Snake's final chapter not only lives up to the hype, it surpasses it!
The game opens six years in the future, a time where war is no longer as it used to be; fought by politicians and nations with opposing ideologies. Instead, military groups are in constant battle across the globe, with the world ruled by a war economy. These groups, referred to as PMCs, have no national or patriotic allegiances, instead all they have is a contract from the highest bidder. Snake is called out of semi-retirement in order to fulfill one last mission, with Col. Campbell and Otacon in support. His mission: eliminate Liquid.
Liquid, who at this point in the story is now an arm taking control of Revolver Ocelot's body, has managed to amass a group of PMCs for his control as well as the Beauty and the Beast Corps, which consists of four mechanically-enhanced female killers. They all posses torturous pasts and are made to think that eliminating Solid Snake will release them from their pain.
However, detracting from the story, the actual gameplay is much similar to that of previous installments with some improvements here and some expansions there. The control set-up is greatly improved, especially for CQC; where once sneaking up on a guard and knocking them out (or snapping their neck) was a cumbersome affair, the new system does a good job of simplifying the process.
The weapons system is a great deal more expansive this time around too. Just about any enemy can be killed and their weapon collected, however, you can't simply use any weapon you find. This is due to the ID system encoded into the weapons and specific people's nano-machines, meaning you can only use weapons assigned to yourself. That is, unless you contact Drebin and get them laundered. Drebin is a mysterious gun-launderer who offers his service to anyone willing to pay. The amount of weapons, explosives, accessories and after-market modifications available from Drebin is more than enough to keep you occupied and I'm sure most players will go through the game without using at least half of the weapons. The Drebin Shop, as it's called, is accessible at any period during gameplay, meaning if you run out of ammo mid-fight, you can simply buy some more and continue shooting - provided, of course, you have enough Drebin Points to purchase said ammunition. Drebin Points are acquired by various means, from selling weapons to taking out certain enemies, with bonuses given for certain aspects of your playing through stages of the game. It is a very good system, but I must say it does make combat seem a bit too easy when you effectively don't have to conserve ammo.
This is not to say the stealth element has been overlooked at all. The OctoCamo suit which Snake wears is a bit of an elaborate system akin to the camouflage system in MGS3. Instead of choosing certain suits to wear, Snake's outfit can take the appearance of any surface he presses himself against, with the pattern being able to be saved and recalled at any time. There is also a percentage counter in the top corner displaying how effectively Snake is hidden. This, along with the Solid Eye, allows for players to sneak their way through the game instead of shooting. The Solid Eye system is basically a tactical viewer, a scope, a night-vision and radar system rolled into one, so it will come in fairly useful!
For the stealthy player, there is also the inclusion of a small model of Metal Gear Rex, which Otacon calls the Mk II. It is a small surveillance device, through which Otacon communicates and follows Snake around. Snake is able to take control of the Mk II and send it on a reconnaissance mission to determine potential threats along his chosen path of infiltration. With its ability to turn invisible, the Mk II can become another very useful tactical tool. Even with these devices, the stealth approach does have it difficulties however, one being the greatly improved enemy AI. Soldiers are no longer drones walking the same path over and over all the while not interacting with their environments. They effectively check possible hiding places around the area, even an isolated box will not go unnoticed!
Without revealing any of the plot twists and turns, I can safely say Kojima has done an incredible job implementing a compelling story within the framework of Metal Gear without compromising the gameplay. In fact, the two compliment each other incredibly well. The cut-scenes are admittedly a little heavy and can seem a bit prolonged at times, but the majority are as engaging as any film. Anyone familiar with the series, will know to expect impressive visuals and Metal Gear Solid 4 doesn't disappoint. Both the CGI and game playing environment are rendered extremely well and they merge into each other very naturally.
Concerning the plot elements from previous games, there are several holes and loose ends to say the least, and MGS4 does a stellar job of clearing the majority, if not all, of this up. So, with a solid (no pun intended) story, excellent gameplay, and some of the best visuals witnessed in a computer game, Metal Gear Solid 4 has lived up to and surpassed the hype and will be a classic, long remembered in the gaming community. If you're a PS3 owner go out and buy it now, if you don't own a PS3, there's no bigger reason to get one!