One of the most polarizing games ever made, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a game you either adore to death or vehemently despise. It's an enigma of gaming, something that can't be denied is how it truly stands out from literally anything else, whether it be for better or worse. Metal Gear Solid 4 is a game that exists to be the finale, to finally let a series rest before it gets old and tired. This game highlights how fucking batshit insane Kojima is, and I fucking adore it to death. MGS 4 may not be my favorite thing ever made, but goddamn theres a part of me that holds it to that standard.
The most underrated aspect of this game is the gameplay to me (for the most part). The controls are solid and the gameplay works, but what makes me love it is that some levels have depth to how you handle the mission. Do you want to go full on stealth? Go ahead. How about going guns blazing? That's there too. The octocamo aspect really sells it for me, blending into the ground sneaking through a raging battlefield is so fun to me, or having the choice to go on the offensive as well (at some points getting some rewards for doing so too) is really good. The gameplay has some issues, I don't hate it but the chapter 3 on rails part isn't the greatest, and the game is more cutscene than game, but goddammit it's still super fun to me.
Graphically, I think it's really spectacular with how well it holds up. Yeah yeah it's got the late 2000s piss filter, but it looks kind of fresh still to this day. It kind of boggles my mind that it's a PS3 game, it's arguably one of the best looking games of that generation I'd argue. Performance though? Well, it's a launch PS3 game, and no matter how much Otacon brownnoses the high tech blu ray discs, PS3 games did not run great especially on launch. This game's framerate dips dramatically at points. Everytime I play it I feel like my PS Triple Ballin is on the verge of melting through everything.
The story of this game is so unapologetically batshit insane. At times it feels like Kojima was throwing darts onto a wall to find out what to put in next (I can imagine the look on his face when the dart landed on Cyborg Raiden), and yet, it's why I fucking love it. There are genuinely fantastic parts of this story, the biggest being Snake. He's at his lowest point ever, he's only in his 40s yet his body is that of a geriatric. He's depressed and loathes who he is and how his life has been nothing but never ending conflict (there's a really neat but fucked detail in the game where if you kill a certain amount of people in a mission, Snake remembers when Liquid tells him that he enjoys the killing and vomits in disgust of himself. Really clever details like this elevate the game higher). The way his body is failing him fits with his mindset. He's just tired of it all. And David Hayter is a legend, motherfucker literally almost destroys his throat and still gives it 200%. I know I'm giving Kojima way too much credit here and I'm like 90% sure this isn't the point, but Snake feels like the embodiment of what Kojima feared Metal Gear could end up as: old and tired. Again, too much credit, but when I see the game in that lens it elevates it a lot. Other characters shine in this too, Otacon is still the best bro in gaming, I need me a friend like Hal, I like Raiden in this too tbh I know a lot of people don't but I thought he was fine. Also really love Liquid in this he's a fucking asshole in the best of ways (the gif of him walking back and mocking the camera gets me every fucking time). The game has a shit ton of fanservice but I never groan at any of it (mostly). Hell, my biggest issue with the game is one character, if you know you know. I hate him so goddamn much genuinely why is he a thing. Of course I have to mention the epilogue sequence, which is one of my all time favorite cutscenes in any video game it's fantastic. Don't wanna spoil too much (I know it's a fucking 15 year game but I don't care), the series is something everyone should play at some point in time so shhhhhhhhhhh. Just know MGS 4 is bizarre, weird, rough around the edges, yet to me, it sticks the fucking landing spectacularly in spite of it's issues. War really did change.
Whether you love or hate this game, theres one thing that can be said: Metal Gear Solid 4 is the most game of all time. You got depressed old men, you got conflict all over the globe, you got cyborg ninjas fighting mini metal gears, and you got monkeys smoking cigarettes and drinking cola. There will never be a series like Metal Gear Solid. There will never be a conclusion like Metal Gear Solid 4.
EDIT: realized I said "Ocelot" instead of Otacon lmao dont type out reviews at 3 AM.
The most underrated aspect of this game is the gameplay to me (for the most part). The controls are solid and the gameplay works, but what makes me love it is that some levels have depth to how you handle the mission. Do you want to go full on stealth? Go ahead. How about going guns blazing? That's there too. The octocamo aspect really sells it for me, blending into the ground sneaking through a raging battlefield is so fun to me, or having the choice to go on the offensive as well (at some points getting some rewards for doing so too) is really good. The gameplay has some issues, I don't hate it but the chapter 3 on rails part isn't the greatest, and the game is more cutscene than game, but goddammit it's still super fun to me.
Graphically, I think it's really spectacular with how well it holds up. Yeah yeah it's got the late 2000s piss filter, but it looks kind of fresh still to this day. It kind of boggles my mind that it's a PS3 game, it's arguably one of the best looking games of that generation I'd argue. Performance though? Well, it's a launch PS3 game, and no matter how much Otacon brownnoses the high tech blu ray discs, PS3 games did not run great especially on launch. This game's framerate dips dramatically at points. Everytime I play it I feel like my PS Triple Ballin is on the verge of melting through everything.
The story of this game is so unapologetically batshit insane. At times it feels like Kojima was throwing darts onto a wall to find out what to put in next (I can imagine the look on his face when the dart landed on Cyborg Raiden), and yet, it's why I fucking love it. There are genuinely fantastic parts of this story, the biggest being Snake. He's at his lowest point ever, he's only in his 40s yet his body is that of a geriatric. He's depressed and loathes who he is and how his life has been nothing but never ending conflict (there's a really neat but fucked detail in the game where if you kill a certain amount of people in a mission, Snake remembers when Liquid tells him that he enjoys the killing and vomits in disgust of himself. Really clever details like this elevate the game higher). The way his body is failing him fits with his mindset. He's just tired of it all. And David Hayter is a legend, motherfucker literally almost destroys his throat and still gives it 200%. I know I'm giving Kojima way too much credit here and I'm like 90% sure this isn't the point, but Snake feels like the embodiment of what Kojima feared Metal Gear could end up as: old and tired. Again, too much credit, but when I see the game in that lens it elevates it a lot. Other characters shine in this too, Otacon is still the best bro in gaming, I need me a friend like Hal, I like Raiden in this too tbh I know a lot of people don't but I thought he was fine. Also really love Liquid in this he's a fucking asshole in the best of ways (the gif of him walking back and mocking the camera gets me every fucking time). The game has a shit ton of fanservice but I never groan at any of it (mostly). Hell, my biggest issue with the game is one character, if you know you know. I hate him so goddamn much genuinely why is he a thing. Of course I have to mention the epilogue sequence, which is one of my all time favorite cutscenes in any video game it's fantastic. Don't wanna spoil too much (I know it's a fucking 15 year game but I don't care), the series is something everyone should play at some point in time so shhhhhhhhhhh. Just know MGS 4 is bizarre, weird, rough around the edges, yet to me, it sticks the fucking landing spectacularly in spite of it's issues. War really did change.
Whether you love or hate this game, theres one thing that can be said: Metal Gear Solid 4 is the most game of all time. You got depressed old men, you got conflict all over the globe, you got cyborg ninjas fighting mini metal gears, and you got monkeys smoking cigarettes and drinking cola. There will never be a series like Metal Gear Solid. There will never be a conclusion like Metal Gear Solid 4.
EDIT: realized I said "Ocelot" instead of Otacon lmao dont type out reviews at 3 AM.