ClutchFans Video Game Review Thread

I think I've reviewed most of the games I wanted to get done by this point, so I'll probably slow down a bit. I was thinking about moving on to some higher profile games like BioShock, Heavenly Sword, MLB 08, etc. Maybe even a Lair review just for laugh. Or like I said earlier, I could provide a second opinion for COD4 since that seems to be the popular discussion for the thread. People probably don't really care much about what I review, but if there is anyone that wants a review for one of those games (or any others that you know I've played), I could try to work on it before I do the others.

As for requests, I was wondering if anyone could do a review for Lost Odyssey. Not so much for myself since I don't have a 360, but I've been trying to get some friends to try it out (haven't had much success ). Maybe a good breakdown for the game could help convince them...or stop me from bugging them about it.

 

I plan on doing reviews for pretty much all the games I've played recently, including the games I mentioned earlier. At a pace of maybe 1-2 reviews a week (if even that), it could take a little while to get through them all though (especially since I'll probably throw in other games like MGS4), so I just wanted to know if there were any games I should try to get done sooner rather than later.

I'm a bit surprised too. I decided to focus on some lesser-known games since I figured someone would post reviews for some of the games you mentioned (or similar ones).

 

BioShock
FPS, PC/360
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Pros
-Great atmosphere, mostly due to great art design and sound design (including voice acting)
-Really good story
-Nice implementation of RPG-esque skills to go along with the FPS style of gameplay
-Multiple endings depending on 2-3 paths you take in the game
-Usually there are multiple ways to complete an objective
-Pretty long single-player campaign compared to other FPS games (20-25 hours, maybe more)
-Support for DLC

Cons
-The last third of the game probably should have been cut
-RPG elements stop being important about midway into the game
-Lots of backtracking or seemingly unnecessary sidequests, putting the story on hold
-Not a lot of variety to the enemies, or even the character models in general
-Of the 2-3 paths you take, 1-2 of them should have made a lot more sense (gameplay-wise) for the gamer

Final Comments
BioShock is a really good game. Its story, gameplay, sound design, art design, etc., are all strong points for the game. That said, some of its flaws can really stand out and hurt the game IMO, keeping it from being a truly incredible game. It is still a game that everyone should try at pretty much any price, especially if you want a game that offers something a little different than some of the other popular shooters on the market (at least on consoles anyway).

Spoiler

Story
The game is set in the 1960s, and it starts with a plane crash that occurs over the Atlantic Ocean. Controlling Jack, the main character that was on the plane, you make your way through the wreckage of the plane to a nearby lighthouse. It turns out that this lighthouse in the middle of the ocean provides a method of entering Rapture, a underwater city inhabited by society's elite. Rapture was meant to be some sort of utopia, but upon entering the city, you can tell something must have gone very wrong. There is a little more to the story's intro, but it is probably better that you play the game in order to find out all the details. As Jack, you'll be making your way through Rapture, trying to survive while also trying to figure out exactly what caused its downfall. While many of the people in Rapture have gone more or less insane, you'll meet a few character that will end up guiding you throughout the game.

The story of BioShock is definitely one of its strong points. It is a unique setting with a somewhat original storyline, involving its fair share of plot twists. After reaching the game's climax and putting together all the pieces to the puzzle, I had a great appreciation for the story. The only problem was that the game didn't end at that point, or any time close to it. There was probably another 4-6 hours left to the game IIRC (can't remember exactly). It might vary from gamer to gamer, but I felt this was largely unnecessary and didn't really add much to the game (if anything, it takes away from the game). I commend the writers for the game's script since the backstory to Rapture is really fascinating, and at least 1/2-2/3 of the game is wonderfully done. But personally, I feel like they dropped the ball for the last third of the game.

The game had 3 endings, 2 of which are pretty much the same. These endings hinge upon whether you decided to kill the Little Sisters in the game, or whether you decided to help them. Obviously, helping them all would get you the good ending, and killing them all would get you the bad ending. There is sort of a neutral ending that occurs if you kill only one or some Little Sisters, but it is pretty much just like the bad ending. Probably would have been better just to have the two endings, but not really a big deal.

Gameplay
The gameplay in BioShock largely open-ended. For any one goal, you might have 2-3 ways to accomplish it, and maybe even more. You can go in, guns blazing, or you can attempt to sneak by unseen. Or you can try to hack some of the security equipment to help open you a path. Along with the standard arsenal of guns, you also have plasmids. These can give you the ability to use “magic” so-to-speak. With this power, you can set enemies ablaze, freeze them, electrocute them, etc. (note that not all abilities are strictly offensive). These abilities can often be combined with your surrounding environment. For example, if you see some enemies in a pool of water, sending a electric current through the water will end up shocking all the enemies in the water. If there is a door that is frozen shut, you can try melting it with your fire skill.

As you progress through the game, you'll gain the ability to customize your character to a degree. Items called tonics can be used to give your character bonuses, such as the ability to hit harder or the ability to make hacking easier. IIRC, you can buy these skills, as well as other items (new plasmids, ammo, health, etc) at certain machines in the game. Some items require money that you can find throughout the game, but some of these special skills require Adam. Adam is the substance used to modify the bodies of everyone in Rapture, and thus, it can be found in nearly everyone. However, only Little Sisters can extract it. In order to obtain Adam, you must confront Little Sisters as well as their bodyguards, Big Daddies. This is no easy task, but it is something you must do if you wish to obtain Adam, which is practically a necessity if you want to survive in Rapture. When confronting a Little Sister, you have the option to “Resure Her” or “Harvest Her.” By harvesting the Little Sister, you'll obtain more Adam, but end up killing the girl, which can affect the ending you get (obviously killing innocent little girls won't get you the “good” ending). If you choose to rescue her, you'll obtain less Adam, but at least you'r a good guy. Occasionally, you'll be rewarded with items for you good decisions as well. This is a really interesting game mechanic, but IMO, it should have been tweaked a little more. Ideally, if you harvest the girls, you'll end up being more “powerful” than you would otherwise. The problem is that you can save all the girls, and still end up being pretty powerful. I can't recall if it is possible to obtain everything, but some of the skills are relatively useless anyway. You'll have more than enough Adam to get enough useful skills, upgrade them as needed, and beat the game without much of a problem. This makes the choice pretty much a no-brainer, unless you just really want to see the bad ending. Additionally, some of the RPG elements of the game start becoming less and less important as you progress through the game, partly since you can pretty much acquire every skill and/or ability.

One of the major aspects of the game is the ability to hack electronics. Hacking is done through a minigame that is pretty fun and original at first, although it can quickly become repetitive once you start hacking everything in sight. The game does let you autohack or even pay money in exchange for the ability to control the device, so there are alternatives in case the hacking minigame starts to bore you. Another interesting aspect of the game is the ability to “research” enemies by taking pictures of them with a camera. This research will give you a bonus against that enemy type, and it is definitely something you'd want take advantage of.

BioShock is a very creepy and scary game, especially in the first few hours. I recall one instance in the game where I entered a seemingly empty room. I headed to one end of the room to pick up an item, and I attempted to move backwards from where I was standing. But for some reason, I couldn't move back. I stared at the floor and noticed a pair of feet right behind my own. I quickly turned around to find a pretty hideous looking enemy staring at me, and I unloaded a clip of bullets into his body. I then proceeded to beat his lifeless body with a wrench due to the scare he gave me. Guess I have some issues...

For the most part, you'll have to go from point A to point B, but you'll have the ability to search the area as you'd like. For me though, this brings about a really annoying aspect of the game. Through most of the game, while you're attempting to get to point B, you'll find out that point B is no longer accessible due to some strange reason, and you must go to point C (and maybe points D, E, and F) before you can get to point B. Sometimes, these other points are exactly the same areas you already explored, just with one door now open or something like that, so some backtracking will be required (and, of course, enemies do respawn). It isn't hard to tolerate this kind of thing from time to time, but the whole game is pretty much setup that way. Personally, I found it frustrating to put my main goal on hold while I did some side quest that didn't really seem all that important. Part of the problem is that the story, atmosphere, etc., is so good that you find yourself truly immersed in what you're doing. You truly want to confront the evils at work here. It kind of kills the mood when you have to spend 30 minutes collecting bee enzymes in perhaps the most inefficient way possible. It almost seems like the developers created a great story, but realized it would only take 6-8 hours to finish, so they added a bunch of things to extend the playtime. I'm all for long games, but it seems like this could have been handled better.

Additionally, there really isn't much enemy variety in the game. I forget the exact count, but you basically have 3 main types IIRC. You have security turrets, you have splicers, and you have Big Daddies. There is some variety with the splicers (slightly different behavior, different weapons, different abilities), although they're still more or less the same enemy type. While each types is well done, things can become a little dull, especially given how long the game is. Additionally, “boss” fights are pretty much one of these other types, just a little more powerful (the one exception is the final boss fight).

The game's length may vary from player to player, but it might take around 20-25 hours to complete. There isn't much replay value to the game IMO, although you might want to replay it for the different endings or different gameplay styles. There has been some DLC that adds new tonics, plasmids, etc., although I haven't checked it out (if you haven't noticed, I'm not big on DLC. ).

Graphics
An above average game technically speaking, but where BioShock truly shines is in its art design. Definitely a beautiful game with incredible water effects, a pretty important aspect of the game given it setting. The only major complaint I have is that the character models up close don't really look all that good, which is probably a trademark of the engine (seems to suffer from things other similar games suffer from); a few effects other than the water could have been a little better as well, but that's more of a minor thing. Mentioned this earlier in the gameplay section, but it also would have been nice if we had more variety among the enemies as well as the character models. A few important characters in the game look pretty much like the basic enemies, which just seems like lazy and unprofessional to me. Fortunately, most of the conversations with other characters are done with quite a distance between you, or via the radio communications.

Sound
The sound design for the game is definitely top notch. The music in the game really helps immerse the gamer, making them feel like they're in an underwater city in the 1960s. In on particular surreal moment, I recall hearing the song ”How Much is That Doggie in the Window,” although of course it is much creepier sounding in the game.

Most of the game's story is told via radio communications or audio diaries that are scattered throughout Rapture. In order for this to work, the voice acting should be good, and BioShock definitely doesn't disappoint. The performances are really something special IMO, especially when you consider some of the different accents used in the game. The voices of the enemy characters is also pretty solid, helping to create the amazing atmosphere in the game. BioShock is definitely a treat for the eyes and ears.

 

I decided to go ahead and do a MGS4 review, although I feel as though I probably should have played it a bit more.

Metal Gear Solid 4
Tactical Espionage Action, PS3
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Note that this review does not factor in Metal Gear Online at all.

Pros
-An epic storyline that involves nearly every major MGS character, and somehow manages to end the saga on a satisfying note
-Amazing graphics, sound design, presentation, production values and cutscenes
-Improves upon the standard MGS gameplay formula, while also adding untraditional MGS elements to drastically improve the gameplay, allowing for more replayability
-Great fanservice for MGS fans
-Great boss fights and epic gameplay sequences at times
-A ton of unlockables and 5 difficulty levels, allowing for great replayability.
-Around 15-20 hours to beat on the 1st playthough, although it can easily be 25+ hours
-Interesting ideas for DLC (mostly free too?)

Cons
-Framerate can jump around from ~20FPS to 60FPS quite a bit.
-2-4 minute installs for every act are annoying, especially since it is required every time you change acts
-Over 8 hours of cutscenes IIRC, which can be taken as a negative
-Controls, while simpler, can still take some getting used to
-Some points of the storyline can be difficult to fully understand, even for those who played MGS1-3.
-Codec calls are virtually useless compared to previous MGS games
-No cutscene viewer

Final Comments
MGS4 is finally here, and for the most part, it doesn't disappoint IMO. Sure, I listed 7 cons, and maybe I could have listed more, but that is mostly nitpicking. I personally only had a problem with one of them, although I wanted to make sure I listed as much as I could. Even if that wasn't the case, the rest of the game is so wonderfully crafted IMO that these flaws are easy to overlook.

This is definitely a game that just about every PS3 owner should check out. MGS fans should definitely have an incredible experience with the game; it could possibly be their favorite game of all time. Of course, people who didn't like the style of previous MGS games probably won't like MGS4 since things aren't really different. The gameplay, controls, camera, cutscene direction, etc., are all much improved, but it is still MGS. Expect long cutscenes and plenty of them, a somewhat crazy plotline (nanomachines: the cause and solution to all of life's problems...or so it seems ), and some moral messages within the game (a bit toned down compared to something like MGS2 though) .

Note, while I tried to keep the review as spoiler-free as possible, I probably do strongly hint at certain things. There are some amazing moments in the game that deserve to be discussed in the review, but it is difficult to address them w/o spoiling the game in some way. I did leave some major things out for the gamer to find out on their own though.

Spoiler

Story
With Metal Gear Solid 4, the player returns to control Solid Snake, now battling old age as well as the virus FOXDIE that was injected into his body in MGS1. Private military companies, or PMCs, take up 60% of the world's military force, and a system known as SOP is used to control the actions of every soldier on the battlefield. This system involves the usage of nanomachines, which can help to monitor a soldier's actions as well as improve his or her performance in battle. Instead of the years of experience and training, these nanomachines can easily transform a person into an efficient killing machine. They also help to make sure soldiers don't disobey orders, preventing them from attacking their own or even using equipment that is not assigned to them. As Solid Snake quickly finds out, war has changed.

This SOP system is partly what kicks the story off. Liquid Ocelot, the game's antagonist, is attempting to gain control of this system, which would give him control of every soldier in the world. It is up to Solid Snake to stop him. Of course, things aren't that simple, especially in a MGS game, but I definitely won't spoil how the story goes.

With this likely being the last game in the Solid Snake saga, Kojima Productions has managed to bring back nearly every major character from the MGS franchise. Of course, there are the normal ones you'd expect such as Otacon and Colonel (or Roy) Campbell. But a few characters make some surprising appearances. I obviously wouldn't want to spoil exactly who makes an appearance, but again, keep in mind that virtually every major MGS character is in MGS4 (either physically or through a reference to the past). Even with the large cast of characters, Kojima Productions has done a great job of giving personalities to each character. It definitely has the best character development of any MGS game IMO, which is impressive given how many characters there are as well. Additionally, characters that weren't so well developed in previous games will get their time to shine in this game.

According to Hideo Kojima, MGS2 was going to be the last MGS game he would make. Then it was MGS3. And now MGS4 seems like it will be the last. Whether or not that turns out to be true, there is definitely something different between MGS4 and the other two games. After MGS2 and MGS3, the player still had many questions left unanswered, maybe even more questions that answers. Who are the Patriots? What exactly do they want? How is the arm of the deceased Liquid Snake controlling the actions of Revolver Ocelot, and what exactly does he want? What happened to the corpse of Big Boss? Is Vamp immortal, and if not, how do you kill him? And so on. Well, I'm pretty sure most, if not all, of those questions are answered in MGS4, and there aren't really any new questions that need answering. This is indeed Snake's last mission, and everything is finally resolved. Speaking of this being Snake's last mission, the popular video game icon will go through an enormous amount of punishment in this game. At the end of the game, you can visually see the toll this takes on Snake's body. Yet, despite his deteriorating body and the punishment it has to endure, Snake still manages to fulfill his mission. For those of you attached to the character of Solid Snake, this journey is something special to experience.

The story in MGS4 is a bit complicated, partly due to the ~20 years of MGS story that it attempts to wrap up. Because of this, you may end up not understanding certain aspects of the game, requiring that you put in some extra effort to fully understand things (either by replaying the game, replaying previous games, searching the MGS database, and/or discussing/reading about the plot online). I don't think it is anywhere near as complicated as MGS2 though, which should yield a sigh of relief for most gamers (of course, I also liked MGS2, but whatever).

The ending for the game is about an hour long IIRC, and like previous MGS games, you'll want to stick around even when it seems like the game is over. The ending wraps up a lot of plot points, and it does so in a pretty satisfying way IMO. There might be one major part of the ending that might be love it or hate it, although I'm speculating on what I saw online (I think most people, like myself, liked it though).

In the end, Hideo Kojima and his team deliver yet another incredible narrative, and I think most people will be satisfied with Snake's final mission.

Gameplay
MGS4 seems to take what worked in MGS3, made them all better, and then added some Western-style gameplay elements. What this basically means is that the gameplay in MGS4 is incredibly fun and deep. I think enough has been said about the improved controls and camera, and no one has exaggerated in regards to the effect that has on the game. I will say that it might still take some time getting used to the controls though. I don't think this is because the controls are bad, but simply due to the fact that Snake can do so much. Luckily, there are detailed directions on how to perform certain actions, and there is also a game mode that lets you practice with the controls, weapons, camera, etc.

MGS has always been about stealth, and that's not really different in MGS4. The biggest change in MGS4 is the OctoCamo, which basically takes the camouflage system used in MGS3 and makes it much more intuitive and easier to use. You no longer have to worry about your physical health, but there is a new psyche meter. I haven't personally paid much attention to its effect on Snake, although I believe it basically affects his mental status. If it isn't doing good, Snake might have problems aiming or doing other similar things. This meter also comes into play in cutscenes.

Along with those additions, there is also a threat ring, which can be used to detect where possible threats are located (sort of like a sixth sense for Snake). I used it a lot at first, although I'll admit that it almost seems redundant in some ways compared to what the Solid Eye offers. The Solid Eye provides Snake with a detailed radar layout of the area, and also allows him to distinguish from friend or foe on the battlefield. It has a night-vision mode, which can be used for a number of things. I'm still figuring out the little nuances to the gameplay though, so maybe I'll find a greater use for the threat ring. I do know the Solid Eye requires battery power, so it is possible that you might have to use the threat ring if the Solid Eye is out of juice.

If I'm not mistaken, there are over 70 weapons in MGS4, and this doesn't count the mods you can do for guns. Some of these guns can be obtained on the battlefield, some will be awarded to you as you progress through the game (or replay it), but others can be purchased from a character named Drebin. I won't go into great detail about Drebin, but he's basically a gun launder. As mentioned earlier in the story segment, soldiers cannot use equipment that is not assigned to their IDs. This means that some of the guns Snake finds on the battlefield cannot be used since Snake doesn't have “permission” to use them. Drebin can change that, but only for a price. In exchange for points, you can buy guns, mods, ammo, and more from Drebin. One way to gain points is by picking up weapons that you can sell to Drebin (done automatically when you pick up a weapon). Drebin is available at virtually all times, and depending on how you play, you'll probably end up with a lot of points, meaning you won't have to worry too much about being low on ammo. It is a really good system IMO, and something I'm still playing around with.

With better controls, better camera, better weapons, etc., MGS becomes much more playable even without using stealth. I wouldn't recommend it, especially at certain points of the game, but you can definitely go running around, shooting everything in sight. It isn't quite as well done as other shooters, but certainly not bad for a stealth game like MGS IMO. If you want the big rewards though, you'll have to go through the game playing stealthily, trying your best NOT to kill your enemies. When you beat the game, your stats will be calculated, and these stats include difficulty level, # of kills, # of alerts (basically how many times you were spotted), # of times you healed yourself, etc. Depending on your stats, you'll achieve a certain rank. If you want one of the high ranks, you'll essentially have to play through the game w/o killing anyone or being seen. You get some pretty nice rewards for doing so though, so it isn't like you're just doing this for the hell of it. By the way, if you haven't noticed, this system helps make MGS4 incredibly replayable. As if the great gameplay and the number ways you can play the game didn't make it replayable enough, the incredible amount of unlockable weapons, camouflage, songs for you iPod, items and emblems in the game make it incredibly difficult not to replay the game at least once. Cutscenes are skippable, so unlike games in the past, you won't have to sit through cutscenes all over again. When you replay the game, you are able to keep your weapons, ammo, items, Drebin points, camouflage, iPod songs, and maybe a few other things I'm forgetting.

There are 5 acts in the game, each set in a different location. I'm approaching spoiler territory here, but those areas involve a Middle East location, a mountain jungle location, a city location, an arctic location, and I can't really describe the last location without spoiling it. It has been a while since I played MGS3, but I'd probably say most of these areas are considerably bigger than the areas in MGS3. While the objective is still to go from point A to point B, this means you have MANY different ways to get there. I've been replaying Act 1 and Act 2, and it really is surprising how many things I missed on my first playthrough. Again, you'll want to replay this game.

Of course, no MGS game would be complete without some boss battles. Most of these will be against the four members of the Beauty & Beast squad: Laughing Octopus, Raging Raven, Crying Wolf, and Screaming Mantis. These are 4 beauiful women (that have seemingly been accurately modeled if you know what I mean) who have been mentally scarred and transformed into machines of war, and for the most part, they provide for some really interesting boss fights. After the initial phase in each boss fight, you'll have the option of killing the members or taking them out with non-lethal force (you'll be rewarded for the latter). The B&B team from a story perspective aren't really that important though, maybe just barely ahead of the Cobra unit in MGS3. It has been a while since I played the other MGS games, so I can't really say how the boss fights compare to previous games. That said, you'll still have some really good boss fights that require a decent amount of thinking, unlike the vast majority of games out there. For example, in one boss fight in particular, you'll definitely have to use your brains. You can try unloading everything you have in the fight, but you won't kill the boss. Fortunately, in situations like this, it isn't too hard to figure things out if you find yourself completely stuck. In another fight....well, let's just say you need to be aware of exactly what is going on around you, including things outside of the game.

One nice things about MGS4 is that there are some action sequences that are a lot of fun. These usually involve chase sequences or something like that, not too unlike some of the previous MGS games (although they look WAY better of course). One particular part of the game does involve almost a completely different type of gameplay, although I really can't get into specifics without spoiling things I think. Let's just say it is all sorts of awesome. Another part of the game plays a LOT like a previous MGS game...almost too much like it actually . These really help to freshen up the gameplay experience, and the team did an excellent job in making them control well while also packing in incredible amount of action into them.

On a similar note, there are maybe 2-3 instances in the game that are user-controlled, but are tied in strongly to the story. Of course, I don't want to spoil them, but this was nicely executed. I've played one of these moments about 4-5 times already. From a gameplay perspective, you're not really doing much. But when you see what is happening on the screen and you hear the music in that is playing, you can't help but feel emotionally involved in this scene, making what would normally be a simple and boring gameplay sequence become perhaps the most memorable scene in the game (or perhaps even the franchise as a whole). I think with MGS3 and MGS4, Kojima Productions have found ways to create emotional scenes, but by allowing the player to have (limited) control in them, the scenes definitely become that much more powerful.

With MGS4, Kojima Production made sure not to forget about its fans. There is a crazy amount of fanservice in this game, in the form of easter eggs...and um...things that aren't easter eggs. Some of it can simply be told through the codecs, but other stuff can be a bit harder to find. In fact, I found out about a lot of it online, even though I thought I found a decent amount of it already. In an epic showdown at the end of the game, you'll partake in a fight that has 4 phases. These 4 phases basically correlate to the 4 MGS games. During each phase, a song from that game begins playing. I was actually disappointed because I made the game advance to quickly to phase 4 when Snake Eater from MGS3 began playing.

While the game does try to throw you into different situations from time to time, helping to keep the gameplay fresh, one in particular didn't turn out so great. The basic idea is that you have to follow an AI controlled character to a secret hideout. You shouldn't let him see you, nor should you let him get caught by enemies. It probably isn't very difficult to complete, but if you screw up and don't know exactly what is going on, it can be pretty difficult to start over. It seems like the segment could have been made a bit shorter as well. Not really a horrible part of the game, but it seems a bit out of place compared to the quality gameplay surrounding it.

At the beginning of every act, there will be a mission briefing that will give you the details on your next mission. Basically, it plays out like a cutscene...except for one small thing. With a few button presses, you can control the Metal Gear Mk II, allowing you to explore your surroundings and find easter eggs or items that could turn out to be useful. I'd probably recommend avoiding this the first time you watch these briefings, but you can explore them all you want after that (mission briefings are always accessible from the main menu). In a similar fashion, all the real-time cutscenes (basically all but 3-4 scenes in the game) allow you to slightly manipulate the camera as well as reset the OctoCamo Snake is wearing. Some of these scenes also allow you to get a different camera perspective by pressing L1, and some cutscenes will trigger a flashback if you press the X button. I expected more of the flashback sequences, and I think they're probably more distracting than anything.

Codecs are still here in MGS4, but they don't seem as important as they were in previous MGS games. In fact, you only have two people to talk to, and you may not even spend much time talking to one of them. You'll occasionally get codec calls from other characters, but you won't be able to call them back IIRC (maybe some easter eggs I didn't check out though). You'll still have the usual hilarious codec calls from time to time, but the number of codec messages doesn't come close to comparing to previous MGS games, particularly MGS3. I was actually disappointed in this since I figured the 50GB Blu-ray disc would allow them to go crazy with codec messages, but that didn't turn out to be the case.

Another problem with MGS4 is with how the game installs data onto the HDD. When you stick the game into your PS3, you'll have to wait for about 8 minutes while the game installs 4GB-5GB of data onto the HDD. Fair enough, a bit of an inconvenience, but not really a big deal. But then you go start Act 1, and you have to wait another few minutes while the game installs more data onto the HDD. And then you get to Act 2, and it installs more data. And this continues for every act in the game. To make matters worse, the data that is installed in each act does not stay permanently on the HDD, but it replaces the previous act's data. In other words, say you just beat the game and you want to start over, or you want to load a save from Act 3. Be prepared to wait another 2-4 minutes while the game reinstalls data from that portion back onto the HDD. This is the only major blemish on an otherwise amazing game IMO. I guess I'd rather this be a problem than something that has a bigger effect on gameplay or something like that, but I am puzzled as to why the game works this way. To be fair, I don't know exactly what sort of problems Kojima Productions faced in getting this to work out (maybe limitations on how much can be installed on the HDD?), but I can't help but think there is a better solution out there. It certainly isn't easy to fit data from a 50GB disc into 512MB of RAM with little-to-no loading times, but there are games that have done that (or something similar). Uncharted is a beautiful game, arguably the best looking console game to date. And not only does it have a small install size (or maybe not even one at all, can't remember), it has no loading times either. I'm not asking for the same from MGS4, but I can't help but think things could have been much better.

The last point also seems to have a large influence on the decision not to include a cutscene viewer. These are the best cutscenes in a video game by far, and yet, there's no easy way to watch them over again. I happened to make a new save at every checkpoint, so I can pretty much watch any cutscene I want by just loading the right save file, possibly skipping some scenes if necessary. Of course, this means I have to reinstall data to the HDD, and if I want to watch another cutscene, I'll have to restart the game to load another save file, which will probably result in installing another set of data to the HDD. Certainly more of a bonus feature, but something I think that I (and many others) would have really enjoyed.

In the main menu, there is an option called “Extras.” In this menu, you can download new songs, new camouflage, or possibly other goodies (can't remember exactly what might be distributed). So far, I believe everything has been free, which is always nice. While not technically associated with MGS4 directly, there is also a Metal Gear database available on the PSN for free, and this includes a MASSIVE amount of details that covers the last 20 years or so of Metal Gear. In order to unlock all the details, you must have proof that you have finished MGS4 (basically a save from the end of the game).

The game's length can vary from person to person, but I think you should get around 15-20 hours in your first playthrough, and possibly much more. I think it took me about 16 ½ hours, and I did feel like I rushed through some aspects of the game. I've replayed the first two acts, experiencing a LOT of things I missed on the first playthough, and it seems to be taking me a bit longer than it did originally. This is despite the fact that I know what to do, and I'm skipping every cutscene and codec call (probably adds up to an hour or more easily). I think if you really explore the environment in your 1st playthrough, you can easily spend 25+ hours before finishing the game.

Graphics
MGS4 is definitely one of the most impressive games out there in terms of graphics. The weird thing comes when you actually try to describe it. I think from a technical standpoint, MGS4 isn't exactly in a league of its own. In fact, there are probably a number of things that something like Uncharted does better than MGS4, and it was released more than 6 months ago.

Still, that doesn't stop MGS4 from looking absolutely incredible at times, arguably better than any other game on the market, or possibly even any games coming to the market anytime soon. This is mostly in terms of cutscenes, but there are some gameplay sequences that look insane as well; I know it was hard to play one sequence because I really wanted to pause and check out the scenery. But again, I think a lot of the “wow” moments will come from the real-time cutscenes. With other games, even if you have the latest and greatest technology on your side, you still have issues with things like uncanny valley. This doesn't seem to be as much of a problem in MGS4 though, where everything looks really natural and pleasing to the eye.

And just to reiterate, it is pretty impressive that Kojima Productions kept mostly to their history and made sure nearly every cutscene was done in real-time. They couldn't do this for every cutscene (maybe about 3-4 of them aren't real-time IIRC), but it seems as though they were still done in-engine, similar to the way most other games do cutscenes (Uncharted, Gears of War IIRC, Heavenly Sword, etc).

The only complaint is that while the graphics are great, the framerate is all over the place. The game is supposed to be 30FPS, but you'll find a number of areas where it jumps up to 60FPS or even goes down to around 20FPS or so. Most of the areas in MGS4 are wide open, but the few times you go into a building with small corridors, it shouldn't be too difficult to see the framerate jump up to 60FPS. And during some of the more intensive scenes, the framerate will begin to suffer a ~10FPS hit or so. The problem isn't so much that the framerate ever gets too low, but that it varies so much. Although I will say, while this was definitely noticeable to me, it wasn't really a big problem for me. I can notice differences in framerate and I definitely prefer a consistent, high framerate, but it is far from making-or-breaking a game for me. I know other people feel differently though, so I wanted to make sure I mentioned this.

Sound
Wow...this game has incredible sound. My only regret is that I don't have a sound system, so I couldn't come close to fully appreciating it. Even then, I could still appreciate the work they put into the game. It is probably obvious in some of the trailers, but when you're in the middle of a battlefield, everything just sounds right, making you feel like you really are in the middle of warzone.

As expected, MGS4 also delivers a great soundtrack. All the tracks seem to fit the game perfectly, and their placement within the game makes certain scenes much more powerful. A soundtrack won't make a game good or bad, but Kojima Production have shown how much impact a great soundtrack can have on a game. Along with the new tracks made for MGS4, there are also tracks from previous MGS games played throughout the game. I mentioned this previously, but near the end of the game, one track from each of the MGS games will play as you play the final minutes of the game. Unfortunately, this doesn't include the main MGS theme, which is no where to be found in the game due to legal reasons AFAIK.

As touched on previously, the game does give you an iPod, allowing you to listen to some MGS music while you play the game, which is a really nice alternative to custom soundtracks. This also includes the ability to listen to a MGS podcast, although I think there is only one available at this point.

As for the voice acting, it is pretty solid for the most part, especially for a non-US developed game. I might be wrong, but I think the original actors for most of the returning characters were used, which is nice for continuity's sake. There are some moments that seem awkward, due to poor acting and/or bad dialogue (maybe something lost in the translation?), but this is not a problem for the most part IMO.

Bonus: Comments on Limited Edition Offerings

Spoiler

The LE comes with a bonus disc that contains about 2 hours of behind-the-scenes video for MGS4 as well as a CD with a partial soundtrack for the game. While I loved the soundtrack within the context of the game, I'm not sure if it is something I'd enjoy listening to in my spare time with the exception of a few tracks. The soundtrack does include Old Snake and the Love Theme, probably the most important MGS4 tracks (definitely my favorites), although it obviously doesn't include every song from MGS4 (including tracks from previous MGS games of course).

The documentary is really fascinating though, and if you have any interest in this kind of stuff, it alone probably makes the LE worth the extra cash. It seems to actually be divided into two main parts. The first part is about 30-40 minutes long, and it seems to be done by a Japanese staff (everything is subtitled in English). It REALLY gives you an idea of how MGS4 was created. Basically, they first introduce many of the staff members, including Hideo Kojima of course. You can actually watch him work on the game in his office, writing down suggestions for the team to consider for improving the game. I believe this was all done earlier in the year, maybe around February or so. I think the video does an excellent job of demonstrating the thoughts of the staff at this time. At this point, programmers were working hard to get rid of bugs and making sure the game was as stable as possible. However, Kojima was still trying to make last-minute additions and tweaks to the game, which would make it much more difficult to stabilize the game. There is actually a somewhat heated discussion between Kojima and the lead programmer for the game. The video kind of gives a good impression of how much of a perfectionist Kojima is (he says he isn't one, but you can judge for yourself). Just a few months before the game would ship, he actually decided to make some dialogue changes for one character, which required the voice actress to re-record some lines. Personally, I didn't really have a problem with the way it was said originally, although then again, this was mostly a Japanese-only issue, so I couldn't care less how he changed things.

The other video documentary (about 90 minutes long IIRC) is done by a US team and is a bit more traditional. It still has its interesting moments, although I much preferred the other segment.

I'm not really big on boxart, but I guess the MGS4 LE is pretty nice, although it seems cheaply put together. I saw some custom tin cases that looked pretty awesome, and I probably would have preferred that much more that to what we ended up getting. I think there is also a promo booklet, although I didn't really care for it either.