War Has Changed
BY THE POLSKI SAMURAI I JUNE 13, 2008
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IMAGE PROVIDED COURTESY OF GAMEINFOWIRE.COM |
Solid Snake is ready for his final mission. So grab your favorite pack of smokes, stealth camo suit, and your trusty survival knife because after twenty years of video game history the final showdown is about to commence. Metal Gear Solid 4 debuts on the Playstation 3 on June 12th and longtime fans have been waiting patiently by getting their fix from watching E3 videos on YouTube and video game websites. Director Hideo Kojima has been a part of the Metal Gear Solid (MGS) series since the first game, Metal Gear, in 1987 and announced this will be the last game of the series which he will be involved. It looks like both Kojima and Snake are going out with a bang which is suspected to be a milestone (like past games in the series) in video game storytelling, gameplay, and graphics.
The MGS series brought a new style of gaming to the table with 2 key elements: story-driven gameplay and “tactical espionage action.” Every game in MGS made the player sit down and watch hours and hours of cinematic gameplay footage which brought amazing character development, hints and tips of what to do next, and more initiative to reach the climax. But in addition to cut scenes and overdramatic acting sequences, the gamer never ran into a room guns a-blazing, firing at anything that moves. MGS was always a strategic game not only regarding the gamers approach to new obstacles but also being knowledgeable about the plot’s twists and changeovers. Second guessing was common theme where players never really knew who to trust or where to go. Many refer to MGS games like playing an interactive movie, which was something that video games never did before.
With history being written, MGS4 is ready to go where the previous games in the series left off. Although MGS games were released in numerical order, the series’ story did not follow the same pattern. Below is how the games’ story progressed in both numerical and chorological order:
Numerical Order |
Chronological Order |
| Metal Gear – Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), 1987 |
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – Playstation 2 (PS2) |
| Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake – Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), 1990 |
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops – Playstation Portable (PSP) |
| Metal Gear Solid (The Twin Snakes) – Playstation (PS), Game Cube (GB), 1998 |
Metal Gear – Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) |
| Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – Playstation 2 (PS2), 2001 |
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake – Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) |
| Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – Playstation 2 (PS2), 2004 |
Metal Gear Solid (The Twin Snakes) – Playstation (PS), Game Cube (GB) |
| Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops – Playstation Portable (PSP), 2006 |
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – Playstation 2 (PS2) |
| Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – Playstation 3 (PS3), 2008 |
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – Playstation 3 (PS3) |
IMAGE PROVIDED COURTESY OF GAMEINFOWIRE.COM |
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MGS4 will take place after MGS2, released in 2001. In all actuality, not all games need to be played through to get the rundown of the story. The 3 main Metal Gear Solid titles recap the story very well in case players never owned a NES.
Set in a not too distant future, MGS4 draws upon how war has changed and armies hire mercenaries to fight proxy wars for businesses. Technological warfare is at a highpoint where soldier’s use nanotechnology to enhance their strengths and abilities. Even Solid Snake has a few new surprises including a computerized eye-patch and chameleon-like camo suit which alters its appearance depending on which surfaces he comes in contact. These new features defiantly will come handy when sneaking behind enemies and avoiding patrol squads.
A great story needs to have great characters and what really gets people excited about the series are the new and familiar faces MGS presents. Otacon, Meryl, Vamp, Roy Campbell, and even Raiden all are back and ready for their last battle. Will Vamp finally be finished? Why is Raiden the new cybernetic ninja? Is Roy Campbell really who he says he is? So many questions and subplots revolve around the main storyline but the message is always clear what the next objective is. Every MGS game had amazing bosses in terms of character development and fight sequences. MGS4 is no exception bringing a new squad of warriors titled “The Beauty and the Beast Corps.” Here the players will see new adventures brought to the table but still having homage to previous MGS titles.
It looks like Metal Gear Solid 4 is going to fall right into line with the whole series. But will new technology, characters, and timeframe, the game looks to be separated as its own experience. After twenty years in the making, Metal Gear Solid finally comes to the next generation of video gaming and the wait is almost over. If you are one of those gamers who buy the game at midnight and beat it within 24 hours, please send us your review or comments and Sloth Jockey will gladly post them.
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