Gaming Metal Gear Solid
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Metal Gear Solid 4 is still a few weeks out, but MGS5 appears to be the hot topic in the news of late. Following some hints at a sequel at Konami's MGS4 completion ceremony last week, producer/director Hideo Kojima has once again mentioned the number 5 in combination with those three letters that sound like the stuff you don't want in your Chinese food, this time in an interview with Famitsu.
In the latest issue of the magazine, which just hit newsstands today in Japan, Kojima noted that the Kojima Productions staff is taking some time off now that MGS4 has gone gold, but he added, "We have to start thinking about MGS5. Snake's story is finished with MGS4, however."
Yes, as Konami has made clear in the past, the Metal Gear series will be continuing. And it may still be "Solid." Continued Kojima, "I believe the Metal Gear Solid series will continue from here. Even if I were to leave the company, it would probably continue. However, regarding MGS5, I believe it has to be made by Kojima Productions."
There are a couple of things worth noting in Kojima's comments. First off, he specifically states that the "Solid" series of the Metal Gear line will continue, rather than just the "Metal Gear" series. Additionally, he specifically refers to the sequel as MGS5 in the interview, although it's unclear if he's just using this for convenience, or if the next game in the series will indeed have the number five in it.
While Kojima appears to believe strongly that Kojima Productions should handle the sequel's development, his role appears to be uncertain. "I'd like to leave the producer role to another person," said Kojima. "I want the new MGS to be made by a young person. If it has action involving sneaking missions, I believe it's okay whatever direction it takes."
To this, he added a reminder that Snake has retired.
Elsewhere in the interview, Kojima reflected on the development of MGS4, with a heavy focus on space concerns. Blu-ray disc was insufficient for fitting in everything he wanted from the game, he reminded. He pointed out that four years back, while attending an event in Spain, he'd announced plans to put Spanish voices in the North American version of the game. But this couldn't be done due to space constraints.
"I thought that there was no longer a need to worry about space," said Kojima, reflecting on his thinking at the time of the announcement in Spain. "At the time of CD-ROM, it was the same -- I was happy at no longer needing to worry about space."
Space has been a concern for the Metal Gear series all along, it seems. Kojima recalled the advent of the "Mega-ROM" cartridges, or carts having space of over one megabit, back in the 8-bit days. These first appeared following the original Metal Gear. When planning Metal Gear 2, Kojima thought for sure they'd be able to use a Mega-ROM cartridge and developed the title accordingly. Konami ended up not allowing this due to costs, so Kojima's team had to make the game over again from the start, removing some elements, including a shark-like boss named "Jaws" and an opening demo sequence. Upon showing this removed opening sequence to this superiors, he was finally given the go-ahead to go with the high capacity cartridge, and his team was required to start over from scratch again.
Back to MGS4's development, Kojima recalled getting data readouts, apparently back when the game was scheduled to ship on a single layer Blu-ray disc. He initially thought the numbers were wrong, but they were indeed right -- the game wouldn't fit on a single layer disc. "I didn't like going with two discs, so there was nothing left to do but go with dual layer. Even then, space was insufficient."
Much of the rest of the interview was filled with gameplay spoilers, so we won't share it with you, but Kojima did share a few comments on Metal Gear Online, which is included with MGS4. First, continuing with the theme of space concerns, Kojima noted that the inclusion of MGO with the title was actually one of the reasons for the move to two dual layer.
He then tackled some pricing issues for MGO. Playing the game will be free, he said, adding, "It will always be free." In the future, Konami will be offering downloadable expansion packs. These will cost money, although Kojima did not share specifics.
http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/876/876268p1.html
In the latest issue of the magazine, which just hit newsstands today in Japan, Kojima noted that the Kojima Productions staff is taking some time off now that MGS4 has gone gold, but he added, "We have to start thinking about MGS5. Snake's story is finished with MGS4, however."
Yes, as Konami has made clear in the past, the Metal Gear series will be continuing. And it may still be "Solid." Continued Kojima, "I believe the Metal Gear Solid series will continue from here. Even if I were to leave the company, it would probably continue. However, regarding MGS5, I believe it has to be made by Kojima Productions."
There are a couple of things worth noting in Kojima's comments. First off, he specifically states that the "Solid" series of the Metal Gear line will continue, rather than just the "Metal Gear" series. Additionally, he specifically refers to the sequel as MGS5 in the interview, although it's unclear if he's just using this for convenience, or if the next game in the series will indeed have the number five in it.
While Kojima appears to believe strongly that Kojima Productions should handle the sequel's development, his role appears to be uncertain. "I'd like to leave the producer role to another person," said Kojima. "I want the new MGS to be made by a young person. If it has action involving sneaking missions, I believe it's okay whatever direction it takes."
To this, he added a reminder that Snake has retired.
Elsewhere in the interview, Kojima reflected on the development of MGS4, with a heavy focus on space concerns. Blu-ray disc was insufficient for fitting in everything he wanted from the game, he reminded. He pointed out that four years back, while attending an event in Spain, he'd announced plans to put Spanish voices in the North American version of the game. But this couldn't be done due to space constraints.
"I thought that there was no longer a need to worry about space," said Kojima, reflecting on his thinking at the time of the announcement in Spain. "At the time of CD-ROM, it was the same -- I was happy at no longer needing to worry about space."
Space has been a concern for the Metal Gear series all along, it seems. Kojima recalled the advent of the "Mega-ROM" cartridges, or carts having space of over one megabit, back in the 8-bit days. These first appeared following the original Metal Gear. When planning Metal Gear 2, Kojima thought for sure they'd be able to use a Mega-ROM cartridge and developed the title accordingly. Konami ended up not allowing this due to costs, so Kojima's team had to make the game over again from the start, removing some elements, including a shark-like boss named "Jaws" and an opening demo sequence. Upon showing this removed opening sequence to this superiors, he was finally given the go-ahead to go with the high capacity cartridge, and his team was required to start over from scratch again.
Back to MGS4's development, Kojima recalled getting data readouts, apparently back when the game was scheduled to ship on a single layer Blu-ray disc. He initially thought the numbers were wrong, but they were indeed right -- the game wouldn't fit on a single layer disc. "I didn't like going with two discs, so there was nothing left to do but go with dual layer. Even then, space was insufficient."
Much of the rest of the interview was filled with gameplay spoilers, so we won't share it with you, but Kojima did share a few comments on Metal Gear Online, which is included with MGS4. First, continuing with the theme of space concerns, Kojima noted that the inclusion of MGO with the title was actually one of the reasons for the move to two dual layer.
He then tackled some pricing issues for MGO. Playing the game will be free, he said, adding, "It will always be free." In the future, Konami will be offering downloadable expansion packs. These will cost money, although Kojima did not share specifics.
http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/876/876268p1.html
Metal Gear Solid 4 has absurdly long cut-scenes
Metal Gear Solid has earned itself a bit of a reputation for prescribing its convoluted in sometimes achingly long and drawn out cut-scenes. Hurling the controller away in exasperation at the fact you're not doing ANYTHING is apparently a hallmark of the series. So is Kojima's final instalment of the series going to clam its desire to deliver 15 successive plot twists in each and every mid level checkpoint? The feck it is.
CVG reveals that some of Metal Gear Solid 4's cut-scenes are well in excess of an hour long; some even approach the 90 minute mark, the lower end of an entire feature length film. Or looking at it another way: it's double that of MGS2's longest and most arduous cut-scene extravaganza (was it that bit with the parrot?).
So basically, brace yourself for some serious cut-scenage. Make sure the house is stocked with salty snacks and get the kettle on. The good news is that you can pause or complete skip the in-game mini-movies. We'd also like to know if you can view them again at a later stage, such as when no one else has to put up with them, or whether the game will handily provide a short summary of each video after it wraps up. For example: 'Otacon still a whinging twat, Snake grumpy, some sexual tension, everything you knew is a lie, etc'.
http://www.pspsps.tv/
90 minute cutscenes!
No wonder blu-ray wasn't big enough.
Metal Gear Solid has earned itself a bit of a reputation for prescribing its convoluted in sometimes achingly long and drawn out cut-scenes. Hurling the controller away in exasperation at the fact you're not doing ANYTHING is apparently a hallmark of the series. So is Kojima's final instalment of the series going to clam its desire to deliver 15 successive plot twists in each and every mid level checkpoint? The feck it is.
CVG reveals that some of Metal Gear Solid 4's cut-scenes are well in excess of an hour long; some even approach the 90 minute mark, the lower end of an entire feature length film. Or looking at it another way: it's double that of MGS2's longest and most arduous cut-scene extravaganza (was it that bit with the parrot?).
So basically, brace yourself for some serious cut-scenage. Make sure the house is stocked with salty snacks and get the kettle on. The good news is that you can pause or complete skip the in-game mini-movies. We'd also like to know if you can view them again at a later stage, such as when no one else has to put up with them, or whether the game will handily provide a short summary of each video after it wraps up. For example: 'Otacon still a whinging twat, Snake grumpy, some sexual tension, everything you knew is a lie, etc'.
http://www.pspsps.tv/
90 minute cutscenes!
No wonder blu-ray wasn't big enough.
brilliant!! glad i have 6 days non stop to complete it
Just 2 weeks left!
This comes out 5 days after my birthday 
Waited 3 and half years for this and now it's only 2 weeks away. feck GTA this was the real reason I bought a PS3.
I bet the 2 weeks will feel longer than the previous 3 years!
It begins!
10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10
feck off!
feck off!
Be honest Weaste, this is deserveth of a 10.
You should have frozen yourself like cartman
Nothing deserves it, but it deserves it more than Halo and GTA do I would expect.
None of the MGS games have ever lived up to expectations, yet all have had that 'wow' factor in the screenshots.
I've absolutely no reason to believe this one won't be any different.
I've absolutely no reason to believe this one won't be any different.
Looks like we won't be agreeing this particular time Redlambs
MGS & Final Fantasy are the best 2 gaming series ever made.
Like the games or not, you can't deny the production values and the amount of work and creativity that goes into them.
Looks like we won't be agreeing this particular time Redlambs
MGS & Final Fantasy are the best 2 gaming series ever made.
MGS has never been that brilliant to play, it's always been more about the show.
Final fantasy also is in steady decline since 7. Decent series though.
I think it's best to agree to disagree on this one, otherwise we could be here all day.
The only disappointment since FF7 was the most recent in FF12, 8, 9 X & X-2 were all excellent and thoroughly enjoyable and took hours upon hours of my gaming time. Still the best RPG out there.
And the new FF's look stunning, particularly versus.
Of course, they are always impressively made.
If only the gameplay could match. If I want a movie, I'll go to the pictures.
Exactly, MGS makes you feel like you are part of the game. You care what happens to each and every character and you feel like you have a relationship with them, something very few games achieve.
No crossover for you then? No "interactive entertainment"?
Whatever anyone may feel about FF and MGS, they are Halo 2/3 strength games in terms of sales (not quite GTA or GT). Few games even touch them, even on Nintendo systems, so they must be doing something right.
No need to try and go down that path.
Irrelevant to me and the point I'm making, especially since I'll no doubt be buying it myself.
I'm personally a Turrican and R-Type and Bubble Bobble and Captive/Hired Guns and GT kind of a bloke myself. Each to his own, but I can understand why a lot of people fall in love with these types of games.
I love those types of games (both the ones you mentioned and MGS's style of stealth/action).
Since I do enjoy them so much, it disappoints me when a game is as well made as the MGS series, but the balance of flash vs substance is well out.
Did you play Snake Eater?
The bosses were some of the best i've ever encountered in a game. It always puts you in a situation where you feel like you are the character. Unlike the likes of Halo where you shoot what you see, MGS has thought, emotion, tact, action, drama, story telling, epic, polish all put into one.
For me, MGS and GTA are in a league of their own. Whereas GTA is the ultimate game really combining all genres into the most masterful piece of gaming i've come across, MGS is story telling and stealth at its best. Its two different takes on gaming and they both are more than just that. GTA puts you into a world, and lets you live in it. MGS puts you in a story and lets you feel like your living. Its the thought, the detail these two games go into that makes them special.
A Halo will never be half as good. Fricking shoot moving objects nonsense.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots UK Review
In return for letting us play Metal Gear Solid 4 before its release, Konami issued us with a list of things that we're not allowed to discuss. This list of prohibited topics is pretty long, and even extends as far as several facts that the company itself has already made public. Regardless of Konami's list of prohibited topics though, this review was always going to be a spoiler-free zone, because part of the pleasure of playing Guns of the Patriots lies in discovering everything it has to offer. MGS 4 is simply a game that you have to experience for yourself. Because the one thing that can certainly be said, prohibited topics or not, is that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is, without question, the ultimate Metal Gear game. It represents the pinnacle of Hideo Kojima's achievement, and it's undoubtedly one of the games of the year.
Surprisingly, it gets off to a pretty slow start. Oh sure, there is something uniquely satisfying about the game's opening cinematic: the gruff, distinctive tones of David Hayter's Solid Snake, and the slow, measured edit. But there are various things that give the Metal Gear games a distinct, unique 'feel', and initially, it is the absence of those things that is most striking. The absence of fixed camera angles, for example, or of extended Codec conversations, or of the distinctive PlayStation 2 textures, making the game feel less like a Metal Gear game and more like a typical action title. As the game starts, with its fairly generic next-gen textures and desert battlefield setting, you can't help feeling that you could be playing the latest Call of Duty, or Assassin's Creed.
Play on, however, and you'll soon find yourself re-immersed in Hideo Kojima's distinctive vision of gaming in what is the definitive Metal Gear Solid – tying up every loose end, reprising every notable character and location, and recasting the entire series as nothing less than a re-telling of the Messiah story. If that sounds a little grandiose, well so be it. If you've been following all of the twists and turns across the series so far, you'll gain enormous satisfaction from the multitude of cut-scenes in MGS 4 because they wrap up everything you ever knew about the Philosophers, the Patriots, The Boss, Big Boss, Solid Snake and his brothers. And if you haven't been following? Well then it does a pretty good job of recapping the whole thing: if you've never played a Metal Gear game, you'll still enjoy all the overblown drama and intrigue. But the perfect preparation for the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 would be to sit down for a week and play through each game in turn, from beginning to end. It deserves nothing less.
If cut-scenes aren't your thing you can, of course, just skip right through them all. You'll be missing out on a great deal, but you will be able to cut right to the chase – or in this case, cut right to the sneak. Metal Gear was the original stealth game, but here, the mechanics of sneaking around and snapping necks are the most polished they've ever been: a refined control scheme, new gadgets, and just the sheer muscle of the PlayStation 3 take the stealth in MGS 4 to another level. Blend into the background with the new OctoCamo – an extension of Snake-Eater's camouflage system that obviates the need to mess around with menus and consequently works much more effectively. Keep track of threats with the stealth ring system (pausing or crouching to get a bead on nearby enemies). Use your Solid Eye to switch to night vision, or thermal goggles, or binoculars to spot important items. Survey the battlefield with Otacon's new Metal Gear Mk. II. And use the new Dreben Points system to scour the battlefield for salvage – salvage that can be exchanged for ammo, items and new weapons.
Even if, after playing all of the other games in the series, you're bored of simply sneaking around, MGS 4 still has something to offer, because all of these refined stealth tactics are given a further new dimension thanks to the battlefield context. As you find yourself fighting through the abandoned streets, or the South American countryside, you'll be able to interrupt gun battles or trigger flashpoints to play off one side against the other, picking and choosing sides as it suits, or ignoring the combat and using it as a smokescreen. More than any other Metal Gear game, so much of the game is full of emergent possibilities that open up like a butterfly's wings: taking different routes or using different tactics and strategies sets off a cascade of events that unfold in very different directions.
Unusually for the Metal Gear series, one of those directions is balls-out action. Unlike the previous games, Guns of the Patriot actually provides you with a fair amount of leeway if your chosen strategy is to shoot everything in sight. For a start, you can switch to a first-person view and almost play it like a conventional FPS if you so choose. More importantly, the Dreben Points system puts a much more powerful and diverse arsenal at your disposal, and every weapon can be upgraded in a variety of ways, from bolting on a grenade launcher to improving the laser targeting system or loading it with specialised ammo. Nevertheless, if you are going to treat MGS 4 like a conventional shooter, you'll need to keep an eye on Snake's stress gage. If it's not enough that extended gunfights with enemy snipers, tanks and helicopter gunships are sufficiently dramatic to get your own heart pumping, they're just as likely to send Snake's ticker into overdrive, making him heal more slowly and function less effectively. All that running round and shooting stuff really isn't good for his old heart, you know,
Still, it is fair to say that sneaking around is just the tip of Metal Gear Solid 4's Titanic-sized iceberg of action entertainment. Brace yourself for a lot of variety as the narrative twists and turns to catapult you across the globe in a flurry of game styles and approaches to design. You'll find yourself climbing on car roofs to eliminate shambling hordes, or donning a raincoat to evade security forces while tailing a mark. One section requires you to use all of your wilderness skills to track down a target, scrutinising the way ahead for signs of your quarry. And, of course, you'll find yourself encountering fiendishly devised bosses. Because where would Metal Gear Solid be without bosses? As if to remind you, several of the bosses in MGS 4 are brilliantly evocative of some of the more memorable boss encounters from the series so far. They also prove to be pretty memorable encounters in themselves, too; running for cover through a research lab, while trying to locate a stealthily camouflaged femme fatale, for example.
And then there are the Kojima moments: those moments of silliness, or humour, or attention to detail, that just wouldn't make it into any other game. Remember the codec on the back of the CD in the original MGS? Or slipping over on seagull droppings in MGS 2? Or ogling women's breasts during the cut-scenes in MGS 3? MGS 4 is just as full to the brim with similar moments of seemingly inconsequential but still sublime brilliance, and it's just as densely packed with secrets as any one of the previous games. Look closely enough during some of the cut-scenes, for example, and you'll notice the mild bruising around one character's neck from where she's been spiking herself with nanomachines, or you might notice Snake ageing subtly over the course of the game. Away from the cut-scenes, listen out for birdsong and use it to work out if there are any enemies around. Or listen out for the various musical themes or melodies that evoke memories of previous games – memories of places and people and events. Even the thumbnails for your save games are first class.
Split-screen techniques add a new cinematic dimension – and the literally strength-sapping climax in particular takes interactive storytelling to new heights. Flashbacks tie into themes of post-traumatic stress, as well as reiterating themes from previous games, connecting Guns of the Patriots to the whole of Kojima's vision for the Metal Gear series. And that, really, is what it boils down to: Hideo Kojima's singular vision of gaming. One of those things that Konami doesn't want us to talk about is the 'total length of cut-scenes'. Hopefully it won't be bending the rules to far to reveal that they represent about half of the content of the game. That, for some people, will be too much to bear. But in many ways it's a vindication of Kojima's unique interpretation of the videogame medium.
Because in videogames, Kojima has found the perfect medium for his overblown vision. A narrative that encompasses nanomachines, premature ageing, Liquid Snake's nefarious plans, and a whole host of familiar faces and memorable places is every bit as silly and overblown and hammy as any of the previous games. It's also every bit as compelling, and stylish, and funny, and it encompasses large and relevant themes, from post-traumatic stress to global warming. It's got corny love interests, and Hollywood pastiche. It's a metaphor for the Military-Industrial Complex, and a parable for peaceful action.
It's campy and sexy, with the lingering cleavage shots that you'll remember from Snake-Eater (and the original MGS, if you insisted on following Meryl round till she ended up in her underwear). But it also recasts the whole story as nothing less than a retelling of the Messiah story, with resurrection, sins of the father and all that (and surely there's something admirable about the bravado – the sheer chutzpah – of recasting something as trifling as an action game as the story of Man). And it's a further restatement of the anti-violent themes that have percolated throughout the series.
It probably wouldn't work as a film because it would seem both overblown and trivial. But you could say the same about certain operas, or novels. Fortunately for us, Hideo Kojima happens to be someone who has found the confidence to express an artistic vision that is wholly suited to his chosen medium – and a medium that is uniquely young enough to bend to his will. It's not fair to call him a frustrated film-maker. If he had been a film maker he might have been frustrated. Instead he has found a medium large enough to contain his unique artistic vision.
Which is a long-winded way of saying that this game rocks.
It is the ultimate in fan service, but it is also hard to see how this could be anything other than one man's uncompromised vision of what a videogame should be. The action sequences are faultless. The cut-scenes – well, yes, you could argue that there are too many of them, that they're too long, and that the dialogue is occasionally leaden. Indeed many of the most dramatic cut-scenes might make you crave action, or wonder why they couldn't have been turned into interactive sequences. But that's because they're the work of an auteur, and if you're going to enjoy the high points of Hideo Kojima's vision, there has to be an acceptance of his excesses, too.
Because this is a return to and a best of and an everything you ever loved about a Metal Gear game, all wrapped up and distilled into one, undiluted vision of gaming.
Closing Comments
If you’ve ever loved any one of the Metal Gear games, or any moments from the series, there will come a moment when MGS 4 will send your spirits soaring. If you’ve loved them all, well then there’ll be many, many more. It’s a masterpiece. But forget you read that. Go play it and find out for yourself. Because it’s the kind of game that, if you play it after being told it’s a masterpiece, might end up disappointing you because of the hype. So forget the hype. Forget that it’s a magnificent, ground-breaking, masterpiece. Just play it, and enjoy a dazzling, heart-lifting, voyage of discovery.
http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/877/877611p3.html
Which is a long-winded way of saying that this game rocks.
It is the ultimate in fan service, but it is also hard to see how this could be anything other than one man's uncompromised vision of what a videogame should be. The action sequences are faultless. The cut-scenes – well, yes, you could argue that there are too many of them, that they're too long, and that the dialogue is occasionally leaden. Indeed many of the most dramatic cut-scenes might make you crave action, or wonder why they couldn't have been turned into interactive sequences. But that's because they're the work of an auteur, and if you're going to enjoy the high points of Hideo Kojima's vision, there has to be an acceptance of his excesses, too.
Because this is a return to and a best of and an everything you ever loved about a Metal Gear game, all wrapped up and distilled into one, undiluted vision of gaming.
Closing Comments
If you’ve ever loved any one of the Metal Gear games, or any moments from the series, there will come a moment when MGS 4 will send your spirits soaring. If you’ve loved them all, well then there’ll be many, many more. It’s a masterpiece. But forget you read that. Go play it and find out for yourself. Because it’s the kind of game that, if you play it after being told it’s a masterpiece, might end up disappointing you because of the hype. So forget the hype. Forget that it’s a magnificent, ground-breaking, masterpiece. Just play it, and enjoy a dazzling, heart-lifting, voyage of discovery.
http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/877/877611p3.html
Well at least it's only a 9.9
Yeah right, and the little promotional tour a few of the guys behind have been doing lately, including visits to magazine offices haven't helped make that review as ridiculous as is it.
I wonder if it's 1024x768 anamorphic like the MGO beta was or a more traditional direct 720p.
Ridicolous?
No, ridiculous.
Jokes aside, I assume you agree that a game can be given 9.9, including 10 for graphics/sound/gameplay then?
I'm used to correcting RedNome's spelling, not being corrected myself.I would have given it a 10, but then again I am slightly biased considering it is my joint favourite gaming series of all time. Giving it 10 for the 3 categories mentioned probably means it should be given a 10 overall.
IGN are in love with GTA though so wouldn't want anything to dismantle it from top spot.
Yeah I know, that's why I thought I'd put a little dig in there for you
Fair enough you like it, but a 10? Give me a break.
I understand people buying into hype of new games and consoles, it's only natural, but believing reviews based on 'journalists' who are basically pointless whores is really something I wouldn't advise.
Don't get me wrong, I want this game to be good because I'll benefit from it too, and I'm very appreciative of the show it puts on, but I'll reserve judgement when I've read a decent cross-section of gamer's reviews and have played it myself.
Nah theres not much between them thats why. Both cracking games, only one can win (er im not sure what). I rated San Andreas marginally better than Snake Eater. A similar margin to IGN's next gen ratings this time..
I would have given it a 10, but then again I am slightly biased considering it is my joint favourite gaming series of all time. Giving it 10 for the 3 categories mentioned probably means it should be given a 10 overall.
IGN are in love with GTA though so wouldn't want anything to dismantle it from top spot.
Don't you worry, it will be
The one thing that may let me down is my huge expectations of the game, I feel it is inevitable that I may feel somewhat disappointed.