Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008) (VG)

User Rating:

9.8/10   

Director:

Hideo Kojima

Writers:

Yuichi Abe (scripter: Metal Gear Online unit)
Kenichi Akamoto (scripter: Metal Gear Online unit)

Release Date:

12 June 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Evil is Powerful. But Courage Is Solid

Plot:

"MGS4" brings a totally new concept and situation, resulting in the toughest "Metal Gear" infiltration mission ever devised. The game is set after the events of "MGS2" and players will reprise the role of top secret agent Solid Snake.

Plot Keywords:

Snake | Metal Gear | Gene | Fictional War | Big Boss

Cast

David Hayter	...	Himself - Celebrity Moralist / Old Snake (voice: English version)
Christopher Randolph	...	Hal 'Otacon' Emmerich (voice: English version)
Cristina Pucelli	...	Sunny (voice: English version)
Paul Eiding	...	Roy Campbell (voice: English version)
Khary Payton	...	Drebin / 7th Circle - Avatar (voice: English version)
Debi Mae West	...	Meryl Silverburgh (voice: English version)
Beng Spies	...	Johnny 'Akiba' Sasaki (voice: English version)
Patric Zimmerman	...	Liquid Ocelot / Revolver Ocelot (voice: English version)
Jennifer Hale	...	Naomi Hunter / Little John (voice: English version)
Quinton Flynn	...	Raiden (voice: English version)
Phil LaMarr	...	Vamp (voice: English version)
Lee Meriwether	...	Big Mama (EVA) / Celebrity Moralist - Host (voice: English version)
Kim Mai Guest	...	Mei Ling / Body of Armor - Satisfied Customer A (voice: English version)
James Sie	...	Jonathan (voice: English version)
Dave Fennoy	...	Ed (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

MGS4 (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
Metal Gear Solid 4 (USA) (short title)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:M | Australia:MA | UK:15 | South Korea:18

Company:

Kojima Productions

Trivia:

This is the only Metal Gear Solid game that has the word "fucking" in it.

Goofs:

Continuity: In this game, we're told that Para-Medic, the female doctor from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, was Dr. Clark, who Naomi mentioned several times in Metal Gear Solid. However, Naomi always referred to this person as male. This is an unfortunate translational error: the Japanese language provides many gender-neutral terms, so Clark's gender was never specified in the Japanese version of the first game. The "Metal Gear Solid Database" which Konami have released fudges this by claiming Dr. Clark was secretive, and Naomi mistakenly assumed she was male as a result.

Quotes:

Solid Snake: [codec call] Otacon, what's wrong? Why are you calling me over there?
Hal 'Otacon' Emmerich: Huh? What are you talking about? I didn't say anything!
Solid Snake: It was you!
Hal 'Otacon' Emmerich: I told you I didn't call you! This is no time for jokes! You're suppose to fighting Octopus, come on!
Solid Snake: I... Hey! Otacon...

Movie Connections:

References "Lost" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Snake Eater

Tactical Espionage Boredom

So there I was, flicking through the pre-owned titles in my local Game store, when I came across Metal Gear Solid 4 for just £15! When I got to the counter I was charged just £10. I didn't say anything and left feeling pretty pleased with myself. Oh, how the staff must have been laughing at me.

You see, having found MGS4 nestling amongst the pre-owned games, I naturally assumed that it was a game. It wasn't. It was a movie. I wouldn't have begrudged paying £10 for a movie. Especially a Blu Ray. But I wanted a game... A GAME!!!

In fairness, it probably doesn't qualify as a movie either. Firstly, it's longer than all three Lord Of The Rings put together. Secondly, and most importantly, there is a small amount of interactivity now and then.

Sometimes while watching the movie, you can hit the X button and see brief split-second subliminal screen-caps from previous MGS instalments. Occasionally, you can hold down the L2 button and watch the movie from a slightly altered angle for a few seconds. Best of all, once every hour or so, they actually throw you five minutes of game-play.

The game-play element of this movie consists of sneaking stealthily towards a red marker on the map in the top-right of the screen. Since each area has been broken down into much smaller areas (which have to load and which the bad guys can't cross) sneaking isn't really necessary, it just makes you feel like you're actually doing something that vaguely resembles "gaming". If however, you're anxious to get back to the feature film, just run.

I was compelled to write this review after 22 hours of MGS4. It was during the "Mission Briefing" cut-scene for act 3. During these parts of the movie, you take on the role of a little robot that can actually wander around in first-person mode and view the cut-scene from within. You can't influence any of the characters because that would come perilously close to constituting a game but you can move around, which is something.

After about 20 minutes of listening to people talk while looking at their ankles, I noticed a chicken coup. I approached it and found that I could slap the chickens with my robot tentacles. For five minutes, I slapped those chickens. I was enthralled by the sensation. Here I was tapping buttons on a controller and by the magic of technology I was able to manipulate the pixels before me.

Then it hit me. I'd been watching MGS4 for so long, I had forgotten how it felt to play a game. I own Grand Theft Auto IV and Pro Evolution 2009 but here I was getting excited about slapping a chicken.

If I can save one person from the tedium of MGS4, then this was worthwhile.