Metal Gear Solid 4 : Guns Of The Patriots

Ok, lets get things straight. I love the Metal Gear Solid. I actually didn’t buy another game for 6 months after the first one was released on the Playstation, because I played it all the way through, 3 times. The idea of not actually having to fight anyone to beat the game was revolutionary, its stealth system was great, and the series has always had cutting edge graphics, even when you were hiding in a cardboard box.

But the best part of the game, was actually playing it, and the amazing gameplay made you want to keep playing, and playing the story.

So, now to MGS4.

Its rubbish. Really, really, really not worth the money. If you have a great store with a return policy, then you might want to buy it, look at the new graphics and the new glorified remote controlled video camera on wheels, which looks like a robot from star wars has had some sexy time with a microwave, then return it. The annoying this is, the gameplay is still good, but they have tried far too hard to make it unique. There as no many little niggly controls you use once or twice, it seems a little pointless, like learning how to cook beef wellington, then never actually doing it – you end up feeling like you could have just done with a pot noodle, or… well whatever the game equivalent is.

The major downside is that you get bored with the endless, endless cutscenes and in game movie bits. This isn’t like a game like mass effect, with an in depth conversation system, you can literally be sat there for 10’s of minutes without doing anything. You also have the feeling that the game is stretched out, so it appears longer, so the story line is very sparse, with very few suprises coming your way. I really do wonder what the percentage of playing to watching time is.

I actually died a few times because I went to make a brew/drop the kids off at the pool/went for a night out, and when I came back, I was in the middle of a gun fight. The game, just doesn’t hold your attention.

7/10 – Bit of a waste of a huge, huge build up. Wait for a MGS movie to come out next, they are pretty much there now anyway.