Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 11th July 2008

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Snake returns for one last mission.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Details:

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	Third Person Shooter
	PlayStation 3
	Konami
	Konami

18+

Out Now

Very few franchise can stand the test of time and repeatedly churn out one successful game after another, however Hideo Kojima has succeeded where many have failed with the Metal Gear Solid games and in the process created one of the most popular franchises and characters in recent history, sadly though age has crept up on Solid Snake and now his ageing body has to cope with one last mission, in ironically one of the best games ever.

This latest mission sees a much older Snake in a war torn near future, in which private military companies are employed by tyrants and revolutionaries around the world. However, these aren’t your average soldiers, everyone involved in the worlds new thriving war economy has been implanted with nano-machines to make the best of their skills, control their emotions and so on making them more efficient on the battlefield. No gun in the world can be fired without the nano machines and a matching id meaning their use effects every soldier and the nano machines are controlled by a central system, and this is what Liquid is after taking control of effectively giving him control of all the world militaries, and of course Snake is the only one who can stop him.

Metal Gear Solid 4, follows in the footsteps of the previous games offering a mix of stealth and shooter action, the game gives snake a few more tricks in order for him to complete his mission, most notable is his new OctoCamo suit which allows him to blend in with his surroundings matching various textures in order to go unseen by enemies. This an excellent addition that not only looks fantastic but also adds to the stealth element of the game, allowing you to go through whole areas without firing a weapon.

Snake can now also shimmy across ledges allowing him to take alternative routes through the games environments or stay out of sight of an enemy by dangling off a ledge. Snake is also able to use disguises to infiltrate enemy locations, hide in cardboard boxes and oil drums that can be collected around the levels. Snake is also accompanied by a down sized Metal Gear Rex called Mk. II, although some of you may recognise it from Hideo Kojima’s Snatcher. The Mk II is remotely operated by Otacon although you are able to take control of it to scout the area ahead to see if the coast is clear. The Mk II has a set of abilities that can come is useful for this job such as being able to cloak and electric shock enemies rendering them unconscious.

The final new piece of Equipment snake has is the Solid Eye, this allows snake to target enemies, see objects that he may not normally see. The solid eye can also be switched to a night vision mode allowing you to see in unlit areas. It can also be switched to be used as binoculars allowing you to zoom in on far off areas.

As well as the new equipment and abilities Snake also has access to all his old abilities which will please fans, he is still able to sneak up on enemies and take them out, as well as get their attention by banging on walls etc.

As all the games weapons are ID controlled, any weapons you pick up during play have to be unlocked in order to be used, this is done by having the ID’s laundered by the in game weapons dealer Drebin. Here you can buy new weapons ammo, and various upgrades by spending points. Points are earned by selling any excess weapons to the dealer as you pick them up, it’s a good system that encourages you to explore the area and pick up the various weapons dropped by fallen enemies.

There are two approaches you can take when playing Metal Gear Solid 4, you can approach the game with stealth in mind or go through guns blazing. Each works for the most part so you can play the game to suit your preference; however some of the games areas require you to use one of the two styles of play. The game also feature lots of references to past games and a nice flashback system, there are also one or two surprises included that fans of the franchise will love.

The games levels or acts are very extensive with each taking several hours to complete and the game should take between 18 – 20 hours to get through. The acts are split into smaller areas which in themselves are fairly large with multiple routes through each of them. Moving into new areas will sometime trigger a cut-scene which progresses the games story once finished the action resumes and the transition between the start of the action and the game cinematic cut-scenes is absolutely seamless which is a very nice touch. Metal Gear Solid 4 is very long and should provide a lot of play time, there’s also considerable replay value as you’re sure to miss something the first time around especially considering there’s two ways to approach the game and the multiple routes throughout the areas.

Metal Gear Solid 4 also comes with Metal Gear Online, which provides a good multiplayer experience. Game types in Metal Gear Online are pretty much what you would expect, and include firm favourites such as deathmatch, team deatchmatch, assault and so on. The game does also offer up some game types unique to Metal Gear such as sneak and team sneak. In sneak one player assumes the role of snake whilst the other players have to hunt that player down. In team sneak one team must defend a position whilst the other attacks, however the attacking team are equipped with OctoCamo suits making for some very interesting battles.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is presented impeccably, as you would expect character models are of the highest quality featuring massive amounts of detail. Animation is also excellent as characters move in a highly realistic way. The game environments follow in the same suit with varying world locations that include Middle East villages, European cities and South American jungles. The level of detail is huge everything from the little rodents running around, has been done to the highest standard. One of the most impressive graphics elements is the way Snakes OctoCamo suit blends with the different textures and surroundings of the current landscape it’s all very impressive.

Sound in the game is also very good, the series original cast all return to voice their respective characters and do a very good job. Music is, as you would expect of the highest quality adding a level of depth to the tense atmosphere of the game. The game also features some classic sound effects such as the when enemies are altered to your presence, which is a nice touch.

So probably one of the most anticipated games for the PlayStation 3 has managed to live up to expectations, but not only that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is probably the most perfect game I’ve ever played and all I can do is award full marks, a truly excellent game!