If there is one game the PS3 has been sorely missing since it's release, it’s one with big manly words in the title. The best I could find so far is Warhawk, not bad but not quite Gears of War or Crackdown. But fret no longer PS3 owners, if you are insecure in your sexuality, you can now proudly display a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4 from your gaming shelf. Friends and neighbours will no longer be curious about the amount of hair product you’ve been using and will never suspect you only bought a copy so you could stare at Snake’s solid butt cheeks for the next 25 hours: you’re now a red-blooded male, grrrr.
I suppose, looking back, Metal Gear Solid should be quite proud of the fact it’s managed to provide some sort of titillation to every possible sexual persuasion on the planet. Naomi is the most schizophrenic of femmes fatals who sees no need for bras or shirt buttons, and Raiden is often mistaken for a girl who likes to run about butt naked. Then at one point during the first game a wolf piddles on Snake (I bet that does something for someone, somewhere). There are so many examples of this type of goings-on in MGS4 that I couldn’t possibly go into them all here, plus I’d get far too distracted. What I’m slightly more interested in is why Kojima continues adding so much variety (not to mention volume) when it comes to thinking up sexy bits for MGS4. Being inclusive is all well and good but he seems to follow the same tact of volume and variety over logic when constructing the story to disastrous effects.
The story is by no means terrible it’s just terribly confused. At times it feels like a recitation from a Vet of both gulf wars with half a pound of depleted uranium in his head. He’s trying to piece together as much as he can but can only recall those epic moments that are having the most effect on his post traumatic stress. The story attempts to be dramatic, comical, moving, and tragic, while at the same time trying to hold together great depths of intertwining plot and to cover all of recent human history. To Kojima’s credit, he more then succeeds at hitting all of these targets, just not in one consistent or convincing story. There are so many examples of this, but, it’s probably best illustrated in Raiden’s narrative. He comes into the game all suped up as a suicidal cyborg ninja. He’s constantly blathering on about having nothing left to live for; outdoing most hippos when it comes to wallowing in his own self-pity. A perfect vehicle for a heroic tragic death you might think, well it would be if he didn’t have so many of them. He’s stabbed a bazzillian times by Vamp (left a whisper from death), crushed by rubble (seemingly dead), crushed by a super tanker (left convinced of death), then fights off a horde of enemies with no arms (assumed no way of survival), only to turn up at the end of the game with not a bloody scratch on him, in a hospital with 2 arms!!! My point is every one of his epic death scenes is so well constructed and emotionally resonating you’re convinced he’s going to cop it this time. However, when he turns up again all fine and dandy you feel somehow emotionally short changed. If it wasn’t for some exceptional acting and Kojima’s outstanding directing of these individual scenes, I would have started skipping most them half way through the game. Instead, on two counts I shed a tear at the end, which, it should be noted, has never happened to me before whilst playing a video game - well unless preceded by 50 failed attempts at trying to finish Alex the Kid.
The gameplay is similarly comprised of many possibly conflicting elements, here, however, they fit together perfectly. For instance, in previous MGS games going all Rambo in a level was an excellent way to get your butt a good bullet roasting. Here it’s quite possible, if you so wish, to hit the deck like Arnie on a roid rage trip and waste every mo fo in sight. Then after you’ve snuffed out an enemy soldier you’re able to fence his gun for credit to buy more hardware. This is no doubt more fun than creeping about in the shadows but with Snake getting on a bit he needs to chill out with a Playboy and a ciggie every now and then to recover (I kid you not). Don’t worry, if you also get cagey around loud noises as there is a nice lump sum for avoiding contact altogether. The gameplay continues to take you to new and interesting places without you feeling alone and helpless unlike the end of some infamous stag night. Some of the more memorable activities have you following a resistance member (dressed like Dick Tracey) without giving away your position or letting him get captured, track someone as if hunting wabbits and one where you attempt to hold your nerve through a breathtaking chase sequence. It honestly had me begging for another hour long cut scene, just to get my heart rate down again. Most of these sections are perhaps a little easy to overcome on the normal difficulty setting but this does not distract from the overall enjoyment of them. At worst, you may feel a little disappointed after completing a certain section but only because you’ll have several other tactics swimming around your head and you just can’t wait to try next time.
In the end Metal Gear Solid 4 tries desperately to give you your monies worth. Some cracks are formed by stuffing so much in but, ultimately, it provides in abundance and with a great amount of satisfaction in most areas of the game. If you’re still having second thoughts about picking up a copy, just remember, it’s a must buy that will show your mates a lot more about where your PS3 is coming from than it will about you.
I suppose, looking back, Metal Gear Solid should be quite proud of the fact it’s managed to provide some sort of titillation to every possible sexual persuasion on the planet. Naomi is the most schizophrenic of femmes fatals who sees no need for bras or shirt buttons, and Raiden is often mistaken for a girl who likes to run about butt naked. Then at one point during the first game a wolf piddles on Snake (I bet that does something for someone, somewhere). There are so many examples of this type of goings-on in MGS4 that I couldn’t possibly go into them all here, plus I’d get far too distracted. What I’m slightly more interested in is why Kojima continues adding so much variety (not to mention volume) when it comes to thinking up sexy bits for MGS4. Being inclusive is all well and good but he seems to follow the same tact of volume and variety over logic when constructing the story to disastrous effects.
The story is by no means terrible it’s just terribly confused. At times it feels like a recitation from a Vet of both gulf wars with half a pound of depleted uranium in his head. He’s trying to piece together as much as he can but can only recall those epic moments that are having the most effect on his post traumatic stress. The story attempts to be dramatic, comical, moving, and tragic, while at the same time trying to hold together great depths of intertwining plot and to cover all of recent human history. To Kojima’s credit, he more then succeeds at hitting all of these targets, just not in one consistent or convincing story. There are so many examples of this, but, it’s probably best illustrated in Raiden’s narrative. He comes into the game all suped up as a suicidal cyborg ninja. He’s constantly blathering on about having nothing left to live for; outdoing most hippos when it comes to wallowing in his own self-pity. A perfect vehicle for a heroic tragic death you might think, well it would be if he didn’t have so many of them. He’s stabbed a bazzillian times by Vamp (left a whisper from death), crushed by rubble (seemingly dead), crushed by a super tanker (left convinced of death), then fights off a horde of enemies with no arms (assumed no way of survival), only to turn up at the end of the game with not a bloody scratch on him, in a hospital with 2 arms!!! My point is every one of his epic death scenes is so well constructed and emotionally resonating you’re convinced he’s going to cop it this time. However, when he turns up again all fine and dandy you feel somehow emotionally short changed. If it wasn’t for some exceptional acting and Kojima’s outstanding directing of these individual scenes, I would have started skipping most them half way through the game. Instead, on two counts I shed a tear at the end, which, it should be noted, has never happened to me before whilst playing a video game - well unless preceded by 50 failed attempts at trying to finish Alex the Kid.
The gameplay is similarly comprised of many possibly conflicting elements, here, however, they fit together perfectly. For instance, in previous MGS games going all Rambo in a level was an excellent way to get your butt a good bullet roasting. Here it’s quite possible, if you so wish, to hit the deck like Arnie on a roid rage trip and waste every mo fo in sight. Then after you’ve snuffed out an enemy soldier you’re able to fence his gun for credit to buy more hardware. This is no doubt more fun than creeping about in the shadows but with Snake getting on a bit he needs to chill out with a Playboy and a ciggie every now and then to recover (I kid you not). Don’t worry, if you also get cagey around loud noises as there is a nice lump sum for avoiding contact altogether. The gameplay continues to take you to new and interesting places without you feeling alone and helpless unlike the end of some infamous stag night. Some of the more memorable activities have you following a resistance member (dressed like Dick Tracey) without giving away your position or letting him get captured, track someone as if hunting wabbits and one where you attempt to hold your nerve through a breathtaking chase sequence. It honestly had me begging for another hour long cut scene, just to get my heart rate down again. Most of these sections are perhaps a little easy to overcome on the normal difficulty setting but this does not distract from the overall enjoyment of them. At worst, you may feel a little disappointed after completing a certain section but only because you’ll have several other tactics swimming around your head and you just can’t wait to try next time.
In the end Metal Gear Solid 4 tries desperately to give you your monies worth. Some cracks are formed by stuffing so much in but, ultimately, it provides in abundance and with a great amount of satisfaction in most areas of the game. If you’re still having second thoughts about picking up a copy, just remember, it’s a must buy that will show your mates a lot more about where your PS3 is coming from than it will about you.
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