My Thoughts: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
So I got it, I played it, I beat it and I am currently playing it through again. Was it everything I had waited for? Was it everything I had hoped for? In a lot of respects, yes. Still, I am left with mixed feelings. Proceed for everything:
My immediate impression of MGS4 was one of complete and total awe. I hadn't yet hooked up my 32" Sharp AQUOS, full 1080p LCD HDTV; even on an SDTV, the game is jaw-dropping. I began playing late at night so, in order to avoid waking people up (it was during that gross, muggy, hot stretch, so all windows were open), I plugged in a quality pair of immersive headphones. With the decibels at a good height, the melancholy, wailing strings of the game's introductory track--"Love Theme"--could not have been more perfectly complimented by a scene of frantic, futile warfare. The music plays at the fore, with a foreboding narration by the protagonist, expositing the game's world of never-ending PMC proxy wars. Visually parallel to the aural presentation is the sight of a rag-tag militia attempting to gain ground from well-equiped, starkly disciplined and supremely organized PMC troops. Faintly, the sounds of battle are heard among the piercing strings, mournful vocals and haggard narration. Scenes of a sniper and his spotter cut through the fore-sounds with the sudden, mechanical CRACKS of an M14 sniper rifle. Explosions too disrupt the aural beauty amid the ocular carnage; not only in sheer audio but also visually, with debris and soil caking and scratching the camera.
Then, as the strings reach their crescendo, on-screen indicators--an HUD--fade onto the screen as the camera zooms skilfully into clear view of the protagonist. Suddenly, you're in control. The game seamlessly, fluidly transitioned from cinematic cutscene to full-on gameplay. No fade in/fade out. At this point the missing piece of the "cinematic video game" had been firmly placed.
The awe comes not only from such a sensory assault from the start. The same crisp, sharp graphics of the cinematics are the exact same as those in the game proper. Even on an SDTV, the game looks nothing short of a CGI movie. Post-effects like bloom and motion blur and depth-of-field are in full effect as you play. The seamless transition between cinema and game happen several times in short intervals as a sort of tutorial. Then a massive, walking tank called a "Gekko" plummets onto the battlefield, complete with an intense musical theme that accompanies almost every appearance of a Gekko throughout the entire game.
Before long, it is hard to imagine any time has truly elapsed until the game notifies you of your play time during the two-to-three minute installation of the next act's data.
As far as production values go, one will be hard-pressed to find any game surpassing MGS4. It is a technical marvel and a masterpiece of game design. Is that enough?
A first impression review of MGS4 claimed it "epic and heartbreaking and creepy, like Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly meets Coppola's Apocalypse Now by way of Michael Crichton." Couldn't be more true. In certain ways....
Whilst the game truly draws cues and artistic references from the aforementioned works (and styles), it merely draws cues and artistic references. I'll admit it: I am a purist. What has proven to be the zenith of the MGS series--MGS2--has certainly not been surpassed in terms of pure sophistication of writing. The stellar post-modern marathon run is not trumped or even met in MGS4. Though it tries at times to stretch itself beyond the norms of boorish writing for the sake of appealing to a mass market, it is anchored by the devices that made MGS3 a schlock fest of '60s camp and kitsch (which worked for MGS3, considering its setting, I suppose).
The production values and presentation are painfully scarred by some horrible writing. 'Tis a crying shame, too, because there are some powerful, deep, touching and downright beautiful moments in the game. A quietly tumultuous reunion with Meryl shows non-verbal communication in a way never seen in a video game. The painful, embarrassed, shameful turn of Snake's head to Meryl's unsure extension of a sympathetic hand, followed by Meryl's look of heartbreak has astounding impact.
However, the ambitious plot is pieced together by a shaky story that, although "tying up all loose ends," ends up feeling patched together by extreme manipulation. The ever-ruining retcon rears its ugly head more than a few times in MGS4 and it really hurts the experience, overall.
What could have been a masterfully handled epilogue (through some careful, meticulous, soft, precious handling) fell with an underwhelming "whump" amid some glimmers of beauty. Honestly, the ending is like a cloudy day, with a break in the clouds offering some sun... but only for a time.
PCWorld's review mentioned The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. That is apparent in the look of the protagonist and antagonist, both sharing appearance references to Lee Van Cleef. There is also the unspoken code between every character (especially the protagonist and antagonist) that explains certain actions through intuition and tacit understanding. Apocalypse Now is apparent in its Heart of Darkness journey further and further into shadow. Every character is brought to a new low. No character (except the aptly-named Sunny) comes to the end of the story without suffering or descending into an awful, personal place. Ultimately, though, Michael Crichton shines through.
If you're likely to hear anything come out of MGS4 after the hype dies down, it'll be "nanomachines did it" or "because of nanomachines" or, simply, "nanomachines." Sure, the game has a lot of the good Crichton: bioethics and tech-ethics are explored with a similar vigor as MGS1. A hidden lab in a South American warzone is a very Crichton-esque backdrop for discourse about said topics. However, the good stops there. Bad Crichton flows everywhere thereafter: cool sci-fi and pseudo-science are driven into Deus Ex Machina. All MGS4 needed was time travel and a T-Rex.
Too bad, since the game had a theme of "sense;" a lot of the machinery had organic parts and a man made cyborg intervenes at several key points to offer much-needed assistance. I was disappointed to see the "line between man and machine" and "soul versus motherboard" completely ignored or completely avoided at all costs.
The controls were changed largely in order to accommodate a more Western audience. Though, admittedly, the controls are more intuitive, they just feeln't like "Metal Gear." Although the revamping is nice in certain aspects (less buttons means less finger Twister as in MGS3), it eradicates some of the finer and more unique aspects of MGS control (controls that simulate the difficulties of particular actions).
If MGS4 took one mark of sophistication, 'tis its uneven pacing. The first two acts are action-oriented. Even though one may sneak one's way to the goal of each area, there is a constant and overbearing war going on. Even when at a decent distance from the more focused and dense action, the ground erupts from stray bullets and mortars and the pops of gunfire and whistles of falling artillery echo throughout. There are even some conscience-tugging sights that compel one to jump into the fray. Seeing Middle Eastern militia lose the upper hand due to the arrival of an APC and attack helicopter or seeing resolute rebels get slaughtered on the low ground during a raid on a power station or assault on a mansion stronghold can and will tug at the heart strings, making sacrificing stealth for overt action for the sole sake of aid an almost necessary choice. The first two acts are not only the most action-y, they're also the longest, with several paths and methods available to reaching the goal. Then the game shifts gear completely. Truly, it becomes a whole other game. In the midst of an Eastern Europe curfew during trying times, the first part of Act Three is pure stealth, with a deliberate pace as one tails a member of a successful resistance. Then Act Four shifts gears again... into very familiar territory. Not only is the location familiar but the play mechanics required for reaching the goal are of the sort that permeated the first two MGS games. Act Five then goes back further and hearkens back to the "one screen at a time" design of the old MSX2 titles. Be prepared for a visually stunning final battle!
The bottom line? Sure, the game has received 10/10s almost across the board. Despite it deserving an 8/10 in all honesty, to be fair, it's a 9/10. Perhaps my expectations are too high or I am too spoiled by the innovative direction of MGS2 but the more casual out there will truly be in awe at the marvel that is the spectacle of MGS4. Despite its flaws, it definitely sets the bar for the current-gen.
Wow... and I hadn't even touched upon the game's features/clever product placement.
My immediate impression of MGS4 was one of complete and total awe. I hadn't yet hooked up my 32" Sharp AQUOS, full 1080p LCD HDTV; even on an SDTV, the game is jaw-dropping. I began playing late at night so, in order to avoid waking people up (it was during that gross, muggy, hot stretch, so all windows were open), I plugged in a quality pair of immersive headphones. With the decibels at a good height, the melancholy, wailing strings of the game's introductory track--"Love Theme"--could not have been more perfectly complimented by a scene of frantic, futile warfare. The music plays at the fore, with a foreboding narration by the protagonist, expositing the game's world of never-ending PMC proxy wars. Visually parallel to the aural presentation is the sight of a rag-tag militia attempting to gain ground from well-equiped, starkly disciplined and supremely organized PMC troops. Faintly, the sounds of battle are heard among the piercing strings, mournful vocals and haggard narration. Scenes of a sniper and his spotter cut through the fore-sounds with the sudden, mechanical CRACKS of an M14 sniper rifle. Explosions too disrupt the aural beauty amid the ocular carnage; not only in sheer audio but also visually, with debris and soil caking and scratching the camera.
Then, as the strings reach their crescendo, on-screen indicators--an HUD--fade onto the screen as the camera zooms skilfully into clear view of the protagonist. Suddenly, you're in control. The game seamlessly, fluidly transitioned from cinematic cutscene to full-on gameplay. No fade in/fade out. At this point the missing piece of the "cinematic video game" had been firmly placed.
The awe comes not only from such a sensory assault from the start. The same crisp, sharp graphics of the cinematics are the exact same as those in the game proper. Even on an SDTV, the game looks nothing short of a CGI movie. Post-effects like bloom and motion blur and depth-of-field are in full effect as you play. The seamless transition between cinema and game happen several times in short intervals as a sort of tutorial. Then a massive, walking tank called a "Gekko" plummets onto the battlefield, complete with an intense musical theme that accompanies almost every appearance of a Gekko throughout the entire game.
Before long, it is hard to imagine any time has truly elapsed until the game notifies you of your play time during the two-to-three minute installation of the next act's data.
As far as production values go, one will be hard-pressed to find any game surpassing MGS4. It is a technical marvel and a masterpiece of game design. Is that enough?
A first impression review of MGS4 claimed it "epic and heartbreaking and creepy, like Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly meets Coppola's Apocalypse Now by way of Michael Crichton." Couldn't be more true. In certain ways....
Whilst the game truly draws cues and artistic references from the aforementioned works (and styles), it merely draws cues and artistic references. I'll admit it: I am a purist. What has proven to be the zenith of the MGS series--MGS2--has certainly not been surpassed in terms of pure sophistication of writing. The stellar post-modern marathon run is not trumped or even met in MGS4. Though it tries at times to stretch itself beyond the norms of boorish writing for the sake of appealing to a mass market, it is anchored by the devices that made MGS3 a schlock fest of '60s camp and kitsch (which worked for MGS3, considering its setting, I suppose).
The production values and presentation are painfully scarred by some horrible writing. 'Tis a crying shame, too, because there are some powerful, deep, touching and downright beautiful moments in the game. A quietly tumultuous reunion with Meryl shows non-verbal communication in a way never seen in a video game. The painful, embarrassed, shameful turn of Snake's head to Meryl's unsure extension of a sympathetic hand, followed by Meryl's look of heartbreak has astounding impact.
However, the ambitious plot is pieced together by a shaky story that, although "tying up all loose ends," ends up feeling patched together by extreme manipulation. The ever-ruining retcon rears its ugly head more than a few times in MGS4 and it really hurts the experience, overall.
What could have been a masterfully handled epilogue (through some careful, meticulous, soft, precious handling) fell with an underwhelming "whump" amid some glimmers of beauty. Honestly, the ending is like a cloudy day, with a break in the clouds offering some sun... but only for a time.
PCWorld's review mentioned The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. That is apparent in the look of the protagonist and antagonist, both sharing appearance references to Lee Van Cleef. There is also the unspoken code between every character (especially the protagonist and antagonist) that explains certain actions through intuition and tacit understanding. Apocalypse Now is apparent in its Heart of Darkness journey further and further into shadow. Every character is brought to a new low. No character (except the aptly-named Sunny) comes to the end of the story without suffering or descending into an awful, personal place. Ultimately, though, Michael Crichton shines through.
If you're likely to hear anything come out of MGS4 after the hype dies down, it'll be "nanomachines did it" or "because of nanomachines" or, simply, "nanomachines." Sure, the game has a lot of the good Crichton: bioethics and tech-ethics are explored with a similar vigor as MGS1. A hidden lab in a South American warzone is a very Crichton-esque backdrop for discourse about said topics. However, the good stops there. Bad Crichton flows everywhere thereafter: cool sci-fi and pseudo-science are driven into Deus Ex Machina. All MGS4 needed was time travel and a T-Rex.
Too bad, since the game had a theme of "sense;" a lot of the machinery had organic parts and a man made cyborg intervenes at several key points to offer much-needed assistance. I was disappointed to see the "line between man and machine" and "soul versus motherboard" completely ignored or completely avoided at all costs.
The controls were changed largely in order to accommodate a more Western audience. Though, admittedly, the controls are more intuitive, they just feeln't like "Metal Gear." Although the revamping is nice in certain aspects (less buttons means less finger Twister as in MGS3), it eradicates some of the finer and more unique aspects of MGS control (controls that simulate the difficulties of particular actions).
If MGS4 took one mark of sophistication, 'tis its uneven pacing. The first two acts are action-oriented. Even though one may sneak one's way to the goal of each area, there is a constant and overbearing war going on. Even when at a decent distance from the more focused and dense action, the ground erupts from stray bullets and mortars and the pops of gunfire and whistles of falling artillery echo throughout. There are even some conscience-tugging sights that compel one to jump into the fray. Seeing Middle Eastern militia lose the upper hand due to the arrival of an APC and attack helicopter or seeing resolute rebels get slaughtered on the low ground during a raid on a power station or assault on a mansion stronghold can and will tug at the heart strings, making sacrificing stealth for overt action for the sole sake of aid an almost necessary choice. The first two acts are not only the most action-y, they're also the longest, with several paths and methods available to reaching the goal. Then the game shifts gear completely. Truly, it becomes a whole other game. In the midst of an Eastern Europe curfew during trying times, the first part of Act Three is pure stealth, with a deliberate pace as one tails a member of a successful resistance. Then Act Four shifts gears again... into very familiar territory. Not only is the location familiar but the play mechanics required for reaching the goal are of the sort that permeated the first two MGS games. Act Five then goes back further and hearkens back to the "one screen at a time" design of the old MSX2 titles. Be prepared for a visually stunning final battle!
The bottom line? Sure, the game has received 10/10s almost across the board. Despite it deserving an 8/10 in all honesty, to be fair, it's a 9/10. Perhaps my expectations are too high or I am too spoiled by the innovative direction of MGS2 but the more casual out there will truly be in awe at the marvel that is the spectacle of MGS4. Despite its flaws, it definitely sets the bar for the current-gen.
Wow... and I hadn't even touched upon the game's features/clever product placement.