the_super_saiyajin_prince Reviews

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

Solid Snake Bows Out in Style

[10/10 · 23 June 2008]

-May Contain Spoilers!- In 1997, Hideo Kojima brought a new style of game to the Sony PlayStation. With that, brought one of PlayStation's most legendary heroes, Solid Snake. MGS was a revolution in the gaming world, MGS2 and MGS The Twin Snakes (GameCubes remake of MGS1) brought even more to the plate. With MGS3, although playing as Naked Snake/Big Boss and not Solid, it was hard to imagine just how much better things could get especially with one of the greatest Metal Gear fights of all time (vs The End).

There was always destined to be a PS3 addition to the series, and MGS4 received more hype than ever, the difference being this game actually lives up to the hype for 95%. There are a few flaws...let's get those out of the way...

Graphics - Now don't get me wrong, they are really quite fantastic, but like Kojima himself I think many were still disappointed at some points.

Cinematics - The cut scenes are really really long and the story telling is heavy at times, although worth watching the first time round just to see how everything gets tied up and such.

Cameras - Very occasionally the camera angles are iffy.

There have been other complaints like it's not "sneaky" enough, which is rubbish. You have two perfectly viable options in getting stuck in or sneaking around perfectly hidden with the help of the rather spiffy Octocamo.

Weapons are a plenty, with some 70 (if you include the online bonus of 1911 and a few unlock-ables). The majority are customisable with at least one item, but over all you can get suppressors, fore-grips, grenade-launchers, under-barrel shotguns, laser sights, dot sights, flash lights and scopes. In addition to all this you get the standard grenades of various kinds, including new sleeping gas satchels and mines and of course...every randy soldier needs PlayBoy.

The story is amazing, and it pretty much captures you completely or it did me anyway. As always, death scenes and sad scenes are emotionally charged and many have said being brought close to tears, especially at the end with Hal & Sunny, and when Snake and Big Boss finally reconcile. Though the story would be half of what it is without it's stunning sound track. The main theme remains with various tweaks and to help out they've brought in tracks from all 3 of the other games for various moments. Is there a new Metal Gear? No, just Geckos to deal with...and you *do* get an awesome battle where you control Metal Gear Rex vs Liquid in a Metal Gear Ray.

Generally there aren't many *new* characters, but it doesn't matter with the quality put into the existing characters. Those that are new involve two team-mates of Meryl's Rat Patrol 01 team, Sunny (Olga's daughter) and Drebin...and his monkey...who acts as MGS4's "Merchant" (similar to Resident Evil 4). Returning characters (other than Hal, Snake and Liquid of course) include Raiden, Rose, Roy Campbell, Naomi Hunter, Vamp and EVA/Big Mama.

I can't comment on MG Online though, as I've not had the access to play it but the comments seem to be positive from others.

This is a game to pick up for sure, well worth the cash and a truly fantastic way to end Snake's story, not to mention bringing an end to the stories of The Patriots, Liquid Ocelot, Vamp/Naomi, Raiden/Rose, Meryl/Johnny and of course Big Boss & Big Mama. The final battle is a huge amount of fun too, even after 6 or 7 times.

--- "This is good, isn't it?" - Big Boss's dying words to Snake.

The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019)

Huzzah! At last a new American sitcom that has me laughing

[9/10 · 29 May 2008]

Since the end of Friends, I've been longing for a good sitcom from the States. That's not to say we've had nothing funny in the UK, but I do enjoy American comedies. My Name Is Earl had me laughing for five minutes... How I Met Your Mum felt average (even with Alyson Hannigan) and Four Kings didn't seem to last long at all.

But Big Bang Theory has had me in stitches on countless occasions. The humour is fantastic, and the characters are well thought out and just the right mix of geekiness and hilarity. Throw in a gorgeous girl in the form of Kaley Cuoco, action figures and a time machine and well you've got a winner.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

If Slither get's a 6+ on this site, AvP R deserves a damn award!

[8/10 · 12 January 2008]

OK, well I decided to see this again as I hadn't had a chance being back in the UK until it was released on DVD last Monday.

It was actually better than I remembered, though still not great.

Quibble #1 - It was supposed to be explained in AvP why the aliens gestated and grew so quickly, I had heard this scene found it's way back into the unrated edition but I've never seen it. But either way, that explains the same growth within the strain on Earth in AvPR, but I just feel the Predalien grew far too quickly for the ship to pull out of Earth's atmosphere only to crash back on to the planet again, so unless it was orbiting Earth (which I doubt) it just seems to be a bit too rushed.

Quibble #2 - Length of the movie, god damnit there's nothing wrong with having it longer...Fox and/or the movie theatres need to realise there's more to entertainment for the fans than how many times in a day they can see it.

Quibble #3 - Aliens/Predator was never rated below 18, and these films shouldn't be either. Yes, it was entertaining for the most part and better than the first (and gorier) but still didn't earn an 18 rating.

Quibble #4 - Just a tad too dark for my liking, Alien movies have to be dark in places but not by that much.

Other than that, the usual problems from the series arose, weakish story and so forth. Though I thought the Predalien's little "talent" in using pregnant hosts was pretty neat.

My other complaints are about other peoples complaints though.

"Oh my god, they killed kids and pregnant women" - ...Well DUH, the aliens do NOT take in to concideration what their pray is, they just use them as hosts or food...simple as that.

"The music was too loud and too recycled" - They made this film for the fans, or tried to apparently, music was also going to play a similar role. I thought it was great the Predator got his P1 theme back, and generally the music is similar to AvP, Aliens and Predator (the first) in many respects.

"The aliens grew too quickly" - Do your research and you'll find out why this was so in this particular strain.

"Why only one Predator?" - Who knows, but this particular Predator obviously felt it was his job to finish what his people couldn't.

Overall, it was decent enough, not as good as I'd hoped but better than I expected and better than the first. Look forward to at least season where the extra 7 minutes fit in. Why do I rate it at 8? Because on a basic string of "Predators kicking the living **** out of Aliens" is there, so on a basis of not caring about the story as much...it's fantastic.

However, if there is a third they need to not miss the chance to make it an awesome 18 adult movie to really make the separate franchises crap themselves, otherwise...just get Alien 5 and Predator 3 in the works and finish those movies.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

Pretty good, coulda been better, can't complain

[8/10 · 12 February 2005]

Well, what can ya say? Resident Evil Apocalypse followed the games in the fact that, it kicked the ass of the first one just as RE2 annihilated RE in the game series. As to the movie itself, it was pretty cool, though it had several BIG flaws that seriously bugged me

1 - Nemesis, he was wicked up until he decided to turn good guy...ruined it there, though I see why they did it.

2 - Nicholai, sure he was played good, but Anderson totally screwed with his character, he's supposed to be a cold hearted back stabbing murderer, but he turns out to be a perfectly humane save your life Russian...lame

3 - Mikael, where was he? where? oh yes thats right Anderson had a brain fart and named him Yuri -.- small detail but every little thing helps, especially when ur an RE fan like moi

4 - Lack of siggy characters...lets count - Jill, Nicholai and Carlos...OK Nemesistoo i guess he counts, I was hoping to see some of Leon...maybe not Claire...explain later

5 - Alfred Ashford was also another faulty character, in RE Code Veronica he's a perfectly mobile cross dressing whack job with a bolt action sniper rifle

6 - Don't think I have a number 6...but it was pretty great over-all. Can't wait for Afterlife as it will take off Playstation 2's RE Code Veronica X with Project Alicia, she will be a bad guy if this goes through the way the game did, it could ruin it which ever way she goes if its not done right. Either way, I could see Alice getting killed off, I only guess that through Andersons words of "I really like doing Trilogies" Well done Anderson, you've brought out a film that (while isn't perfect) it was great...and done so Fox 20th Century wouldn't butcher this movie like they did with AvP.