Metal Gear Solid 4 : 1st review - 10/10

[gtech]

nope still not working??? i give up

thx kalniel

[kalniel]

Go advanced and untick the retrieve titles from external links button.

[gtech]

OK there's NO spoilers so dont worry, this is just a quick run through of the game and characters...



BATTLEFIELDS
Up to now, the MGS series has always been based on the concept of sneaking through enemy territory. Whether infiltrating enemy bases, terrorist-occupied buildings, or tracking
through the jungle, the setting always belonged to the enemy. But the world of MGS4 is not that simple. The difficulties Snake faces in his mission will come not from SCENEs like
jungles and fortresses, but from "situations." The battlefield is defined by an endless series of conflicts between PMCs and militias. Snake will need to think faster than ever to cope
with the constantly shifting conditions on the ground.

Snake can even join the battle if he wishes. He begins the game by sneaking onto the battlefield disguised as a militiaman. By aiding the militias in battle, he can help get rid of their
PMC opponents and make it easier to reach his goal. Instead of being at the whim of his environment, Snake can actively take advantage of the situation to further his mission objectives.

Snake may decide to support one side, or he may decide to stay out of it and try to slip through in the confusion; it's all up to the player. MGS4 combines the tension of having to make
decisions on the fly with the overwhelming sense of freedom you get from being able to play the game your way - and this, more than anything else, is what sets MGS4 apart from
previous games.

CAMERA
The camera in MGS4 has far more freedom than in previous games. The basis of the camera work is the the Third Person View introduced in MGS3: Subsistence. Viewing the action
from behind and above Snake gives the player a wide-ranging view of the battlefield. The angle and height of the camera can be freely controlled.

The player can also switch to First Person View at any time to assess the surrounding area or nail a more precise shot. The player is also able to move around in First Person View.

OCTOCAMO
OctoCamo helps camouflage Snake by copying not only the color of the surrounding terrain, but also the contours and the texture. In addition to visible light, OctoCamo traps infrared
radiation from the body and copies the background infrared of the surrounding environment, rendering Snake invisible even to the infrared cameras mounted on the unmanned Gekko.
There are also manually selectable preset camo variations, such as the rock-like Statue Camo, allowing players to choose their own patterns as well as copy their surroundings.

Give Snake two to three seconds without moving, and he immediately blends into the surroundings, taking on the textured appearance of the surface he's kneeling next to or lying on.
It's an excellent trick that innately builds upon the camouflage elements of Snake Eater and makes it much easier to evade detection by intelligent PMC troops as long as you don't
attract attention with obvious movement. Inchworming along the ground while camouflaged or rolling from one location to the other shouldn't attract much attention

METAL GEAR MK.II
Metal Gear MK.II is a small, mobile, remotely operated terminal developed by Snake's long-time comrade, Otacon. The Mk.II is equipped with stealth capabilities and is suited mainly
for scouting and reconnaissance, but it has other functions as well. It can knock opponents out with an electric shock, can carry Snake's gear for him, and serve as a communications
link with Otacon, making it an extremely reliable partner.

SOLID EYE
Another device developed by Otacon. It combines the capabilities of binoculars, night-vision goggles, and thermal goggles into one package. Moreover, the Solid Eye amplifies the
data collected from Snake's five senses and projects it onto Snake's field of vision. This function provides an integrated visual display of the "vibes" Snake gets from enemy soldiers
and machines - smells, sounds, and movements. It tells Snake where the enemy is and how stable or unstable things are in battle. It also lets Snake know how easy he is to spot.
Getting into a stable position on one knee and focusing mentally will increase the Solid Eye's precision.

ENVIRONMENTS
MGS4 is much more of an open-world affair than the previous games. While there are still specific locations that Snake will need to get to (which will constantly be indicated on
Snake's mini-map), the environments that he finds himself in will provide multiple paths to get him to his eventual destination. This provides much more flexibility in how you
fight your way through the battlefields that engulf MGS4.

FRIEND OR FOE
By choosing to fight alongside the militia, you can slowly build confidence with the warriors. This can be advantageous to you, because if you convince them of your intentions, the
resistance soldiers will provide covering fire, hand you ammunition and even provide health items that you can use to restore your flagging energy. However, this alliance can be
a fragile one, particularly if your aim is poor. Not only will your former allies turn on you if they sense something suspicious, but all of the other soldiers will immediately know if
you've betrayed their comrades, and you may need to change back into your militia gear to avoid suspicion or to better blend in with resistance groups that aren't friendly so you can
accomplish your mission.

SOLDIERS
Your enemys are much more alert this time. These troops won't merely walk along simple patrol paths. They'll actively scan environments for trouble,
communicating anything suspicious to their comrades and call in for backup, making them much more threatening than previous enemies Snake has faced.

GEKKOS
These metal monstrosities, which have dominated the previously released trailers of the game, can easily eliminate a platoon of men without showing a single scratch, and their
agility at climbing walls, leaping barricades, and firing at individuals makes them a threat in both close combat and long range situations.

FROGS
Liquid's elite personal guard known as the FROGS. Another squad of superhumanly-enhanced soldiers shown in previously released trailers, this all-female squad boasts
cybernetic suits that allow them to cling to walls and fire at their enemies (you) from any angle. Their speed and acrobatic skills help them avoid incoming fire, which
makes them even more dangerous.

[magneticman]

Aaaww sorry mate, you mean this one v v





???

hhmm doesnt look like the links are working??

i've posted them but they are not showing?? anyways it was a link to play.com(uk) where they have the special edition for £79.99, oh and dont get a jp or us version because you wont be able to play online.

yeah that's the thing, once i get on the page - there is no link to buy nor is the price stated anywhere?

are you seeing these?

[gtech]

yeah that's the thing, once i get on the page - there is no link to buy nor is the price stated anywhere?

are you seeing these?

Once you click on the link then the item is added to your basket in top right hand corner, then click checkout, then you need to log in but i'm not a member so from there...?

I pre-ordered mine from gameplay.

[magneticman]

ah yes! didn't see that before, thanks lol

*ordered it, and just checked ebay and people are bidding on it for £165 at the moment!!

more than double the retail SO far haha.

[spazman]

innovative install system? umm maybe it installs in the background while playing the game

From what ive been told by reps, cool stuff happens during some installs, what this is i have no idea, im just saying what ive been told.

And i do have fans tell me about why they want it for the story, just most gamers are idiots.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

From what ive been told by reps, cool stuff happens during some installs, what this is i have no idea, im just saying what ive been told.

And i do have fans tell me about why they want it for the story, just most gamers are idiots.

well if thats the case then konami have every right to tell reviwers not to mention the install then! i wouldnt want idiots like gamespot and egm spoiling the big surprise over the installation. these reviewers are soo daft if all is true

[ajbrun]

Is there something about the limited edition that I'm missing? I've pre-ordered the normal game for just under £35, and it seems to me that the limited edition one is £80 (£45 more), and comes with an action figure (who cares), a documentarty (the MGS:2 one was OK) and the soundtrack. Is it really worth spending the extra £45 for the documentary and soundtrack, or is there something more too?

("More" means more than extra artwork or whatever. "More" means something worthwhile.)

[Agent]

well if thats the case then konami have every right to tell reviwers not to mention the install then!

No, they don't.

If a publisher says "you can't talk about this" - they have lost creditability. I don't care if its about the bloody box-art of the game, or what colour the manual is, you just don't do it to reviewers.

If a reviewer goes mentioning spoilers for a game, they will get lynched anyway. Publishers do not have to "protect" the public from this non sense.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

But the install is a spoiler though and i highly doubt mgs4 is the only game that demanded not to talk about TWO things in a review but who knows. i respect your view but i disagree as imo gamespot and co are just being over the top and i reckon that if this was a 360 game, there would be no fuss about it.

[ajbrun]

I think what agent is trying to say is that the ending is obviously a big spoiler, but as far as I know, there's been no restrictions on discussing the ending - only the install size and cut scenes. Obviously, all the reviewers have had access to the ending, and are under no restriction not to spoil it in any of their reviews (as far as I know). The point is that they haven't. If the installer is meant to be kept a surprise, then any sane review would keep it that way, just by saying there's something "special" about it without going into specifics.

As agent said, if the installer is a spoiler (in the same way the ending would be, but to a much lesser extent of course), and it's talked about in detail, then that review site would get abused in the same way gamespot did a few weeks back about another issue.

I'm all for this game, and I personally couldn't care how long either the cut scenes or the install time/size is, but why should a publisher restrict reviewers from talking about parts of their product? If this was to be taken further, these parts could quite easily be the worst parts of the game. You wouldn't like a game to be out for review and the publisher to restrict anyone talking about the graphics, would you?

Again, taking this scenario further, this could almost be as bad as review sites being paid/bribed/persuaded to give a game a glowing review, expect the MGS issue is for all sites that want to review the game before release, not just the few that could be swayed.

[kalniel]

and i reckon that if this was a 360 game, there would be no fuss about it.

Why do you say that?

[Agent]

But the install is a spoiler though and i highly doubt mgs4 is the only game that demanded not to talk about TWO things in a review but who knows. i respect your view but i disagree as imo gamespot and co are just being over the top and i reckon that if this was a 360 game, there would be no fuss about it.

My word, is that all you can fall back to? Nonsensical whining about if it was a 360 game there would be "no fuss". Seriously?
It seems that everyone here is interested in the publishers restrictions, yet you keep coming back to talking about the 360 in it.

Look, if the install is the best god-dam-beast of an install that makes my synapses explode three times over, great, a reviewer can tell people that the install is amazing without saying what is so good about it. They do this for the storyline of almost any game that's realised. Could you imagine Nick doing a video review of the next Final Fantasy, with the video randomly cutting to a 10 second spoiler of the entire game in the style of Yatzee? Honestly? No. Reviewers just don't do that.
And if he did, how well do you think HEXUS would do in peoples ratings list in the future?

[Agent]

SPOILER - Do not click this link if you don't want to know
(It only covers a small 30 seconds of the install and not the actual game)

Link

Really, I was expecting something amazing.
Ironic, who would have thought that the spoiler would sound like a few of the guys posting in this thread?

[j.o.s.h.1408]

My word, is that all you can fall back to? Nonsensical whining about if it was a 360 game there would be "no fuss". Seriously?
It seems that everyone here is interested in the publishers restrictions, yet you keep coming back to talking about the 360 in it.

Look, if the install is the best god-dam-beast of an install that makes my synapses explode three times over, great, a reviewer can tell people that the install is amazing without saying what is so good about it. They do this for the storyline of almost any game that's realised. Could you imagine Nick doing a video review of the next Final Fantasy, with the video randomly cutting to a 10 second spoiler of the entire game in the style of Yatzee? Honestly? No. Reviewers just don't do that.
And if he did, how well do you think HEXUS would do in peoples ratings list in the future?

well said