The sixth and final show in our epic Metal Gear 25th Anniversary series records this coming Thursday evening (BST).
Please share your memories, opinions and experiences of the game in this thread.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Will you be reading the comments from the Character Select forum or shall I cut and paste! 
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JaySevenZero
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Re: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Character who?DomsBeard wrote:Will you be reading the comments from the Character Select forum or shall I cut and paste!
We'll no doubt be pulling any aforementioned comments from the previous thread, although if you wish to copy and paste it into our new fertile forum - please feel free!
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mikeleddy83
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Re: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
MGS4 almost made me bankrupt! I bought a PS3 two weeks before its release and a HDTV on the afternoon of its launch just a few hours into the game.
I understand the common consensus on the game is that it has long cutscenes and not enough gameplay but in my time with the game I don't actually remember a cutscene of that length most likely because I enjoyed every second of them and became completely immersed in the game, the fact these scenes were in-engine is still astounding.
Metal Gear Online was ropey in places and I don't think the main game has the best level design in the series but the number of hours I whittled away experimenting with just the octocamo on my first playthrough still haunts me today. The compact environments still have a huge amount of depth and upon recently playing with some good headphones the score and environmental sound effects are second to none.
Repeat playthroughs made it much easier to absorb the huge selection of weapons and accessories. I did an entire playthrough at one point just to listen to the integral podcasts, other playthroughs for emblems (even the chicken run) show the difference you can make to a game by focussing on different goals (the trophy patch didn’t hurt either).
I think it’s fair to say the story is a little too strong for some and I’d never think of recommending this game to anyone who wasn’t already hooked at the first solid game, for any single person already up to speed on the story it’s hard to think it could’ve been done any better and the appearance of an old face at the end of the game and the subsequent wrapping up of so many loose ties in the overall arc of the games leave Snake with nowhere to hide and one very satisfied Metal Gear fan!
So, money well spent...
To this day the game sits at the top of my PS3 games collection, though peacewalker looks quite comfortable just a box below.
I understand the common consensus on the game is that it has long cutscenes and not enough gameplay but in my time with the game I don't actually remember a cutscene of that length most likely because I enjoyed every second of them and became completely immersed in the game, the fact these scenes were in-engine is still astounding.
Metal Gear Online was ropey in places and I don't think the main game has the best level design in the series but the number of hours I whittled away experimenting with just the octocamo on my first playthrough still haunts me today. The compact environments still have a huge amount of depth and upon recently playing with some good headphones the score and environmental sound effects are second to none.
Repeat playthroughs made it much easier to absorb the huge selection of weapons and accessories. I did an entire playthrough at one point just to listen to the integral podcasts, other playthroughs for emblems (even the chicken run) show the difference you can make to a game by focussing on different goals (the trophy patch didn’t hurt either).
I think it’s fair to say the story is a little too strong for some and I’d never think of recommending this game to anyone who wasn’t already hooked at the first solid game, for any single person already up to speed on the story it’s hard to think it could’ve been done any better and the appearance of an old face at the end of the game and the subsequent wrapping up of so many loose ties in the overall arc of the games leave Snake with nowhere to hide and one very satisfied Metal Gear fan!
So, money well spent...
To this day the game sits at the top of my PS3 games collection, though peacewalker looks quite comfortable just a box below.
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Pitwar
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Re: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
The Metal Gear series is without question my favourite collection of games and MGS4 is, in my eyes, the best of the bunch.
In many ways MGS4 is total fan service. I could understand if someone were to play this and not enjoy it had they not played the previous games in the series.
Everything about MGS4 worked for me. Yes it has long cut scenes, but I had come to expect that and I enjoyed each and every one.
The standout moment had to be going back to Shadow Moses, that has to be one of my favourite video game experiences ever. I made sure to keep radio slient on the game before it came out so this section came as a total and very welcome surprise.
MGS4 is without a doubt my favourite game of all time. Although judging by the trailer, Ground Zeroes could well take the mantle, only time will tell.
In many ways MGS4 is total fan service. I could understand if someone were to play this and not enjoy it had they not played the previous games in the series.
Everything about MGS4 worked for me. Yes it has long cut scenes, but I had come to expect that and I enjoyed each and every one.
The standout moment had to be going back to Shadow Moses, that has to be one of my favourite video game experiences ever. I made sure to keep radio slient on the game before it came out so this section came as a total and very welcome surprise.
MGS4 is without a doubt my favourite game of all time. Although judging by the trailer, Ground Zeroes could well take the mantle, only time will tell.
Re: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Lots of fond memories of this game as a non PS3 owner I borrowed a friends PS3 for a week and rented MGS4 so I had to cane and rinse it! . It looks beautiful, the OST is amazing and its a great MGS game. The return to Shadow Moses was epic (shit myself when the snow covered Gekko activated) but the one memory that will sadly stick with me is.....
- Spoiler: show
Pissed me right off when Big Boss walked on. Maybe as I haven't played Peace Walker or was very aware of Metal Gear 1&2 that it made me feel like this.
Re: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid 4 is every excess of the universe packaged up into one great big dollop of accessible sneaky goodness. But it is only good if your a fan, if the journey that brought you here took you through Arctic tundras, deep jungle and secret underwater bases.
Mechanically this was the best the series has ever managed to get, providing a sneaking system that was easy to get to grips with, effective and more accessible than any of the others. More importantly for me it made sneaking fun and a viable route through the level, especially with the new camo system they introduced. The cutscenes were long and dripping with fan service, excellent for me but I suspect torture for those that had never played an earlier entry. The ending was just about perfect bar the lack of a final trigger pull, the revelations as bonkers but brilliant as I had hoped for.
But not everything was rosy. The bosses lacked any real character, morphing into mecha models without any form of distinct personality or interesting back-story. While some levels were brilliant others felt flat and listless, the European city being an example of a boring conceit dragged out for far too long. Not to mention that the technical limitations of the PS3 meant the continual installing and loading broke up the flow a bit too often.
But then that is metal gear through and through, you take the rough with the smooth and you come out with something so unique no one else can ever come close to it. For me 4 was never the pinnacle of the series, i think it falls behind the brilliance of 3 and the subversion of 2, but it is still a special experience.
Mechanically this was the best the series has ever managed to get, providing a sneaking system that was easy to get to grips with, effective and more accessible than any of the others. More importantly for me it made sneaking fun and a viable route through the level, especially with the new camo system they introduced. The cutscenes were long and dripping with fan service, excellent for me but I suspect torture for those that had never played an earlier entry. The ending was just about perfect bar the lack of a final trigger pull, the revelations as bonkers but brilliant as I had hoped for.
But not everything was rosy. The bosses lacked any real character, morphing into mecha models without any form of distinct personality or interesting back-story. While some levels were brilliant others felt flat and listless, the European city being an example of a boring conceit dragged out for far too long. Not to mention that the technical limitations of the PS3 meant the continual installing and loading broke up the flow a bit too often.
But then that is metal gear through and through, you take the rough with the smooth and you come out with something so unique no one else can ever come close to it. For me 4 was never the pinnacle of the series, i think it falls behind the brilliance of 3 and the subversion of 2, but it is still a special experience.