Overview:
A game that spans multiple decades, multiple generations of systems, genetics, media, etc., Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is, for all intents and purposes, the swansong of the Metal Gear Solid saga. Everything the past games have been building up to are seemingly answered in this final chapter. In the not too distant future, you take the role of Snake as you travel the world in your quest to put down your clone/cowboy who is running amok and causing havoc to the world. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be bewildered, but, in the end, you will be super satisfied with what this game has to offer. You can sneak if you want, but I don’t play that way!
Visuals:
This game is doing some impressive stuff despite the hardware it’s on. I know the PlayStation 3 was seen as a beast when it first was announced but that all turned out to be fluff. MGS4 does have that look of the mid/late 2000s of everything had to be drab and brown which is a shame. It also runs at a piss poor frame rate at times. But when everything is clicking, it looks so fucking good. It’s a damn shame that this game is stuck on the PS3 with no other way to play it.
Audio:
I think this game is where Kojima really hit his 4th wall breaking stride. While the sounds of the world are immersive and hyper realistic, you do have an iPod on you at all times where you can play a Metal Gear Solid 4 podcast straight from Konami’s headquarters. I love the way the Gekko’s sound with their moos. The strange hand creatures. The voice acting is top notch with all your favorite characters. There really was no expense spared on this game. All except for the burping the characters make when they drink a cola. That shit sounds so terrible.
Completion:
I FINISHED THIS GAME! After Death Stranding I went on a MGS kick. I bought the MGS Master Collection and played through all the games with my girlfriend watching. I felt the story had to be completed and bust out the PS3 and played through the game for the first time. I knew the story beats from watching a “movie” version of it back in 2008 but I was still floored with how the story made me feel. She was even more of a mess all throughout. It was such a wonderful game and, as I said in the beginning, a swansong for the entire series. It is really such a good game and deserves to be released from its PS3 prison. But if it must stay on there, then you owe it to yourself to pick up a system and play this game.
