Reviewers have said Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is one of the best video games ever made, and that includes this-gen systems such as PS3 and Xbox 360 all the way back to NES.
High praises are given by the big three industry review giants: Gamespot, IGN and Gamepro. These reviewers have been in the industry for over 22 years. Practically most of us grew up reading their reviews.
These review sites are no slouch, especially IGN and Gamespot with their very strict 10 point scale. IGN has only 15 some games that have ever received a perfect score of a 10. They define only a game that is revolutionary or truly defines a genre deserves a perfect score such as Metal Gear Solid 4.
Gamespot is known to be even more strict in their scoring, only giving five games in their entire history back to 1996 a perfect 10. With the addition of Metal Gear Solid 4, that makes it a total of six games in their history of deserving a perfect score.
Gamespot and IGN both rate Metal Gear Solid 4 above other blockbuster games such as the Orange Box or Halo 3 which both received a 9.5.
IGN: "Not only does it sum up the full franchise of Metal Gear, its depth and its complexity, coupled with its technical prowess, make it one of the best games of the year and, indeed, one of the best games ever made."
Gamespot: "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the most technically stunning video game ever made. It’s also a fine example of storytelling prowess within its medium, combining gameplay and narrative so slickly and beautifully that it’s impossible to extricate one from the other."
Gamepro: "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."
Even veteran reviewer Famitsu, who has only given seven perfect score of a 40/40 through their entire history dating back to 1986 awarded Metal Gear Solid 4 this prestigious perfect score.
So does the game live up to the hype and the reviews?
After playing the game extensively, I must admit it is quite the masterpiece. The way the story is told and integrated into the game is quite ingenious. The graphics are top notch considered to be the best looking game ever. You will be hard pressed to find many low res textures in the game.
The last game to hold the "best looking game so far" title on consoles was Uncharted Drake’s Fortune, before that it was Bioshock, then Gears of War. Definitely Metal Gear Solid 4 surpasses all of these games in the graphics department. In these previous games low res texture usage were evident in close proximity to the textures with pixelation and blurriness when viewing an object up close.
In Metal Gear Solid 4 you will have difficulty finding pixelation even when pressed right up against an object, truly a fantastic feat. As Gametrailer puts it, Metal Gear Solid 4 gives you the option of zooming in and out of cut scenes daring you to find any fault in the graphics knowing that it looks good.
When Kojima said he will take full advantage of the 50GB Blu-ray disc he wasn’t kidding. He uses high res textures for just about everything from the little belt buckles on Snake to the bumpy grip on the bottom of his feet.
The intro is fabulous mixing cinema with gameplay, also as a way of introducing the controls and giving a tutorial on how to play the game. There is even an info box popping up telling you what to do. The weapon customization adds a whole level of depth without being overly complex, something you won’t find in many games.
Cut scenes are at checkpoints and usually you could spend up to 45 minutes between checkpoints spacing out those cut scenes. I recommend everyone who play the game to take your time and help out each little battle between the PMCs or militia factions. Once you help one side win their battle they will thank you and become your comrades.
The controls are great; they add a high level of depth to the game play. CQC makes combat a skill, being able to do various moves between choking someone out with a jujitsu "bare naked choke hold" or use an enemy as a meat shield like the previous versions of Metal Gear Solid.
The ability to switch between first person and third person view gives you the best of both worlds. Third person is great for taking on many enemies, but if you want to get that sniper on the roof in the distance swap to first person view and take them out with a red-dot sight or a scope attachment.
The first Metal Gear Solid is the game that invented the stealth genre and Metal Gear Solid 4 breaks new ground and invents a whole new genre of cinematic storytelling while raising the bar in the stealth genre for years to come.
You can bet anyone who has any clue about gaming and is a true hardcore gamer will tell you if you don’t have a PS3, Metal Gear Solid 4 is the game you buy a PS3 for. Of course if they tell you otherwise just politely let them know they have no idea what they are talking about.
High praises are given by the big three industry review giants: Gamespot, IGN and Gamepro. These reviewers have been in the industry for over 22 years. Practically most of us grew up reading their reviews.
These review sites are no slouch, especially IGN and Gamespot with their very strict 10 point scale. IGN has only 15 some games that have ever received a perfect score of a 10. They define only a game that is revolutionary or truly defines a genre deserves a perfect score such as Metal Gear Solid 4.
Gamespot is known to be even more strict in their scoring, only giving five games in their entire history back to 1996 a perfect 10. With the addition of Metal Gear Solid 4, that makes it a total of six games in their history of deserving a perfect score.
Gamespot and IGN both rate Metal Gear Solid 4 above other blockbuster games such as the Orange Box or Halo 3 which both received a 9.5.
IGN: "Not only does it sum up the full franchise of Metal Gear, its depth and its complexity, coupled with its technical prowess, make it one of the best games of the year and, indeed, one of the best games ever made."
Gamespot: "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the most technically stunning video game ever made. It’s also a fine example of storytelling prowess within its medium, combining gameplay and narrative so slickly and beautifully that it’s impossible to extricate one from the other."
Gamepro: "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."
Even veteran reviewer Famitsu, who has only given seven perfect score of a 40/40 through their entire history dating back to 1986 awarded Metal Gear Solid 4 this prestigious perfect score.
So does the game live up to the hype and the reviews?
After playing the game extensively, I must admit it is quite the masterpiece. The way the story is told and integrated into the game is quite ingenious. The graphics are top notch considered to be the best looking game ever. You will be hard pressed to find many low res textures in the game.
The last game to hold the "best looking game so far" title on consoles was Uncharted Drake’s Fortune, before that it was Bioshock, then Gears of War. Definitely Metal Gear Solid 4 surpasses all of these games in the graphics department. In these previous games low res texture usage were evident in close proximity to the textures with pixelation and blurriness when viewing an object up close.
In Metal Gear Solid 4 you will have difficulty finding pixelation even when pressed right up against an object, truly a fantastic feat. As Gametrailer puts it, Metal Gear Solid 4 gives you the option of zooming in and out of cut scenes daring you to find any fault in the graphics knowing that it looks good.
When Kojima said he will take full advantage of the 50GB Blu-ray disc he wasn’t kidding. He uses high res textures for just about everything from the little belt buckles on Snake to the bumpy grip on the bottom of his feet.
The intro is fabulous mixing cinema with gameplay, also as a way of introducing the controls and giving a tutorial on how to play the game. There is even an info box popping up telling you what to do. The weapon customization adds a whole level of depth without being overly complex, something you won’t find in many games.
Cut scenes are at checkpoints and usually you could spend up to 45 minutes between checkpoints spacing out those cut scenes. I recommend everyone who play the game to take your time and help out each little battle between the PMCs or militia factions. Once you help one side win their battle they will thank you and become your comrades.
The controls are great; they add a high level of depth to the game play. CQC makes combat a skill, being able to do various moves between choking someone out with a jujitsu "bare naked choke hold" or use an enemy as a meat shield like the previous versions of Metal Gear Solid.
The ability to switch between first person and third person view gives you the best of both worlds. Third person is great for taking on many enemies, but if you want to get that sniper on the roof in the distance swap to first person view and take them out with a red-dot sight or a scope attachment.
The first Metal Gear Solid is the game that invented the stealth genre and Metal Gear Solid 4 breaks new ground and invents a whole new genre of cinematic storytelling while raising the bar in the stealth genre for years to come.
You can bet anyone who has any clue about gaming and is a true hardcore gamer will tell you if you don’t have a PS3, Metal Gear Solid 4 is the game you buy a PS3 for. Of course if they tell you otherwise just politely let them know they have no idea what they are talking about.
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