Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Sony Playstation 3, 2008)

MGS4 is, in essence, an experience. True, it is a video game...but a game like no other. While playing the conclusion to the MGS series, of which I have been playing since I was in 9th grade back in '99, there were emotions that arose that no other form of entertainment has ever even come close to stirring. MGS4 is one of the most depressing games ever created, mix that with its amazing ability to raise nostalgia within long term fans, and you have yourself one of the most powerful pieces of entertainment this decade. In short: the story's conclusion is sure to not disappoint.

Of course gameplay is ultimately the most important aspect in (most) video games. It just so happens that MGS4 also tends to excel in this area, as well. If comparing the gameplay most closely to a past title, I would have to say that it most resembles MGS3. Snake will not find himself often limited within corridors with enemies with cone shaped fields of vision. Instead, he will be hiking through battlefields, trying to sneak past as two factions battle it out. Camo makes another appearance, although thankfully it is done automatically by the game, destroying the need for constant start-menu interruptions, as was the case in MGS3. Although at times MGS4 at times feels closer to a 3rd person shooter than a stealth game, at its core the stealth elements remain. On easier difficulty settings, however, you may find it possible to Rambo your way through enemies...

If I had to find a complaint in MGS4, it would only be that there were actually, in my opinion, too many weapons. It was hard to manage all of the weapons I was collecting, as you are only allowed to equip a set number at any given time. Furthermore, you have the ability to customize your weapons with silencers, laser sights, grenade addons, etc. I eventually found the weapons I felt most comfortable with, and just stuck with those...but this ultimately allows for more replayability.

Graphically speaking, the game is phenomenal. It is the best graphical product I have seen this generation. The level of detail for every element of the game is amazing, from generic enemies, to main characters, to major villains, to weapons, to dust, to vehicles, to terrain, and etc.

Then there's the online component...

I could rave about MGS4 for many more paragraphs, but let me conclude with a tl;dr...

-in depth gameplay, with multiple possibilities in completing objectives
-extremely details high definition graphics, some of the best seen this generation
-one of the most powerful emotional rides found in entertainment (really only applies to long term fans, however, due to its strong reliance on nostalgia)
-absolutely amazing conclusion, which manages to tie up pretty much every loose end left from previous installments
-an excellent online multiplayer experience

MGS fans: you are surely not going to be disappointed.
Newcomers: well, the story won't make much sense without playing 1-3...

MGS4 I think is soley for the extreme die hard fans of the series. If you had never played the previous games before this one, ou will NOT enjoy it at all. Throughout the game your barely guided through what to do at all, however if you had played the games before you wouldn't need such tutorials. They made the game WAY more challenge then the previous games as well. This was pretty much ust the close up of the series, providing REALLY long movie scenes and dialogue. To make up for the lack of game play they CRAM at least 2 hours of INTENSE FIGHTING which i enjoyed very much. Also the online gameplay feature is pretty much the best online gaming experience I've . . .well... experienced. Again, only hardcore fans of the series (like me) can enjoy this. As far as playing online, its REALLY hard at first getting used to the fighting. Unlike most 1st person online shooters, everysingle match is different. It's very tactical, most of the time the outcome of a shoot out depends on wits and skill all together. You can level skills, customize characters, create clans, enter tournaments, buy expansion packs, and even play as special characters, (Snake,Meryl, Ocelot, Mei Ling, Akiba, Otacon as the little camera thing). The SOP system is very unique, I feel overhwhelemed even THINKING about how i can describe it. If you are interested in this game at all and you have nver played the previous ones before. I Strongly recomend you play those before moving on to the last. It will make the experience so much better.

This game has it all. In the final game of the series, Konami held nothing back! The storyline, gameplay, graphics, and audio are all superb. The storyline brings snake out of retirement for one last battle. I don't want to spoil the story but it's the perfect ending. The gameplay and controls are excellent. It took me only a couple minutes and I had full control of the character.
The graphics and sound are amazing. Konami pushed PS3 to the limits with this game. The graphics are unbelievable, sometimes the people look real! Also, the sound is done in surround sound, so you hear and feel every explosion.
Overall, this game is excellent! It has everything and it will keep you playing it for a very long time!

It's been a story nearly twenty years in the making, and now it is coming to a close.
The Metal Gear Solid franchise has been amongst the most powerful franchises in the industry especially since the release of the playstation one game Metal Gear Solid, unofficially subtitled "Twin Snakes."
Many people were worried about the amount of issues this game had to cover in order to satisfy true fans of the series, but take it from a true fan of the series: producer Hideo Kojima and his crew deliver.
Chocked full of nostalgia, plot twists, tied ends, and more, this game is worth playing for the story alone.
For those who have never played a Metal Gear Solid game, it would be this reviewer's recommendation to approach it with caution. For a popular title the series is considered more "hardcore" than many other popular games, and the steep learning curve may turn off some players. Metal Gear Solid 4, however, does a great job of cleaning up the control system to allow for easier, more fluid play. In addition, the game can be played a variety of ways depending on how stealthy or run-and-gun the player wants to be.
The gameplay is simply fantastic, taking the usual quiet, undisturbed environments of the Metal Gear series and adding in frantic battlefields through which the player can sneak through unnoticed, or help out either faction. There is something visceral and extremely satisfying about making it around a battlefield while bullets whiz overhead without being noticed by any of the soldiers on either side.
Before you take into account my rating and review, it is ESSENTIAL that you know that there are tons of cinematics in this game, in other words videos which the player watches in between action sequences. Several of these scenes last over a half an hour, and without timing each individual scene I know of one for sure which goes over an hour.
For players who do not have the time to invest more than an hour or two per gameplay session, this really is not the game for you; which is a shame.
If skeptical, give the game a rent, but be patient with its challenging controls and unforgiving, yet satisfying action.
All in all this is a spectacular game with superb production values, blurring the lines between gaming, movies, and literature. An extremely deep story with biblical, political, and philosophical references, there is little this game doesn't have.

Pros:
Most cinematic experience in any PS3 Game (Tied with COD4)
Great Gameplay be that in Stealth, action, or shooting
Nice gagdgets
Amazing cutscenes and combat sequences
Beautiful graphics
Futuristic war concept really well done
Strong Story

Cons:
Not as perfect as other games from the series but it is really near that perfection. At least it is the better looking one.
Might be the last chapter in the MGS franchise

Overall:
I ain't much to say except that if you have a PS3, this is a MUST HAVE.