MGS4 is a Classic, the best game on the PS3 so far...
The first thing to hit you about this game is the sheer quality the presentation and layout is superb even the 8 minute install isn't to much of a drain with the funny comments that appear on screen (lectures on smoking and details of the mission you are about to embark on). Then with your quivering figure you hit the start game button! Don't get too excited yet, especially if you downloaded the 15 minute trailer off PS Network as you are greeted with the same 15 minute cut scene, so yes depending if you love them or hate them the cut scenes are still there and just as long. Though no one can deny how beautiful they are and make sure you keep controller in ur hand because the interactive cut scenes are back too i.e press R1 to see what Snake is looking at, they are well scripted and as usual the voice acting is superb, David Hayter is back as Snake along with the rest of the MGS cast, and Meryl looks really fit with the Next Gen Graphics BTW.
Now after you have got through the cut scenes and start playing just 3 words really OMG!. You find yourself in the most realistic war zone ever depicted on game screen believe me it seriously gives COD 4 a run for its money. It took me a few minutes to get my bearings MGS 3 was along time ago now, and the 5.1 Dolby surround sound making it feel like bullets are flying over your head its easy to get over whelmed, but you are soon back to your Snaking ways. The whole atmosphere of the game and location is astonishing! You really feel the wrong step out to the open will be your death, the two warring sides work really well at one point I just could not get by these militia, so I quickly helped the other side and after a great gun battle, I slipped back into the shadows. The whole environment war torn eastern Bosnia type setting works great and really takes it away from the quiet deserted Alaskan setting on MGS1 or the lush jungle setting of MGS3. It really remind me of last few levels of Splinter Cell Rogue Agent, but a lot more detailed, the building exteriors, interiors, the dusty open war torn roads I have never seen graphics like it, The character models are just top notch, Snake and his accelerated aged face looks great.
I really don't want to spoil anything for anyone so I wont go into story or game play too much, I will say has loads of cool gadgets this time, the camo suit is true genius and is quite Predator like and really helps as this seems to be the toughest gear yet, On quite a few occasion I was lying on the ground blended in to 85% camo and had a whole platoon march a foot from my head! There is also a lot more to help snake along the way, this game is called Guns of The Patriots! and for good reason, long gone are the days when Snake only had a Socom & a Famas to get him through, there now guns a plenty!. You can pick guns up from bodies but you can't use them straight away, not until you meet a very helpful Arms Dealer, who works similar to "The Stranger" in Resident Evil 4.
I wont tell anymore cause I just don't want to spoil it, but I just can't wait to play it some more, the story looks very interesting and has the usual strange surreal twists, a great example is when you start the game there is a 3 min cut scene of eggs frying in a frying pan and a young girl talking/laughing and then it goes back to the usual story weird!! Also if you go to the save screen there is a small screen in bottom right hand corner which seems to be CCTV footage of some ones kitchen?? I guess I will find out what this is about in time. That is my only concern is that I will not be able to follow the story again, Metal Gear Solid 2 lost me story wise completely, I'm Big Boss, No I'm Big Boss, no it was the Patriots! Aha II was Big Boss all long!???? So far though the story is carrying on nicely from MGS1 so I'm following it ok.
Sorry I have not tried the Metal Gear Online yet but I don't think it will differ much from the beta, but seriously a game of this calibre and a quality multiplayer to boot this will not be leaving my PS3 for some time!
I have never said this before about a PS3 game but if you have a PS3 get this game!!! The only reason I could think not to get it is if you really hated the other Metal Gear Games then maybe this wont won't sway you, but I would still recommend you give it a crack. Yes there is still the very lengthy cut scenes and the story may need you to have an open mind and a degree!! But if you loved the other Metal Gear's like me then do not hesitate to buy this game. Lets hope there is more games of this sort of quality to come the PS3's way!