Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots


I've been extremely busy at work lately so my monthly video game post is a little late. I've also been feeling lonely on PSN, the newest firmware update raises the number of people you can have in your friends list to 100. I was amazed when I read that - I had no idea anyone was so popular, I have a total of 5 friends in my list. So please, if you have a PS3, be my friend. Just so I can feel good about myself. My PSN name is kanyn. Thanks.

I'm really only playing 1 game at the moment:
Metal Gear Solid 4 - I've come to the conclusion that this game is worthy of the great deal of the praise, and also some of the criticism, that it has been attracting. Fan or not you can't deny the significance of this franchise nor can you not respect what (MGS creator/director) Hideo Kojima and his team have attempted to build here. MGS4 is a masterpiece. The game is bursting at the seams with exhilarating game play, a compelling story, and production values that rival many Hollywood blockbusters. I'm nearly through the game for the second time and I've enjoyed an almost completely different experience than I did my first play through - the depth of the game play is staggering. There are moments so exciting and intense and fun to play that afterwards I had that adrenaline pumping, heart pounding, awe struck feeling you get after riding a good roller coaster. That said, the game is by no means perfect, some of the plot twists are absurd, dialogue is still poorly written and preachy, most disappointing is that the last act is probably the weakest in the game but these complaints seem petty when weighed against the wealth of entertainment the game provides. In a way too, the absurdity of certain plot elements and the silly dialogue adds to the fun of the experience and helps maintain the identity of the franchise. The MGS titles never take themselves seriously enough to make these elements unpalatable, in fact they add to the overall charm of the series. It's a fine balancing act to make a story, characters, and gameplay that are simultaneously silly and serious, but MGS does it and this 4th installment in particular does it well. It has moments of genuine emotion and deals with some deep issues, but never forgets that it's just a video game. A very, very good video game.



8 comments:

Heather said...

As sick of I am of you STILL playing this game, I do have to admit that it looks pretty incredible and fun to play. My only problem with the game that you didn't mention is that not a single girl in the series knows how to button or zip her shirt past her navel. Not even the scientist lady or (ewwww) his mom. Nice portrait of Snake, though, and I'm glad you decided to post the second one!

Marco Bucci said...

real nice, clean design. People where I work are freaking out over this game too.

Adam Ford said...

I've never played this game. In fact, I watched someone play it once and I was pretty turned off, but your review makes me want to give it a try.
Great piece all the same.

Steven Keele said...

You know me, I don't play games. I am too busy making them. Love the art. Sometime you'll have to explain the yellow dot on the eye patch to me.

EL GRANDE said...

I have to be honest, this Snake illustration is super, but the LOST paintings below took my breath away. You really nailed those guys.

Great work,
Joe y ELio

Jacob Keele said...

That is awesome (above) and super funny (below), I thought that part of the game was really corny, but I also Love these games...I think I passed the first three in two weeks time, and I could've made it shorter if I stayed up later, because I know how sick 2 weeks sounds, but I do have a life.

Kevin Keele said...

Heather, maybe the blouses in the MGS universe don't have buttons which even go that high.

Marco, thanks!

Adam, you should give it a try but the MGS games are a "Love 'em or Hate 'em" affair and they just may not be your thing.

Dad, that's not an eye patch its the Solid Eye a device which is radar, night vision, and binoculars all in a handy gadget that fits right over Snake's eye.

El Grande, thanks for the compliment on the LOST caricatures, I'm taking a break from them for now but hope to eventually do all the main characters.

Jacob, no you don't...just kidding.

Unknown said...

GREAT STUFF. I'm sure if I played the games I would get the comic more at the bottom, but still funny. I'm going thourgh a Resident evil phase I just passed Zero and I now I'm playing the first one though again and also trying to play though 4 on Pro it's way hard, even for a Pro like myself. I'm getting way pumped for the 5th one. I have almost passed BomerMan 93. I think that all the games I'm playing, soon I'll start the MGS series.