Kojima's latest installment in the Metal Gear Solid series is a "solid" addition.
When I purchased my PS2, I did so for the sole purpose of the MGS sequel, Sons of Liberty. I was in awe of the upgraded graphics and overall character control. Albeit, I was frustrated with the character shift in the story, the game lived up to the hype surrounding it.
Snake Eater was no different in terms of story immersion and character control. Kojima again dazzled me with his unique form of plot direction. The added camouflage index and "open world" feel were beautiful additions.
The series was fun to play and the story alone demanded multiple completions. But something was missing and I couldn't understand why I felt this way. The controls were fluid, the story was more interesting than most action movies, the visuals were second to none, the characters were not only unique but expertly detailed and with each installment in the series came expanded player control. I couldn't imagine, though I tried, what was missing until I played Guns of the Patriots.
Guns of the Patriots is truly a revolutionary gaming experience. Among the usual shock and amazement attached to any new installment of the MGS series, the most surprising is the revelation; Snake is OLD! Yup, there's no denying it. With all of the camera close ups, one can be unmistakably positive, this is not the Snake of Shadow Moses!
The story line of Guns of the Patriots is written more like a literary play rather than an action game. Broken up into five acts, the story is presented to the audience as one would expect to find in a high-class theatre; not on a game system.
Act one finds Snake amid a war-tattered district in the Middle East. Disguised as a rebel, he is trucked in with a couple dozen resistance fighters to a heated urban battlefield. I can remember my initial thought of confidence. I was backed by a whole regiment of rebels. There's no way I could fail. How quickly that changed! I soon realized that the AI in this game was something I had never seen before. The opposing soldiers behaved like actual soldiers. They had formations and grouped themselves for maximum cover. The rebels, however, were more like sheep to the slaughter. Being untrained and inexperienced in matters of warfare, they tend to make ridiculous decisions during battle and therefore are easily picked off. This amazed me! The AI successfully demonstrated what inexperienced civilians would be expected to do when facing a professional army.
At the conclusion of the opening cinematic, Snake is left with only a stun knife. Not quite the arsenal I was hoping for (his AK-47 jammed). Okay, find a place to hide was my initial thought. As I moved along the combatants I heard the familiar MGS item pickup sound. Did I just… yes I did. In Guns of the Patriots, dead militia and soldiers drop their weapons when they die; a complaint I've had since MGS2! Finally, I thought, now I can get some good weapons. But where was the weapon I just picked up?
Metal Gear Solid 4 implemented a new weapons management and customization interface and I love it. Since Kojima realized there would be packrats like me who would scour the game for as many firearms as I could find, he rethought the entire process of quickly selecting a weapon. By limiting the number of "slots" in the quick select, one can keep their favorite weapons on hand, while still having access to all pickups made during the game. What's more, you can now customize your weapons with add-ons found or purchased to become even more lethal! Kudos to this new feature.
The surprises just keep on coming. After the opening sequence, Snake is pursued by a new kind of Metal Gear called a Gekko. More agile and significantly smaller than previous Metal Gear models, the Gekko are the bipedal tanks of choice for close-combat scenarios. Snake is chased to a rooftop and will soon be cornered by 2 Gekko with nowhere to hide. Out comes the cardboard box with a strange sound. The Gekko join Snake on the rooftop and begin scanning the area. They immediately take note of the cardboard box on the center of the roof and with one fluid motion, squash the box and it's contents. Where's Snake? Hiding in plain sight with a new kind of camouflage; OctoCamo.
The OctoCamo Suit is probably one of the sexiest pieces of equipment Snake has ever had at his disposal. By simply pressing up against a surface, the suit will examine and replicate the color, pattern and texture of that surface. To see the conversion in the cinematic was cool enough, but with the help of the PS3's Cell Processor, the conversion happens in real-time during game play. This is truly a marvel of ingenuity. I never tire of watching the conversion.
Another gadget at Snake's beckon call is the Metal Gear Mk. II. This pint-sized remote-controlled Metal Gear is equipped with stealth camouflage, a stun arm and seemingly limitless cargo space. The Mk. II is Snake's support unit. Created and usually controlled by Otacon, it is introduced to snake in a cutscene. Like all good support units, the Mk. II came bearing gifts. The Mk. II is also the conduit between Snake and Drebin, a black-market arms dealer whom Snake apprehensively befriends in Act one. I'll have to admit that I probably should have used the Mk. II more often than I did, but honestly, I forgot about it.
One of the "gifts" the Mk. II brings to Snake is the SolidEye. Described by Otacon as an all-purpose goggle, the "eye patch" (which for fans of the series will note that it is worn on the opposite eye than that of Big Boss') serves as Snake's recon and environmental status device. It is capable of night vision, binocular functionality as well as displaying Snake's vitals. This device seamlessly integrates into Snake's repertoire of gadgets.
Technology is what drives the entire plot. Nanomachines injected into soldiers monitor (and even control, when needed) their heart rate, fear, adrenaline, and overall health. They also prohibit soldiers from using weapons they are unauthorized to have. Remembering that Snake was one of the first to be injected with these "battlefield enhancers" (FOXDIE in MGS1), Snake is unable to use weapons procured from the PMCs (Private Military Companies).
Enter Drebin, the aforementioned black-market arms dealer, who, for a price will deactivate the lock on PMC weapons. Moreover, he strikes up a deal with Snake to give him credits (Drebin Points) for all the excess weapons Snake finds on the battlefield in exchange for new weapons and upgrades. After our leading man reluctantly accepts this partnership, the Drebin Shop becomes available.
Another new concept for this series is the "war economy", which drives everything in the world of MGS4. With the understanding that there is profit to be made by having your own Private Military Company (PMC), a new economy was born. An economy that depends on constant conflict and one that Drebin's business is completely reliant upon. We begin to realize that Snake's mission is not just about taking out the bad guy, but rather, restoring peace in the world.
This story is definitely much easier to follow if you have been a fan of the series throughout. However, the main concepts will be understood by long-time fans and newcomers alike. Like all previous installments, Kojima has added many twists and turns to the story. I found myself in several moments re-thinking my expectations. I was able to form a connection with the ensemble of heroes and developed a genuine disgust toward the antagonists.
The story, as stated before, is presented in acts. Each act takes place in a different geographic region. This is another first in the MGS series. The story encompasses five unique environments and all of them have been given the same amount of scrutinous detail. The visuals are crisp and fluid. At no point did I feel like the surroundings were repeated or unnecessary. If I had to choose, I'd say that Act 4 was my favorite. Revisiting Shadow Moses was a welcomed and pleasant surprise.
With all of these new additions to this game series, one would think that Kojima was crazy to attempt to introduce them in one game. However, like the mastermind he is, everything is not only integrated into this installment, but precisely tuned to the point of an effortless adaptation for the gamer. The level of control one has over Snake is like nothing I've ever played before. I found myself engrossed in the environments, which is a tribute to the ease of control scheme. As complex of a scheme as it is, it's still intuitive enough to be simple to learn and use. I never felt like I died as a result of poor control on the developer side.
I have played this game through several times and don't look to stop now. It has the complete package, awesome story, great controls, well developed characters, customizable play, high replay value, and unique game play. This game is a trendsetter and has heightened consumers' expectations of next-gen game developers. Well done Mr. Kojima. Well done.