The first thing that was great was the graphics. The graphics were absolutely amazing. I played it on a regular tube and on HD. They are both great. Especially the way which fighting scenes had taken place. You can literally see where the world of technology has come to. The next great thing was snake. Even though snake is now known as “old snake”, the way he moves and does things doesn’t affect the legend whatsoever. The most greatest thing that really made this a truly great game was the explanation of everything! Everything you have not understood, MGS4 made the extra initiative to make sure you were left knowing what everything meant.

The story line was specatular. This game literally throws so many curveballs at you that you can never predict what you’re going to do in this game. The new octocamo was another great thing. Snake has this uniform that is able to camoflaugh itself into anything snake touches. That was pure brillance by Knoami. I know I should’ve added this into the understanding portion, but Knoami does an excellent way to bring back the characters and point out there purpose. I can literally write a huge essay, but I’m writing some of the basics. I think many should buy or rent the game to know what I’m talking about. This game has left me breathless. Knoami’s brilliance really stood out while making this final saga. I recommend every metal gear solid fan to play this final saga!
Rating: 4 / 5

I can’t speak to the storyline yet as I’m only a few hours in, but it seems solid so far although I’m sure there will be a few bumps in the road later on as with all MGS games after the first.

Graphics are outstanding, controls are intuitive for the most part (Stance changing can still be a pain, but improved from MGS3), gameplay is intense and interesting, cutscenes are exciting, I really have very little to complain about.

As far as complaints, the graphics can tend to break down a little bit in some of the larger environments, and you can see a little bit of texture artifacts in the distant walls and buildings. Nothing huge, but I noticed it.
Also, the enemy AI can be a little sad at times, at least with generic PMC levels on the battlefield zones. I’ve found that just sniping at guys from a few streets away causes them to panic and take cover or call for backup, but not necessarily attempt to return fire or flank you.
Rating: 5 / 5

SPOILER ALERT
Then there is the story. A lot of people harp on the Metal Gear Series because the story is full of twists. One person even said that the plot was twists and only twists. That person missed the point completely. Especially by the end of this game, it becomes apparent what Kojima had been pushing for. The message about humanity is clear… the MGS series has always been anti-war, anti-genetic determinism, anti-environmental determinism, every mistake that humanity has ever made with regards to war and control of the populous has been addressed in some way. Consider the history through which Kojima derives his inspiration. His home country of Japan experienced an apocalypse during WWII while causing an apocalypse in mainland Asia at the same time.

In all situations of war no matter who begins the fight or where it starts or ends, the young will repeat the mistakes of the old, and the old will let the knowledge gained from their mistakes slip away with death. Even the most heinous actions, deception, murder, are a means to an end, and the end is all that really matters.
SPOILERS OVER

Gameplay was spectacular. The MGS franchise is one of very few that has made significant gameplay improvements with every subsequent release. Control of Snake feels much more fluid, yet at the same time you can feel his age in the way he performs. Though he is more agile and powerful than the average human could ever be, he isn’t quite the same old Snake. He is THE Old Snake.

Old Snake gets a lot of neat toys in this game, too. Most notably is his chameleon suit. If he lays flat, his suit will automatically adopt the pattern of the materials that are on the floor. By pressing the “triangle” button while up against a wall, he will adopt those coverings as well.

The second great toy is Drebin’s shop. Drebin is a weapons launderer who gives Old Snake full access to replacement ammo and other supplies. ID Locked weapons can be converted to old-world weapons that do not require nanomachine permissions. There are A LOT of weapons in this game. First time through you probably won’t get to experience all of them, and that is okay. Just check them out on your next run. The game is only about 10-15 hours long depending on how you choose to play. Also, through Drebin’s shop Old Snake can modify his weapon. The first weapon, the M4 Custom is a good all-purpose weapon. It packs a decent punch and holds 30 rounds. It can be modded with a shotgun attachment, grenade launcher, or foregrip for stability. Laser sights and scopes can also be added to the M4 and other select weapons. So play around and have fun.

Next up, the enemies. In this game, it is impossible to hate the enemies you fight (except for Vamp) because they are amazing, flat-out. Whether they are GECKOS (bipedal beast machines), FROGS (all-female supersoldiers), or Private Military Company militia-men (remnants of their humanity will keep you grounded), or the Beauty and the Beast Corps (best enemies in of all time in videogames?), enemies are not just targets. Kojima and his crew made the enemies in this game characters to be admired. They neither have names nor faces, but they will f*** your day up very quickly if you do not respect their power. From the top down, they are all capable killers.

The humanity of this game lies within Snake’s allies. Meryl, Eva, Hal, the Colonel, Mae Ling, Raiden, Rosemary, Naomi, and especially Sunny represent the other side of life. Old Snake is a manufactured product of war, the only life he has ever known. No machine can imitate or destroy the compassion that these individuals shared. This is passion. I won’t go on, can’t explain much else without major spoilers.

Gameplay, people, visuals, this game is stunning. Metal Gear Sold 4 exemplifies why videogames deserve to be celebrated as art. It has the story worthy of novel publishing, breath-taking visuals, engrossing music, and an all-around realism that we celebrate in paintings such as the Mona Lisa. If only more videogame producers put this much time and effort into a game. Production for perfection… long hours, perspiration, and inspiration to produce the culmination of one’s efforts… that is art… this is art.

If you are a casual gamer, this is not for you. If you have never played the other MGS games, this is probably not for you. Play through MGS1-3 in order to get the story and gameplay straight, and then play MGS4.

For everyone who has been trying to compare this game to COD and HALO…come on. MGS4 is not a pure shooter. They put it nice and bold on the cover, “Tactical Espionage Action”. That means be sneaky and use force only as needed. Play a “shooter” and judge other shooters with it. MGS4 is NOT, I repeat, is NOT a shooter.

Could this go down as one of the best games of all time? Absolutely. Game of the Year? For sure. It is in a league of its own. Nothing else plays like it. Few other games are as engrossed in the mystique of political/sci-fi conspiracy. Too few have such dedicated stories. In most games, the producer’s passion is not as apparent. MGS4 had a 105 degree fever with Kojima’s ardor for gaming perfection. The game feels like he and his team cared.

Gameplay 5
Video 5 – Cutscenes are long but not at all boring
Audio 5
Story 5
Rating: 5 / 5

The metal gear franchise has always pushed the boundaries of what a game could be, and challenged the preconceptions of the audience. MGS4 starts out with, of all things, a short live action film about marine fauna. The in-game store discounts weapons (in real time) on wednesdays and sundays. These are just a few examples, but there are many more. The story has both the philosophical and political musings as well as the bizarre humor and one of a kind characters that fans expect.

The gameplay is more open and the action is more intense than in prior games. The environments seem much bigger and are bustling with npcs engaged in building to building warfare. Snake can join either side in the conflict or ignore them and sneak by. He has a ton of new weapons and gadgets as well.
The graphics are among the most impressive I have seen in a game. The characters are solid physical presences with subtle, lifelike facial expressions. The mechs move with an animal grace and hunt with a keen intelligence that belies their artificial construction.

Overall, the game is an experience that should not be missed by anyone with a PS3. If you don’t already own a PS3, this game alone would justify its purchase. It is by far the most creative, original, and technically polished game to appear on the system to date.
Rating: 5 / 5