Archive for February, 2009

So this post is coming a little late, but it's one I think I should touch on because my game varies from a lot of people's.  Some of the titles that got a lot of attention for GOTY were games like Grand Theft Auto 4, Left 4 Dead, Fallout 3...all amazing games.  Still, there was one HUGE blockbuster that came out a little earlier in the year that I think was unfortunately overlooked.  It's a game that had been anticipated for years, it was created by arguably the best Japanese developer, and it was most definitely branded as an all-important "system seller."

I am, of course, talking about Metal Gear Solid 4 for the Playstation 3.  This is a bit of a departure for me because I hadn't even owned a PS3 until this past year, and my 360 still gets the bulk of my gaming attention.  Still, I can't hate on a game just because it's on this platform or that.  MGS4 kept me enthralled all the way through, I loved the story, and it was the only game that came out last year where I took a step back and thought to myself "wow, I've never seen anything like this in a game before."  I play a stupid amount of games, so even at the time to hear myself utter such a phrase was pretty exciting.

It's really hard to talk about MGS4, a game based on its intricate plot, without spoiling it.  For that reason I'm just going to touch on some of the things that kept me coming back.  First off, the variation between the different acts and the gameplay in each.  In the first act (and even most of the second) you're pretty much just playing a standard Metal Gear game.  Sneak around the bad guys, take them out stealthily, and progress through the level without being caught.  The ages-old formula is still extremely fun, and it's nice to start the game with a bit of a callback in order to get your bearings, especially considering the length of time that elapsed between Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and this game.

Each act after that brings a significantly different view on things, while still emphasising the original stealth espionage gameplay.  It's really hard to discuss it any further but I have to say the payoff for fans in the later acts is very high.  MGS4 let me play through a scenario that I was wishing for ever since I played the original Metal Gear Solid game, and there are even plenty of callbacks that go as far back as Shadow Moses Island from MGS1.  There's no question that the Metal Gear franchise has a uniquely intricate plot and therefore many gamers questioned Hideo Kojima's ability to tie up all of the loose ends in what was branded Solid Snake's last adventure - he succeeded.

So all-in-all MGS4 is an absolutely great game.  There are tons of huge, epic set pieces that made my jaw drop, but the fundamental gameplay is still fun as well.  The graphics are gorgeous, sound design is spot-on, and most importantly the story telling is enthralling.  If you own a Playstation 3 chances are good that you own a copy of MGS4, but just in case you don't, go out and pick it up.  At the time it seemed as though MGS4 was the reason I owned my PS3, and I can still safely support that argument.  It's my favorite game on the platform so far, and might end up remaining so throughout the PS3's life cycle.