MGS 4 - June 12th!

[applekid]

If anybody watched the Blu-Ray in the LE version (don't tell me I'm the only one that bought it... ), you will see Kojima has what appears to be a 24-inch (it's definitely not a 17-inch, could be a 20-inch) white iMac. I think he's an Apple fan and hence the product placement.

What a crazy ending! But what a lack of gameplay after Act 3! It really went downhill on the gameplay length. It's a fun ride for the story and gameplay, but it's just short on the gameplay. That is the only thing I disliked about the game.

People do like stories though. It's why Zelda, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Half Life sell well. They have good gameplay and good stories. The MGS series is no different to them above games; they all have overly hammy, B-movie quality stories full of trivialities.
7/10 of the highest ranked games this gen all have a focus on story. So I'd say they're quite popular still.

I doubt most of those games sold well for the stories. I know you can skip the stories in Halo 3, Gears of War, Super Mario Galaxy, and GTA 4 (perhaps those last two games are the ones that you say don't have a story). There are plenty of people that play Halo 3 and Gears of War skipping the stories, and even people that go straight to multiplayer. And in Halo 3, Gears of War, and Super Mario Galaxy, you kind of have to dig for the stories. I doubt most people know the GoW takes place on a planet called Sera, for example unless they actually saw the intro video. I will say all of the games on the list I've played except for Gears of War have good stories, but they probably weren't the main selling point. If you didn't follow the Halo 3 story and the terminals you are missing out on a good sci-fi. Bungie posted a good analysis from someone's blog which is a very good read. Someone even made an analysis for the story Princess Rosalina told to show how deep a story Mario Galaxy had. And if you were skipping the cutscenes in GTA 4, the game was probably less than dramatic to you, not that the story was very deep in the first place.

I think games like BioShock, Zelda, Half Life, and I'll assume Oblivion (since it's an RPG) that in essence "force" the story on you is the way to go for video game storytelling. That's the only way you can get the player to play for the story and gameplay. Perhaps MGS4 wouldn't take so much flak from non-fans if the story telling was done while you're actually playing instead of cutscenes. Not that I'm saying cutscenes are wrong, but it would probably enhance the experience or at least separate games from other media a little better and perhaps create fans that care about stories.

 

[notsofatjames]

I just finished the game. outstanding. the best ending. I couldnt have hoped for anything better. Thank you for 20 great years snake. Now I just want MGS1 MGS2 and MGS3 all remade with the MGS4 engine and gameplay and we are set....

dont forget mg1 and mg2!!

 

[MRU]

If a good story is a selling point to a game why do games like Beyond Good & Evil, Ico, Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy recieve such a luke warm reception at retail.

You can't argue it was because they weren't good games.

Generally gamers don't give two flying hoots about the games story really.

It's nice to have one that drives along the action/narrative in some genres - but at the end of the day its the fun / entertainments from the gameplay that is more important than the story... And more important than gameplay / fun & entertainment is sadly marketing / hype and how big a budget you have to spend.

Gamers are gullible idiots.

 

[CalmEnvy]

I just beat then game, and wow. Simply amazing, I loved every single minute of it. I had some laughs with somethings that were put into the game. I'm on my 2nd play through right now.

 

[spyker3292]

I just beat then game, and wow. Simply amazing, I loved every single minute of it. I had some laughs with somethings that were put into the game. I'm on my 2nd play through right now.

Already! . I think I will when I get back from a short trip next week. I want to get in some MGO. The beta really helped, I'm pretty good at owning some people online, sadly I couldn't use my beta character in the full version, so I'm back at level 0.

 

[XNine]

On my way through a third time to see if I can go through without taking sides on the battle field (it's so easy when you help the militias out).

Also to see if I can beat all bosses without any lethal attacks. Supposedly there's dolls for each character you can collect if you do (which do what I don't know), but I found one doll from the final boss fight since you never actually cause her physical harm with ammunition.

 

[spyker3292]

On my way through a third time to see if I can go through without taking sides on the battle field (it's so easy when you help the militias out).

Also to see if I can beat all bosses without any lethal attacks. Supposedly there's dolls for each character you can collect if you do (which do what I don't know), but I found one doll from the final boss fight since you never actually cause her physical harm with ammunition.

It's really easy to beat the b&b non lethally. Just shoot them with RPGs or grenade launchers until they get out of their suits, then tranq 'em with your tranq pistol until their psych bar goes all the way down. You just get facecamo of their face. 3rd time through already! I finished once and have now been having so much fun shooting people online with the M14ebr (or P90 if that's not available...).

 

[michaelltd]

oooo, nice!

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/882/882764p1.html

 

[2nyRiggz]

Getting my arse handed to me on MGO but yet I continue to log hours into it....It reminds me of SOCOM and me luv SOCOM.


DO WANT SOCOM!



Bless

 

[XNine]

It's really easy to beat the b&b non lethally. Just shoot them with RPGs or grenade launchers until they get out of their suits, then tranq 'em with your tranq pistol until their psych bar goes all the way down. You just get facecamo of their face. 3rd time through already! I finished once and have now been having so much fun shooting people online with the M14ebr (or P90 if that's not available...).

Non-lethal means you have to use darts, and no bullets/grenades/shotguns/etc.

And I did beat them all. On my way through a fourth time to get the Altair costume from Assassin's Creed for Snake.

 

[michaelltd]

Well, you can use a shotgun non-lethally.

 

[Agathon]

If a good story is a selling point to a game why do games like Beyond Good & Evil, Ico, Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy recieve such a luke warm reception at retail.

You can't argue it was because they weren't good games.

Probably because they didn't really have good stories. Most games don't. But your argument is fallacious. Having a good story is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for being a good game. No person in their right mind argues that story alone will sell a game.

 

[michaelltd]

We've all brought up how awesome MGS4 is, and it definitely is. Most entertaining and interesting game I've played this year thus far IMO. But now I'm going to bring up some stuff while attempting to not spoil anything or placing such things in white. Some are tiny things and other things I wish were there.

• I wish there could be a fast forward and rewind for cutscenes as well as a cutscene theater.
• I wish there could be a boss battle mode after you beat the game.
• I feel like the resistence member tracking at the beginning of Act 3 was a little too long, or that there could be more to do.
• I wish I could have snuck around the train station at the beginning of Act 3.
• I feel like the beginning of Act 3 may have been more interesting to really shake up gameplay by having civilian crowds play a part in sneaking, by blending in with the crowd to hide from guards and track. Would allow for more fun to mess around as well.
• I wish there was some interaction during installation screens. I don't think there is any. At the very least I never noticed any as I pressed buttons during those screens.
• I honestly really wish I could have been able to control Raiden while he is fighting all those Gekko and again to really shake up gameplay variety by kinda making it play like Devil May Cry. Why not? They have railing shooting in some parts and a fighting game mechanic during the final boss battle.
• I honestly wanted to go to the first basement on Shadow Moses for more fan service.
• I kinda wish that PMC soldiers approached the church of the Paradise Lost resistence and a battle could ensue and you and Big Mama somehow get cut off, so you must make your way back to her to escape by sneaking through the building and some back rooms, just because I wanted more sneaking. Perhaps people would protect such a battle in a church. In such case then, maybe as Big Mama is divulging information, they are moving to a new area where she is hiding "Big Boss"'s body and have what I mentioned occur in that location (a warehouse or something).
• I wish there could have been some interactivity with the title screen like the previous games. I didn't notice any. Maybe something as small as changing wind direction of the scene with the control stick... or does that happen? I'd have to go check.
• I miss Ocelot showing off his gun slinging skill. :-(
• I was honestly hoping we could go back to the Middle East but at night.
• I want some South America sneaking in heavy rain or something.
• I wanted some sneaking at that South American city instead of just the run away from Gekko stuff.

I am loving MGS4, but after beating it, I'm left wanting more, such as those mentioned above. Oh well..

 

[Taustin Powers]

Here is my experience with MGS so far.

Started playing the first one. Didn't get too far, enjoyed it though. I like stealth gameplay.

Played the third one, and just couldn't get into it. Just could not get myself to care about the characters, I thought the voice-acting was really cheesy and annoying. The gameplay was alright, but not enough to keep me interested I guess.

Should I even bother trying the fourth one? I keep reading so much good stuff about it, that I am almost tempted.

 

[MRU]

Here is my experience with MGS so far.

Started playing the first one. Didn't get too far, enjoyed it though. I like stealth gameplay.

Played the third one, and just couldn't get into it. Just could not get myself to care about the characters, I thought the voice-acting was really cheesy and annoying. The gameplay was alright, but not enough to keep me interested I guess.

Should I even bother trying the fourth one? I keep reading so much good stuff about it, that I am almost tempted.

Your MGS experience echoes my own.

MGS PS1: First one.... didn't get too far (maybe 1 hour at most) and whilst enjoyable enough it just wasn't enough to keep me playing and I gave up.

MGS2: Second one... bought on both xbox and ps2 and whilst I thought it looked good again I never got very far before getting terminally bored with its tired control scheme.

MGS:Twin Snakes... First one rehashed as twin snakes.... again I hoped my MGS disappointments would be alleviated with this remake - not so though.

MGS3 Snake Eater... meh, again 1 hour and terminally annoyed at its hideous control scheme and antiquated by this stage gameplay.


So with great skeptism I bought MGS4. Controls are repsonsive and feel much better. Finally the game doesnt feel like its from the resident evil school of controls (which they changed thankfully ironically with RE4) and snake now feels more nimbler in his old age than he ever did in his prime.

Graphically - well yeah it's clearly an astounding accomplishment and you just cant argue with those production values.


I'm about 6 hours in I'd say... which for me is the furthest I've ever had the interest in playing any MGS game. I do feel alienated at times playing it. I know I'm missing all these references to earlier games and the in-jokes are probably just going straight over my head.

However as all the reviews have stated this is a MGS game for the FANS, I'd like to just say actually it's just a very good game, fan or not.

 

[2nyRiggz]

very long

Sounds like you need the MGS4: Liquidance edition....should be here soon.


I finally got into the white room and had the BB unit dance for me....Kojima is a perv with all the arse shots



Bless

 

[MRU]

Kojima is a perv with all the arse shots

Either that or sexually confused!

I must say in all honesty MGS4 (and other MGS games) is/are very homoerotic generally and there is a hell of a lot of sexual ambiguity and symbolism in every design aspect of it. I could draw you up a list but it would take too long...

I can safely say MGS4 is one of the gayest (and I clarify that I do not mean that in a derogatory way at all - unlike all the teens that post "that's so gay" on these kind of forums) video games I have ever played, and whilst I find it quite amusing, I'm quite surprised by its success in the mainstream due to it overwhelming campness.

Maybe there's a little bit of 'snake' in all of you

 

[Taustin Powers]

Your MGS experience echoes my own...
<snip>

Interesting, thanks for the feedback. Makes me wish I had picked it up while I was in the states last week...with the current exchange rate it would have been only about 40 Euros. (I did finally pick up Uncharted for that price...)

Not sure if I'm gonna spend the 60+ Euros on it here though. Still have many other games to get through (GTA4, Burnout Paradise, Orange Box, Uncharted, several SNES games...), so I might just wait for the time being...

 

[michaelltd]

I clarify that I do not mean that in a derogatory way at all - unlike all the teens that post "that's so gay" on these kind of forums

Ugh, those kids that do that annoy me so much. Even a couple of fellow DigiPen students say that. Irritating.

 

[Taustin Powers]

Well, I read up on the game a little more and decided against buying it for the time being. I really think the gameplay/cutscene ratio would annoy the piss out of me.

By the way, Yahtzee's review is in!

 

[swiftaw]

By the way, Yahtzee's review is in!

Here it is: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/99-Metal-Gear-Solid-4

 

[0098386]

Here it is: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/99-Metal-Gear-Solid-4

I still haven't progressed beyond the first act but he's definitely hit the nail on the head again, especially regarding Kojima's storytelling techniques. Glad I'm not the only person who spotted the number "4" being in fashion

 

[Much Ado]

Well, I read up on the game a little more and decided against buying it for the time being. I really think the gameplay/cutscene ratio would annoy the piss out of me.

By the way, Yahtzee's review is in!

Yes, but the cut-scenes are really, really good

I'm a sucker for slow-motion, Japanese, Matrix-esque silliness.

 

[MRU]

Probably because they didn't really have good stories. Most games don't. But your argument is fallacious. Having a good story is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for being a good game. No person in their right mind argues that story alone will sell a game.

Err that was my point of the entire post I was making!!

And yes they really DID have good stories (of those I listed).

 

[XNine]

Well, as stated before, this MGS4 game is really here for the fans. It's been designed to wrap up all the loose ends, and honestly, I'm really happy that Johnny got something worth while out of the whole series, considering his was the butt- quite literally - of the whole series.

There's a part in the game where a security camera falls off the wall (If you've gotten to act 4, you'll know what I mean) and I couldn't help but get a bit emotional over it. It kind of signaled the end of the entire series for me right then and there. I've been a HUGE fan of MGS ever since it came out. I think Hideo did a remarkable job pleasing all his loyal and dedicated fans.