Well, I was hesitating to give it a perfect 10 because of so many reasons people had been complaining about. People told me MGS4 lacks interactive parts and spent too much time in telling a run-of-the-mill, self-indulgent story. You know, it could be true. But that didn't stop me from purchasing a PS3 for it.
This is a review from a long-time MGS fan, but I am trying to avoid total worshiping, meaning that this review is intended to give you something valuable. Please also refer to my other MGS reviews.
First off, the game looked fantastic. Gamespot had addressed the game as the "most technically stunning game ever made" and the "most beautiful game ever made" at the same time. Note that it could enrage some Crysis fans, but I'd say in terms of details and production value, MGS4 really is the king. If you don't believe this, please rent it to play Act 2 in the game. And I can guarantee you in 1 minute you will be blown away. The camera work and the editing made it even more like a movie. So, in my own words, it is probably the most cinematic gaming experience ever created. However, that could be the best thing the game can offer to many.
For most players, MGS4 can keep you awed for some 20 hours, but then they would come to realize only about 40% of the game is playable. A lot of people totally hated that. I admit I was a little disappointed also. But it all depends on your perspective. Do you wish to play through it again in a playful child's perspective? If yes, then congratulations! This will also be the most rewarding gaming experience you can expect since MGS1. Although each chapter had only 7 stages on average, each stage is devised with tons of details you can dig out by yourself, or totally omit them. The makers managed to instill different fun in different approaches to beat the game. This is how I played it: in the first walk-through, I chose Solid-Normal difficulty and had some struggles to fit in the game's new mechanics like Octo-cameo and solid eye. Each boss fight and mini game made common senses(either common MGS senses or common video game senses). However, it also came to me that "is that all?" as I found none of the ideas and sequences are as memorable and mind-blowing as MGS1. After the ending, I told myself maybe I can sell game to someone else who wants to play it. But later I read some articles on the internet about the secrets in the game, and out of curiosity I picked it up and played in Liquid-easy difficulty. This time I had no struggle in fighting all the bosses because I already knew their patterns and what's gonna happen next. Ratherly, I decided to go perfectionist on zero alerts and zero killings. To my surprise, it's not as easy as it looked. In many occasions you will realize the game is purposefully designed for those who aim for zero alerts and zero killing. And, the fun lies within your careful management to avoid alerts and killing. In Act 4 when you are facing several Gekkos and a lot "balls with hands" in the Metal Gear storage, you will need to examine the environment quite carefully for solution. My solution was to create some distortions in the left entrance while attack from the other entrance. I mean, this is not something only a PHD can think up, but it could be so painful if you don't use your brain.
After I achieved zero-killing and zero-alerts, the game again seemed useless and I was considering selling it again. But later I found out there are some download-able contents on the internet. So, out of curiosity I downloaded "official secrets in MGS4" soundtrack which are recordings of explanations as how the game can be played fun and creatively. Later I equipped I-pod in the game to listen to such recordings and found it awesome. There are still a lot of secrets that weren't explored and overlooked by me(even I always address myself as a 10-years MGS veteran). So, I finally had to admit MGS4 might be the most valuable entry in the series and the most fun one.
In short, it's really easy to totally miss the point of MGS4 even you think you know a lot about MGS, not to mention those who have no idea how to appreciate it. I recommend this game to all those who happen to be both a movie fan and a player; to those who appreciate the details of arts; to those who are willing to see a piece of work in the perspective of the artist;and to those who love MGS and take it seriously.
This is a review from a long-time MGS fan, but I am trying to avoid total worshiping, meaning that this review is intended to give you something valuable. Please also refer to my other MGS reviews.
First off, the game looked fantastic. Gamespot had addressed the game as the "most technically stunning game ever made" and the "most beautiful game ever made" at the same time. Note that it could enrage some Crysis fans, but I'd say in terms of details and production value, MGS4 really is the king. If you don't believe this, please rent it to play Act 2 in the game. And I can guarantee you in 1 minute you will be blown away. The camera work and the editing made it even more like a movie. So, in my own words, it is probably the most cinematic gaming experience ever created. However, that could be the best thing the game can offer to many.
For most players, MGS4 can keep you awed for some 20 hours, but then they would come to realize only about 40% of the game is playable. A lot of people totally hated that. I admit I was a little disappointed also. But it all depends on your perspective. Do you wish to play through it again in a playful child's perspective? If yes, then congratulations! This will also be the most rewarding gaming experience you can expect since MGS1. Although each chapter had only 7 stages on average, each stage is devised with tons of details you can dig out by yourself, or totally omit them. The makers managed to instill different fun in different approaches to beat the game. This is how I played it: in the first walk-through, I chose Solid-Normal difficulty and had some struggles to fit in the game's new mechanics like Octo-cameo and solid eye. Each boss fight and mini game made common senses(either common MGS senses or common video game senses). However, it also came to me that "is that all?" as I found none of the ideas and sequences are as memorable and mind-blowing as MGS1. After the ending, I told myself maybe I can sell game to someone else who wants to play it. But later I read some articles on the internet about the secrets in the game, and out of curiosity I picked it up and played in Liquid-easy difficulty. This time I had no struggle in fighting all the bosses because I already knew their patterns and what's gonna happen next. Ratherly, I decided to go perfectionist on zero alerts and zero killings. To my surprise, it's not as easy as it looked. In many occasions you will realize the game is purposefully designed for those who aim for zero alerts and zero killing. And, the fun lies within your careful management to avoid alerts and killing. In Act 4 when you are facing several Gekkos and a lot "balls with hands" in the Metal Gear storage, you will need to examine the environment quite carefully for solution. My solution was to create some distortions in the left entrance while attack from the other entrance. I mean, this is not something only a PHD can think up, but it could be so painful if you don't use your brain.
After I achieved zero-killing and zero-alerts, the game again seemed useless and I was considering selling it again. But later I found out there are some download-able contents on the internet. So, out of curiosity I downloaded "official secrets in MGS4" soundtrack which are recordings of explanations as how the game can be played fun and creatively. Later I equipped I-pod in the game to listen to such recordings and found it awesome. There are still a lot of secrets that weren't explored and overlooked by me(even I always address myself as a 10-years MGS veteran). So, I finally had to admit MGS4 might be the most valuable entry in the series and the most fun one.
In short, it's really easy to totally miss the point of MGS4 even you think you know a lot about MGS, not to mention those who have no idea how to appreciate it. I recommend this game to all those who happen to be both a movie fan and a player; to those who appreciate the details of arts; to those who are willing to see a piece of work in the perspective of the artist;and to those who love MGS and take it seriously.