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.
Moister
9 months ago