Metal Gear Solid 4 - out now
Those of us who have fond gaming memories of the original PlayStation will certainly remember Metal Gear Solid, the title which arguably kick started the so-called ’stealth ‘em up’ genre. Hiding in cardboard boxes, snapping the necks of enemy soldiers, smoking, a labyrinthine plot, this game had it all. Although the PlayStation 2 sequel, Sons of Liberty, is widely thought to be inferior, the series returned to form with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, with its emphasis on camouflage, laying traps in the jungle and hunting for food. Now in glorious next generation, high definition graphics we have Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and it’s definitely been worth the wait.
To explain the frankly bonkers storyline would take far too long so, aside from saying that the action for the most part is set in an undisclosed Middle Eastern location, and that players yet again step into the stealth suit of Solid Snake (who now looks about 900 years old – must be all those smokes) we’ll jump straight into the actual game and, thankfully, sneaking around has never been so much fun. MGS4 has a brand new feature called OctoCamo, which is integral to the game, and builds upon the camo percentage feature introduced in MGS3. OctoCamo basically means that whenever you are stationary on the floor Snake’s sneaking suit will take on the colours of the floor around you, like the ‘therm-optic’ camoflague from Ghost in the Shell. It’s stunning to look at when you initially activate it and you can switch your suit to activate the OctoCamo automatically, so there is no need for additional button mashing.
The control system in the game is as simple as can be. Taking cover behind objects is context sensitive and handled by a press of the triangle button and feels very similar to the system used on Gears of War. Crouching and lying prone are activated by a single or double tap of the cross button, this button also lets Snake do a quick roll whilst running. The weapon control system will be familiar to anyone who has played a Metal Gear game before; weapon selection is handled by the bottom right button and you can fire by pressing the R1 button. Aiming and readying your weapon feels odd at first, especially to those used to FPS-style stealth games (you have to press L1 to go into first person view before firing), but it soon becomes second nature, and you’ll be picking off absent minded guards and lackeys before you know it.
Graphically, the game is nothing short of stunning. When the game is played through a standard SCART connection it is fantastic but in high definition it is shockingly good.
The game also has full Dolby digital sound so if you have speakers you will be able to hear the slightest noise. There are a few slight issues, the game takes around ten minutes to install, and the only thing to amuse you in this time is to watch old man Snake puffing away on a ciggy, and the time-honoured MSG curse of the cut scene is also present and correct, but thankfully, it’s nowhere near as bad as the amount of cutscene footage that clogged up poor old MGS2. It’s also not often that a game is noted for its soundtrack and score, but Konami have clearly paid as much attention to detail with regard to audio and background music here as they have with the visuals - you’ll find yourself humming along to themes long after you’ve turned your PS3 off, and the sound of gunfire and empty shell casings tinkling on the ground are particularly ear-pleasing.
Though we said earlier we wouldn’t mention the storyline, we ought to say that fans who have been playing the series since the first MGS ought to note that many old school characters from across the previous three games feature pretty heavily throughout. We won’t give any spoilers away, but fans of the franchise aren’t going to be disappointed with some of the revelations in store.
In short MGS4 is for PS3 owners what GoldenEye was for N64 users – an essential purchase which validates the purchase of the machine many times over. If you have a PS3, rent it or buy it now.
