This review contains spoilers
"This is good…isn't it?"
I can’t think of any better words to definitely close the curtains on the entire Metal Gear Saga than this. It sounds sentimental, deceptively profound even, but very uncertain. It tracks when you would dig into the development of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots and discover how Kojima originally wanted no part of this finale but because of immense pressure from the fans, bringing in death threats, he reluctantly stepped back into the role as director to give them the game he felt they deserved. It’s why the end product we received feels like Kojima giving absolutely no fucks at all anymore with how overwhelmingly bitter and depressing this game feels. It’s easy to point at Solid Snake himself to understand this unbridled vision; he’s so eerily old and withered, not like the stealth action hero at his prime we’ve grown to love and adore. He’s reached the logical endpoint of his life, dealing with the harsh reality of his existence which prevents him from becoming part of this future he’s been fighting to preserve since the beginning. It’s not just him though, every beloved character from the past MGS games comes back to the fold here either being miserable, depressed, or reminds you of just how old they’ve gotten since their first appearances. This results in some very questionable creative choices when bringing closure for some of these lovely guys (some examples include: Naomi, Meryl, and maybe even Raiden), which arguably goes against their previous characterizations on what makes them click with us. If it wasn’t for the last hour where Solid Snake confronts XXXX then I’d say this is the most bitter sendoff you could give to fans on a series they’ve strongly followed behind. Instead, I was surprised by what got out from that last hour, that the last remaining moments of these characters in this series chronologically, was something bittersweet than…well, uh, just bitter?
Now, this isn’t perfect. Especially by direct comparison for the last three MGS games where the flaws bleed out so transparently that it feels weird to group this with the other three that I consider being unique masterpieces of gaming. Like I mentioned before, the characters are treated questionably and even while writing this I still don’t quite know whether I firmly believe that it succeeds in further enriching them with a sense of satisfying finality or retroactively weakens them in certain parts. The gameplay, I find, is to be the weakest out of the mainline entries. It’s basically MGS3: Snake Eater, even keeping mechanics it added like camouflage, but twisted to conform into a 7th Gen Military Cover Shooter which makes it feel creatively at odds with the tactical stealth action foundation that MGS excelled in. I guess it’s not too bad, but to address the elephant in the room, yeah, there’s very little actual gameplay in proportion to the amount of cut-scenes going on. I don’t…hate this, really. I actually enjoy most of the cut-scenes because I thought they were still very well directed, and the story proved to be at the very least engaging. The problem I have is how they’re placed between the segments of gameplay which feels stilted and gives you very little reason to engage with the stealth and combat mechanics like how you can do in the previous games because everything feels too tunnel-visioned and sparse. The bosses honestly miss much more than they hit this time around. They have the really cool premise of being monstrous versions of the older MGS1 boss but put into practice they lack what made those bosses feel creative and fun. Laughing Octopus is probably my favorite of the bunch because it made well use of a tight quarters space with enough legroom to navigate around while using your gadgets to find and attack her. Crying Wolf is only interesting just because of the significance of where you fight her. Raging Raven is just annoying, trenching dangerously into “7th Gen Bosses Were Really Whack” territory. Screaming Mantis was especially disappointing because while it cheekily invokes the meta of the original Psycho Mantis boss fight it’s just way too easy because it relies on using the exact same tactic from a previous boss fight, which also wasn’t very good btw, to defeat it. I think what dulls them for me is how they’re given these awkwardly placed exposition once you kill them to explain all this characterization for how and why they became the way they are. I won’t pretend MGS bosses are always like super deep characters with so much pathos going on, sometimes they can just be a pyrotechnic astronaut and that’s just wonderful, but when they are, the characterization they’re given feels well woven into the narrative and sometimes gameplay even. Here, it just feels low-effortly artificial and very unlike how Kojima usually tries to make the bosses truly memorable. I will give credit and say the Metal Gear boss fight, simplistic as the gameplay during it was, is a welcomed bit of fun fan service.
With how I’m laying out my criticisms, especially knowing my stance on this series from the last three games, it would seem like I don’t like this too much and even feels it almost betrays the spirit of MGS but oddly enough I think the inherent failures are what makes it so compelling too? Like, as much as it can feel like Kojima was projecting his bitterness and frustration onto this game, he also never once stopped showing how much he still deeply cares about these characters and this series he’s been instrumental in. Solid Snake is in the most unfavorable state that any of us would want him to be in but he finally broke free from the systems that had forever controlled his identity and accepted his fate in an incoming future where soldiers aren’t needed anymore. Meryl actually settling down with a guy (you can really tell Kojima gave no fucks at all once you find out who he really was) feels…odd, but satisfying because she can give up her adventurous desire to be some war hero and find comfort in living a peaceful life free from a need for soldiers. For the sake of pretending Metal Gear Rising isn’t canon here to make my point look totally legit, Raiden went on a roller coaster of a development since MGS2 but now has the chance to just hang up his cyborg ninja sword to become a father and feel complete as a person. The final boss is an all-timer. It rivals MGS3’s final boss for being Kojima’s artistic masterwork and for being my absolute favorite climax in any video game because of the sheer emotional catharsis I felt. It wasn’t just the culmination from playing the game from start to finish, but the culmination of your entire journey throughout these games to this very moment. Where everything has been building up to fighting the man who you’ve long since needed to settle the personal score with, who, like you, represents a part of this generational conflict that should’ve been put to rest long ago so that the future may prosper. This is kicked off with how the fight cycles through and plays each banger musical track from MGS1 (Encounter), to MGS2 (Tanker Incident), to MGS3 (Snake Eater), and finally here with MGS4 (Old Snake). It’s equally triumphant as it is sad to see two legendary soldiers, two twin sons, twin snakes even, far past their prime now, with too much history needing to be settled already and remain broken by it.
There’s other phenomenal moments like this here. Even amidst all the messiness, I find it hard not to still appreciate the way this still does an effective job of closing the book on this series which is unlike any other. I genuinely can't think of a more appropriate ending than this that makes me think deeply on my connection to these games and why they'll stick around with me. There’re games after that try to fill in the gaps of this story by moving away from Solid Snake, shifting the focus to other important characters and playing around with the gameplay formula MGS baked. However, I don’t think it detracts from how, although not in the most preferred circumstances, Kojima managed to end this all on his own terms, whether you like it or not.
also this is me after beating the game on RPCS3
I can’t think of any better words to definitely close the curtains on the entire Metal Gear Saga than this. It sounds sentimental, deceptively profound even, but very uncertain. It tracks when you would dig into the development of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots and discover how Kojima originally wanted no part of this finale but because of immense pressure from the fans, bringing in death threats, he reluctantly stepped back into the role as director to give them the game he felt they deserved. It’s why the end product we received feels like Kojima giving absolutely no fucks at all anymore with how overwhelmingly bitter and depressing this game feels. It’s easy to point at Solid Snake himself to understand this unbridled vision; he’s so eerily old and withered, not like the stealth action hero at his prime we’ve grown to love and adore. He’s reached the logical endpoint of his life, dealing with the harsh reality of his existence which prevents him from becoming part of this future he’s been fighting to preserve since the beginning. It’s not just him though, every beloved character from the past MGS games comes back to the fold here either being miserable, depressed, or reminds you of just how old they’ve gotten since their first appearances. This results in some very questionable creative choices when bringing closure for some of these lovely guys (some examples include: Naomi, Meryl, and maybe even Raiden), which arguably goes against their previous characterizations on what makes them click with us. If it wasn’t for the last hour where Solid Snake confronts XXXX then I’d say this is the most bitter sendoff you could give to fans on a series they’ve strongly followed behind. Instead, I was surprised by what got out from that last hour, that the last remaining moments of these characters in this series chronologically, was something bittersweet than…well, uh, just bitter?
Now, this isn’t perfect. Especially by direct comparison for the last three MGS games where the flaws bleed out so transparently that it feels weird to group this with the other three that I consider being unique masterpieces of gaming. Like I mentioned before, the characters are treated questionably and even while writing this I still don’t quite know whether I firmly believe that it succeeds in further enriching them with a sense of satisfying finality or retroactively weakens them in certain parts. The gameplay, I find, is to be the weakest out of the mainline entries. It’s basically MGS3: Snake Eater, even keeping mechanics it added like camouflage, but twisted to conform into a 7th Gen Military Cover Shooter which makes it feel creatively at odds with the tactical stealth action foundation that MGS excelled in. I guess it’s not too bad, but to address the elephant in the room, yeah, there’s very little actual gameplay in proportion to the amount of cut-scenes going on. I don’t…hate this, really. I actually enjoy most of the cut-scenes because I thought they were still very well directed, and the story proved to be at the very least engaging. The problem I have is how they’re placed between the segments of gameplay which feels stilted and gives you very little reason to engage with the stealth and combat mechanics like how you can do in the previous games because everything feels too tunnel-visioned and sparse. The bosses honestly miss much more than they hit this time around. They have the really cool premise of being monstrous versions of the older MGS1 boss but put into practice they lack what made those bosses feel creative and fun. Laughing Octopus is probably my favorite of the bunch because it made well use of a tight quarters space with enough legroom to navigate around while using your gadgets to find and attack her. Crying Wolf is only interesting just because of the significance of where you fight her. Raging Raven is just annoying, trenching dangerously into “7th Gen Bosses Were Really Whack” territory. Screaming Mantis was especially disappointing because while it cheekily invokes the meta of the original Psycho Mantis boss fight it’s just way too easy because it relies on using the exact same tactic from a previous boss fight, which also wasn’t very good btw, to defeat it. I think what dulls them for me is how they’re given these awkwardly placed exposition once you kill them to explain all this characterization for how and why they became the way they are. I won’t pretend MGS bosses are always like super deep characters with so much pathos going on, sometimes they can just be a pyrotechnic astronaut and that’s just wonderful, but when they are, the characterization they’re given feels well woven into the narrative and sometimes gameplay even. Here, it just feels low-effortly artificial and very unlike how Kojima usually tries to make the bosses truly memorable. I will give credit and say the Metal Gear boss fight, simplistic as the gameplay during it was, is a welcomed bit of fun fan service.
With how I’m laying out my criticisms, especially knowing my stance on this series from the last three games, it would seem like I don’t like this too much and even feels it almost betrays the spirit of MGS but oddly enough I think the inherent failures are what makes it so compelling too? Like, as much as it can feel like Kojima was projecting his bitterness and frustration onto this game, he also never once stopped showing how much he still deeply cares about these characters and this series he’s been instrumental in. Solid Snake is in the most unfavorable state that any of us would want him to be in but he finally broke free from the systems that had forever controlled his identity and accepted his fate in an incoming future where soldiers aren’t needed anymore. Meryl actually settling down with a guy (you can really tell Kojima gave no fucks at all once you find out who he really was) feels…odd, but satisfying because she can give up her adventurous desire to be some war hero and find comfort in living a peaceful life free from a need for soldiers. For the sake of pretending Metal Gear Rising isn’t canon here to make my point look totally legit, Raiden went on a roller coaster of a development since MGS2 but now has the chance to just hang up his cyborg ninja sword to become a father and feel complete as a person. The final boss is an all-timer. It rivals MGS3’s final boss for being Kojima’s artistic masterwork and for being my absolute favorite climax in any video game because of the sheer emotional catharsis I felt. It wasn’t just the culmination from playing the game from start to finish, but the culmination of your entire journey throughout these games to this very moment. Where everything has been building up to fighting the man who you’ve long since needed to settle the personal score with, who, like you, represents a part of this generational conflict that should’ve been put to rest long ago so that the future may prosper. This is kicked off with how the fight cycles through and plays each banger musical track from MGS1 (Encounter), to MGS2 (Tanker Incident), to MGS3 (Snake Eater), and finally here with MGS4 (Old Snake). It’s equally triumphant as it is sad to see two legendary soldiers, two twin sons, twin snakes even, far past their prime now, with too much history needing to be settled already and remain broken by it.
There’s other phenomenal moments like this here. Even amidst all the messiness, I find it hard not to still appreciate the way this still does an effective job of closing the book on this series which is unlike any other. I genuinely can't think of a more appropriate ending than this that makes me think deeply on my connection to these games and why they'll stick around with me. There’re games after that try to fill in the gaps of this story by moving away from Solid Snake, shifting the focus to other important characters and playing around with the gameplay formula MGS baked. However, I don’t think it detracts from how, although not in the most preferred circumstances, Kojima managed to end this all on his own terms, whether you like it or not.
also this is me after beating the game on RPCS3
Yes, there are too many cutscenes and the game game is waaay too short. However, this is one of the most enthralling, strange, and meta-textually HUGE video games ever made. For ever five really odd moments there is one spectacularly profound one. Really benefits from following three of the greatest games of all time, and yet it somehow holds its own as a series of short (and one feature length) films. Feels like a breaking point for Kojima's storytelling capabilities, because MGSV and DS are so distinctly in a different era after this, I doubt they'd have been the same if this wasn't out of his system. Either way, I absolutely love this ridiculous game.
utterly overwhelming, cracking at the seams, and not without its faults, but hard to imagine the metal gear series ending any other way. i'll try not to run long on this since i finished at five in the morning and there's ultimately way too much to untangle here than any one person or one playthrough will ever be able to do, but the conclusion that's reached here through the overwhelming melancholy of this game is incredibly fitting, and incredibly kojima. playing fast and loose with tone more than they ever have, guns of the patriots is haunted by echos of the past through almost every aspect of its production. from the constantly available flashbacks in cutscenes, to the echos of phrases and ideas heard in previous games, to the way its structure (much like all of the solid games except the first) is a deliberate rhyme of the shadow moses incident, this game allows the player to really feel the weight of every decision that has lead to this point, and tries to provide much needed closure to the open wound at the heart of these characters. when it hits it really does, the aforementioned flashbacks deepen so many of the traumas endured through the runtime of this game, and the core series thematic through lines of trying to strive for both internal understanding and external unity are incredibly well presented here. and without spoiling anything i personally loved the conclusions of snake, otacon, and liquid/ocelot's character arcs. when it doesn't work it results in long exposition dumps that i respect (and even sometimes truly love) but nontheless can drag the pace to a standstill (and even sometimes make me fall asleep), or can sometimes risk simply retreading old ground. and also without spoiling anything, meryl, raiden, and the colonel are all portrayed really well throughout the game but have pretty underwhelming or out of character conclusions to their stories. still though, i've never really played a game quite like this, striving to achieve something akin to a hollywood blockbuster but shooting even further and becoming more experimental than most of the films it obviously takes influence from (except for some strong david lynch and richard kelly influences i felt specifically in this instalment), it's easily worth playing just to see what could possibly brought up next and is just constantly surprising if nothing else.
Now i'm depressed.
Those who know me likely already know what my stance on Guns of the Patriots is. To put it simply, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a mess of a game. Between the unnecessary plot additions, retcons, and a meager amount of game-play, there are a lot of valid reasons to criticize this title.
Metal Gear Solid 4’s gameplay is alright. Snake himself controls better than he ever has before in previous titles, but the level design itself is mediocre. Certain sections towards the end are greatly enjoyable, but either end too quickly to really be called great, or have some other specific flaw that prevent me from really calling it that.
Cutscenes themselves at times last for way longer than they need to be, and the game itself does a bit too much telling and not showing. The gameplay/cutscene balance is also kind of bad, which is doubly embarrassing considering that the previous three titles had a much better balance between cutscene and gameplay. When you are able to play the game, those sections feel like they last for a few minutes, while the mission debriefings feel as if they take hours.
That’s not to say that I think Metal Gear Solid 4 is a bad game or a bad experience, as the opposite is true. Even with the issues listed, I still adore Guns of the Patriots greatly, and I do genuinely believe that certain story moments in this title are among the best in all of gaming. As for the game-play itself, I do believe that Snake’s controls here are among the best the series has had, and I do hope that Metal Gear Solid Delta utilizes something like it. The story itself, while certainly not on the level that MGS1 – 3 were, is still pretty good in my eyes, and there were points near the end of the game that had my crying harder than any other moment in the series.
Now for the important question. Would I recommend this as a must play title for those new to the series? If you had asked me this a few months ago, I would have probably said no. I still don’t consider this a ‘must play’ in the way that the first three solid titles are, but I think I can still recommend it as a way to cap off an already excellently cohesive trilogy.
MGS4 might be a mess, but I’m glad it exists, even with its flaws.
Metal Gear Solid 4’s gameplay is alright. Snake himself controls better than he ever has before in previous titles, but the level design itself is mediocre. Certain sections towards the end are greatly enjoyable, but either end too quickly to really be called great, or have some other specific flaw that prevent me from really calling it that.
Cutscenes themselves at times last for way longer than they need to be, and the game itself does a bit too much telling and not showing. The gameplay/cutscene balance is also kind of bad, which is doubly embarrassing considering that the previous three titles had a much better balance between cutscene and gameplay. When you are able to play the game, those sections feel like they last for a few minutes, while the mission debriefings feel as if they take hours.
That’s not to say that I think Metal Gear Solid 4 is a bad game or a bad experience, as the opposite is true. Even with the issues listed, I still adore Guns of the Patriots greatly, and I do genuinely believe that certain story moments in this title are among the best in all of gaming. As for the game-play itself, I do believe that Snake’s controls here are among the best the series has had, and I do hope that Metal Gear Solid Delta utilizes something like it. The story itself, while certainly not on the level that MGS1 – 3 were, is still pretty good in my eyes, and there were points near the end of the game that had my crying harder than any other moment in the series.
Now for the important question. Would I recommend this as a must play title for those new to the series? If you had asked me this a few months ago, I would have probably said no. I still don’t consider this a ‘must play’ in the way that the first three solid titles are, but I think I can still recommend it as a way to cap off an already excellently cohesive trilogy.
MGS4 might be a mess, but I’m glad it exists, even with its flaws.
Make no mistake, most people believe this is a Movie, but in actuality this is more like a Litmus Test, specifically crafted as to identify and discriminate between those who are gifted with the ability to enjoy fun things that are fun and the poor peasants who probably haven't even played this game in the first place, and just ended being mere parrots of the zeitgeist (Youtube Video Essayist).
If you happen to be among the former group of people, like yours truly, then I'm positive you're cursed with an High I.Q. and your life is one of hardships, but do not fret! As at the very least, you're one of the lucky Pals or Gals who has actually played one of the finest games to be released back in the late 2000s.
As for everybody else... I just hope you'll one day be able to play experience MGS4 for yourselves and realize how wrong both you, and the Youtube Bad Opinion factory were. If you happen to be one of the few who has actually played this and yet still thinks the zeitgeist is correct, I'm afraid there is no hope left for you in this world. May whichever deity you believe in have mercy upon your wretched soul, Amen!
If you happen to be among the former group of people, like yours truly, then I'm positive you're cursed with an High I.Q. and your life is one of hardships, but do not fret! As at the very least, you're one of the lucky Pals or Gals who has actually played one of the finest games to be released back in the late 2000s.
As for everybody else... I just hope you'll one day be able to play experience MGS4 for yourselves and realize how wrong both you, and the Youtube Bad Opinion factory were. If you happen to be one of the few who has actually played this and yet still thinks the zeitgeist is correct, I'm afraid there is no hope left for you in this world. May whichever deity you believe in have mercy upon your wretched soul, Amen!
This review contains spoilers
In a lot of ways Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots serves as a fitting finale to the series with some of the best moments in the franchise alongside excellent gameplay. But at the same time its a fucking MESS with inconsistent level design and one of the most confusing stories in the franchise. I can't say I loved it but i also didn't hate it.
Starting off strong, MGS4s gameplay has seen numerous improvements from Snake Eater. Not only can you FINALLY crouch walk, but features like the reload button and active camo make this one of the smoothest stealth games I've played in a hot minute. Another great change would be the Drebin Shop, allowing you to get new tools that make this version of Snake one of the most heavily armed, able to wield things like a musket gun to a fucking RAILGUN all the while listening to classic tunes on his IPod. Speaking of music thats another place where MGS4 shines, having some of my favorite pieces in the entire series like Old Snake and the utterly phenomenal credits song Here's To You. New characters are sadly few in 4 but I fucking adored ones like Drebin, who despite being in one game managed to become a top 5 in the series.
Before getting to Guns Of The Patriots biggest issue I have a few light ones to start off with. First and foremost is just how easy the game is. I played on Normal like every other MGS game before and besides a few bits near the end (mainly Act 5) I never died. A combination of Snakes improved control and the general lack of improvements to guard AI/alerts (seriously its easier than fucking 1 at times) makes no killing a breeze. But even with that you'll only get to experience those sections for a bit since after Act 2 MGS4 drops SIGNIFICANTLY in terms of gameplay. Act 3 has only a dreadful tailing mission and auto bike section while Act 4 has you dealing with shitty robots in Shadow Moses (alongside an awesome fight with Metal Gear Ray). Act 5 might be the worst, with only FIVE rooms worth of actual gameplay with the majority of it being cutscenes. I don't mind the abundace of cutscenes but in 4 they feel so awkwardly placed in comparison to the rest of the Solid franchise, mainly 2 since that one had a lot of cutscenes as well.
*STORY SPOILERS**
4s story starts off pretty damn strong but alongside the gameplay fizzles out in the middle and never truly gains momentum despite an incredible ending. This is mainly because of two things: needing to cram EVERYONE into MGS4 and having to explain EVERYTHING. While its cool to see some characters return like Raiden (who's a cool ass cyborg) and even Meryl (who has an odd but mostly cute sideplot involving comic Relief Johnny) others significantly hurt the narrative. Ocelot remains a phenomenal villian and the best part of 4 but everyone else is a complete bore. Vamp somehow returns from MGS2 and despite a great new look doesn't do much sadly and dies in a pretty shit way (I'm supposed to feel bad even though he was an absolute monster in 2 and murdred Otacons sister???). They bring back fucking Naomi Hunter from MGS1 and her character is somehow worse, feeling like a completely different person who is also the most important character for some reason. Constantly switching sides and fucking over Snake and Otacon (alongside Sunny), she's all of a sudden COMPLETELY REDEEMED in the end of 4 because all of it was according to plans she never told anyone because the Patriots apparently could read minds (not really but thats the only justification I could see). She also dies which makes Otacon cry for SOME REASON (even though she HELPED THE GUY WHO MURDERED HIS SISTER). Its these elements that really make me wish 4 had some new characters and didn't cram in fanservice for no reason. On that note fuck the Beauty And The Beast Unit they're all so dreadfully boring and also have some of the goofiest backstories in all of Metal Gear, only existing to be blatant fan service and to make me feel bad that War has changed them. The second big issue with 4s story and one of Hideo Kojimas worst bits is the absolute NEED to explain everything. One of the biggest plotpoints (hell it might be the BIGGEST plotpoint) is the identity of the Patriots. In earlier games this wasn't something that was important because it was made clear that they weren't the main reason for why things went to shit as the patriots were AI monstrosities. But here comes 4 to say that not only were they the goofy MGS3 squad but that it was all Zeros fault for why they became AI. This kind of shit is LAME and serves to just ruin the previous games for no reason. Its a real shame because some of the plot twists work on paper but in execution completely fumble and ruin the plot. Also some elements like Sunny being completely integral to stopping the Patriots make them come off as the biggest bunch of morons in the series and further ruins them (in MGS2 they were genuinely intimidated and could've killed Sunny because OLGA FUCKING DIED).
*STORY SPOILERS END**
MGS4 is a flawed game from beginning to end but one I can say I enjoyed for the most part. As it stands this is the defacto end of the franchise (unless Konami is insane enough to try and continue) and for what its worth I think its a great finisher. I hope one day its not on PS3 and I didn't have to emulate it because in the absolute mess that is MGS4 stands one of the best stealth games I've ever played.
7/10
Starting off strong, MGS4s gameplay has seen numerous improvements from Snake Eater. Not only can you FINALLY crouch walk, but features like the reload button and active camo make this one of the smoothest stealth games I've played in a hot minute. Another great change would be the Drebin Shop, allowing you to get new tools that make this version of Snake one of the most heavily armed, able to wield things like a musket gun to a fucking RAILGUN all the while listening to classic tunes on his IPod. Speaking of music thats another place where MGS4 shines, having some of my favorite pieces in the entire series like Old Snake and the utterly phenomenal credits song Here's To You. New characters are sadly few in 4 but I fucking adored ones like Drebin, who despite being in one game managed to become a top 5 in the series.
Before getting to Guns Of The Patriots biggest issue I have a few light ones to start off with. First and foremost is just how easy the game is. I played on Normal like every other MGS game before and besides a few bits near the end (mainly Act 5) I never died. A combination of Snakes improved control and the general lack of improvements to guard AI/alerts (seriously its easier than fucking 1 at times) makes no killing a breeze. But even with that you'll only get to experience those sections for a bit since after Act 2 MGS4 drops SIGNIFICANTLY in terms of gameplay. Act 3 has only a dreadful tailing mission and auto bike section while Act 4 has you dealing with shitty robots in Shadow Moses (alongside an awesome fight with Metal Gear Ray). Act 5 might be the worst, with only FIVE rooms worth of actual gameplay with the majority of it being cutscenes. I don't mind the abundace of cutscenes but in 4 they feel so awkwardly placed in comparison to the rest of the Solid franchise, mainly 2 since that one had a lot of cutscenes as well.
*STORY SPOILERS**
4s story starts off pretty damn strong but alongside the gameplay fizzles out in the middle and never truly gains momentum despite an incredible ending. This is mainly because of two things: needing to cram EVERYONE into MGS4 and having to explain EVERYTHING. While its cool to see some characters return like Raiden (who's a cool ass cyborg) and even Meryl (who has an odd but mostly cute sideplot involving comic Relief Johnny) others significantly hurt the narrative. Ocelot remains a phenomenal villian and the best part of 4 but everyone else is a complete bore. Vamp somehow returns from MGS2 and despite a great new look doesn't do much sadly and dies in a pretty shit way (I'm supposed to feel bad even though he was an absolute monster in 2 and murdred Otacons sister???). They bring back fucking Naomi Hunter from MGS1 and her character is somehow worse, feeling like a completely different person who is also the most important character for some reason. Constantly switching sides and fucking over Snake and Otacon (alongside Sunny), she's all of a sudden COMPLETELY REDEEMED in the end of 4 because all of it was according to plans she never told anyone because the Patriots apparently could read minds (not really but thats the only justification I could see). She also dies which makes Otacon cry for SOME REASON (even though she HELPED THE GUY WHO MURDERED HIS SISTER). Its these elements that really make me wish 4 had some new characters and didn't cram in fanservice for no reason. On that note fuck the Beauty And The Beast Unit they're all so dreadfully boring and also have some of the goofiest backstories in all of Metal Gear, only existing to be blatant fan service and to make me feel bad that War has changed them. The second big issue with 4s story and one of Hideo Kojimas worst bits is the absolute NEED to explain everything. One of the biggest plotpoints (hell it might be the BIGGEST plotpoint) is the identity of the Patriots. In earlier games this wasn't something that was important because it was made clear that they weren't the main reason for why things went to shit as the patriots were AI monstrosities. But here comes 4 to say that not only were they the goofy MGS3 squad but that it was all Zeros fault for why they became AI. This kind of shit is LAME and serves to just ruin the previous games for no reason. Its a real shame because some of the plot twists work on paper but in execution completely fumble and ruin the plot. Also some elements like Sunny being completely integral to stopping the Patriots make them come off as the biggest bunch of morons in the series and further ruins them (in MGS2 they were genuinely intimidated and could've killed Sunny because OLGA FUCKING DIED).
*STORY SPOILERS END**
MGS4 is a flawed game from beginning to end but one I can say I enjoyed for the most part. As it stands this is the defacto end of the franchise (unless Konami is insane enough to try and continue) and for what its worth I think its a great finisher. I hope one day its not on PS3 and I didn't have to emulate it because in the absolute mess that is MGS4 stands one of the best stealth games I've ever played.
7/10
This review contains spoilers
This game is in so many ways a messy, contrived experience with more than a few bad jokes, moments of awkward dialogue, weak side antagonists, and just generally some content I can't say I was a fan of like my absolute low points of the entire series. But no matter how many perhaps valid criticisms I or anyone else could throw towards this game I just don't know how much I actually care or how much they actually matter. This game to me is beautiful even within its faults. It simultaneously is killing the past with both Snake having a time limit on his life, fated to die. And also, through the Metal Gear series as a whole by destroying all the complicated history of the long, long war that made up the entire series. At the same time, it celebrates life and the beauty of the Metal Gear series by telling Snake that he should "Put aside the gun and live" and spend his time finally free after his long, hard life to the fullest, to live as a man. And by leaning into everything that makes Metal Gear amazing with the fun absurdity, social/political commentary, themes about making progress, and everything in between that makes me love this series. It is at it's core very much an ending (despite there being two more entries in the series) and in that finality there is beauty. This game is a fucking mess that has the lowest of the lows combined with the highest of highs. It's not perfect and it doesn't try to be (A lot like everything I've just written at 3 AM). I love it.
"This is good... isn't it?"
"This is good... isn't it?"
This review contains spoilers
A beautiful and poetic finale to a deeply impactful and important saga. This game had me crying for at least half of the playtime, I have not had a game make me this emotional in years. Thank you for all the work you have blessed us with, Kojima. You are a true patriot.
This review contains spoilers
Weird game. So many of its decisions are insanely baffling and just a straight up downgrade of key aspects from the previous entries. A lot of the worst aspects of the series are at their peak, there's so much linearity to its game design, i could only name 2 memorable bosses that live up to the standards of the series and some of these new characters are just straight up not it.
Besides all that? I love this game. It's a shame i didn't get to play it myself and had to go out of my way to learn about its systems and whatnot, because its approach to actual stealth and new systems blow my mind and is something that at the very least i have a lot of respect for. Big issue with the cutscenes themselves is how dragged out and substanceless they can come to feel, but those times when it delivers some its best plot twists and sensational character work make it all feel extremely worth it. Metal gear as a series is one where you can feel, in each one of its games, its urges to destroy itself and be the last one forever for real this time around, but none do it like this one. There's a huge feeling of finality and exhaustion lingering as you go, you've been here, you remember the good times you've had with these people and the ways you've been changed by it. But also everything has changed for everyone since the last time, for the worse! Nothing and no one feels eternal or at their best, their struggles should've ended a long time ago and yet they're still here, fighting and suffering the same way as last time but with barely anything to look forward to. Their time has passed, and in the end it all loops around to the same thing! It was worse this time and if the fight goes on what's there to look forward to, why should Snake be around anymore anyway? For a lot! this game's focus on legacy is something else and it's hard to explain, but i think the novelization puts it well by just giving us Otacon's perspective on Snake's last days:
"I won't tell you in this book how long he lived after Big Boss set off on his voyage from that cemetery, or what kind of life he had. All I'll say is his last days were peaceful. He passed gently, simply falling asleep with a smile on his face. When I thought back to the days and nights he'd spend in constant battle, I found great solace in this."
I too find great solace in this, so i'd rather believe in it, at the very least.
Besides all that? I love this game. It's a shame i didn't get to play it myself and had to go out of my way to learn about its systems and whatnot, because its approach to actual stealth and new systems blow my mind and is something that at the very least i have a lot of respect for. Big issue with the cutscenes themselves is how dragged out and substanceless they can come to feel, but those times when it delivers some its best plot twists and sensational character work make it all feel extremely worth it. Metal gear as a series is one where you can feel, in each one of its games, its urges to destroy itself and be the last one forever for real this time around, but none do it like this one. There's a huge feeling of finality and exhaustion lingering as you go, you've been here, you remember the good times you've had with these people and the ways you've been changed by it. But also everything has changed for everyone since the last time, for the worse! Nothing and no one feels eternal or at their best, their struggles should've ended a long time ago and yet they're still here, fighting and suffering the same way as last time but with barely anything to look forward to. Their time has passed, and in the end it all loops around to the same thing! It was worse this time and if the fight goes on what's there to look forward to, why should Snake be around anymore anyway? For a lot! this game's focus on legacy is something else and it's hard to explain, but i think the novelization puts it well by just giving us Otacon's perspective on Snake's last days:
"I won't tell you in this book how long he lived after Big Boss set off on his voyage from that cemetery, or what kind of life he had. All I'll say is his last days were peaceful. He passed gently, simply falling asleep with a smile on his face. When I thought back to the days and nights he'd spend in constant battle, I found great solace in this."
I too find great solace in this, so i'd rather believe in it, at the very least.
this is the worst best game i've ever played. I've never experienced a story that both ruins everything that the previous entries built up while also tying it all up perfectly. It destroys the lore, ruins characters and has some of the worst plot twist of seen in my life but it made me cry like a bitch like 5 times and I had so much fun with it that i didn't even care.
LIQUIIIID!!!!
SNAAAKEEE!!!
SNAAAKEEE!!!
This review contains spoilers
Absolutely incredible. Yes, it's all fan service but that's why I love it. The best part is when Snake and Ocelot are punching each other to the rhythm of random songs with a slight romantic undertone.
"we called the virus foxalive because we wished to free the captured foxes to let them run free in the wild" truly the corniest quote in gaming's history holy shit
This game is a mixed bag for me. It has some of the best moments that Metal Gear Solid has to offer but also some of the worst. The gameplay sections are hit or miss and the story stuff in the middle for me was annoying. I disliked most of the boss fights save for maybe the Mantis fight and Liquid Ocelot at the end. I wasn’t huge on acts 3 and 4 but I liked most things preceding and succeeding it.
There’s also so many cutscenes that it feels like the gameplay is there as an extremely brief respite. Some of the acts also had action set pieces which were also hit or miss for me. I actually thought I was gonna hate the game in act four because of how much I was annoyed. Act five and onwards made me appreciate the game despite all of the fan service and emotional manipulation lol
Overall I say I liked the cutscenes more than the game itself. Liquid was consistently awesome throughout the game and I liked Snake and Raiden’s arcs. I didn’t like Akiba, he’s not funny. Meryl should’ve been with me, not him. It’s not fair! Sunny was a little annoying but also endearing and some of the twists are more contrived than anything we’ve seen before. I’m usually all for Kojima bullshit but some of the stuff here was a little too much. However this “game” is basically a victory lap and I accept it for what it is but man I wish the game itself was better. I wasn’t huge on the globetrotting and the different acts being different levels. Some sections feel like they should be cool but they’re halfbaked compared to the movie length cutscenes.
What sucks is that I genuinely love the experience despite all of the negative things I had to say. Is this game garbage? No. Is it masterpiece? Not even close. However I do find it to be special and it’s something that I’ll cherish for a long time. I doubt I’ll play this game again anytime soon, I’ll just watch the cutscenes on YouTube or something lmao
The ending was beautiful as always. Metal Gear’s endings always hits. I’m glad I played this game and I’m glad that I actually bought a PS3 just to play through these games lmfao. I’ll probably play V on PC though. Anyways, MGS is probably my favorite video game series and despite MGS4’s extreme amount of flaws it is also an extremely epic conclusion to the mainline series. Bravo 🎉
There’s also so many cutscenes that it feels like the gameplay is there as an extremely brief respite. Some of the acts also had action set pieces which were also hit or miss for me. I actually thought I was gonna hate the game in act four because of how much I was annoyed. Act five and onwards made me appreciate the game despite all of the fan service and emotional manipulation lol
Overall I say I liked the cutscenes more than the game itself. Liquid was consistently awesome throughout the game and I liked Snake and Raiden’s arcs. I didn’t like Akiba, he’s not funny. Meryl should’ve been with me, not him. It’s not fair! Sunny was a little annoying but also endearing and some of the twists are more contrived than anything we’ve seen before. I’m usually all for Kojima bullshit but some of the stuff here was a little too much. However this “game” is basically a victory lap and I accept it for what it is but man I wish the game itself was better. I wasn’t huge on the globetrotting and the different acts being different levels. Some sections feel like they should be cool but they’re halfbaked compared to the movie length cutscenes.
What sucks is that I genuinely love the experience despite all of the negative things I had to say. Is this game garbage? No. Is it masterpiece? Not even close. However I do find it to be special and it’s something that I’ll cherish for a long time. I doubt I’ll play this game again anytime soon, I’ll just watch the cutscenes on YouTube or something lmao
The ending was beautiful as always. Metal Gear’s endings always hits. I’m glad I played this game and I’m glad that I actually bought a PS3 just to play through these games lmfao. I’ll probably play V on PC though. Anyways, MGS is probably my favorite video game series and despite MGS4’s extreme amount of flaws it is also an extremely epic conclusion to the mainline series. Bravo 🎉
This review contains spoilers
kojima mad with power. a total fucking mess but a fascinating one. cant with good conscience say its better than snake eater but i will say this: the first two acts are very easy for me to defend and showcase how mechanically mgs4 pretty handily surpasses its predecessor. it fixes almost every major issue with snake eater’s core gameplay - octocamo and the stress meter particularly are strokes of genius that somehow both deepen the survival mechanics while also massively streamlining them, and a wealth of new ways to express yourself have been added on top of that. i particularly love how much you can do when crawling now, especially since you spend so much of both mgs3 and 4 doing exactly that. rolling across the battlefield from cover to cover, dodging gunfire and explosions, feels incredible. i suppose i can understand those who feel that the active warzone setting feels gimmicky and i do think it could’ve been fleshed out better (i’d have liked it if there was more incentive to side with the armed forces, especially since you start out on the side of the rebels), and i think people would’ve looked at it more favorably if there was more of snake eater’s predator gameplay to balance it out, but on the whole i think it’s a novel and fun idea that is certainly executed with a lot more depth than, say, the wildlife system in mgs3. the gun selling mechanic, coupled with the narrative information that these conflicts are meaningless proxy battles free from ideology, does also incentivize you to play both sides in a fun little way – i often found myself picking off rebels with anesthetic rounds when no one would notice, and not even feeling any narrative dissonance from it since usually these were rebels who were about to run into gunfire and senselessly die anyway; the way i saw it, snake was doing them a favor. it’s always special when a game’s mechanics can spontaneously generate personal narratives like this. cqc is another thing carried over from mgs3 that is massively improved – not only is it much easier to get to grips with and more useful, but it’s also a lot more robust. aiming also feels good for the first time in this series which i think is a blessing but also a bit of a curse insofar as aiming is more emphasized in gameplay (parts of this game undeniably feel a little too military shooter-y; though to play devil’s advocate i’ll say that it does feel like part of a deliberate point that kojima’s making). lastly i’ll just mention that this is the first time in the series i went with the hardest difficulty available on my first playthrough, and that it was a choice that paid off in dividends – it’s expertly balanced and feels very fitting, what with snake’s more fragile body.
narratively the game is a mixed bag. i think thematically its pretty interesting, an early entry into the “metamodern” trend of sequels about series iconography collapsing in on itself as metaphor for the cultural decay of postmodernism (see also: dark souls 3, rebuild of evangelion). that said as willing as i am to interpret something like metal gear on a primarily subtextual level i can’t say i’m ready to push plot and character to the wayside entirely; ideas are worth little without proper execution to back it up, and this is definitely where mgs4 becomes a tough game to appreciate. it’s an unfortunate paradox – the game is clearly a for-the-fans affair but it also can’t help but spit in their faces with how much it retcons the previous titles. the reveal of who the patriots are is definitely the choice that stings the most – both for fans of mgs2 like myself (who will likely not appreciate the demystification of the patriots, no longer an undead, ageless and formless digital consciousness embodying the hegemony of american empire and the immutable ubiquity of capitalism) and also for fans of mgs3 (who will be surprised to learn that naked snake’s wacky codec team all turned out to be adolf hitler – plot twist!). the bb corps are also pretty terrible. i appreciate how them being a mix of all the previous bosses in the series clearly feeds into the main theme but the hamfisted “beauty” aspect of it – and the accompanying (and utterly shameless) leering shots – woof, not good. honestly even kind of passes into heinous territory with the stupid torture porn backstories. at least the sound design in their second phases, as they walk towards you increasingly faster, is genuinely kind of unnerving. for what its worth, there are also moments where the main theme of decay is well elaborated on, with little accompanying baggage – returning to a run-down shadow moses, devoid of non-artificial life, after being told the archipelago is slowly sinking into the sea, is simple and effective. most of the game’s callbacks are not this elegant, though, however well-meaning they might be.
another issue is that the game kind of looks like shit; graphically it’s impressive for an early ps3 title but it’s infected with the malignant 7th gen disease that made every game look like brown sludge. again, there’s the question of whether by pointing this out we’re actually stumbling upon The Point – it’s always a little hard to tell with kojima but it’s a notion that at least has to be entertained. we could also dismiss the auteur angle entirely and simply accept that it’s a part of the game whether intentional or not and should be discussed on those terms alone. on that note i’ll say that there is a nice thematic ring to the game having the look of a generic military shooter, but i’d still prefer if it, y’know, actually looked good. it’s a shame too because the designs in this game rule. gekkos and scarabs? raiden’s new cyborg body? the mk ii? the solid eye? all very cool. i’ve still yet to discuss the elephant in the room which is how fucking long these cutscenes are and yeeeeahhh it gets grating. i expect long cutscenes between gameplay by now with kojima and it’s not really the length i mind so much as the excruciating levels of exposition and superfluous information, this stuff really could’ve been trimmed down. but things like raiden vs vamp and the gekkos, or ocelot going sicko mode on a boat i have no beef with.
this is the most I’ve fluctuated between feeling that kojima’s a genius and feeling that he’s the biggest hack of all time. there is dreadful stuff here, often side by side with some of the biggest kino in the series (right before that amazing split screen sequence leading into an even better final boss, we get johnny and meryl proposing to each other). i’m teetering on giving this 3 stars to be totally honest but you do pilot metal gear rex and duel ray and then the game ends on a fight with shirtless ocelot where one of his moves is tenderly - erotically even - kissing you on the cheek so i think i’m duty-bound to give this at least four stars if only for that alone
narratively the game is a mixed bag. i think thematically its pretty interesting, an early entry into the “metamodern” trend of sequels about series iconography collapsing in on itself as metaphor for the cultural decay of postmodernism (see also: dark souls 3, rebuild of evangelion). that said as willing as i am to interpret something like metal gear on a primarily subtextual level i can’t say i’m ready to push plot and character to the wayside entirely; ideas are worth little without proper execution to back it up, and this is definitely where mgs4 becomes a tough game to appreciate. it’s an unfortunate paradox – the game is clearly a for-the-fans affair but it also can’t help but spit in their faces with how much it retcons the previous titles. the reveal of who the patriots are is definitely the choice that stings the most – both for fans of mgs2 like myself (who will likely not appreciate the demystification of the patriots, no longer an undead, ageless and formless digital consciousness embodying the hegemony of american empire and the immutable ubiquity of capitalism) and also for fans of mgs3 (who will be surprised to learn that naked snake’s wacky codec team all turned out to be adolf hitler – plot twist!). the bb corps are also pretty terrible. i appreciate how them being a mix of all the previous bosses in the series clearly feeds into the main theme but the hamfisted “beauty” aspect of it – and the accompanying (and utterly shameless) leering shots – woof, not good. honestly even kind of passes into heinous territory with the stupid torture porn backstories. at least the sound design in their second phases, as they walk towards you increasingly faster, is genuinely kind of unnerving. for what its worth, there are also moments where the main theme of decay is well elaborated on, with little accompanying baggage – returning to a run-down shadow moses, devoid of non-artificial life, after being told the archipelago is slowly sinking into the sea, is simple and effective. most of the game’s callbacks are not this elegant, though, however well-meaning they might be.
another issue is that the game kind of looks like shit; graphically it’s impressive for an early ps3 title but it’s infected with the malignant 7th gen disease that made every game look like brown sludge. again, there’s the question of whether by pointing this out we’re actually stumbling upon The Point – it’s always a little hard to tell with kojima but it’s a notion that at least has to be entertained. we could also dismiss the auteur angle entirely and simply accept that it’s a part of the game whether intentional or not and should be discussed on those terms alone. on that note i’ll say that there is a nice thematic ring to the game having the look of a generic military shooter, but i’d still prefer if it, y’know, actually looked good. it’s a shame too because the designs in this game rule. gekkos and scarabs? raiden’s new cyborg body? the mk ii? the solid eye? all very cool. i’ve still yet to discuss the elephant in the room which is how fucking long these cutscenes are and yeeeeahhh it gets grating. i expect long cutscenes between gameplay by now with kojima and it’s not really the length i mind so much as the excruciating levels of exposition and superfluous information, this stuff really could’ve been trimmed down. but things like raiden vs vamp and the gekkos, or ocelot going sicko mode on a boat i have no beef with.
this is the most I’ve fluctuated between feeling that kojima’s a genius and feeling that he’s the biggest hack of all time. there is dreadful stuff here, often side by side with some of the biggest kino in the series (right before that amazing split screen sequence leading into an even better final boss, we get johnny and meryl proposing to each other). i’m teetering on giving this 3 stars to be totally honest but you do pilot metal gear rex and duel ray and then the game ends on a fight with shirtless ocelot where one of his moves is tenderly - erotically even - kissing you on the cheek so i think i’m duty-bound to give this at least four stars if only for that alone
Might be my most replayed game of all time. Absolute masterpiece in both gameplay and story and I will never understand why it's so overhated.
Probably never felt as many emotions as I had playing this game. What a start to my PS3 journey back in the day!
Probably never felt as many emotions as I had playing this game. What a start to my PS3 journey back in the day!
Purely from a stealth-action standpoint, this was the last good one before they started doing the weird control scheme. Cutscene to gameplay segments ratio is kind of out of whack, yeah, but its probably the richest sandbox in the series within those gameplay segments.
It's the most unliked of the 4. I understand that, I would love to say it is not the baddest but I honnestly don't know. Imho MGS games are unrankable. They all are masterpiece, that tried new thing with every game, renewed the formula and pursued the spirit.
It IS a masterpiece. I mean, I would'nt be able to even find it an absolute flaw, a really messed up thing that doesn't work. It might not be at your taste, of course, but saying an aspect of the game is made in a wrong way that doesn't fulfill a specific goal would be a lie. Even loading screens are thought about in MGS4. I humbly find it highly respectable, and I am happy this author was given a nice budget and a very talented team to create the videogame he wanted.
It IS a masterpiece. I mean, I would'nt be able to even find it an absolute flaw, a really messed up thing that doesn't work. It might not be at your taste, of course, but saying an aspect of the game is made in a wrong way that doesn't fulfill a specific goal would be a lie. Even loading screens are thought about in MGS4. I humbly find it highly respectable, and I am happy this author was given a nice budget and a very talented team to create the videogame he wanted.
lindo final de uma genial franquia
Этот фильм обосрал 99% кинематографа, учитесь у гения бездари!!!
This review contains spoilers
I came into this with uncertain expectations, as I heard that it’s very cutscene heavy and filled with lots of silly lore… lucky for me, I love that!! The cutscenes ARE very long (as it holds a guiness world record for the longest cutscene in any game) but I love seeing the whole story unfold. And the lore is so funny at times, with it also being just so interesting.
I love the characters. Raiden coming back was amazing, Snake being old and out of his prime made for an interesting character arc, and his FATHER coming back out of nowhere was definitely a shock, but it was kind of awesome. Ocelot being his usual self was great to see, and fighting him in REX was doubly awesome, especially as it was at Shadow Moses… which looks great in HD by the way.
And the gameplay is just so fun! It’s not far off from MGSV’s gameplay, and I was shocked by how intuitive and fun it ended up being. The OctoCamo is also really cool to use.
Idk what else to say really, I just really liked it. And the characters are awesome. Shoutout to Drebin, Snake, Raiden, Sunny, HAL!!!, Ocelot, Raiden’s kid with the funny haircut… I could basically commend all of them.
I love the characters. Raiden coming back was amazing, Snake being old and out of his prime made for an interesting character arc, and his FATHER coming back out of nowhere was definitely a shock, but it was kind of awesome. Ocelot being his usual self was great to see, and fighting him in REX was doubly awesome, especially as it was at Shadow Moses… which looks great in HD by the way.
And the gameplay is just so fun! It’s not far off from MGSV’s gameplay, and I was shocked by how intuitive and fun it ended up being. The OctoCamo is also really cool to use.
Idk what else to say really, I just really liked it. And the characters are awesome. Shoutout to Drebin, Snake, Raiden, Sunny, HAL!!!, Ocelot, Raiden’s kid with the funny haircut… I could basically commend all of them.
If i had a gun and was in the same room as kojima while he was working on this game I still wouldn't kill him, but I'd definitely kill myself in front of him and alter the trajectory of his entire life forever
great ending to a series
“This is good... isn't it?“
Goddamn. This is probably the most ambitious game I have ever played. It’s so incredibly overwhelming, attempting to do the impossible by wrapping up over three games worth of plot points left unanswered that fans have been clamouring to get answered now for years.
Not every question that was answered needed to be, but a lot of the answers given here were great, even if they would have been better left alone. The biggest example of this is with Raiden, as I personally felt that his arc was completed in MGS2 and that it would have been better to not have him show up again whatsoever. Of course, this game doesn’t do that, but I'm not necessarily mad with how Raiden was dealt with in this either. I think his arc, while unnecessary, was great. It was a good direction for his character to go in, and yes, it can seem like a rehash of 2 at times, but I'd rather that than them completely butchering it and going against his arc from 2. The story, while falling apart near the end and getting a little full of itself, was great. I have my problems with it, but I don’t know if I'd call it a mistake.
There is so much to love here. The cutscenes are some of the best I've ever seen in a game, the final boss is easily one of the best in gaming history, and the gameplay is the best it’s ever been in the series yet, thanks to the long-awaited addition of the crouch walk and the fascinating evolution of MGS3’s camo system with the OctoCamo. It isn’t a perfect game, but it’s definitely not a mistake either, and I love it.
Goddamn. This is probably the most ambitious game I have ever played. It’s so incredibly overwhelming, attempting to do the impossible by wrapping up over three games worth of plot points left unanswered that fans have been clamouring to get answered now for years.
Not every question that was answered needed to be, but a lot of the answers given here were great, even if they would have been better left alone. The biggest example of this is with Raiden, as I personally felt that his arc was completed in MGS2 and that it would have been better to not have him show up again whatsoever. Of course, this game doesn’t do that, but I'm not necessarily mad with how Raiden was dealt with in this either. I think his arc, while unnecessary, was great. It was a good direction for his character to go in, and yes, it can seem like a rehash of 2 at times, but I'd rather that than them completely butchering it and going against his arc from 2. The story, while falling apart near the end and getting a little full of itself, was great. I have my problems with it, but I don’t know if I'd call it a mistake.
There is so much to love here. The cutscenes are some of the best I've ever seen in a game, the final boss is easily one of the best in gaming history, and the gameplay is the best it’s ever been in the series yet, thanks to the long-awaited addition of the crouch walk and the fascinating evolution of MGS3’s camo system with the OctoCamo. It isn’t a perfect game, but it’s definitely not a mistake either, and I love it.
bah, é pra chorar.
Quero começar dizendo que este jogo melhora e muito o gameplay visto no 3, o stealth agora tendo ainda mais possibilidades de camuflagem, o gameplay das armas se tornou mais padronizado a jogos atuais, mas que nem de longe deixa de ser uma mecanica com certa profundidade.
Entretanto, uma reclamação que tenho e talvez seja de fato seu maior ponto negativo, é sua exploração de cenarios quase inexistentes, o sentimento de linearidade aqui fica demasiadamente mais forte.
Mas claro outro elogio que não poderia faltar é a sua narrativa que nem de longe é perfeita, mas que traz um final que sim é perfeito, uma conclusão digna ao seu protagonista solid snake, melancolicamente esperançoso.
Quero começar dizendo que este jogo melhora e muito o gameplay visto no 3, o stealth agora tendo ainda mais possibilidades de camuflagem, o gameplay das armas se tornou mais padronizado a jogos atuais, mas que nem de longe deixa de ser uma mecanica com certa profundidade.
Entretanto, uma reclamação que tenho e talvez seja de fato seu maior ponto negativo, é sua exploração de cenarios quase inexistentes, o sentimento de linearidade aqui fica demasiadamente mais forte.
Mas claro outro elogio que não poderia faltar é a sua narrativa que nem de longe é perfeita, mas que traz um final que sim é perfeito, uma conclusão digna ao seu protagonista solid snake, melancolicamente esperançoso.
This review contains spoilers
[This review also contains minor spoilers for the end of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker]
"It's almost time for me to go.
And with me... The last embers of this fruitless war dies out. And at last those old evils will be gone.
Once the source of evil returns to zero... A new one... A new future... Will be born.
That new world... Is yours to live in. Not as a snake... But as a man."
How does a hero die? By the hands of their enemies? Their friends? The people who believed in their legacy? Or is it by their own will to carry out a mission that no one is asking them to do?
Metal Gear Solid 4 is a game that resents its own existence. A brutal reflection on the series it's meant to send off while also criticizing it's role in perpetuating a cruel, violent digital world by an artist that is reluctantly taking on the job because he believes it's his battle alone. Old Snake is very clearly a stand-in for Kojima: a man hellbent on killing himself over a mission that could be taken on by someone else, but that'd only divert harm to them rather than make things easier for everyone (see Raiden's arc in this game). Instead it feels more appropriate for him to finish the job himself, accepting the responsibility of his actions/legacy, and then die a soldier.
Except he doesn't die a soldier, instead his father--a man whom Snake had been shaped into emulating from his inception--visits him from the beyond the grave to send a message. A plea to keep going and see his life to its natural conclusion. The old world is over and its champions have expired, there's no point in fighting anymore. It's time instead to finally rest.
When reading the opening quote, a section from Big Boss's parting words to Snake, I think about a similar speech from King Hyrule in the final moments of The Wind Waker:
"My children... Listen to me.
I have lived regretting the past.
And I have faced those regrets.
If only I could do things over again... Not a day of my life has gone by without my thoughts turning to my kingdom of old.
I have lived bound to Hyrule.
In that sense, I was the same as Ganondorf.
But you...
I want you to live for the future.
There may be nothing left for you...
But despite that, you must look forward and walk a path of hope, trusting that it will sustain you when darkness comes."
While Wind Waker is contextualized from the perspective of the youth who'll be living in this liberated world as opposed to the decaying old guard in Guns of the Patriots, they're both communicating the same idea. It's time to let go of the glories of the past so that the new generation can finally live for themselves. And where Zelda took that idea as permission to constantly evolve itself andalmost never look back, Metal Gear Solid (or more specifically, Kojima) saw it as a means to permanently end the series.
There were more Metal Gear games to come in the future, of course; but this was the end of it as a legend, as a complete narrative. This is where Solid Snake died.
"It's almost time for me to go.
And with me... The last embers of this fruitless war dies out. And at last those old evils will be gone.
Once the source of evil returns to zero... A new one... A new future... Will be born.
That new world... Is yours to live in. Not as a snake... But as a man."
How does a hero die? By the hands of their enemies? Their friends? The people who believed in their legacy? Or is it by their own will to carry out a mission that no one is asking them to do?
Metal Gear Solid 4 is a game that resents its own existence. A brutal reflection on the series it's meant to send off while also criticizing it's role in perpetuating a cruel, violent digital world by an artist that is reluctantly taking on the job because he believes it's his battle alone. Old Snake is very clearly a stand-in for Kojima: a man hellbent on killing himself over a mission that could be taken on by someone else, but that'd only divert harm to them rather than make things easier for everyone (see Raiden's arc in this game). Instead it feels more appropriate for him to finish the job himself, accepting the responsibility of his actions/legacy, and then die a soldier.
Except he doesn't die a soldier, instead his father--a man whom Snake had been shaped into emulating from his inception--visits him from the beyond the grave to send a message. A plea to keep going and see his life to its natural conclusion. The old world is over and its champions have expired, there's no point in fighting anymore. It's time instead to finally rest.
When reading the opening quote, a section from Big Boss's parting words to Snake, I think about a similar speech from King Hyrule in the final moments of The Wind Waker:
"My children... Listen to me.
I have lived regretting the past.
And I have faced those regrets.
If only I could do things over again... Not a day of my life has gone by without my thoughts turning to my kingdom of old.
I have lived bound to Hyrule.
In that sense, I was the same as Ganondorf.
But you...
I want you to live for the future.
There may be nothing left for you...
But despite that, you must look forward and walk a path of hope, trusting that it will sustain you when darkness comes."
While Wind Waker is contextualized from the perspective of the youth who'll be living in this liberated world as opposed to the decaying old guard in Guns of the Patriots, they're both communicating the same idea. It's time to let go of the glories of the past so that the new generation can finally live for themselves. And where Zelda took that idea as permission to constantly evolve itself and
There were more Metal Gear games to come in the future, of course; but this was the end of it as a legend, as a complete narrative. This is where Solid Snake died.
This review contains spoilers
There are two MGS4s to me: the legend of MGS4; what my expectations as a kid were, and the real MGS4; a sloppy mess of a game. I saw this game on EB Games store shelves as a kid and thought the cover art meant that this was the most mature looking game, it had to be cool, but I had never seen a game that looked like that. The game was an anomaly to me. I watched the epilogue on YouTube as a kid many times, I’m not sure why, but I did. And those parts have such a different sentimental value to me compared to the rest of this game. It’s weird how that naturally kicked in at during the epilogue. Just thinking of how it’s almost been 15 years since I saw it in stores. Just how far I’ve come from a 10 year old to a 25 year old. I loved a lot of this game but it also felt like a lot of the choices it made were total garbage. It’s just a total mess with fantastic highs and crushing lows. But no matter what, it will always be special to me because much like Snake, it’s a living legend. But also like Snake, once you get to know it, you realize that it’s not a hero. It never was, and never will be.
I love crawling through a microwave