Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Review
Jul 20, 2016 5:11:31 GMT
stratogustav, scipioafricanus, and 2 more like this
Post by leaon79s on Jul 20, 2016 5:11:31 GMT
Background reason for review: Reading through some of my old messages I realized I promised Statogustav I would write a review of a game for the forum but never got around to. So here it is...
Universally hailed as the epitome of (near) a perfect game during it's release, and going on to garner acclaim and reverence as one of the finest games ever made - Kojima's 6th directorial Metal Gear essentially marks a departure from stealth melee focussed gameplay with the effective 'shooterfication' of the venerable franchise.
Top notch presentation with phenomenal visuals for 2008 that impress even today are just as well - because even more so than any previous entry in the series that came before it, it is also just as much a feature film as it is a game. Expect to spend about half the playtime (7-8 hours out of a 10-15 hour playthough) just sitting and watching...
Needless to say, playing through earlier installments is absolutely essential in appreciating the long winded story elements that comprise that bulk of time spent with it. At the very least, it assumes the player has played through Metal Gear Solids 1,2 & 3 before diving in - Newcomers need not apply.
In contrast to previous Metal Gear Solids where stealth close quarters combat takedowns (CQC) was a quintessential mainstay due to the conservative nature of gameplay, the introduction of a new modern shooter control scheme as well as an in-game shop to meet all firearms needs on the fly will invariably lead to silent sniper headshot spamming, if not gung-ho Rambo styles outright.
Coupled with and further reinforced by the hyper-sensitive nature of the enemies in detecting you in their proximity, this almost ensures that the player will resort to little if any CQC progressing through the game. So while the option for it remains, stealth takedowns have effectively been rendered obsolete by the shooting emphasis. (This shooter skewed imbalance would however be addressed somewhat for later titles of Peace Walker and MGSV...)
Instead of sneaking by through cover, camouflage now plays a central role in stealth. Gone are the days of peeking carefully around corners and knocking on walls to lure enemies so you can get the jump on them from behind... While those mechanics still exist, MGS4 is more about blending in with the environment using the new 'Octocamo' suit that automatically conforms itself to the terrain. Essentially a high tech upgrade of the manual camo system in MGS3, it works primarily to take the need away from hiding behind cover while incentivising blending into the surroundings and sniping away from as far away as possible.
But despite the game's 'shooterfication', do not expect dedicated FPS/TPS tier game mechanics. Aiming can be slow and clumsy, and needing to switch weapons & items constantly can be as grating as ever. A veritable arsenal of weapons are available, but players will likely stick to a regular 4-5 main guns that align best with preference or playstyle. Similar to the new MGSV the option exists for FPS or TPS modes, with additional auto-aiming for those not confident with their thumbstick fine controls. It does not help however that the fixed (i.e non switchable or customisable) control scheme does not conform to the standard common shooter layout - with circle functioning to reload and square seemingly wasted as the auto-aim switch... I personally stuck with FPS mode to get in more effective headshots, and since auto-aim targets the torso and not the head, I had it permanently disabled - effectively rendering the square button useless for my entire playthrough(s). A complete waste of a face button which if only the option for reconfiguration was possible, could have been far more useful...
Time records may indicate the game as being a standard length 10-15 hour action game, but it feels much shorter - partly due to the (in)famous cutscenes resulting in actual gameplay comprising roughly only about half of that time.
But furthermore, the entire game is broken down into 5 'Acts' which is conducive to a segmented playthrough timetable. With each Act lasting about 2-3 hours including cutscenes, players will invariably be inclined to finish one Act per day over the period of 5 days (up to a week) instead of playing through one or two giant binge sessions. So then just a mere 5 days worth of premium multi-million dollar Triple A content would ultimately seem somewhat... underwhelming. But then again... that may also attest to the quality of content that is there...
Despite the negative tone the text is apparently taking, make no mistake - MGS4 is an extremely well crafted & polished product that one can't help but try look for flaws if only to show that it can't be all that perfect. The Metal Gear series has typically been more about the sum of the experience with its meticulous attention to detail rather than excelling in any one particular aspect of gaming mechanic. Guns of the Patriots succeeds here as the culmination of herculean artistic effort & design planning of the highest echelon - it's level of excellence shining through its age not only to this day, but likely for many, many more years to come.
Bottom line
While short of groundbreaking, an undeniable marvel of digital artistry and design prowess that can unfortunately only truly be appreciated by those already invested in the outcome of the series. Despite several changes to previously established Metal Gear norms, still an amazingly gratifying closer to a 50 year story arc spanning 10 games that will leave series vets shedding tears (of joy?) but newcomers dumbfoundedly baffled as to what just happened...
P.S. The Act 4 final boss fight is absolutely amazing - the only one of it's kind in the whole Metal Gear saga. I will not spoil it for those who haven't played it, but suffice to say it is arguably worth getting the game just for that one showdown alone...
A must experience if you consider yourself a Metal Gear fan, and even if for some reason you're still not, it will be enough to make you become one...
METAL GEAR SOL ID 4
GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
Universally hailed as the epitome of (near) a perfect game during it's release, and going on to garner acclaim and reverence as one of the finest games ever made - Kojima's 6th directorial Metal Gear essentially marks a departure from stealth melee focussed gameplay with the effective 'shooterfication' of the venerable franchise.
Top notch presentation with phenomenal visuals for 2008 that impress even today are just as well - because even more so than any previous entry in the series that came before it, it is also just as much a feature film as it is a game. Expect to spend about half the playtime (7-8 hours out of a 10-15 hour playthough) just sitting and watching...
Needless to say, playing through earlier installments is absolutely essential in appreciating the long winded story elements that comprise that bulk of time spent with it. At the very least, it assumes the player has played through Metal Gear Solids 1,2 & 3 before diving in - Newcomers need not apply.
In contrast to previous Metal Gear Solids where stealth close quarters combat takedowns (CQC) was a quintessential mainstay due to the conservative nature of gameplay, the introduction of a new modern shooter control scheme as well as an in-game shop to meet all firearms needs on the fly will invariably lead to silent sniper headshot spamming, if not gung-ho Rambo styles outright.
Coupled with and further reinforced by the hyper-sensitive nature of the enemies in detecting you in their proximity, this almost ensures that the player will resort to little if any CQC progressing through the game. So while the option for it remains, stealth takedowns have effectively been rendered obsolete by the shooting emphasis. (This shooter skewed imbalance would however be addressed somewhat for later titles of Peace Walker and MGSV...)
You can still do it, but chances are you won't bother much...
'Cause of ye olde Gun Shop - It has lotsa guns. How they are delivered right there to you immediately anywhere on the battlefield escapes explanation...
Yup, you can buy those too. You can even look inside & turn the pages! 
Instead of sneaking by through cover, camouflage now plays a central role in stealth. Gone are the days of peeking carefully around corners and knocking on walls to lure enemies so you can get the jump on them from behind... While those mechanics still exist, MGS4 is more about blending in with the environment using the new 'Octocamo' suit that automatically conforms itself to the terrain. Essentially a high tech upgrade of the manual camo system in MGS3, it works primarily to take the need away from hiding behind cover while incentivising blending into the surroundings and sniping away from as far away as possible.
But despite the game's 'shooterfication', do not expect dedicated FPS/TPS tier game mechanics. Aiming can be slow and clumsy, and needing to switch weapons & items constantly can be as grating as ever. A veritable arsenal of weapons are available, but players will likely stick to a regular 4-5 main guns that align best with preference or playstyle. Similar to the new MGSV the option exists for FPS or TPS modes, with additional auto-aiming for those not confident with their thumbstick fine controls. It does not help however that the fixed (i.e non switchable or customisable) control scheme does not conform to the standard common shooter layout - with circle functioning to reload and square seemingly wasted as the auto-aim switch... I personally stuck with FPS mode to get in more effective headshots, and since auto-aim targets the torso and not the head, I had it permanently disabled - effectively rendering the square button useless for my entire playthrough(s). A complete waste of a face button which if only the option for reconfiguration was possible, could have been far more useful...
You can play it like this...
Or like this...
But either way these controls... kinda suck for a shooter...
Time records may indicate the game as being a standard length 10-15 hour action game, but it feels much shorter - partly due to the (in)famous cutscenes resulting in actual gameplay comprising roughly only about half of that time.
But furthermore, the entire game is broken down into 5 'Acts' which is conducive to a segmented playthrough timetable. With each Act lasting about 2-3 hours including cutscenes, players will invariably be inclined to finish one Act per day over the period of 5 days (up to a week) instead of playing through one or two giant binge sessions. So then just a mere 5 days worth of premium multi-million dollar Triple A content would ultimately seem somewhat... underwhelming. But then again... that may also attest to the quality of content that is there...
Despite the negative tone the text is apparently taking, make no mistake - MGS4 is an extremely well crafted & polished product that one can't help but try look for flaws if only to show that it can't be all that perfect. The Metal Gear series has typically been more about the sum of the experience with its meticulous attention to detail rather than excelling in any one particular aspect of gaming mechanic. Guns of the Patriots succeeds here as the culmination of herculean artistic effort & design planning of the highest echelon - it's level of excellence shining through its age not only to this day, but likely for many, many more years to come.
Bottom line
While short of groundbreaking, an undeniable marvel of digital artistry and design prowess that can unfortunately only truly be appreciated by those already invested in the outcome of the series. Despite several changes to previously established Metal Gear norms, still an amazingly gratifying closer to a 50 year story arc spanning 10 games that will leave series vets shedding tears (of joy?) but newcomers dumbfoundedly baffled as to what just happened...
Rating (Score): B+ (8.9)
A standard non-pioneering Triple A production for its era but one of remarkably outstanding quality of make.
P.S. The Act 4 final boss fight is absolutely amazing - the only one of it's kind in the whole Metal Gear saga. I will not spoil it for those who haven't played it, but suffice to say it is arguably worth getting the game just for that one showdown alone...
A must experience if you consider yourself a Metal Gear fan, and even if for some reason you're still not, it will be enough to make you become one...
I really, really wish Konami ports it at some point, as I don't have a PS3.
