What is it?

Third person action game taking place in a war driven future. Shooting and (optional) Stealth throughout.

What I liked:
- Changes in game play and pace keep the game exciting to the end
- Emotional involvement and attachment to the characters
- Graphics
- Production values arguably unparalleled by any other game
- Plenty of wow moments

What I didn't like
- Some cut-scenes and exposition can drag at times, but on the whole are very good
- That some of the exciting game play could have been a bit longer
- Staggered lord of the rings ending (that just like LoTR's would have been better if it had stopped earlier)
- Online mode

MGS4 is certainly an exciting ride but be prepared to set your controller down from time to time. If watching cut-scenes isn't your bag then this game isn't for you, not that that is all this game is about but it will certainly turn some people off. With that out of the way MGS4 mixes stealth action and all guns blazing fun better than any of its predecessors. Now with an updated slick control scheme the game is much more accessible and fun to play than ever before.

Generally sneaking isn't the only option for people who like to run around blasting away and using either tactic can be a rewarding ****of play. There are plenty of wow moments and without giving too much away, you wont always be on foot. The story can be convoluted and resembles many conspiracy/Sci-Fi stories. If you haven't played any of the previous games then you may find it rather confusing but if you can get past that there is some enjoyment to be had from it. At times the story has some clumsy dialogue and sometimes less could be more, but there is certainly an emotional attachment built between the player and the games characters. Even the most cynical of gamer may find themselves going from huge smiles of enjoyment to tears of sadness.

I have been a part time follower of the series (Played some of MGS1, completed 2, never played 3) and found the game to be thoroughly entertaining and well worth my £40. I have no interest in the online mode (too slow and tactical for my tastes) but I would certainly recommend this game to people.

Quick tips: Tranquiliser and the syringe are very useful throughout. The face camo you use will be present in cut-scenes, so take it off before if you don't want to see it.

Who's it for:
- Metal Gear Fans
- Stealth Action Fans
- People who want to see what the PS3 is graphically capable of
- People who want a tactical online experience

Who's it not for:
- Social/Family gamers
- People who can only play in short bursts (ie under 60-30 mins)
- People who hate cut-scenes
- People who aren't fans of shooting, guns or war
- MGS haters :-p

I will also be posting more of these up on my blog :) http://gamereviewsinunder500words.blogspot.com/

I'd love it if you could spread the word and give me feedback :) thanks

Glenn

Haven't posted in nearly a month so I thought id do an update for anyone cares :) and maybe you can help me out some more?

So I've just submitted a draft of my final paper in and will get the mark back soon. It's been really interesting to write and research...and dare I say it...fun!

Interesting things the survey showed me where that plenty of gamers still didnt feel they had time to create content...even if they played loads of hours a week. Which would make sense, most user creating tools require a gamer to leave the game and experience (can anyone back me up on this?). What I would like to do is try and get a better understanding of peoples experiences with creating content...I had alot of responses saying "tools were too complicated", so if you answered that...why do you think that to be the case?

So as not to bore people and get a good response I tried to keep most things in the survey multiple choice, but what I would be really interested in now is more in depth views from people... so if anyone out there has any views on the topic please feel free to share :) (such as any gripes you have had with user content, or things you wish would change or happen etc)

Big thanks to everyone who has filled in the survey..nearly up to the 300 mark, I need to promote it some more, so if anyone else has any ideas where I could post it that'd be great!

Comment away :)

Glenn

So for anyone reading this I thought I should quickly introduce myself :)

My name is Glenn White and I'm currently in my final year at Brighton University in the UK studying Business with E-commerce.

Fortunately I have been given a lot of freedom for my dissertation paper and I've decided to write it on the topic of "User Generated Content in Video Games". Now this is quite a broad topic so I'm trying to focus it on the pros and cons of having user created content in games, how tools and content can best be implemented and how the developers can get the best content from its users.

So the reason I'm writing this blog is that...I need some help. In order to know what gamers think of user generated content I've devised a survey. This is the part where you come in...I would really appreciate it if you could fill it in..it will only take a few minutes I promise.

"Yes of course I will help!" I hear you cry "Give me the link!" ...ok ok I'm just getting it

Here it is: http://www.my3q.com/home2/200/glennwhite/91317.phtml

Please tell your friends and spread the word :)

As of writing I've managed to receive about 75 completed questionnaires and I've been chuffed to bits with the response it's been getting. Let's see how high we can get that to go.

A huge thank you to everyone and anyone that has taken the time to read this and fill in the survey :) I plan to update this blog with my progress for anyone that is interested..if you have any other input, suggestion or anything at all please feel free to comment away :D

Cheers

Glenn