Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Review

I never beat games this fast, I usually never even beat games to begin with. The Metal Gear series has always been a different beast to me however. Ever since I played Metal Gear Solid back in the day I was hooked on the story of Solid Snake. When MGS4 came out I wanted nothing more than to beat it as fast as I could just so I could know the story, and have some sort of closure to this adventure I've been playing since 1998. That's just what I did, I bought the game when it came out on Thursday, after sinking 21 hours into it and having a Metal Gear fueled weekend, I'm done. The Metal Gear series has always been one of my favorites in video games, from the gameplay and stealth mechanics, to the characters and story, these are the games that rank at the top of my list.

Even though I love this series, I can't help but feel that during most of the game I'm tasked with running through tight corridors trying to disarm bombs, change key card colors, or locate certain weapons. With the exception of MGS3 most of the games have taken on this style. While it may be rewarding in the end, I sometimes got frustrated with back tracking, or being in the same type of environment over and over again. MGS4 changes this drastically. You start out in the middle east in the center of a conflict between privatized military groups and the local forces. The main difference about MGS4 that sets it apart from the other games in the series is that you are not the enemy. There is a battle going on around you, but neither side concerns you. You have a specific goal in mind and it is entirely up to you if you want to get involved in the fight. There is a perceived enemy (the PMC's) but you do not have to fight them. However, if you chose to fight them, the local rebels will notice you and come to your aide, helping you progress through each area more efficiently. There are four other areas that this story will take you to, I won't get into any details but let's just say that by the fourth act (out of five, plus an epilogue, and debriefing), I knew this game was a masterpiece.

This game brought back so much nostalgia for me, seeing these characters interact again, and being back in the story that I started ten years ago really felt amazing. I don't want to give anything away but you really get a sense of closure at the end of this game. As much as everyone touts the Metal Gear series for having one of the most convoluted stories out there, this game really does a fantastic job of tying everything together and making you understand almost every aspect of the storyline with ease. Unlike the previous games, I don't have any questions after finishing the game, Kojima (the creator) really explained every question and detail that he created in this world.

Metal Gear Solid 4 also sets itself apart from the other games in the series by allowing you to take a more action oriented approach to each mission. You start out with a ton of weapons and can upgrade or purchase more at any time once you meet a certain character named Drebin and his little pet monkey. This adds a lot to the game allowing you to shoot your way through if you'd like to. I found myself sneaking around, taking out people silently if they were in my way, but if caught I would take out my shotgun and start blasting people. Kojima may be the father of stealth games, but the action and shooting in this game are phenomenal. I would go about some parts almost begging to get caught (which sure enough would happen as I'm not that good) and would have tons of fun using all of the weapons and explosives in my arsenal. No longer is the series tied to the stealth genre, it can run and gun with the best of the action games.

I'm almost at a loss for words. There is so much that I want to talk about, but I do not want to give anything away. There are tons of twists and throw backs to earlier games, plenty of nostalgia to go around. The environments and characters that you meet up with are fantastic and all do a great job of flushing out the story. I don't have to say it, but the graphics look amazing as well, as other reviewers have stated Kojima is really pushing every pixel on the PS3. I think it'll be hard finding a better looking game for a really long time.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots: 10/10

This series is legendary, and this game is a masterpiece. It feels weird to finally have closure to a series I've been playing for ten years. I have no more questions, I have all of the information I wanted, yet I still want to walk around as Solid Snake for just a little longer. He is one of the few video game characters that felt truly human and this game shows it more than ever. Kojima has stated that this is not the end of the Metal Gear series, just the end of the Solid Snake chapter. I'm not sure if there can be a metal gear game with out a snake character. I have no doubt's in Kojima, I'm just not sure if anything else can live up to Solid Snake's legacy.

Labels: Reviews, Sony

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Review

After beating GTA I decided to spend some time with a game I've been waiting to play since I heard about it in November: Uncharted. Uncharted is an action game with some platforming elements mixed in. It plays a lot like the Tomb Raider games with a Gears of War cover system. The game is set it a beautiful tropical jungle is a blast to play through and to look at.

I was first interested in Uncharted because I heard it had a lot of platforming elements to it, much like the Prince of Persia series. You have to run and jump from ledge to ledge, grabbing on to rocks and catching your feet on little holes in the wall. It is really fun and exciting to string together a bunch of jumps, successfully landing on the other side of a river or water fall. The platforming segments are really well done and I almost always knew where the next ledge or hand hole that I could jump to would be.

Mixed in with the jungle platforming is a bunch of third person shooting segments. These sections are also extremely well done and feel extremely polished. There is a cover system in place that lets you hide behind a ledge or wall, allowing you to peak out at the right time, get off a few shots, and duck back in. It all works seamlessly and provides a good amount of strategy. Often times your cover, be it a wooden crate or something, would get blown to pieces forcing you to frantically run for cover somewhere else trying to avoid the enemies bullets.

Uncharted also incorpates a rewards system, much like the XBOX 360's achievement system. You get points for pulling off headshots, finding random treasures, or getting 10 kills in a row with a certain weapon. Once you have enough points you can unlock things like extra weapons, costumes, cheats, and developer movies. I found these to be a great addition to the game. Once I beat the main story (8 hours and 35 minutes) I immediately went to the "making of" section to see how it was all done. I loved this game so much that I wanted more instantly, these bonus features were a great addition for that.

Along with the action and platforming segments are certain vehicle sections. These require you to take a Jeep or a Jet-ski and plow through some bad guys. These were placed in the best possible spots and added great amount of fun to the game. I had just gotten through shooting down about four waves of pirates when one of these sections occurred. They kept the fast paced action of the game, but allowed me to relax and just drive, or shoot from the back of the truck. The entire game was a blast to watch, and it really felt like an action movie.

The music in Uncharted was also fantastic, some of the best I've heard in a game. The score was composed by Greg Edmonson, who also did the TV show Firefly. As soon as I first heard the opening theme I was blown away. It felt the same way as hearing the opening theme to Pirates of the Caribbean in the movie theater. The nailed the feel of the game and really set the tone with a perfect orchestral score. The music really pushed the adventure theme of the game and was a fantastic addition to the game play and story.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune: 10/10

I gave Uncharted a 10 simply because I have never had this much fun playing a video game from start to finish. There were no extremely frustrating parts, yet there was nothing that was too easy. Developer Naughty Dog really put a lot of effort into this game and it definitely shows. The characters are all fantastic and you really start to understand who they are, and what their motives are. The game really feels like the perfect summer blockbuster action movie. I have never played a game that felt this cinematic, and looked this good. I played the majority of Uncharted on my new 32 inch Sony Bravia, and man it looked fantastic. The colors were vibrant, the animations fluid, everything was crystal clear. To me, Uncharted was one of the most polished games I have played. Everything from the animations and sound, to the story was perfect. This is one game that I didn't want to end, and I am greatly looking forward to the sequel. As of now Uncharted is the epitome of gaming for the PS3, a lot of developers will have to live up to this standard for action games in the future.

Labels: Reviews, Sony