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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (VG) More at IMDbPro »

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35 reviews in total

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87 out of 95 people found the following review useful:
A groundbreaking end to a fantastic series, 14 June 2008

Author: Marijn from Netherlands

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Metal Gear Solid 4 is a fantastic experience that combines the medium of game and film in a never before seen way. It tops its predecessors in audio/visual quality as well as in story telling and dialogue, making the whole experience not only more intense and captivating, but also more accessible to a broader audience. It is impossible to compare Metal Gear Solid 4 to any game out to date, and it will surely take a long, long time until anything as good as this comes along again - if it ever happens.

Even more so than the previous Metal Gear Solid games, this last installment rises above its medium, and becomes more than just a game. People have debated over the question whether games can be considered as "art", and while this is all in the eye of the beholder, Metal Gear Solid 4 comes as close to art as any game before. In my view, Metal Gear Solid 4 isn't just art, but it's also one of the finest pieces of art I've ever encountered. It's a masterpiece, a complex and layered experience that will move you on so many levels, in so many ways, and even manages to be unique, new and refreshing. And isn't that what art is all about?

Metal Gear Solid 4 has its minor issues, and surely not everyone will be happy with the directions the story takes. But it is impossible to discard all the fantastic moments this game has to offer because of these (minor) issues.

Metal Gear Solid 4 will forever mark gaming history. It's sad to see the series come to an end, but what an end it is. Thank you mister Kojima, for more than twenty years of incredible and groundbreaking entertainment.

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46 out of 50 people found the following review useful:
Is the "can video games be considered art" debate coming to an end?, 24 June 2008

Author: (tyranid_slayer) from United Kingdom

Well it's here Solid Snake ha came back to us after a very lengthy break.

First of all, i have played some metal gear solid games, and vaugly know the story. But for the games release i re-played the previous games.

I'm still half way through playing metal gear but hope it wont end any time soon.

This game is almost beyond words.

When some games try to add a cinematic feel to it they normally fail or don't get the tone right etc. But this game is truly cinematic, the (very lengthy but beautifully done) cutscenes are very well done with some great dialouge and direction. Plus in the game the sound of bullets,bombs and buildings turning into debris truly capture the feel of the game.

The graphics are truly superb the best graphics i've seen in a game since uncharted.

Gameplay. Well the stealth action is still there. But the use of the otocamo is a great feature and works very well. Plus extra kudos go to the characters health. You have three meters in the game; the health meter, psyche meter and stress meter. This works amazingly, if snakes psyche is low then it will affect how quick he heals and if his stress is high it affects his psyche and his game performance. I remember at one point i'd let snakes stress reach quite high and suddenly he stopped moving and threw up. This amazaed me that they put so much thought into how realistic they were going to make this game.

Then there's enemy AI. the AI is unbelievably smart, the smartest enemies since rainbow six vegas. When your stealthing if you move loudly and make a sound then the enemy becomes aware of your presence or if they see the aiming laser from your gun. Also the dead enemies react well with the environment and so does snake. At one point an enemy threw a grenade at me and my body flew through the air and landed sitting up against a box, then my otocamo blended in with the object i was sitting against and the enemies were none the wiser.

Online play. Well once you get past the hassle of making two more accounts to play then the online play is very rewarding. You see the game everyone plays is call of duty 4 and thats it. Yes i loved call of duty for it's cinematic feel and great graphics and very good online play, but i'd become so tired of hearing about call of duty all the time and MGS4 has really stuck it to call of duty.

So. Can this game be considered art? In my opinion, yes, definitely. Not since shadow of the colossus have i loved a game so much and considered it as a piece of art but MGS4 peirces the border of video game and art.

overall:10/10 or if i could:20/10 Finally an exclusive the playstation can be proud of!

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31 out of 36 people found the following review useful:
Greatest video game EVER MADE, 18 September 2008

Author: emiljose13 from United Kingdom

This game is just to good, there is no other better example of masterful cut scenes merged with the game play of perfection!!! Hideo kojima has improved every aspect of the game play and introduced the best looking and the most technically impressive game that is ever made. True this may not be every persons game but it is the hardcore fans that will remember this game the most, sure this game didn't beat the records of GTA 4 but will always be remembered as an epic not a blockbuster. There is no video game with such in-depth story line and characterisation these are the aspects hideo kojima focuses on as well as the immense game play. Evry weapon just feels right and every cqc moves leaves the player satisfying and most importantly the innovation of octacamo which is now considered to be one of the best outfits in games games in the history of game making.

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32 out of 38 people found the following review useful:
The best game ever..., 26 October 2008

Author: tudyniuz from Romania

Metal Gears Solid 4 : Guns of the Patriots is a special game.This is probably the most anticipated game of the year 2008 and it's also a game that has to bring the PS3 what it never had before,a better game than any other on XBOX 360.This game also is expected to be the final work of Hideo Kojima in the Metal Gear series.It does everything people expected.It is an incredible experience from beginning to end. As many PS3 games it has a pre-installation which doesn't take long but which makes you more anxious about what you are about to face.The game starts like an Academy Award winning movie.The game concentrates on combining the experience of playing video games and watching a movie.The guys from Konami did a great job of combining the two.Every cinematic fits perfect with the game.And you never feel like the cinematic just started without notice or without sense.This game is a masterpiece.After playing it for a while you will realize that you have never played anything like it before.It is just stunning. The vast majority of good games stand out for one or two elements that feel better than in every thing else.But in MGS4 everything is better than in anything else.The graphics are amazing.I don't think that there are many low textures in this game,everything is as sharp as it good be and everything that happens around is just as real.The AI is very good,being able to spot you very quickly if you make any sudden or loud moves.The sound in the game is top notch.Beginning with the incredible precise sound effects,with the perfect music,and the top notch voice-acting,this game is the best ever. The gameplay has also been much improved and the shooting is far more precise than in any other MGS.The number of moves that Snake does in the game is pretty high and every move he makes seems very real. A big bummer for some may be the long cinematics which are longer than the game itself.But this game is the ultimate story telling machine.It tells the story of Solid Snake beautifully.This game is really a tribute to the legend which is Solid Snake. I would recommend this game to everyone.It is truly a must have.This is just one of those games that you simply have to buy.Even if you don't really like the idea of the game,or the fact that cinematics are long,you still have to buy this game.The experience that this game delivers is incredible and you can see that the producers really cared about the product.What came out is this game which deserves a perfect 10.

My Score 10

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22 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
The Best Series In Gaming Goes Out With A Bang, 12 June 2008

Author: brianbnv00677 from Puerto Rico

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I was able to play MGS4:GOTP before its release and my god is it amazing.Hideo Kojima concludes the series with one of the greatest video-games of all-time.The game is divided into 5 acts.Middle Asia,South America,Eastern Europe,Shadow Moses,and Outer Heaven.The cinematics although sometimes long are the best gaming has to offer.The 69 weapons in the game are all good;and the customization is just overwhelming.You'll be playing it again and again just to try more guns and custimizations.MGS4 has everything going well for it;the graphics,the sound,the animation,the game-play,and especially the story.The boss battles are some of the most dynamic ever in a video-game.The ending,will be a shocker to some,a disappointment to others,and to others it will be good or even great.I can't spoil anything more;that's for you to discover.This is the reason to buy a PS3.If you don't have one go get one just for this game.The ones that have a PS3 have to buy this game even if they're not a fan of the series.MGS4 is not the end of Metal Gear;but it sure is the end of Solid Snake.I give it a 10/10.Best Game I've Ever Played!!!!

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18 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
An excellent finale to one of the greatest series ever., 2 January 2009

Author: Ed Sheehy from United States

"Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" means more to the fans of the series than anyone else, which is why some new players may look upon the game with dismay due to the long cut scenes and intensely complicated plot, but the sheer art of this game is undeniable.

It plays like an interactive movie. The game play is very well done and refined, and sometimes is intense and very challenging. Even vets of the previous titles will need to be more careful as they sneak their way through each level, but at the same time, there are more tools to utilize in order to successfully complete a mission.

The games best points are: 1) The story. Fans of the previous games will really get into the plot, because all the elements tie the older titles together as older characters and places weave their way into the story, triggering those feeling of nostalgia that make the MGS series so captivating.

2) The graphics. The game is visually stunning with intricate textures and high polygon-count models. The rendering of human faces is also second-to-none.

3) The music/audio. The musical score is very well done, featuring the spy-like orchestral/electronic hybrid soundtrack that is a signature of the MGS games. The sound effects are fantastic as well, from the firing of guns and explosions to the voices of the characters.

and finally...

4) The game play. What makes MGS4 so great is its ability to facilitate different styles of mission approach. Although the story may be linear, the path to its completion certainly is not. There are so many ways to approach each level. It is possible to run and gun your way to victory, or sneak like a ghost through each area without ever being seen, and each of these methods have their own SUB-methods that can be utilized. Simply put, the player is totally in charge of how things get done, and this thought provocation makes the game all the more satisfying.

Of course, their are all the little things, such as the cut scene controls among many more Easter eggs that make MGS4 such an interesting game. It contains all the great elements of a challenging video game, but laces it with movie-like story qualities better than any other video game series to date.

After my first completion, I was left with such a profound feeling that I couldn't get my mind off of it. It made me go back and play the entire series. This feeling can only be experienced with games that are as rich as MGS4 is, which in essence, is what makes MGS4, and its series, one of the most unique and unforgettable experiences ever.

A fantastic conclusion that should not be missed by anyone. 10/10

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13 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
A worthy closure, but yes, a closure., 10 August 2008

Author: Bjarne Andreas Skoveng (Skoveng77@everyday.com) from Norway

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Let me start with the worst first; YES, I HATE THE FACT THAT HIDEO KOJIMA THIS TIME MEANT IT WENT HE SAID THAT HE'S DONE WITH MGS! YES, I HATE THAT SNAKE IS NOT GOING TO BE THE MAIN CHARACTER IN FUTURE MGS GAMES! YES, I HATE THAT MOST OF THE CHARACTERS I LEARNED TO KNOW AND LOVE (Naomi, Vamp, Ocelot) DIED! AND YES, I HATED THAT GREY LITTLE MONKEY-THING THAT DREBIN ALWAYS DRAGGED AROUND WITH HIM!!! Now some more lighter things, but still negative; There was no Demo Theatre, which is really sad considering that the FMVs in MGS4 is absolutely astonishing. If there is any plans of doing a follow-up (like Substance for MGS2 and Subsistence for MGS3), I hope they will include at least that. Furthermore, I didn't care much for the over-linear storyline. From previous MG-games, I've been spoiled to have the freedom to (sometimes) travel all the way back to the start point, and recover items, equipments and weapons I didn't acquire from the start. In MGS4, the story takes place in different places (Middle East, South America, Eastern Europe, Alaska, Pacific Ocean), which makes it very hard to re-trail your own movements to improve your performance. It also give me the feeling that the game is really pushing you forward to complete the story and be done with it, which is also a bit of a bother since the story isn't really that long. Experienced gamers would complete it in just 3-6 hours. Now, finally, the good stuff; There is finally a real explanation to who/what the Patriots are/were! And the revealing of this is so spectacular, so intriguing, such a work of genius that I was really amazed! And the fact that graphic, sound, music and game play, with all its new resources in control and layout, is by no means any disturbance or annoyance. My most blissful moment in the game was when I realized that you could buy and customize weapons, and that just about every weapon in the game are actually real ones. They exist in real life! How cool is THAT? I quite enjoyed the return of several characters such as Naomi, Meryl, Vamp and Raiden (I know I have said in the past that I hate Raiden, but that was because he stole Snake's place in MGS2. Raiden as the NexGen Cy-Ninja is truly an amazing sight and it fits him) because MGS3: Snake Eater and MGS:Portable Ops (Plus), no matter how great they were, took our minds away from the event from our own day and age (well, sort of. Usually the MG/MGS-games was set about 5-10 years into the future from their original release dates). After MGS2, there was a sort of void whereas the progress of the story halted to a complete stop for the fans. But I call this a masterpiece of deception. While the fans are all hung up on how a CIA-agent named Naked Snake became Big Boss, the world's greatest soldier of modern times, along the way creating the prologue of what would become the Patriots, things happened. Snake's body started to break down, Raiden went MIA, EVA hid in Europe, Ocelot at an unidentified location, Rose gave birth to her and Raiden's son, Meryl advanced in the military ranks and found out about her real relation to Roy Campbell, Snake and Otacon took Olga's daughter, which they named Sunny, into their care after Raiden had saved her from some group believed to be the Patriots, Naomi was broken out of military arrest by Ocelot, Liquid finally possessed Ocelot completely, and Snake grew a 'stache. And just like before, Harry Gregson-Williams put his heart and soul into his work when he once again delivered a musical soundtrack that took a good, hard grip of the player's emotion and shook it. Long. And hard. As a prolonged MGS-player, I took great enjoyment in the Shadow Moses level as it was filled with all sorts of nostalgic moments. And personally, I have always wondered what happened to that place after the place was evacuated and shut down in the early 2000s. It was suppose to have been abandoned, right? Well, we were wrong, weren't we!? When I as Snake set foot on that Helipad, and heard the nostalgic voice memories of Snake saying "A Hind D? Coronel, what's a Russian gunship doing here?", I took an overview of the place. It was crumbled down due to 9 years of harsh weather and no maintenance, and as usual, the weather was not welcoming. Truly a sad sight. But still, I was happy. I was home again. Oh yes, I was indeed at home. I also want to mention that due to the lack of a Demo Theatre and the really hurtful realization that Snake indeed will not come back, I would say that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is so definitely the closure we have been waiting for all these years. And the game hints towards future releases. I could not be more satisfied. I take my hat off to Kojima-san, David (Snake AND MR. Hayter), and the Shalashaska for their long and hard work and sacrifices they have made along the way to this point. Stand proud, men. A world of fans salute you.

* (I wrote this review in US Enlish because I'm so sick and tired of the correction program telling me that I misspell words when I type 's' instead of 'z'. Don't blame me for this disrespectful spelling, blame America and the staff at IMDb.com.)

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11 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Gaming has Changed, 5 March 2009

Author: GunslingerSnake from United Kingdom

In an older trailer, Otacon says: "It'll be worth the wait". How right he was. How right he was.

There is not much more to say.

If you've played this game, you'll agree. If you've played this game and don't agree, see a doctor. If you've not played this game, what's wrong with you?

A milestone of brilliance. A touchstone of excellence. A game fitting of the title 'epic'.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is one of those pieces which intensifies the hope that there is a future for video gaming, that there is a future for movies - which the game essentially is.

Games have Changed.

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10 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Truly a fantastic game, 8 July 2008

Author: jpx400 from Sweden

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

After 21 years of great games, Hideo Kojima manages to surpass himself and create a terrific ending to the Metal Gear series.

MGS4 takes place in 2014, 5 years after the Manhattan Incident (MGS2). Since then, the restriction of military intervention on foreign soil has been eased, creating the need for a number of private military companies, PMCs, fighting proxy wars. The five largest PMC:s are owned by Liquid Ocelot (Revolver Ocelot with the mind of Liquid Snake) who is planning to start a war against the Patriots, a mysterious organization which has secretly been controlling the USA since the 1970s. Solid Snake, who is experiencing rapid aging similar to Werner's syndrome, is deployed by Campbell, who now works with the UN in a PMC regulation committee, into the Middle East to assassinate Liquid and save the US once again.

The game is a worthy ending to the series. A lot of glitches have been removed, the game is no longer played from overhead perspective and the cut scenes are better merged with the game and feel almost like movie scenes.

The only thing that I didn't like about the game was the fact that there was no cut scene theater available, like in MGS3. I still think it deserves a full 10, though.

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12 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
THE Greatest Game Of 2008, 19 January 2009

Author: BA-Baracus from London, England, UK

This game is over the top amazing it's gameplay and graphics is so good that not even the mighty Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4 can beat.

Honestly when i first brought this game i wasn't really interested then when i opened up the first level i still wasn't that impressed until i reached the end of the first part. Then i was seriously impressed the gameplay as already said is amazing you play through stealth missions or sometimes non stealthy missions which is pretty cool.

Then you come across these killer long cutscenes which are really wicked but it's obviously like watching a movie but it's also the game's only flaw you have to watch the cutscenes to get the story otherwise you won't and their too freakin' long.

So, time to wrap up here this whole game is pure golden just the cutscenes are a pain but their still very interesting.

I'm giving this a major 10/10 very highly recommendable, just buy it play and enjoy.

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