On Screen / Aimee Green

'Metal Gear Solid 4' gives Snake his final, best mission

By Aimee Green, Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star | Friday, July 04, 2008 | () comments

Because of accelerated aging, Snake is called Old Snake in "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots." (KONAMI) Buy this Photo

Say what you will about lengthy cutscenes in games: Hideo Kojima has them down.

The “Metal Gear” series — masterminded by Kojima and now in its 20th year — is well known for its cinematic sequences and deep (and often convoluted) storytelling.

The final entry in the series, “Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots” for the PlayStation 3, takes the storytelling to lofty heights. Cutscene time rivals gameplay time — and it’s amazing.

Without going into too much detail, the story revolves around the “Metal Gear” series’ central character: Solid Snake. In “MGS4,” however, Snake is an old man, despite the fact that the game takes place only six years after “Metal Gear Solid 3.” The story behind all this is complicated, but a simple explanation is that Snake is experience accelerated aging because he is a clone.

So, while combating his aging, Snake also must pursue his arch-nemesis, Liquid Ocelot, and foil his plans for taking over the world.

If it sounds complicated, it is. “Metal Gear” has a massive back story like no other game series, and even series veterans may need to refresh their memories. Still, as long as you pay attention, the story behind “MGS4” is fascinating and fleshes out Snake’s character more than ever.

As I said, much of the story is told through cutscenes, which may turn off some of the more hands-on gamers. I can get antsy myself, but in this case I was too riveted by what was going on to care much.

The best part about all this watching is it isn’t all passive: The less exciting “briefings” are split into multiple screens so you can fiddle with camera angles, check your in-game statistics and even drive a little robot around — all without missing the important parts of the story.

When you’re not watching the movie parts of the game, you’re doing what all “Metal Gear” games are about: sneaking.

The “Metal Gear” games are not about open combat. Avoiding detection, while not always critical, is nevertheless the best way to go. If Snake happens to be spotted, he can certainly handle himself, but the game is meant for him to be invisible.

A number of new gameplay additions help this goal.

The OctoCamo suit lets Snake blend into his environment. If he’s in shadows and camouflaged, he’s safe from the naked eye. “Metal Gear Solid 3” had a camouflage system, but this one is much more user-friendly and streamlined. With a touch of a button, the suit detects Snake’s surroundings and changes to fit.

Snake also has a little robot friend that tags along (also camouflaged so as to be invisible). This robot, the Metal Gear Mark II, is Snake’s connection to Otacon, the man who guides him through his missions. The robot can be sent ahead for reconnaissance purposes.

Finally, Snake gets a nifty eye patch device called the Solid Eye. This feeds snake information about his surroundings, such as a map and where his enemies are (using their heat signatures). The Solid Eye has a battery life, so occasionally it must be turned off.

And, as always, Snake can use other methods to keep out of sight, particularly the fan favorite hiding under a cardboard box.

Another new addition to the gameplay is Drebin, a black market arms dealer. While Drebin is part of the storyline (all guns have identity locks, and Drebin can unlock them for anyone to use), he also serves as a shop for Snake.

As Snake progresses through his missions, he picks up weapons from enemies. Rather than just carrying them around in his inventory — or even selling them later — anything he already possesses automatically gets sold to Drebin through the Mark II. I don’t understand the logistics of this virtual/real transaction, but it gives me a reason to seek out items lying around. Drebin also sells surprisingly large number of upgrades for Snake’s weaponry.

Most levels let players take multiple routes through them. Some routes are better for sneaking without confrontation, while others may require some action. While I preferred simply knocking out my enemies with tranquilizer darts and walking past them (killing them would raise an alert), it was still fun looking for different ways around a situation.

The single-player game will take players quite a while, and with that many cutscenes to watch, it’s hard to rush through it even if you want to. There are also tons of other features that I don’t have room to talk about.

But if you do want something different, “MGS4” includes “Metal Gear Online.” The online is essentially a starter pack for what will become a full game at a later date, so it’s not as fleshed out as it could be. But multiplayer fans probably will enjoy it, regardless.

“MGS4” is possibly the best game available for the PlayStation 3, and owners should not let it slip by. It’s a fantastic farewell for a classic series.

Scorecard

“Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots”

Konami, for PlayStation 3

Rated: Mature

Cost: $59.99

Score: 10/10

Scores based on an evaluation of gameplay (4 points), visuals (2), sound (2) and replayability/value (2).

Reach Aimee Green at (402) 473-7326 or Aimee.Green@lee.net. The Lincoln Journal Star is a Lee Enterprises newspaper.