Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the final chapter in the life of Solid Snake. Now old and (somewhat) decrepit, Snake relies on the help of old allies as well as new ones.

STORY: With only a short time to live as the game opens, Snake must chase down and assassinate Liquid Snake, who now seeks to control nanomachines in what he calls "Guns of The Patriots." I won't get into detail as to how many allies and enemies return, but I will say that Meryl's return with her unit is a prominent factor. She links up to her unit using SOP, or Sons of the Patriots. In doing so, she can communicate and monitor their bodily functions as well as "be each other's eyes." Snake goes global and even returns to a familiar place in order to stop Liquid Snake (or Liquid Ocelot, if you will). The cutscenes are the longest I remember from any game, but it's very immersive and very detailed. Old fans of MGS games should have no problem sitting through the story.

GAMEPLAY & GRAPHICS: MGS4's gameplay is incredibly solid. The configuration is different from previous games, but if anything, it's been made better. Snake now utilizes OctoCamo, a suit that allows him to blend into his environment. Don't be fooled, it isn't as easy as you'd like to believe. First of all, Octocamo is only effective at distances unless you have the mask to compliment it, but even then, you aren't guaranteed safety. It takes a lot of strategic ability to get through.
The graphics are among the best seen this generation thus far. It's apparent that this game took a lot of work to fulfill effectively. Truth is, the game is absolutely awesome on the visual front. You can see Snake's hair swishing in the wind with detailed textures. This is more of a comment regarding the physics, but if Snake steps on a grenade and he gets blown against the wall, he crashes into it realistically, sometimes even upside down. Epic. The boss battles are interesting, each with their own unique of taking them down with unique background stories.

SOUND: Unfortunately, to really appreciate the audio, you'll need a great surround sound system (7.1 preferred). With it, you can definitely hear the emphasis on the dark, melancholy theme the game portrays. Themes like "Old Snake" and "Love Theme" are solid evidence. Soundtrack aside (which overall is fantastic), if you have a great surround sound system with this game, you can literally hear the bullets whizzing through the speakers. Excellent sound quality, especially in the voice acting.

GRIPES: To me, MGS4 only has 2 visible shortcomings: The use of Konami IDs and constant installs. I really do wish the game had a single install, but it does so periodically throughout the game. I didn't mind too terribly much because the install screen was informative and it gave me time to theorize what would happen in the next act. Back to Konami IDs, they really dropped the ball with that. It doesn't serve as a set back for me since MGS4 is a single-player experience and anything else is a bonus. Also, this is small, but the Big Boss Emblem is much easier to get this time around, mainly because you can now use radar and

OVERALL: Metal Gear Solid 4 is a fantastic game and may easily be considered the greatest game of this generation; perhaps even last generation. I wouldn't call the multiplayer terrible; it is fun. It's just that the IDs are a hindrance. Now, the graphics, emotional expression, music, storyline, and gameplay all come together to truly emphasize this as Snake's final mission. Although Snake is a video game character, it is very easy to identify his pain. Once a great mercenary, when you play this game, you can definitely see just how mortal Snake really is. If you don't like games that may stir your emotions, MGS4 may not be for you. Otherwise, you do yourself the greatest injustice to overlook this wonderful, wonderful title.

Yes 60$......AMAZING THIS GAME IS SO WORTH 60$ ITS PROBABLY WORTH MORE! IT IS FANTASTIC OLD SNAKE IS MY HERO!!!!! BUY IT

Now this game is gonna be nominated for game of the year whether you like it or not. The story is captivating and fun, but multiplayer is still not impressing me. Don't get me wrong, it's great, but they could have done better. It might just be me, but it kept getting errors and it would quit the game. Very long stroy, good story, best characters I've ever seen in a game, and great customization lead it to 5 stars anyway.

MGS4 might be the greatest, if not one of the top 5 games ever made. It lives up to and crushes the hype that surrounded it. I have never played a game in 20+ years of gaming that has ever been this close to perfection. The visuals are just jaw-dropping and the best ever produced on any console or PC. The audio, everything from the sound effects and voice acting to the musical score is top notch.
The storytelling, while pretty involving, is some of the best and most original ever in a game. The gameplay is completely wide open to however you want to play it. Stealth, run and gun, a mix of both, it doesn't matter, it's up to you. The tight controls just add to the already solid experience that this provides.

I know people are going to whine and complain about the long cut scenes, but this just adds to the game. Either that or some people have the attention span of a 2 year old!? I don't consider the long cut to be a negative, but of course some people will and that is probably gonna be the only and most frequent complaint that people have. Bottom line is this game is worth every penny and then some. It's an absolute shame that games this good only come along a few times every console generation. Can't wait for MGS5!!

One can complain: one can say the cut-scenes are long, online is terrible -- actually now that I recall I wasn't absorbed until halfway but playing it a second time I'm hooked, so if you accept what the game is and can live with the idea that the cut-scenes are as important as the gameplay you will be in heaven (as you can guess it's a love and hate even when you love it).