Metal Gear Solid 4 is a Masterpiece

Metal Gear Solid 4 is a breathtaking stealth shooter with heart, and one of the best games ever made.

No battle plays the same way twice. This is a particularly memorable moment in Act Two, but it's only the beginning of what Metal Gear Solid 4 has to offer

No battle plays the same way twice. This is a particularly memorable moment in Act Two, but it's only the beginning of what Metal Gear Solid 4 has to offer

MGS4 at a Glance

PROS:
  • One of the greatest games ever created.
  • Satisfies in almost every way possible.

CONS:
  • "Stress" concept is a bit confusing at first.
  • A quick tutorial mode would have been handy.

Every once in a long while, a game will come along and change all the rules. Final Fantasy VII transformed the RPG genre, Resident Evil helped create a new sub-category of gaming -- survival horror -- and Grand Theft Auto III single-handedly reshaped the gaming landscape. And now comes Metal Gear Solid 4, a game whose potential influence on the current state of gaming is nothing short of tectonic.

It represents an artistic triumph for its director, game design legend Hideo Kojima, as well as an enormous coup for Sony and its PlayStation 3. Metal Gear Solid 4 is a masterpiece, an unforgettable game that shines like a beacon amidst a sea of mediocrity. It is not only the best Metal Gear game, but one of the best games ever made, period. If you own a PS3, put this at the top of your to-buy list. If you don't own a PS3, well, chances are you will buy one soon just to play this game.

Long Time No See

One of Metal Gear Solid 4's chief pleasures is its sweeping storyline, a tale that redefines the term "epic" yet remains grounded by its intensely personal, human side. If you're new to the Metal Gear Solid series, don't worry: MGS4 takes great pains to tell an accessible story that will enthrall newcomers while providing plenty of surprises for hardcore series veterans.

The octo-camo suit keeps the stealth simple, enabling you to hide from enemies even in plain sight. Alternately, you can go for the Rambo approach...just be ready for a tougher fight.

The octo-camo suit keeps the stealth simple, enabling you to hide from enemies even in plain sight. Alternately, you can go for the Rambo approach...just be ready for a tougher fight.

In many ways, MGS4 is the true sequel to 1998's groundbreaking Metal Gear Solid. The game shifts the focus back to Solid Snake, a legendary stealth operative and hardened combat veteran. But these days, things are different. Snake is dying, ravaged by a case of premature aging that's resulted as a side effect of his modified DNA. Not only has the condition taken a toll on his abilities but on his confidence as well. The masterful storytelling portrays Snake as a tragic yet noble figure who grows increasingly disillusioned as the world crumbles around him. Snake isn't depicted as a one-dimensional superhero in MGS4, but as an old man who's grown exasperated with the harsh realities of war. This stylistic shift gives the game some serious emotional weight -- it's impossible not to be touched by Snake's dilemma.

As he stares his own mortality in the face, players are forced to do the same. This game explores some heavy issues: death, aging, war, terrorism, and even the role of the US military. Even more surprising is that it handles these themes without heavy-handed preaching or grandstanding. This is remarkable stuff, particularly for a video game. Atmosphere is a great strength of MGS4: From its opening moments to the final scenes, the game paints a grim world that's at the mercy of an out-of-control war economy, a ruthless form of capitalism that thrives on bloodshed and weapon dealing.

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Snake's journey to the Middle East starts out as a simple assassination mission, but quickly evolves into a far more personal quest. Past games in the series have been rightfully criticized for their ridiculously long cinematic cutscenes and self-indulgent speeches. Luckily, Kojima has learned his lesson. The cinemas in Metal Gear Solid 4 are utterly magnetic and, with only one or two exceptions, devoid of the bewildering and bloated lectures that weighed down the earlier games. Voice acting is another strength here, with David Hayter's role as the gravel-throated Solid Snake being a performance for the ages. This is video game storytelling at its absolute best, and represents a new high water mark for the craft, easily surpassing the superb BioShock and the subversive Grand Theft Auto IV. Jump to the next page of our Metal Gear Solid IV review.

Comments [277]

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pixelsword

Anyways, could Gamepro do us lowly gamers a favor?

If the Stress concept is confusing at first, could you explain that dynamic in detail?

Phil_Harrison

Am I like the only one who notices that Snake looks really gay when he is crouch walking? Its like he is waiting to get buttrammed or something.

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