Metal Gear Solid 4: A discussion :)

[FOvet]

Okay, I felt I had to make this, A-because I'm a huge fan of the MGS series, and B-because it seems a LOT of people have something to say about this wonderful game (or shitty game depending on your PoV). So, I want to see all the opinions. Air them out! Metal Gear Solid 4: Discuss!

I loved this game, myself. I thought it a very well made game, with an emphasis on story-telling that the other MGS games lacked. There was plenty of drama, emotion, and you actually had more than 1 option for gameplay. You could go for stealth, as is classic MGS style...OR, you could go through with guns blazing. The consequences? Well, you might make things a shitload harder on yourself if you just go in wielding a machine gun, wading through enemy fire. This wasn't without it's fun, however, and for the first time in a MGS game, you weren't overly punished for NOT choosing stealth if you didn't want to. (Every try to play MGS: Solid Snake without using stealth? Damn near impossible).

Some complained about the cut-scenes and how long they were. I didn't, because for one, this was said to be the last MGS game. For two, there was a story to tell, and I feel it was well told via a mixture of action and cutscenes. Plus, it isn't like the cutscenes were boring to watch, or irrelevant to the story; they advanced the plot and were always fun to watch, imo. In fact, I think more games need to emphasize their storytelling better; FO3 and NV could have taken a page from Kojima's book.

Other's complained, saying that the storyline wasn't wrapped up, that there were still loads of questions left unanswered. FIrst, when has a MGS game every gave you every answer, and second...what, exactly, was left unexplained? The Patriots were explained, we know what will happen to Solid Snake, the conflict between Solid Snake and Big Boss was resolved, we know what was going on with Revolver Ocelot/Liquid Snake, Drebin was explained, Vance was dealt with, we even got to revisit Shadow-Moses Island!! I don't see what anyone has to complain about, that wasn't wrapped up. I would say MGS 4 explained a hell of a lot more than any MGS before it (and rightfully so, with it supposedly being the close of the series). So my question to all of the MGS 4 haters out there, is what was left unexplained?

Aside from all of this, MGS 4 offers a balance of stealth gameplay and all out action, with brilliant set-piece battles, superb voice acting, and enough different guns to keep even the most trigger-happy sociopath well occupied.

So I don't see where all the MGS4 criticism comes from. There's my opinion, now it's your turn

 

[Guiltyofbeingtrite]

I liked the game, and MGS3 is my favorite console game/game of all time. My main problem is the lack of actual game play. The first 2 levels had enough content, but each Act seemed to be shorter and shorter and ditching the whole overarching PMC conflict on the ground.

 

[mobucks]

Hideo makes great action scenes but the deep heady story shit and cute children kinda runs over my head. I still watch all the cutscenes, albeit only once for MGS4.

MGS 2/3 had great stories. Or at least the parts I understood seemed great.

Brilliant game designer though. One of my fav. series ever.

Also, you can definately rambo through MGS3. If you kill everyone they will eventually run out of guards to reinforce the area during an alarm.

 

[FOvet]

Very true, and I love the term 'rambo' everyone. I will forever use that term from now on, and give credit to mobucks ^__^

The thing is, you were always 'punished' for ramboing through everyone. This occred moreso in MGS Solid Snake then it did in 2 or 3, but there was still strong reasons to just use stealth. For one, it was a hell of a lot easier to sneak through areas than initiate combat; every damn guard in the area would swarm your ass if you broke cover and started flailing a gun around. It didn't take long to get surrounded, and let's face it: even Big Boss is hard pressed to handle a group of 5+ soldiers equipped with assault rifles and grenades.

I think MGS is one of those games where the storyline is so deep that on the surface it's hard to follow. You have to really sit down and think about what's going on, and even then, without playing through the entire series of 4 games, you will miss bits of information crucial to the story. Every game except 4 always left far more questions than answers; they were mere teasers leaving you hanging and thinking "OMFG what just happened?!"

I definately think the strong focus on story isn't for every gamer. I do think that anyone who appreciates a good story, in theory, should appreciate the focus MGS has always placed on story. Yes the earlier ones had a lot more action and were faster paced, but the focus in the MGS series has always been on the story being told, I think. And that story has always been very intriguing.