Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Format PS3
Year Released 2008
Publisher Konami
Genre Action
ESRB Age Rating Teen

Buy from amazon.co.uk

TVG Rating: 9.5

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Average User Rating: None

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Product Description

From infiltrating enemy compounds and man-made structures in MGS and MGS2, to the challenges of the jungle environment in MGS3, MGS4 brings a totally new concept and situation, resulting in the toughest Metal Gear infiltration mission ever devised. The game is set after the events of MGS2 and players will reprise the role of top secret agent Solid Snake with appearances by characters throughout the MGS series. With the addition of online capability, MGS4 is a leading product for "PS3" and will signal the dawn of a new gaming era for the MGS series.

Amazon.co.uk Customer Reviews

Average Rating: 4.5

No Doubt A Brilliant Game

MGS 4 is simply a game that you have to experience for yourself. Because the one thing that can certainly be said, is that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is, without question, the ultimate Metal Gear game. It represents the pinnacle of Hideo Kojima's achievement.

The ultimate Metal Gear game. Without question.

Rating: 5          Buy from amazon.co.uk

I did like it, don't get me wrong...

Massive fan of the series, MGS1 and MGS3 are masterpieces. A fantastic end to a fantastic story? Absolutely. A fantastic end to a fantastic series of GAMES? Not so much. Gameplaywise it can be fun, the sneaking elements are spot on. Combat is a little clunky it seems to me, and CQC (which the game makes a big deal of) is pretty atrocious, I just couldn't get the hang of it. I'm only giving it 3 stars because its so much up its own arse, and it thinks of itself as being some poignant demonstration of superior story telling, which it isn't. Cut scenes last too long, and don't justify their length. Mission briefings are coma inducing and really break up the action too much.

I will say that the 4 beauty and the beast boss fights are some of the greatest gaming moments I can think of. And watching Raiden kick ass while you get microwaved to cinder is remarkably awesome. Metal Gear Ray vs Metal Gear Rex is pretty cool too. But all these memorable moments, don't disguise the ridiculous waiting around you have to do before you can pick up the controller again.

Only buy this game is you are a fan of the series, if you're not I wouldn't bother.

Rating: 3          Buy from amazon.co.uk

THIS IS THE BEST PS3 GAME EVER MADE!!! EVER!!

THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BEST PS3 GAME EVER MADE AND IT HAS NO COMPETITION IN WINNING THAT TITLE. FOR SUCH A CHEAP PRICE IT IS A MUST HAVE SO JUST BUY IT NOW!!!

Rating: 5          Buy from amazon.co.uk

Great game but.....

I enjoyed the game naturally as i love the MGS series, i like the epic story, the action and i really liked when you go back to shadow moses island, and a great touch of emotion to the characters....its a good thing they used the original vioces

BUT.....i didn't like the new camera (behind snake instead of up high).....sure it creates a new level of style but i prefered the way it was in the first and second MGS, and also i know he's old now but i really hated how slow he was, the way the melee attack was and how awkward it was manually aiming the guns were....i do agree with some of the reviewers that there was too many cut scenes, esp the ending.....but i honestly didn't find it a big problem

Rating: 4          Buy from amazon.co.uk

Old Snake, new tricks

Hideo Kojima's epic saga reaches its conclusion in the final chapter of the Metal Gear Solid's story. Of course at the time of writing this Metal Gear Rising is already in development but this looks set to be the closing chapter of Solid Snake's adventures.

Gameplay has been refined in places, over-hauled in others and is generally a satisfying improvement over previous iterations. The camouflage dynamic introduced in MGS3 returns as Octocamo and thankfully now adjusts automatically after a few seconds to blend in with whatever Snake is leaning against, saving constant treks into the menu system. Aiming has been improved along with camera work providing a swap between a third person over the shoulder Gears of War approach and an iron-sights first-person view.

Making Snake easier to control is an absolute necessity as the battlefield that he inhabits this time feels far more hectic and explosive than previously. Being able to move from cover to cover, taking quick shots at the enemy and then going to a camouflaged prone state needed to feel fluid and Konami have certainly succeeded. It may not have the immediacy of your average First person shooter but works for a game primarily based on stealth and taking the quiet more cerebral approach. There are many ways to approach most situations, differing routes, differing tactics and a host of weapons to choose from. Sniping is extremely satisfying and provides a great thrill when in a well hidden place, panicking the enemy as you take them out one by one. A few moments suffer from enemy re-spawning which can prove slightly unfair when you take a couple of enemies out only to have reinforcements immediately replace them. This can lead to cheap deaths as enemies come from outside the perceived map area catching Snake unawares. Fortunately a generous Continue system does alleviate any frustrations and keeps the pacing well balanced.

Whilst the game starts on a very busy battlefield it's not long before the settings start getting changed up with highs and lows keeping a variety to the play experience and giving much needed reprieves from the action. One of the particularly noteworthy detours from the template has Snake trying to track a kidnapped ally through forestry whilst also avoiding being detection. It's an extended moment of great tension and requires careful route planning and a keen eye for ambushes.

The Metal Gear series however has always been a war between game-play and cut-scenes. At its peak the series hits a good balance of pacing, action, cinematography and intrigue to keep the player hooked and unaware of the time spent without pad in hand. Unfortunately MGS4 really shows that someone needs to rein Kojima's writing in as so much of it is surplus to requirements and far too self-indulgent. Cut-scenes frequently over-labour points, hammering them home with all the subtlety of a brick to the head. One of the main themes Kojima has hooked onto is Solid Snake's smoking and it's referred to in virtually every scene and is so badly acted that it's cringe-worthy and frequently ruins the solemnity of the more serious scenes. Snake has been intentionally weakened for the fourth outing in many ways but at times when smoking is involved just comes across as childish which is a real shame as Kojima really has destroyed much of Snake's mystique and appeal to the point of being offensive to the player.

Maybe as gamers we expect more these days and previous iterations were no better but so much of the dialogue here jumps between cheesy, overlong and flowery. Maybe it has always been like this but it just doesn't feel like Metal Gear some of the time and comes nowhere near the highs of the first and third games. Saying that the attention to detail and camera work is superb and among the lows are some superb highs. There is a lot of fan service here and when it works it really is pretty spell-binding and sure to garner an emotional response from those who have followed Snake through the series. There are sacks full of references to the previous games and a plot so complex that wraps up all the games in the series. Sadly this does guarantee that newcomers really wont be able to penetrate the multiple strands of storyline but fans will be in heaven.

So a game of two halves then? It's essential for any fan of the series, despite a few disappointments. It genuinely comes close to greatness, if there was more game and sharper more succinct cut-scenes then this would have top marks but a few niggles just keep it out of the triple A echelon.

Rating: 4          Buy from amazon.co.uk

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