Metal Gear Solid 4 Review PS3

3:27pm Monday 7th July 2008

What's that sneaking up behind you?

The latest and last installment of the blockbuster series Metal Gear Solid is here but can it live up to the hype and expectancy?

Metal Gear Solid 4 takes place six years after the end of MGS2, and the world is a much different place than it was when we last saw Snake. The years have been particularly hard on our gruff hero, as he's suffering from an accelerated aging process due to the fact that's he a clone of Big Boss. Despite his creaking joints and insatiable desire for Metamucil, Old Snake (as he's now called) is sent back into the field to track down and kill Liquid Ocelot, the longtime series antagonist that was last seen escaping with Metal Gear Ray. This being a Metal Gear game, the lines between good and evil are blurred significantly, meaning there are plenty of double-crosses and espionage throughout the game.

Being the final game in the series it ties up the colossal amount of loose ends that have cropped up over the course of the years, that doesn't mean that its easy to follow though there is a lot of information to take in, still there is no denying that this is an outstanding end to the series and the ending (an hours cutscene) is absoloutely mind blowing and something you will remember for a long time a true gaming moment. Out of respect for those gamers that want to experience this for themselves I will not be putting any spoilers in here.

The graphics are gorgeous the best console graphics to date without question with everything from character models,vehicles and buildings rendered perfectly in 1080p HD, the high quality of the graphics does cause high amounts of loading between sections at certain times but you can forgive this for such high standards in visual presentation.

The sound also deserves particular mention a full orchestra score written specifically for the game really adds to the atmosphere and the tension. All the character actors from the previous titles have remained so Snake still has his gruff tone and this really adds to the familiarity of the series.

The gameplay is as top notch as always with a few new additions thrown in such as the octo camo, and the snake eye, again I don't want to spoil any of the experience for fans of the series so I wont give anymore information than that. Sneaking is the best way forward as always but in Metal Gear 4 and for the first time in the series you do have more freedom to go in all guns blazing if you wish, although the Stealthy route is much more rewarding after all it wouldn't be Metal Gear if you couldnt hide in a box here and there and leave traps for the unsuspecting patrols.

The multiplayer is a welcome addition to Metal Gear and is played as a team based deathmatch this is well executed and plays brilliantly I haven't had any lag or disconnects in about 50 online matches which is quite unusual as most online gamers will tell you. The online mode uses a skills system similar to Call Of Duty 4's perks and you can assign skill points into specialization in certain weapons to improve accuracy and range etc. Whilst its great to play online I feel Metal Gear online is let down slightly by the limitation of the Playstation Network which really needs an overhaul, not being able to invite a friend into an online game is something Sony really should have addressed by now.

So the answer to the question can it live up to the hype is yes and then some, whilst not being without its flaws Metal Gear Solid 4 is the best game to date on Playstation 3 and the best game this year so far, it truly is a work of gaming art that has to be played to be appreciated. A true classic.

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