Review: Metal Gear Solid 4 [PS3] By Brian Paterson on May 30th, 2008
NOTE: Before I delve into the Metal Gear Universe, let it be known that ReelGamers.com does not issue numerical scores for any product, movie or television show it reviews. We believe clear, informative writing can communicate more to the consumer than a simple score ever could. Also, if you’re concerned that I will ruin Metal Gear Solid 4’s story for you, this review is completely devoid of any narrative-related spoilers, so feel free to read the article in its entirety. Finally, those weary of purchasing MGS4 due to lack of prior knowledge of the series have nothing to fear; the history of Metal Gear is explained beautifully within the game and should be enjoyed by newcomers and veterans alike.
The difficulty in writing a review of this magnitude is the constant struggle to remain objective. There is so much good to say about this title and so very little negative that its one-sidedness might seem a bit unfounded to the reader; I assure you I will do my best in giving as balanced a perspective as I can without giving away too much information. The game undoubtedly captivates from the moment you place the disc into the Playstation 3 and does not let up for its thirty hour duration. Following an opening that literally left me rattled, I found myself having to put the controller down for a few minutes in order to properly gather my thoughts. Like any title affiliated with the name ‘Kojima’, Metal Gear Solid 4’s comprehensive story, exotic art direction, Hollywood-esque cut scenes, memorable characters, sharp dialogue, and overall quality surpasses anything yet seen on the Playstation 3, and quite possibly the past decade.
As many of you have seen from the dozens of Metal Gear Solid 4 trailers in the recent months, the Middle East has become a war-zone for private military companies vying for power in the region. Shells explode around you, tracers whiz by your head and soldiers gasp their dying breaths all while you take control of Solid Snake, the rapidly aging war-vet and his robotic sidekick, MKII. Stealth fans will take quite a liking to Otacon’s prototype robot; he’s an absolute blast to operate with the Dualshock 3 (MKII is no longer controlled using SixAxis) and is incredibly useful to reconnoiter areas out of Snake’s view. Snake also makes excellent use of his Octocamo suit, which blends into most any texture in the game’s expansive levels. For those who’d prefer to stand out like a sore thumb with guns a-blazing, the cover system proves advantageous and exceedingly useful. To summarize, the only film I can recall that has this intense an opening forty-five minutes is Saving Private Ryan.
Following Snake’s stint in the Middle East, you will travel to other locations around the world (I will not reveal them for the sake of the reader) in order to find the origin of all of Snake’s issues within MGS4. They vary in scope from who exactly is responsible for the turmoil caused by the PMC’s to Meryl’s past/her role in the storyline to why Drebin has a pet diaper-monkey. Amazingly, Kojima has managed to interweave the more serious aspects of Metal Gear with the light heartedness the series is known for beautifully. Even with the numerous vast cutscenes, the developers have not forgotten that MGS4 is a game first and foremost. In addition, if you successfully press the ‘X’ button when told during a cutscene, they sometimes lead to flashbacks from early Metal Gear titles.
Those familiar with the weapons merchant from Resident Evil 4 will fall in love with Drebin, who is making his series debut in MGS4. Not only does he possess the ability to sell dozens of laundered weapons and items, but he is also crucial in understanding the state Snake’s world at present day. A bit of advice for the completionist: Collect every possible Drebin point you can lay your stealthy hands on for some invaluable rewards, you’ll be glad you did.
Though the core of Metal Gear’s gameplay remains largely untouched, the control scheme has improved dramatically over previous titles in the series. Utilizing Snake’s acrobatic maneuvers, including hanging from ledges, bowling over enemy soldiers in metal trash cans, firing any of the games fully customizable weapons and taking cover behind walls and blind firing is an absolute joy. Within minutes, you’ll be controlling Kojima’s hero as if you’d been playing the game for days. Not to be outdone, the enemy detection radar, a key element nearly all of Kojima’s earlier titles, has been replaced by an alert ring that revolves around Snake, pinpointing the exact direction from which a sound is coming. It’s an intuitive device and will prove exceptionally effective throughout the adventure. Also, in what must be the greatest product tie-in in a videogame, the Ipod makes an appearance in MGS4, allowing you change the game's background music to tracks that you find in the game world. You'll also be able to download new tracks via internet. The sheer joy while mowing down a group of Liquid’s minions to Snake’s theme is fantastic.
Metal Gear Solid 4’s visuals are truly remarkable. The attention to detail within the game’s many locations, from war tattered battlegrounds to upscale manors is rivaled only by the atmospheric environments of Bioshock. Like 2K Boston’s classic, you do not simply maneuver a character from point A to B, you become part of that respective character's world. Explore every crevice and leave no stone unturned on your first playthrough because I can almost guarantee you will notice something wonderful that you had initially missed. The character animations, from Meryl’s facial expressions down to Liquid’s mannerisms are stunning. And what more, the game moves at a smooth clip throughout, never slowing even during the most hectic firefights.
What is most impressive about Metal Gear Solid 4 is not its sublime visuals, sound character development or near-perfect gunplay, but the sheer amount of love to which Kojima has poured into the game. Every last detail, from Snake’s Solid-Eye system to the homage paid to the series’ past is executed masterfully. There were points during my playthrough in which I intentionally looked for imperfections, but to my surprise, there are no glaring issues to speak of. It’s evident that the painstaking labor put in by the team at Kojima Productions has paid dividends, because Metal Gear Solid 4 will go down as one of the greatest adventures ever told within the video-game medium. When you finally complete Snake’s heroic tale, sit back, relax and enjoy what’s coming, because when it’s all over (assuming you don’t play it through three to four more times) you’ll be able to sleep soundly knowing that you just played one of the greatest games of all time.
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