then the MGS4 review coming out after for this new generation of Gamespot, kinda makes the whole "You are being contradictory, now that Gamespot gave MGS4 an awesome review" a bit suspect

[Bubble Buddy]

I don't really care, if Gamespot gave it a 10, it must be worth at least 15/10. I would've known by now if i didn't have bloody exams next week >.>.

[godofthunder10]

i'll agree with some articles i've read.so far all i hear are a bunch of ps3 fanboys that's p*ssed off because mgs4 didn't get a 10 out of 10 from every one.maybe that should stop being bias and realize that not every one like a game with 1 1/2 hrs of cut scenes.

ps3 fanboys are b***hing because mgs4 didn't get a 10 out of 10 from every one and calling them bias and the people that gave mgs4 a 10 out of 10 fair.well the same people that called the same company fair for their review of mgs4,called the same people bias on their review when they gave halo 3 a 10 out of 10.the reason they changed their minds about them is because because mgs4 is a ps3 exclusive and halo 3 is a 360 exclusive.well where i grew up at they call people like this hypercrits.

ps3 fanboys think that mgs4 is the greatest game every made and it's far from it,they have a lot of games better then mgs4 and halo 3.if the same game was on the 360 they would be saying that it's over rated and the cut scenes are to long and if halo 3 was on the ps3 they would be saying how awsom it is.the same people that said they didn't like long cut scenes before are now saying that it's a good thing,is it just me or is this the first time in the history of video games that people were happy with a game with cut scenes that was over 30 min long. i'm not a big halo 3 fan but it's a good game and ps3 fansboys are just saying it sux because it's on the 360,if it was on the ps3 they wouldn't stop praising it.

from what i've been reading here,ps3 fanboys(not ps3 fans)are just acting childish just because every one in the world want say that mgs4 is the greatest game in the world.the truth is that the mgs series isn't any better then the halo series,i'm not saying that it's not equal because i'm not.what i'm saying is just because mgs4 is a ps3 exclusive and a big title that's on the ps3 doesn't mean that it deserve a 10 out of 10.

what gets me about ps3 fanboys is how they keep talking about halo and trying to say that it doesen't deserve more then a 7 out of 10 but want everyone to say that mgs4 deserve a 10 out of and it's not one damn bit better.

if halo 3 is so bad ,then why did it break sales reacords. the biggest selling game in history on release is gta4 and behind it is halo3 but gta4 was on 2 systems and halo3 was on 1 and gta4 only made a little more then 2 million then halo 3.there isn't a game that was released on the ps,ps2,and all of the nintendo systems that ever had an exclusive game that sold more then these 2 on the release and they all had more people owning their system and yes they had other mgs games released on the ps systems.now i like to know how the ps3 fanboys think halo sux so bad,well the fact is because it's not on the ps3.the same thing happened with oblivian,when oblivian was first released on the 360 and was suppose to be an exclusive,i read 1 article where a ps3 fanboy was saying that he doesn't have a 360,he has a ps3 but he played oblivian on his cousin 360 and he said that it suxed and it was over rated and people are wasting their money when they buy it but when it was released on the ps3 the same guy said the exact opposite.the same guy said that oblivian was a great game and he couldn't give it enough praise and then he went on to say that every one that has a ps3 should buy it because it's a great game.

i'm not a big mgs fan as a matter of fact it has one of the most ridiculious story line of any game but that's my opinion.if kill zone 2 will be like they claimed then it will be a lot better then mgs4,from what i could see so far and it's like they claimed it should win game of the year when it comes out.

the truth is that ps3 fanboys all belive that every big title on the ps3 deserve a 10 out of 10 and every game on the 360 deserve no more then a 6 or 7 out of 10 and it's vice versa with 360 fanboys.

ps3 and 360 fanboys will never say that they like an exclusive game on the other system but in reality they do.they have fanboys from both sides that wish that they had at least 2 exclusives that's on the other system was on the one they had but want say it because they are childish.i wish that kill zone 2 would be on the 360 to because like i said above i think that it will be a bad a## game and i'm not afraid to admit it because it's the truth.just because i don't have a ps3 doesn't mean that i'm going to say that every game on it sux because it's not true but just like the 360,the ps3 have good games and bad games.

fanboys from both sides act like if an exclusive game from the console is rumored to go to the other system they start saying it's a lie and acting like it will hurt them if it does.the truth is that it want do them a damn thing,the only thing that will happen is that every one will beable to play all the good games,hell i wish that they wouldn't have exclusives at all.

i'm tired of hearing how sony or microsoft is better then the other.the truth is that that one isn't any better then the other.both companies are out to make as much money as they can and doesn't give a sh#t about us,they will lie their a**es off to get us to buy their products and they both had already lied to us before.i'm always reading articles from ps3 fanboys on how good sony is treating them and they will never do what microsoft done.the truth is that sony did worse to us then microsft did.sony refused to admit that the ps2 had a defected drive in it,they kept saying nothing was wrong with them when people kept complaining that it kept saying can't read disc and they had to keep ejecting it over and over to get it to work.sony was sued then they finally admitted that the ps2 had a bad drive and they knew it all along but didn't want to pay to fix them and this is a fact.sony is just like microsoft to because they buy exclusives just klike micr does,maybe not with cash up front but in other ways.

[niall77]

I wouldnt look to deep at it.

[wallace1000]

Well said, people are reading to much into this. The fact of the matter is that the world is full of individuals with different opinions. That is why the game is getting slightly different reviews.

[Breakfast]

Yes. Enough with the freakn conspiracies.

[ukilnme]

Yep yep. Bubbles for all of you.

[cmrbe]

but the article is questioning why then GTA4 is the exception.

[znu]

think of it this way

everyone's mind is developed different because of their actions in life

if they give mgs4 to a guy who has never played any mgs before and reviews mostly 360 games, and a completly different genre

he would complain about the cut scenes being too long, story too complicated, controls feel weird and the games aiming system sucks.

That isn't a fair review even though everyone has their own opinion a person with no experience reviewing that type of game shouldn't or he will give a useless review.

I'm loving mgs4 although i have exams right now :( and can't play much

im on the third chapter and have to say the game IS THE BEST

The compelling story that ties up everything that happens in mgs and creates the result of what we have played

the different styles of gaming, choose to go head on or play it in stealth

Many different weapons, variety and many different refreshing things to do.

The game is perfection in my eyes. I have played all previous MGS games (not metal gear but i know what generally happens), i own a ps3 and am used to the controls.

[cmrbe]

Its more about the game than the people reviewing it. GTA appeals more to a bigger audience and such would get a better reception from most reviewers unlike MGS4 which is not everyone cup of tea.

The question then arise. Should Game Mags let a non fan be review a game that is not their cup of tea or a fan should review it and risk putting out ten ratings frequently?.

I would say a objective fan should review it.

[RememberThe357]

I doesn't matter if your a fan of not. What matters is if you know how to play the genera or not. Why would you make someone who reviews fighting and sports game review a tactical shooter? You wouldn't
because he would know what the f*ck he was doing. How could someone who plays a fighting game all day suddenly play the totally engrossing, dramatic and uberly awesome game that is MGS4 (you can
probably tell I like this game)? It's not a good fit because a person who is really into fighters probably isn't into stealth action. I'm not saying this is always the case, but from a reviewing standpoint it should be. Take the GamrInformer review, the reviewer was Joe. What were Joe's expertise? RPGs, Adventure, Action, Strategy, Puzzle. Good fit don't you think?

Playing through this game I couldn't find one thing that I would change. That has never happened to me before, I can usually pick something, anything. But with this game I've been completely captured by it. I didn't play any of the MGS game before, but I watched all the retrospectives and tried to get what was going on in the Metal Gear universe. Didn't remember a lot of it. But even not knowing who exactly a person was, the cut seines were so well done I found myself following everything. The drama that Kojima presents is top notch. And hey if you don't like the cut seines, skip'um.

Bottom line: Great game for the thinker and the intellectuals, not so much for the boneheads.

[ZeroXMD]

Perfect. The last line was just perfect and my sentiments exactly. If you think Halo has a good storyline, don't bother comprehending MGS's story. It is beyond your intellect.

But really, if you are used to the story being "kill these guys and save the world", you probably won't comprehend MGS's story. Go back to playing the xbox multiplayer game, that magically got a 10 while people are actually giving this less than that.

Seriously, i'm **cking sick and tired of seeing "Wah, wah, I cant figger out what the people are talking about. I don't know what's going on. Just give me random aliens to shoot. Wah wah wah WAHHH!"
That is literally all I see with some people.

Say all you want guys, this is the first time i've seen the story being a negative in reviews because it's too complex or because ppl don't know what happened previously. It was easy for ppl to brush aside Halo's craptacular story and not knowing what the heck is going on at the beginning (everybody who played halo 3 owned an xbox and halo 1 and 2 because that is what happens when a console is carried by a game)

You can say all you want for me bringing up halo, but when an awesome complex game gets less scores than a shallow multiplayer game, I get pissed.

[Pornlord]

Well, if you played the former, then you'll LOVE this one. If you didn't, I could see how you would feel lost and a bit confused AT TIMES, but really it could be a standalone title. Why you would let someone review the game that has NEVER played the others, or didn't like the others is beyone me.

[Ju]

BS. I have never played it before but this game simply is a masterpiece. I am playing games since '83 or so (you know, 20th century).

Somebody who thinks he/she qualifies to be a journalist and publish an "objective" (?) opinion can appreciate the quality of this game. You don't need to be a fan of MGS. It simply is a milestone. Especially given the history with lightly given 10s in the past. MGS is not the title to start to compensate for this.

[Prismo_Fillusion]

This is the first Metal Gear Solid game I've ever played. I have almost no idea what's going on in the plot.

...But it doesn't even matter. The cut-scenes still glass-over my eyes. The action and stealth still pull me in. To be honest, I've never played a game that seemingly required so much thought to develop.

I do wish I understood more about the storyline though! Ah well. But it's not the game's fault that I haven't owned a Sony system before.

[TheXgamerLive]

The way that Hideo has made this game has alienated many gamers from enjoying the game. When you go to extremes like this just to please yourself and a very small percentage of gamers, there's going to be a negative responce to an extent.

Is the game good or even great, probably but when you end up setting your game pad down so much as in this case it it takes away from the experience.

Many will disagree b/c tghere trying to protect there precious game, but it's all true and many of you feel it yourself, even though you won't admit to it. I know you do see how this is possible.

The story has "NOTHING" to do w a score of 8. That statement is rediculous, it's the many many many cut scenes that run upwards of over 90 minutes straight in atleast 2 occassions and 30 and 45 minutes on several more and trying to make you apart of it by pushing "X" doesn't cut it. This is why the online will do so much better, no video to wait through.

When you can actually go out to dinner and come back and a cut scene is still playing, well that's no longer a cut scene it's a damned idiotic movie, and atleast 2 movies are on the DVD.

HOWEVER, having said all of this, let me say that you don't have to listen to reviews or worry about them for that matter. If your a Metal Gear fan then buy and play the game, no big deal, enjoy.

[TheMART]

Agreed. And a Sony fan in the Gamer Zone also explained it good:

"Pornlord - 10 minutes ago

Well, if you played the former, then you'll LOVE this one. If you didn't, I could see how you would feel lost and a bit confused AT TIMES, but really it could be a standalone title. Why you would let someone review the game that has NEVER played the others, or didn't like the others is beyone me."

It's a game for the fans. That's why it'll not move many hardware to new buyers. It'll move copies and stuff to the fans.

Well review the game by someone that never played the others is a good thing. There are also buyers that never played the other games.

[-Maverick-]

HAHAHAHAHAH I', not even going to read what you jealous clowns have to spout...crap as usual... but MGS4 is a hit.... given 10's from IGN, Gamespot, Game Informer, Gamepro,Games TM and about 5 others.

It has been declared one of the best games of all time by Game Informer, Ign and Gamespot with Gamepro saying it might be DECADES before the game is surpassed.

Jealous 360 fanboys. MGS4 is better than ANY GAME on the Xbox 360. PERIOD. It is another FF VII or Ocarina of Time.

I'm sorry but MGS4 finished the Fight. It is one of the greatest games of all time.

And it sold somewhere around 1.5 million copies on DAY ONE and PS3 saw a 180% increase in sales.

Move along jealous fools. MGS4 set the new bar for ANY action title, PERIOD. The game is just incredible. Don't worry and stay all jealous...you'll be able to play it when you get your PS3 in not too long... just like the other 90 million people that will still be buying a PS3 in its lifetime.

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Jamie Foxx]

i hope to see you on here when the hardware sales are released

walmart alone sold all their bundles ,amazon sold all its bundles so quick the site crashed,bundles soldout in europe right now your avatar is pissing in the wind

[Sir_Ken_Kutaragi]

I think the -
'Console Monster gives MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots 100%'
Article has been the last straw for the poor xBot Lemmings!!! ;-D

It's like WATCHING PAINT DRY reading that!!! ;-D

[Veryangryxbot]

Face it bots.

Yes, there is a discrepancy:

There are more 95s and 100s than 8s! Thats the discrepancy!

I can only say this: xbots rating MGS4 an 8 trying to bring the game down just like how they did with the ridiculous "install times BS argument" or the "have fun watching the game" argument.

MGS4 > all 360 games combined.

[Gun_Senshi]

Look

A wall of text full of jealousy.

MGS4 is the BEST GAME EVER CREATED.

[ape007]

don't stick to one brand and try to defend it
a true gamer is the gamer who chases all the exellent games no matter what brand it belongs to
mgs4 is the one of the best games ever created(don't miss it)
if you are a true gamer then get this
it's games,it's for fun,it's not religion
360 is just a piece of hardware that have exclusivs and so is ps3 and wii

wake up from this endless nightmare(and to anyone who sticks with one brand while he has the money to buy another)

this is gaming,it's for everyone(my mind doesn't understand fanboyism)

play byeond and jump in

[juuken]

Don't even get me started.

You haven't played the game yet first of all so how can you sit down there like the ignorant jackass that you are and claim this game is more like a movie? I HAVE played some of this game and I can tell you it blew me away the minute I finished installing it. The bombs, explosions, people getting killed...it felt like real life. Kojima is probably THE BEST developer of all time. Don't come here with your bullsh*t. You can't accept the fact that the PS3 deserves a AAA title, can ya?

Both you and Mart sicken me.

You two deserve each other.

Damage control is very bad for your health.

[Laexerias]

The first time the mart has wrote something with more sense then ever.. but sad that nobody besides me read it, poor mart. rly, i feel sad for u right now.

[JackBauerIsHIGH]

I haven't seen one 90min cutscene throughout what I have played. I think you are mistaken.

[DontH8DPlayaH8DConsl]

two 90 min cut scenes either I haven't gotten there yet or it's so good I haven't noticed OR you haven't played the game and are just going off here'say either way its a great game that alienates just as many people as if I played gears of war 2,3,or4 without having played the one or ones before it.

[Mr Fancy Pants]

jaja! All of you should play the game before talk. Know why? I been playing MGS4 all day and i surely can say that this is the most intense experience i have had with a game this gen.

And we all know the mart and other xbots are just trying to find bad things to say about every ps3 game. In every Resistance2 or MGS4 articles you can see the mart talking s#!t...

MGS4 is now by default one of the best games i have ever played in my life. MGS4 is a masterpiece and no one can change that.

IGN, Gamepro, Gamespot, GameInformer scored MGS4 with a 10 out of 10!

[Tmac]

Xgamer, you're a retard.

[Montrealien]

FACT:
MGS has never been a game for everyone.

FACT:

Fanbots seem to think that if you don't think the game is perfect you are either retarded or jealous. That kind of reasoning can only come from a tween fanbot, that is all.

FACT:

I love this game and myself I give it a 10/10. But I know it is not for everyone.

[Obama]

The average is still 9.5, so I don't know what you puto bots are rambling about. I would go as far as to say gta was overated while mgs4 was underated.

[Jack Bauer]

Review scores for games like MGS4 and GTA 4 are BS anyway... we all know we're gonna buy it anyway, even the people that care about the scores a game gets.

[ape007]

just play gta4 and after that play mgs4

if you have a brain (not washed one),mgs4 kills gta4,there is no way you put these two in the same sentence

if you compare these two,then mgs4 gets 100 out of 100,gta4 gets -100 out of 100

[DICK]

i played both i prefer gta iv

[Surfman]

No you didnt play MGS4 for saying that. It's obvious. And considering your amount of bubbles...

[thewhoopimen]

u obviously have not played MGS4. Its like a COD4 vs. Halo3 difference.

[ngg12345]

MGS4 is a lot better than gta4. MGS4 goes beyond, it is as revolutionary as half life 2. It is that good. GTA4 sucks. Worst gta game besides gta3.

[pumpkinpunker]

mgs4 is one of those games that does what is does very good but it's no one is saying it's breaking any new ground.

half-life 2 innovations. (they teach half-life 2 at game developer's college like shakespeare)--

--introduced the best physics in any game at its release.
--also best alterable environment to date at its release.
--gravity gun totally broke ground as a fps, interactive weapon and has yet to be matched (except maybe portal)
--story exposition of epic magnitude without one cut-scene still is a hallmark in immersive gameplay. half-life 2 never draws you out with a non-interactive, pre-rendered cut-scene. everything occurs in-game.
--got star raving excellent reviews. not one review below 90. eurogamer and edge both gave it a 100 on PC. And EVERYONE reviewed this game.

In fact, Valve (half-life 2's developer) would probably give mgs4 a 70 because they, like me, hate cut-scenes. cut-scenes are a crutch for lack of ability to develop a plot in-game. kojima is one of my LEAST favorite developers. he's the emperor without clothes over at Konami. all fanboyism aside, i don't have the least urge to buy this game. i didn't like the previous mgs titles and I won't buy this one.

[GameDev]

Gabe is that you?? layoff the twinkies dude, they are eating away your brain.

[Ju]

Are you sure you want to bring up half life in a PS3 thread ?

[pumpkinpunker]

Have a compelling counter argument? No. Then shut up.

So what if Gabe said in no certain terms that the PS3 is bungled technology and it appears Valve isn't developing for it any more after the crummy EA port of the Orange Box? It doesn't change reality.

The MGS franchise is garbage. Look at the plot: a secret worldwide organization developing genetically altered super soldier clones in an effort at world domination being countered by an elite, covert insurgency. Oh boy, that's original. Never seen that before. Kojima is such a genius.

I've literally laughed at some of the cut-scenes for earlier MGS games.

Try reading some good sci-fi books and then maybe you will develop better taste in games and stories. Until then-- happy camping at PS3 fan central where you can pretend you know what you're talking about and everyone will pat you on the back and give you bubbles and compliments. No one takes this site seriouslly anyway.

[nix]

" kojima is one of my LEAST favorite developers. he's the emperor without clothes over at Konami. all fanboyism aside, i don't have the least urge to buy this game. i didn't like the previous mgs titles and I won't buy this one."

at least even those "biased" reviewers played the game... so much hate isn't good for you.

[Panthers]

A 2 point swing isnt that much anyways. Most games have this issue. Why is this news?

[deeznuts]

It normally is. But with GTA IV fresh in everyone's minds, this is a serious question. Hardly anyone has come out and said MGS4 is not the best one in the serious. If anything it's up there or tied.

People are questioning whether GTA IV is even better than some of the GTAIII spinoffs. GTA IV was my first foray in GTA, and I admit, after I got the hang of it, I was hooked. But I got over it before even finishing the game. I finished it just to finish it, but I hear this is a fairly common sentiment, while others reminisce about the heyday of GTAIII SA or others, where they couldn't put the controller down.

[Whoooop]

MGS4 did strike some bots nerves...

The game is just spectacular in every aspect. I recommend it to everyone, fan or no fan of the series.

[BigKev45]

GTA IV is a 10. MGS 4 is a 10. Nuff said.

[ErcsYou]

GTA4 was "rated" a 10.... MGS4 is a 10...

[N2NOther]

I wonder how many of these GTA naysayers would say GTA isn't worthy of a 10 if was the timed exclusive they wanted it to be...Yes, I too can come up with ridiculous conspiracies...And yes, I too sound like an idiot.

[Ali_The_Brit]

The only people who think MGS4 does NOT deserve 10/10 are the people who havnt played it, i.e the entire xbot race, if they had the chance to play this unbelivable masterpiece they would see different, honestly im not even been nasty about it when i say you seriously dont know what your missing. GOTY 08 without a doubt, i honestly thought it was gta iv before but now its mgs4

[pwnsause]

i seriously cried at the end of the game, it deserves an oscar

[fishd]

MGS4 didn't deserve an oscar it deserve 12 oscars

[Kleptic]

no game has ever done so many things right as this...the GameDaily review was simply crap...the website that named the Xbox 360 the 'greatest console of all time' doesn't like MGS4?...who'd of thought...Edge and Eurogamer gave it the same score of 8 also, yet neither gave credible reasons on why...

the long cutscene crap is garbage...if you don't want to watch, you don't have to...you can't complain about a video game having too much story, which is exactly what you are doing...you can argue that the game has an overly complex story, of which will keep kids with ADD confused...but that is about it...thats the only potential fault with the game...

the other aspect is what this game does compared to GTAIV...GTAIV was a great game imo...especially compared to everything released this generation...but imo all it did was pointed out that this generation has been pretty lackluster thus far...it pointed out that MS's 'best linuep in history' last year was a joke and nothing more...but I ended up having the exact same problems with GTAIV that did with the rest of them...once the visuals of GTAIV where off, its pretty much the same...a slightly better shooting system (although Uncharted absolutely crushes it...I would say Gears too, but Gears behaves more like an FPS, no free camera like GTAIV or Uncharted)...but still pointless missions, a decent story, but with too few updates to it (takes like 30 missions just to take the next step in whatever is going on with Niko)...and pointless money again...and you can't do half the crap you could in SA...no car upgrades...no purchasing property, etc...

MGS4 easily makes GTAIV seem overrated imo...it takes everything from the first games, and adds even more features, and wraps it up into one of the smoothest and most polished games of all time...after about 30 minutes of getting used to the controls, everything becomes second nature, and it works flawlessly...

if you appreciate ambitious games...there is no reason for you to miss this game...guys like the Mart and POG will whine about it being overrated, all the while with never actually playing it...this game is above pathetic 360 fanboy agendas...its a game that shouldn't be missed by anyone that enjoys this hobby...its sets so many standards simultaneously; it will make your head hurt...

what is very likely is that you will not play a better looking console game this generation...or a better playing...or a game with a better story...pretty impressive that all 3 of these things are locked into one package...I fell bad for you POG...one of the best games of all time just dropped right in front of you, and you will never play it because of your loyalty to a different plastic box...believe me, if the 360 ever got a game even close to this caliber...I would already own one...

[dkgshiz]

why does everyone always care about reviews so much? Either way MGS4 is a good game. I could care less if the game got a 1/10! I make my own judgment. People also care about the native resolutions! LOL! Who cares? Its just useless even talking about it.

[Fux4Bux]

Well every game has varying opinions but with MGS it's more extreme differences. Hate it or love it.

[Statix]

Gamers really have a lack of perspective and are out of touch with how the real world works if they think 2 points of maximum variation is considered an extreme "score discrepancy." Jesus christ, get a grip on reality; that is in no way shape or form a sign of biased critics or extreme disparities in opinion. That's NORMAL VARIATION OF REVIEWER OPINION.

That's the way the REAL WORLD WORKS: People have different opinions. A max 20% in variation is considered homogeneous by almost ANYONE'S standard on ANYTHING... except gamers. Which are a group comprised mostly of fanboys, whether it's XB360 fanboys, Wii fanboys, or PS3 fanboys, that pathetically hate to see "their baby" franchise get criticized in any degree or fashion. They'd rather everyone stifle free thought and individual opinions (and therefore stifle the progression of videogame quality as a result) just to make sure "their baby" never gets any kind of negative publicity.

It's a sad, sad thing, and this type of mindset is never going to fly if we ever hope that the Videogames medium can one day advance into the realm of Art.

[Whoooop]

The game is getting 10's by default...

:)

[Silellak]

It's almost as though different people might have different opinions on something.

Weird.

[DJ]

Crazy.

[Armyless]

sooo, where does that leave us?

[ErcsYou]

Anyone who scores MGS4 a 8 can no longer be trusted.... Reviewers have a new game to compare all other games too now... The new standard is if the game isn't as good or better than MGS4, it isn't a 10...

[Statix]

You are now part of The Borg. Everyone else must be assimilated into our collective. Those that are not must be destroyed. They will be assimilated.

[Gun_Senshi]

After playing as passing MGS4.

Any score below 9.5 is bullsh!t.

Its the best game I ever played BY FAR.

If GTAIV is 10/10 MGS4 is 50/10 and I am not exegarating.

[ukilnme]

"Its the best game I ever played BY FAR."

That is your opinion. Others may feel differently.

[phalanges]

This game has become my favorite game of all time, surpassing Chrono Cross, FFXII, and MGS3.

[kewlkat007]

you kidding me, what happened to chrono trigger, ff7-ffx and MGS2...

See thats why we all have our own opinions, now another gamer on this site might think your crazy(obviously ME) with them games that you have chosen to be your fav.

Just like a review, should i bash you since personally those are not my fav, but naw, thats ur opinion.

[kewlkat007]

The game is out, it's being played and is been beaten by many...

Go play the damn game and stfu already.

Fans wait for "THAT" PS3 game and when it comes out everyone is still whining. Go play the game ,enjoy it. Would it make any difference if any score was changed?

IMO No game is perfect and I mean that for any game. Stop crying sheesh.
IF people are saying KZ2 will be the best looking game done(not sure about the gameplay), then if MGS does not even look like KZ2, why would MGS get a 10 for graphics? Eventually I'll play this game but I doubt it's the best looking game Ever, given what's going on at once on the screen.

Yes we want honest opinions from reviewers that play the game but not everyone is a Robot and will say the same exact thing, as the last reviewer or give it the same exact score. Some just can't deal with OPINIONS. Reviews are opinions, not fact. Only you can play the game and form your own judgment, but don't think your opinion is better than the next guys.

Give it up, this PS3's first Exclusive AAA title IMO. Enjoy it but I got a feeling this won't be the last time there is whining. Looking forward to more reviews.

[Gun_Senshi]

WRONG.

MGS4 is Perfect.

[kewlkat007]

......SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

we disagree very simple. Move on.

[PirateThom]

Actually, given the amount of stuff on screen, the animation and the fact the frame rate is solid and has lots of colour when necessary, I'd say Metal Gear Solid 4 hasn't only surpassed Gears of War as the best looking game this gen, it's set the new benchmark that may not be broken for some time.

[mightydog01]

When you've played it you will be gob smack, Its that good.Its one of those so rare games its a one of a kind...And its the best game I've ever had the plesure to play its a work of art in everything its Mind blowing of a game pure class GOTY IN EVERYTHING............

[kewlkat007]

It sucks tho, I have not been into this series since MGS2 so I'm out of touch with the story.(seems complex to noobz)

Ok on that note this is the first AAA title that seems to be must buy on the PS3 IMO. I said it would be. I'm gonna go by word of the mouth on this one. I jus hate gamers put more energy in defending reviews.

The ONLY review that matters is YOURS.

Below fishd thanks for the Opinion but I will always disagree, NO GAME IS PERFECT.

A game can come close to being PERFECT if it does everything right. is technically sound and cannot improve, given the HARDWARE have been tapped to the fullest. Not even close this GEN. Games that come close come out towards the end of the hardware's life.

[fishd]

God of war 1&2 are perfect
Okami is perfect
SOTC is perfect
just to name a few

[baum]

Yet you take every opportunity to speak against something related with PS3, be it its supporters or its games. Hypocrite.

[ukilnme]

@ baum

I can provide you with a list of so called neutral gamers that take every opportunity to speak against something related with the 360, be it its supporters or its games. Are they hypocrites too?

[mightydog01]

You can sulk all you want, MGS4 is the best game I,ve ever played....Its one of them rare games no one can miss. Its a work of art in everything flawless incredible game.......A game that everyone should play fan or no fan

[phalanges]

the low scores come from reviewers who don't particularity enjoy MGS. Either that or they are biased towards NA and Japanese games made games.

[tony]

the game is good but not perfect. i started seen famerate issues right from the start same as gta4. for some reason some of the great games have some framerate issues.

[PirateThom]

Funny, I'm now on my second playthrough and haven't noticed any drops in the framerate. It's been perfectly smooth throughout, no matter what is happening on screen.

[seraph741]

not a bad thing, but there is definitely frame rate drops, not huge or anything to complain about, but they are there.

[Statix]

Yeah, I definitely notice framerate drops too. This isn't COD4 with it's blazing consistent 60 fps or anything.

[Mc Fadge]

Play a local multiplayer match and do an airstrike, it all goes out the window :P Granted it's not the single player, though

MGS4 also has framedrops

[Reibooi]

I don't know about anyone else but I think MGS4 is leaps and bounds better then GTA4 granted they aren't in the same genre so its pointless to compare but I've just liked MGS4 way better. The story telling is way better and when you start the game you get right into the action. Not having to drive people around for hours before something worth while happens like in GTA4. Not to mention it's the best looking game ever made.

[seraph741]

.....all i gotta say is, play the freaking game instead of trying to defend it so much. enough with these conspiracies and "bias" rumors. Some people don't think the game is as perfect as you do, tough break, thats life, everyone has opinions, its not always a conspiracy. plus, you can't honestly say that this game is perfect anyway. do the installs and whatever else the reviewers are commenting on(i didn't read the reviews, i make my own opinions) bother me? no, but it might bother some people. just because its MGS, or Kojima doesn't mean the game deserves a 10/10 automatically either, he's human, he can make games with flaws.

another thing, if there is any doubt about PS3 fanboy bias and the kind of people that visit this site, look at all the people losing bubbles and what about "PS3 finally the world's best console?." (i see multiple topics like this daily.) get a life people, or at least go and play some video games instead of wasting your time on this site.

i'm done with my rant, back to playing MGS4, which is totally awesome IMHO. ;)

[PirateThom]

The jealously stems from the fact the Blu-ray player outgamed the games console.

[Kleptic]

QFT

[Neo604]

I'm overwhelm.

[Mclovin96]

Yes, I own the game and have played it. Honestly, the gameplay is not very good. The story is excellent, the cutscenes are amazing, the sound is amazing, the graphics are good (not great), but the game itself just isn't that great. The controls suck, the cover mechanics are terrible, the AI is retarded, it's just not very next gen. GTA4 has the whole package and is a much more fun game overall. It is definately more deserving of GOTY. Stop crying that some honest reviewers were not influenced by the hype this game received.

[JackBauerIsHIGH]

That is your opinion and I respect it.

For me GTA4 is repetitive, deriative and unoriginal. Graphics are good for a GTA game, however with a city so beautiful there isn't much to do in it after you've beaten the game. That was never the case in previous games. The story limps on after the irish brothers' missions.

What I have played of MGS4 is better in every aspect and definately has more replay than GTA4. It is the benchmark for all current gen games to be compared to as far as presentation. The controls are a lot cleaner than previous MGS entries. Overall, the perfect package.

Hell, it doesn't matter to me. We both bought the games anyway.

[thewhoopimen]

I beg to differ on your opinion. I would choose GTAIII: SA or VC gameplay over GTA4 which is overly repetitive. Graphics are better, but still a muddled mess. Feels like a PS 2.5 game. GTA4's cover mechanics aren't exactly there at all. Enemies consistently know where you are b4 u r even visible.

Try MGS4 on Big Boss hard and tell me how stupid the AI is... because there is seriously almost no place to hide when they're alerted. As for controls, MGS4 plays like an extension of most FPS games, so I don't know where you're coming from with the bad mechanics. I don't even know of a single reviewer who talked about bad control mechanics.

[baum]

And gave Halo 3 a 10, while Bioshock, Mass Effect, Metal Gear Solid 4 and a lot of other much better games got 8 or below; they even got away with giving Resistance a 7 and a 6 too (the same ones) despite the fact that it's not really that different from Halo 3 in most aspects, except it came out a year before. That's either being a hypocrite, an idiot, a sellout or just plain biased. Take your pick, all of them lead to the same path of no credibility. And by the way, you fail miserably, just like Edge and Eurogamer.

[Dark General]

I really notice about their reviews is that all of them except for Gamedaily are European reviewers. But besides that i don't know why there's such a big difference in the majority of reviews compared to the others.

[cockxxx]

so basicaly u have too agree mgs4 is the best game along with the sony fanboys or risk getting attack bye fanboys and geting a buble taken away u cant even have a opinion on here no more

[rootEXT]

11/10, what a finale! I'm speechless. Awesome game guys

MGS1 = 9.5
MGS2 = 9
MGS3 = 10
MGS4 = 11/10

[juuken]

Jealousy is a bad thing 360 owners...lemme tell ya. Just buy a PS3 and play the game for yourself. This game will change gaming forever. I'm glad I bought it especially.

And keep in mind that I'm a female.

[Shadow Man]

Damn can you send my a picture to prove it. Im kinda lonely LOL.
Ill give you bubbles.

[juuken]

Um...no.
Yes I'm a female.

[juuken]

Disagree as much as you want! But keep in mind that a girl can kick as much ass as a guy when it comes to games.

[Whoooop]

I think Shadow wants to netmeet with you...

:)

[juuken]

Ew?
Hell no.

[Shadow Man]

Im not trying to netmeet nobody. I was wondering if she really was a girl.

What do you mean "Ew" Im a good looking and loving MAN!!!

[PirateThom]

Being a girl gamer on the internet... RUN! RUN FOR YOUR SANITY!

[Zeevious]

Keep that up and my prediction about Home demographics will come true:

"Looks like a sausage fest from here."

NOOOoooooo......

[kazuma]

the guys that gave an 8 to mgs4 clearly don't "get" metal gear

[Shadow Man]

Good answer, I was just testing you to see how smart you are LOL.
I believe you and just for the heck of it am gona give you a bubble.

[Alcohog]

Are you telling me that there are people out there with differing opinions?! My God...I'm never leaving the house again!

[Blackcanary]

I've cryed watching an ending FMV clip so meny times in the FMV clip to the point i can't stop MGS4 has taken my emotions to another Level i just finished MGS4 and it is one of the most amazeing games I have ever played that Game touched my emption in ways i can't speak of to the point just thinking of the jounry i've been on in the last 5 days just thinking about it i'm still full of tears THIS IS A EPIC GAME THAT NO OTHER GAME CAN AND WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TAKE YOU UNLESS UR FINAL FANTASY VII.

SNAKE YOUR THE MAN AND I RESPECT IN EVER WAY.

ok and now its time to play this king of all games a second time on a Harder level.

IF YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT THIS GAME BUY IT U WILL NOT REGREAT IT.

[Blackcanary]

11 - MGS4 FULL OF EMOTION.....
I've cryed watching an ending FMV clip so meny times in the FMV clip to the point i can't stop MGS4 has taken my emotions to another Level i just finished MGS4 and it is one of the most amazeing games I have ever played that Game touched my emption in ways i can't speak of to the point just thinking of the jounry i've been on in the last 5 days just thinking about it i'm still full of tears THIS IS A EPIC GAME THAT NO OTHER GAME CAN AND WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TAKE YOU UNLESS UR FINAL FANTASY VII.

SNAKE YOUR THE MAN AND I RESPECT YOU IN EVER WAY.

ok and now its time to play this king of all games a second time on a Harder level.

IF YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT THIS GAME BUY IT U WILL NOT REGREAT IT.

[DarK-SilV]

I agree

[highdro]

i got the game today and from what i have played its a 10/10..., i bought gta4 and when i played it i did not think it was a 10/10,. thats my opinon, i think every one who bought mgs4 on this site cannot say the game does not deserve the 10 it gets, the cut scence to gameplay style is uniqe consdring the graphics stay the same as the cut scence, for thoes of u who does not have a ps3 or mgs4 rember when devil may cry 4 gives u all that cut scense then the screen cuts then changes to game play well that is a thing of th past, ..in mgs4 from the mind blowing cutsencee the camera switches to game play rite there on the spot>>no loading, no crashing, no glitches, no graphics change..all that happenes is that the camera will zoom out to gameplay view !!

[xxBATTLECATxx]

in act 3, the bike chase, i was sooooo stoked. they mixed a movie scene and an action sequence so seemlessly, i thought it was incredible 10/10 i just cannot say enough praise for this game, i really cant say ANYTHING bad about it. buy this game

[yanikins111]

Reviews are for sh**.

MGS4 is easily the best game ive played since MGS2 (haven't played 3 yet...). Yet i still find myself looking over at Haze. No 4.2/10 game can make anyone want to take MGS4 out of their ps3. But here i am, hoping mgs4 ends soon (just started act 4 :D) so I can shoot up some nectar.

People should rent more games and make up their own minds.

And give Haze a go. The multiplayer is wicked.

And wtf.... Hideo... Naomi is nothing but a c***tease. She would have to have the most beautifully rendered side-boob ever.

Anyone else see Big Mamas wardrobe malfunction? Keep an eye out. Or dont. Yuck.

[LinuxGuru]

The women in MGS 4 are so provocative (the beauty and beast women especially) that it's absolutely maddening.

All the camera angles are in just the "right places" too, if you know what I mean.....

LOL

And Big Mama.....um....yuck. Old-lady droopy cleavage.

[Ju]

Haze... weird that you bring that up. And I thought I have issues. At least I know I am not alone, now :) Haze MP/CoOp is great. I said that in an MGS thread. wow...but, well, will have to wait until MGS4 is over. Will take a while, though.

[PirateThom]

The advantage is that the Beauty and the Beast unit are real people, so it's OK.

[LinuxGuru]

You know, you really have to dislike the series to give it anything less than a 10.

I've never been a huge MGS fan, but I will say right now that MGS 4 was by far and away the most fantastic, well-produced game I've ever played in my life.

[Fanboy Slaughter]

I'm 10 hours into it and so far it has gripped me harder than any masterpiece film I have ever seen, and any AAA game I've ever played. This game is a f**king work of art! And those who say otherwise are entitled to their opinion...because not everyone is into games as an art form, and that's ok.

Just my two cents.

[yanikins111]

Art FTW!!!

Naomi = Art.

I think I have a cyber crush :-|

If youve gotten to act 4, I think you'll agree it was disappointing that you couldnt manipulate the MK.IIs camera angle at one stage... Up just a fraction :D

I change my Mind. Kojima is a pr*ck....

[Hercules]

i thought this was going to be the best game in history, better than gta4, but its like not so cool, i mean i never played a metal gear game before, so maybe i am missing some parts, i understand the story, but still it is more like a movie, than a game, i got the game thursday, and i am at the end of act 4, i am on the boss mode, and i did have to work and go other places, so its not like i had it all day, total playing time 12hrs, can anyone tell me why this game is really not living up to its hype? i mean it took me a month to beat gta4 (40hrs) and its only gonna take me less than a week to beat mgs4 on its hard mode? wtf?!?!?! i swear i hype act 5 is worth it, cuz act 3 sucked, the only good part was the ending when liquid took control (that part was super awesome) but still i would like to use snake more, and whats up with the beginning of shadow moses? you play for like 2mins and it goes back to the future...maybe kojima was on that ching-ching

[Zeevious]

...NOT be astonished when Snake found out his father was Darth Vader?

(Darth get's around)

Seriously, STOP PLAYING NOW and either get Metal Gear essentials, (Games 1 2 & 3 in one set) or go to any of the many sites online that outline the story you are missing.

You're catching the forth act of an intense play, and skipped the first three acts.

[TripleTags]

this game is beyond anyones personal opinion period.

[Hercules]

i thought this was going to be the best game in history, better than gta4, but its like not so cool, i mean i never played a metal gear game before, so maybe i am missing some parts, i understand the story, but still it is more like a movie, than a game, i got the game thursday, and i am at the end of act 4, i am on the boss mode, and i did have to work and go other places, so its not like i had it all day, total playing time 12hrs, can anyone tell me why this game is really not living up to its hype? i mean it took me a month to beat gta4 (40hrs) and its only gonna take me less than a week to beat mgs4 on its hard mode? wtf?!?!?! i swear i hype act 5 is worth it, cuz act 3 sucked, the only good part was the ending when liquid took control (that part was super awesome) but still i would like to use snake more, and whats up with the beginning of shadow moses? you play for like 2mins and it goes back to the future...maybe kojima was on that ching-ching

[yanikins111]

I call shenanigans.

[CertifiedGamer]

See the site with credibility like IGN gave MGS4 a 10 but fanboy sites like eurogamer love to hate because it is a ps3 exclusive and gave it an 8

[PoSTedUP]

hey every one, i just wanted to pop in and let every one no that i got mgs4 today (not that you care) but.. im sorry, it really is the best damn game i have ever played man, i played it all day today and im still in the beginning of actII. it is so EPIC in every way possible. i dont want it to end at all : ( - like every one say's "metal gear is not for every one" but for those who know what its about and love the franchise,
MGS4 is the greatest game of all time. theres just so much stuff you can do and so much replay value its crazy, dont even get me started. it truly will be the game of the year. peace and enjoy!

[dkgshiz]

1/3 movie 2/3 game. Its the perfect mix. This is game of they year for every mag and site.

[Sez]

more like 80% movie and codec. 20% gameplay.

[juuken]

vega, no it isn't.

[Sez]

ahh juuken. yes it is. i have the game and i am on act 4. so stop fooling yourself. it's more movie and codec than it is gameplay.

[Hercules]

FINALLY someone who agrees with me, like i said, this is my first mgs game and i beat it under 25hrs on big boss mode, its a freakin movie...i mean dont get me wrong, the story, character details, and emotion attachment are superb 20 out of 10, but a game is meant to be played, not watched...i think he should take his cutscenes and mission breifings and edit/merge them and put it in a blu-ray disc...im kinda upset that i spent $60 to watch a movie, basically

[B-Rein]

in my opinion this game is 1000/10, this is like the best game on ps3 so far, i never owned an mgs game this is my first 1 and bloody hell this game is amaizing

[InMyOpinion]

Elvis: "A there's a whole lotta whinin' goin on!"

[foozen]

Had time to check the reviews. Been too busy playing the game of the decade that is MGS4!!! Just Love It.

Caveat: This is a personal opinion and we are all welcome to that.

[xxx2007xxx]

Why o why do you people talk of a war between consoles. Yes there is a war between the companies. But how and why become a fan of a company? They only try to make you spend money on their brand. Wake up and smell the coffee. SAY NO TO FANBOYISM !!

[Big Jim]

Sony=Jesus.

[Blackcanary]

MGS4 ENDING MUSIC PLAYING AS THE CRIDITS GO UP IS TURELY Epic.

[Blackcanary]

I got given the Title Eagle.

and my Total Play time was 67:29:48.

MGS4 THIS IS LIVING!!!

[yanikins111]

Living in your room with the lights off for 60 hours, eating cold pizza and drinking warm beer is living?

I agree :D

Hypothetically.... Naomi or Meryl?

[Blackcanary]

Naomi is more my type Meryl more Manly lol she is good looking but manly in away lol

[yanikins111]

I dont want to say too much because i dont want to spoil ANYTHING, but I like meryls personality more. What naomi said to sunny on the plane was a bit pretentious/superficial.

However naomi IS the hottest thing ever rendered by anything with a Graphics chip.

[robep3]

Like most critics the bulk of reviewers who write for magazines,tv & internet etc have NO talent or real skills have a look at them, most of then they could not hold down a REAL job.
Most of them are morons you just have to listen to the cr*p they say.
It's a easy job to put someones hard work and efforts down but like I say how many of them would have the ability do that type of work themselves probably NONE.

[thehitman]

*SPOILER********************** ******************

how to beat mantis I playing on big boss hard and i cant even hurt da damn bytch. I got as far as figuring out to stab myself but then Im lost after that I shoot her and bullets do nothing and when I hit her dolls nothing happens either.

[yanikins111]

Im playing on Normal. Only up to the start of act 4. Raging Raven was a bytch imo. Then i realised "would you want to go one on one with a great white in the middle of the ocean?"

Then she was a push over.

Look harder man. You'll figure it out. There is always a catch to mgs4 bosses. Good luck :D

GOFE

[thehitman]

Look at this crap:

Edge:MGS4 is not the game it could have been; nor is it the game it would have been had the series grown with the benefit of hindsight; nor is it the game it should have been if you believed that early trailer. But it is faithful to its fans, its premise and its heart, delivering an experience that is, in so many ways, without equal.

Eurogamer:
Guns of the Patriots is a frustrating, fractured game that turns Metal Gear Solid's world upside down several times over, but never changes it.

GameDialy:
Metal Gear Solid 4 is one of the best PlayStation 3 games. That said, its features, acceptable 10 years ago, seem foolish given the better playing games on the market. Snake's epic, final act just isn't the triple A extravaganza we expected, and it's clear that if Konami intends to continue this franchise or spin off into something new, it needs to study its competition and evolve, delivering shorter cut scenes and superior shooting.

Now after playing the game I can announce that they know nothing either about MGS4 or just games in general. This my first mgs and its hands down the best game on any system. Also how do reviewers complain about the gun control? They have third AND first person view. First person view plays like battlefield and if you got your weapons upgraded third person is the best view.

[yanikins111]

SO i wonder what they are playing as we all enjoy this classic, epic masterpiece. I kinda feel sorry for them.

[madjedi]

Edges comment contradicts itself odd, maybe eurogamer doesn't have anyone that can play stealth games. And gamedaily i haven't even finished act 1 yet, and i already know the guy is full of it.

The x button pops up whenever a cutscene hits allowing up to skip the cutscene, and the dumbass comment superior shooting.

Okay cod4 is fun but sftu, mgs is not a shooter in that respects, thats why the first 2 weapons your given are slienced. When i can headshot guys at 70m with a pistol, exactly where is the problem, it's accurate and lethal, do you need more?

The games is not meant to be played as if you were rambo with all guns blazing, this is coming from someone that hates super stealth games.

And lastly complaining that he has to set up a konami id, and can't figure it out, it's not that hard i did it during the beta, when the registration servers weren't running maybe but 10 or 20% of the time.

That alone before i had even read the review, dropped the guy's gamer credibility down a peg or 2.

[Time_Is_On_My_Side]

That article was so pointless, what did I gain from this?

[rosebowl23]

The reason is obvious: They don't want to see the PS3 do well. Most of the sites that gave MGS4 an 8 also gave Halo 3 a 10 or a 9. It's hilarious and ridiculous all at the same time.

[achira]

lol, what discrepancy ? the game gets always a ten. only an 8 from eurogamer, lol. everyone knows this is a xbot gameing site, so what did you except from them. mgs4 is the best game ever! period. poor xbots, go and buy a ps3 instead of writing such lame articles.

[Suki03]

Even the sony hater gamespot gave it a 10. End of story.

[demonddel]

WZUP CRAZY FOLKS DA GAME IS NOT THAT GREAT AS FAR AS GAMEPLAY U PLAY 5 MIN CUTSEEN LONG 1S 2 ITS JUST LIKE ALL OTHER OVER HYPE PLAYSTATION GAMES LOOK YUNGUNS I BEEN FOLLOWING THIS SH!T 4 A WHILE AND I NOTICES SOME PS GAMES GET OVERHYPE JUST BECAUSE ITS A PS GAME MOST BE ALRIGHT BUT NOT GREAT PAY ATTENTION IF IT WASN'T 4 MULTI-PLAT THE SYSTEM WOULD BE BORING PLAY ANY ZELDA GAME ZOOT,MAJORAS MASK,OR TW-PRINCESS THEN CUM HOLLA AT ME THATS GAMEPLAY AND 1 MORE THING QUIT MAKING EXCUSES 4 THIS SYSTEM MAN U PAY A LOT 4 THAT

[JD_Shadow]

...it MIGHT help if you take your caps lock off. It makes you look THAT less of a dumbass.

[ReBurn]

I guess the Gamespot review left a lot of anti-Gamespot people looking foolish. I can't even count the number of times I saw someone say that Gamespot would give it a bad score just because they hate the PS3. Funny I don't see many of them coming out now saying how wrong they were.

[codeazrael]

Comprehension is the key word here. I'm not going to spoil any of the game, but for anyone who have seen the "openingsssss" before the opening, you know right then that you are about to witness a masterpiece of a game. This so far is the best game I have seen, heard, and witnessed in all my years of gaming, and I'm 29 and have had the Commodore 64 and Atari 2600 as a younger lad. But there is so much content in this game that the...umm, let's see how to say this without offending anyone....well, there are alot of "small" things that your person of average intelligence just will not get. There is something that Hideo Kojima has created in this game this is far beyond what the lust for the sharpest graphics could ever produce. Konami needs to release a CGI MGS4 movie for sale on Bluray and DVD. This story confronts the reality of what is and what will be corporations role and their own private military roles in what is going on all around the world and this also is a warning of the grim future if we further embrace private military. But back to MGS4, if you havent played the game or if you do not appreciate high art, then you will simply not give this game the credit it deserves. It will be a very long time before we see a game like this again.

Here's hoping that Zone of the enders 3 will be yet another masterpiece by Kojima-San

[ScottEFresh]

Blah blah blah Xbots cry because they don't have a 10/10 exclusive FROM THE TWO BIGGEST GAMING WEBSITES IN THE WORLD....DEAL WITH IT YOU CRY BABIES!!!!! ....I'm going to go pick up my copy of MGS4 now...hahahahhaha stupid xbots.

[tehReaper]

that this game is over-rated. The bad reviews are from idiots. The game deserves the 10. Some people have different tastes but the game should be reviewed for what it brings to the table. Gameplay felt great, story was excellent, had unbelievable graphics. Everything was polished. An 8 is cutting it short in so many ways.

[zozol]

what is the reason behind this discrepancy?

--

Because it is a s*itty JAPAN Game

[bama]

Reviewers have to review games. I see no reason why they should not criticize what they do wrong. If the controls are better than mgs2 and mgs3 they would have mentioned it and they did. But they are still bad. They shouldn't ignore that because they "aren't hardcore mgs fans" they shouldn't ignore long cutscenes because "its an experience not a game". The story is AAA the details are AAA. The gameplay has been showing age since MGS2. This is more or less a compelling movie. Does that mean you won't like it? Hell no. If you enjoy it for what it is faults and all you'll have a hell of an experience.

[JeepGamer]

Partly it's the Anti-PS3 bias that continues to persist. There are some gaming news outlets that are still hung up on being Anti-PS3. For a variety of reasons 2007 was marked by some serious anti-Sony bias and it hasn't gone away by any stretch of the imagination.

The other part is that some of the 8/10 scores have come from sites with very specific likes and dislikes. Eurogamer for instance obviously has a fetish for fast paced action oriented games like shooters.

Eurogamer likes its games simple and non-thinking for the most part.

[Brixxer600]

Forget the reviews, the bottom line is that this is a game that you must play, i'm no fanboy and not a huge fan of the Metal Gear seres (apart from the original)but this is a masterpiece, the opening is the videogame equivalent of the beginning to "Saving Private Ryan", simply superb.

I've been playing videogames since the Atari 2600 and this in my opinion is 1 of the best i've seen.

[likeaboss302]

I just finished the game on normal. It was a lot of fun but I have to say most of the time I was just watching and not playing. While the cut scenes are great this is suppose to be a game. It just seemed it was short game play sequence followed by cutscene after cutscene. Not the gameplay experience I expected but a fun time nonetheless.

[BrianC6234]

It's funny they mention the GameDaily review of an 8 and a European review. The Chris Buffa review from AOL Games or whatever they're called was really lame. They must not like MGS games so they gave it an 8.

As for any European review, forget about them. Their overall reviews suck. Let them all give horrible games a 9 out of 10 and great games a 7. Who cares? European game reviewers seem to be in a world of their own. I don't understand that wacky bunch. Especially the British reviewers. Maybe they have different tastes from the rest of us or something.

[Shortstop]

All it really comes down is Sony fans dislike M$ because it's M$. That'll never change no matter what. M$ fans seem to overlook this fact. You'll never win an argument with a Sony fan because accepting anything M$ has ever done as "good" is simply not acceptable.

That being said, I won't give any dollars to M$. I bought a PC last year and it came with Vista.. and to get Word and all that other crap it would be an extra $400.

So, thank goodness there's Linux. It's not that we're "Sony" fans; it's more we're "anti-M$".

And apparently, these divides know no boundaries, as evidenced by giving MGS4 an 8.

[JD_Shadow]

It's not that these guys have no right to their own opinion. Even the highly touted Gamepro review said that the game had its faults (that were overlookable from their perspective), so it's not like that was the issue.

The issue is that the reviewers that have this ax to grind, this hidden agenda against the PS3 for whatever reason. Anyone who has been saying there was no conspiracy against MGS4 and the PS3 has not been visiting Kotaku.com in recent months.

All of you, do me a favor, read this: http://www.n4g.com/up/28515...

This is my special comment on the two main pre-launch controversies about MGS4 that shook the game a few weeks before it was to be released. I go into the review discrepancy in great detail. Go read that, and STUDY it. It should tell you EXACTLY the points this article is trying to make, because most of you are failing (or not caring) to see what the issue even IS.

Gamespot was one of the key players that made the NDA issue what it became, so they HAVE to give it a high score in order to NOT make them out to be idiots.

PLEASE, read that blog, think about it, and THEN come back here and discuss this. You'll have a better understanding of what exactly we had issue with in the reviews.

Because you basically can't see the forest from the trees.

[Jdoki]

As someone who has just completed MGS4 (on Normal Solid) I have to say I loved every single second. I was a little concerned before buying this game as I hated MGS2 and thought MGS3 was a bit meh! - but MGS4 was an amazing journey.

However even though I think MGS4 blows BioShock out of the water for story and Halo 3 for experience. I would give the game 9/10 as even though it was the best gaming experience of 2008 so far, it's not quite perfect.

It's good to see a range of scores from mags - because it kinda validates the 'hardcore' element of that is MGS. It doesn't sit in any sort of neat 'gaming' box. Some people can't deal with the cut scenes. Some people think the controls are clunky. All valid points.

So if Edge and Eurogamer want to give it an 8 that's fine. I prefer to see a range of scores (if they are backed up by valid, well written, reviews) than see something like GTAIV/Halo 3 get 10/10 across the board and reviews pandering to a developer or franchise, when it so obviously does not deserve it.

[DevonTheDude535]

They gave it an 8 b/c they were highly biased against MGS games. Any one who plays MGS 4 (whether a fan or not) can agree that it is a masterpiece, if you can't see this you must be a novice gamer. (In movie terms it would be like saying Godftaher (MGS4/great movie) was just as good as Meet the Spartans (Avg game/crap movie), a great movie that should never be mentioned with Meet the Spartans in the same sentence).

Just like GTA 4 it's all the little things that make it standout game. I have been playing video games for 15+ years and this game is easily on the top 20 list, just like Half-life 1/2 and FF7, this game is stunning. The game is a great example of a well told story, I even got teary eyed to the end (I beat it last night), I haven't done that in a game since Aris (Arith) died in FF7. When a game can convey the emotion that only a few can produce, then Hideo has created his master piece. The game play is awesome even if you don't like previous MGS games, heck you can play the whole thing in FPS mode (which I did a lot of the time). The game gives you so many options to complete a task whether it be guns blazing or slipping thorough beneath the shadows. Any true game player that would give this review an 8 is a inconsequential gamer that doesn't understand how a great story unfolds. Considering the story aside, the action game play is some of the best since Uncharted or Gears of War and the graphics are the best I have seen since CoD4 or Uncharted.

These "8" reviews don't even consider MGO, which is very addictive, and is worthy of an 9 by its self.

In conclusion, when 80% of the reviews (going by metascore) are above 90 then you are biased if you are putting an 80. This reminds me of Adam Sessler reviewing Crisis Core (he gave it a 40, 40 points below the next lowest review on metacritic), when you are off by over 10 of the average, you are a biased reviewer. I buy a lot of video games, too many to be honest, this is easily the must have title along with GTA 4 in 08'.

[joeynox]

I think that these sites or mags that arent giving it perfect scores are the only ones that state whats wrogn with the game or what they dont like about it.I personally wish all mags/sites world put the negative about certain AAA titles in their reviews but they are scared the devs will black list them and this is a fact. Simple fact is there is some

frame rate trouble
Way too many cut scenes
Difficulty has dropped due to the ability of purchasing
Some flat/fugly textures
Feels more like watching a movie at times than a game

Personally i always liked mgs games and I like this 1 as well but I don't think you can give it a perfect 10 Maybe a 9.5.The same goes for GTA4 was not a perfect 10 in my honest opinion. If a reviewer picks up on a negative that negative should factor into the score and not jus t say well hey its a great game and its MGS4 and kojima's masterpiece so its a 10.

[chavafx]

yes is great yeas is a bit better then the other mgs games but its only 3 acts of ultra fun and the rest are ok and boring and most of the people are looking at the cut cines as gameplay and cut cines always give a amazing inpresion in terms of grafix but is not that fun gameplay wise

[Ju]

BTW: IMO the only "other" tactical shooter, if you want, so far is Graw(2), and that got an 8 from the very same site ( http://www.gamedaily.com/ga... So now they are saying MGS is on the same level ? I love Graw2, but MGS is so above and beyond that one...