Snake and co. plot to take down the criminal mastermind, Liquid Ocelot in this thrilling stealth-action game.
"Metal Gear Solid" - created by the highly-acclaimed video game director Hideo Kojima - has always been one of my favorite video game franchises. I remember playing through the past Metal Gear Solid games, along with Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake - enjoying each and every one. But now Snake's grown old - and his life is rapidly coming to an end. But there's still one thing he must do.
In this game, you take on the role of a legendary hero in 2014 who goes by the codename "Snake" and whose mission is to track down a sinister criminal mastermind who goes by Liquid Ocelot and foil his plan, which is to lead an insurrection against the entire world and its governments.
If you remember from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Revolver Ocelot was fused with Liquid Snake's arm - essentially turning him into Liquid Ocelot - basically, Revolver Ocelot's body with Liquid Snake's mind and soul. Essentially - Liquid Ocelot is Snake's brother. Which makes it all the more epic.
The game will take you down the many twists and turns of the year of 2014 - and you're in for a treat if you've played the previous Metal Gear Solid games - particularly the first and third ones. And since the game is so revolutionary and that it sets the bar for the later Metal Gear Solid games that would follow it, expect everything to be much more different than it was before than the Metal Gear Solids you experienced on the PS1-PS2. The FOXDIE in Snake's body is rapidly spreading and consuming him, and he's running out of time.
The objective of this game is to uncover the secrets of the mysterious group called "The Patriots", and to kill Liquid Ocelot, along with his private military company (PMC) governed under Outer Heaven in the process. Easier said than done - because Liquid Ocelot is leading an insurrection, he's got a whole series of armies that's willing to do the job. Then things get more complicated. The game whips you around from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and more.
The gameplay is much more refined and smooth in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots than in past games. Aiming and shooting is much more fluid and solid now, and the ability to move in First-Person View is much more manageable and immersive. CQC (Close-Quarters-Combat) returns in this game, and it is a blast to use in this game.
Solid Snake - now Old Snake - has grown old, and his age is affecting his physical abilities. His body is slowly deteriorating and decaying - and this shows throughout the game. If Snake performs too many moves that require the use of his back and his legs, he will struggle to recover afterwards. Snake's habit of smoking cigarettes has also taken a toll on his body. And the effects of accelerated aging from FOXDIE don't help either. Snake's actually not even fifty years old in this game - but because accelerated aging has begun to take effect, Snake will have problems trying to cope with it.
Old Snake also has companions from previous games to help him out. Hal Emmerich - or "Otacon" returns, along with other memorable characters like Colonel Campbell and Meryl - just to name a few - to aid him in his hour of need.
Returning with the characters are the wide assortment of weapons and gadgets. There are well over forty handguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, explosives and more in this game, most of which can be purchased from a new character named Drebin - who is the gun salesmen in this game. Otacon supplies some gadgets too - like the Metal Gear Mk. II and the all-new Solid Eye - a multipurpose goggle that can be used to gather information.
Sure, you've got all-new weapons and gadgets, plus new environments, but without camouflage, what would Snake do then?
That's where the OctoCamo comes in.
The OctoCamo is a multipurpose camouflage that replicates any surface or texture that it is nearby. Worn by Old Snake, any surface which he can crawl on or lean on can be used as camouflage for the OctoCamo. For example, if Snake leaned on a cardboard box, the OctoCamo would mimic the texture and color of the cardboard box, thus reducing the chance of enemies spotting you. It just brings innovation to the table.
However, the gameplay and mechanics may be the main course, but of course there's something on the side too - it's hard not to notice how realistic the game looks. Sporting a budget of over one-hundred million dollars, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a player and a looker. Using very complex visual techniques, this is the most realistic-looking Metal Gear Solid game to date. Character models are well-detailed as much as the environments, and the real-time lighting is simply stunning. As smoke rises from the ground, light pierces through it and creates shadows. The game just comes to life with these kinds of small visual and graphical touches.
The game is quite long, clocking in at about fifteen to twenty-five hours - plus more if you try to collect the countless number of unlockables. The game has about ten to fifteen hours of re-playability - even more if you try really hard to find everything. There's just so much content in this game - just this one game can last a gamer for years to come.
But it doesn't stop there.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots features an online multiplayer component called "Metal Gear Online" - a revamped version of the original Metal Gear Online that debuted in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence - the special edition of the standard MGS3: Snake Eater. It works pretty well, but it has its flaws.
A lot of flaws.
First off, upon access to Metal Gear Online - after all of that signing in and agreeing to terms in the license agreement, you have to spend about five to six hours of just downloading the thing. When I began to download Metal Gear Online and as I realized how long it would take, I was able to watch about two 2-hour movies back-to-back - and by the time they finished, there was at least an hour to thirty minutes left of downloading. It was ridiculous. But nope - it doesn't stop there either.
The MGO community is pretty mean and its just chock-full of whiners and cheaters. It's almost impossible to enter a match without someone complaining over the lag and vote kicking a scapegoat. Then there's the cheaters. Where do I begin?
There are a lot of cheaters in MGO - a lot of them use aimbots and hacks. But none of these compare to the lagswitchers - players who purposely lag the game to their advantage. It ends up with the lagswitchers being able to shoot through walls after so much lag between movements. It's a problem, because MGO is so poorly maintained at times, however there's still some re-playability in it.
If you add the replay value from the single-player mode with the unlockables plus Metal Gear Online, that could tally up to one-hundred plus hours. It's like the Elder Scrolls - easy to get into - but hard to get out of. It will probably be addictive to some people. An emotionally engaging, fulfilling, and gripping storyline coupled with revolutionary graphics and compelling music make Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots a must have. It's flawless - a masterpiece - and a step in the right direction.
Guide Old Snake through tough times and take down Liquid Ocelot. Stop his insurrection, uncover the secrets of The Patriots, and shut down his mother base, Outer heaven. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a must-have for those who know where to look. The story may be confusing if you haven't played the previous titles, but in the end it all wraps up nicely in a perfect package.
This is Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.