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[Farnack]

Isn't that basically the bread and butter of MGS?

It's still about infiltration, but the environment is a lot busier.

Whereas it was just you against an entire army, it's you in a warzone. It's much harder trying to play the game in the sneaking way than it was before. Trying not to get spotted by either side is really tough. I didn't even attempt act 3 the legit way because I knew how badly I struggled on my first playthrough on big boss hard.

 

[Odrion]

MGS4's gameplay was pretty eh after the war (but man listening to classic jazz as you're sneaking and cutting people's throats own.) But it's still MGS.

MGS3 will forever be the best.

 

[Skellig Gra]

I just finished it too. It is a good game, very enjoyable. MGS1 still remains my favorite, followed by Snake Eater. There just wasn't enough game in MGS4 for me.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

Stupid question, but are you making effective use of the SolidEye? I can't understand how you would be unaware of nearby guards positions or be unable to distinguish between the two armies if you were.

this was never answered.

If you're using the solid eye, you should have no trouble spotting enemies or figuring out who is who. Also, you don't HAVE to help the rebels, you can treat them like enemies.

 

[iDoubleSpy]

Just picked it up for the 2nd time, and I still feel hate towards it. I am just assuming its because I closed a fundamental part of my gaming history. There is so much content in such a small game.

Still don't know how to react to this game.

 

[Reilly]

I had the same problem when i first played it. It didn't click. My major problem with MGS4 is that you cant shoot around corners. It also makes sticking to a wall useless, because you can already see around the corner, thanks to the camera system. If snake is able to peak out, for whatever reason, why the fuck cant I shoot a bitch while im at it.

You can shoot while peaking around a corner.

I agree with the rotating camera makes "sneaking" useless.

 

[antiloop]

It's just not for you. It won GAF GOTY by quite a margin so it has to be good!

 

[Nemo]

No, I unequip the Solid Eye, and equip rations like I always do. If I see a lot of guards nearby I equip the Solid Eye.

Solid Eye is important as fuck

 

[Haunted]

Or a Jason Campbell avatar.

Well he's got me there...

ha!

:lol

 

[jett]

himuro, you should keep playing for the lulz-worthy ending.

 

[Sapiens]

Amazing gameplay.

Amazing.

I wish there was a mode that autoskipped cinemas.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

No, I unequip the Solid Eye, and equip rations like I always do. If I see a lot of guards nearby I equip the Solid Eye.

There's your problem, man. You should be spending a good 90% of the game with the solid eye. Rations aren't as important in MGS4 as they were in previous games (or at least it felt that way to me).

The solid eye is one of the most important items in the game.

 

[Metroidvania]

There's your problem, man. You should be spending a good 90% of the game with the solid eye. Rations aren't as important in MGS4 as they were in previous games (or at least it felt that way to me).

The solid eye is one of the most important items in the game.

This brings me to one of the reasons I really don't like 4, or to a lesser extent, 3.

Why the fuck in 2012 or whatever does a solid eye have a battery limitation?]

MGS1 and 2, you always had radar except for specific situations, and in 3, I can understand because you had other tools and it was the 70's or whatever.

Gameplay-wise, I can kinda see why it would make the game too easy, but still.....argh.

 

[eXistor]

I like the game (though it was pretty forgettable for me), but I still can't believe they got away with this many cutscenes. Literally half of the game is stupid cutscenes with shit in it that I want to be playing instead of watching. If it were in any other game GAF would eat it alive and with good reason, but somehow MGS4 managed to escape this fate. I don't get it, I found it unforgiveable.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

This brings me to one of the reasons I really don't like 4, or to a lesser extent, 3.

Why the fuck in 2012 or whatever does a solid eye have a battery limitation?]

MGS1 and 2, you always had radar except for specific situations, and in 3, I can understand because you had other tools and it was the 70's or whatever.

Gameplay-wise, I can kinda see why it would make the game too easy, but still.....argh.

By the start of the 3rd mission you shouldn't have any batter problems. You should have 3 full batteries by that point.

EDIT: Also, you assume that in 3 years, electronic devices won't have battery limitations? :lol

 

[Oni Jazar]

I like the game (though it was pretty forgettable for me), but I still can't believe they got away with this many cutscenes. Literally half of the game is stupid cutscenes with shit in it that I want to be playing instead of watching. If it were in any other game GAF would eat it alive and with good reason, but somehow MGS4 managed to escape this fate. I don't get it, I found it unforgiveable.

Hello and welcome to Metal Gear Solid.

 

[Metroidvania]

By the start of the 3rd mission you shouldn't have any batter problems. You should have 3 full batteries by that point.

EDIT: Also, you assume that in 3 years, electronic devices won't have battery limitations? :lol

Yeah, I never had a "problem" with it, per se, but it's not just binoculars/heat vision/etc....it's your RADAR.

As for battery limitations....Snake has a fucking suit that lets him blend in with almost anything, not to mention all the cybernetics, etc.

And with all the nanomachine talk MGS4 is so insistent on, I'm pretty sure they could have managed some sort of 'drawing energy from Snake's bioeletrical field' or something, rather than having lithium ion battery packs.

The point, to me, is that it's a limiting factor which the first games didn't have. Especially with all the chaos that's going on, a fixed, more stable radar would help, IMO.

Hello and welcome to Metal Gear Solid.

Someone should add up all the time for cutscenes in MGS1,2, and 3. I wonder how close 4 would come close to beating all of them.

 

[jett]

Hello and welcome to Metal Gear Solid.

Never before has there been such a disproportionate amount of cut-scenes though. I'd be fine with the 10+ hours of cut-scenes if there were 20+ hours of gampeplay.

 

[mileS]

I like the game (though it was pretty forgettable for me), but I still can't believe they got away with this many cutscenes. Literally half of the game is stupid cutscenes with shit in it that I want to be playing instead of watching. If it were in any other game GAF would eat it alive and with good reason, but somehow MGS4 managed to escape this fate. I don't get it, I found it unforgiveable.

*sigh*

maybe because most of GAF knows what they're getting into... It has been like this since the first MGS why would people still be shocked that MGS4 is the same? If you didn't expect to get a ton of cut scenes this is obviously your first MGS game and you clearly didn't read anything about that past 3 games.

 

[-COOLIO-]

metal gear solid 4 is greatest video game of all time. of this i am certain

i also enjoyed it more than my favorite movie and book

 

[The Stealth Fox]

*sigh*

maybe because most of GAF knows what they're getting into... It has been like this since the first MGS why would people still be shocked that MGS4 is the same? If you didn't expect to get a ton of cut scenes this is obviously your first MGS game and you clearly didn't read anything about that past 3 games.

Some people argue that MGS4 is the worst offender in the cutscene-gameplay ratio. However, I think this is a bit overblown. What made most people mad is that instead of equally distributing the cutscenes throughout, you get tons of gameplay in the first half and then a lot of story heavy plot in the second half. It wasn't very balanced in that sense.

MGS3 had the least cutscenes. MGS1 was pretty cutscene heavy. MGS2 had a lot of cutscenes, but the major problem was not the cutscenes, it was the absurd amount of codec calls that could have been replaced by cutscenes (in fact, I think this was one of the major complaints with the game, why just watch two heads talking on the screen when you could create cutscenes showing more character interaction).

MGS4 kind of rectified what MGS2 didn't do right, which was remove the whole talking head thing for major plot points, but instead replaced it with beautiful cutscenes and interesting diagrams and artwork. Unfortunately, for the people who were fans of MGS3's low amount of cutscenes (well, until the end, where the game got cutscene heavy), MGS4 isn't what they wanted.

 

[mileS]

No, I unequip the Solid Eye, and equip rations like I always do. If I see a lot of guards nearby I equip the Solid Eye.

so your complaint was you are having trouble spotting guards before they see you? The Solid Eye is the new radar... Use it. You don't need rations always equipped like the past games.

 

[Link]

I have had the game since December, and every time I give it a shot I'm left cold. The stealth doesn't feel as fluid as it did before - I'm always getting caught by some random guard that's off screen or that I can't see, the more action-packed nature isn't really my thing (I especially don't like the whole battlefield deal, which makes it hard for me to make what army is what). The radar isn't fluid as it used to be either - the fuzzy dots aren't helping matters.

Now, I'm a huge MGS fan. Huge. Gigantic. I play these games front-to-back, cover-to-cover and leave no stone unturned. I do speed-runs, no alert runs, no kill runs...I always have fun playing MGS games.

But for some god forsaken reason I cannot get into MGS4 even the least bit.

Clearly I'm doing something wrong, because there's no bad Metal Gear game. Can gaf spare a fella some tips?

This is exactly my situation. I ended up finishing MGS4, but it was really more of a chore and a desire to see how things wrapped up more than actually enjoying it. I don't see myself playing through it again like I have with all the other games.

 

[shattyboombatty]

http://www.ps3trophies.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18780

LOL april fools?

gah! I would play through game again if this were true.


I actually liked MGS4, but not at first. In fact I gave up on it in the first level, then came back to it months later and was like OMG, I was playing it all wrong, this is actually cool.

I think the games gives you tools you're not used to in other MGS games, and it takes some time to figure out what you've got and what you can do with it. I can see how if you LOVED mgs 1-3, this would be like "wtf this is not metal gear!", but I stuck with it and found it to be an awesome experience.

 

[Keikoku]

MGS4 just ruined the whole series for me.

 

[eXistor]

*sigh*

maybe because most of GAF knows what they're getting into... It has been like this since the first MGS why would people still be shocked that MGS4 is the same? If you didn't expect to get a ton of cut scenes this is obviously your first MGS game and you clearly didn't read anything about that past 3 games.

Lol, no. I've played the first 3 games and liked them to a certain degree (actually MGS3 was really good), but MGS4 overdid it. I'm positive the other games didn't have this many cutscenes (though I admit I've only played each game once). It never felt to me that the first 3 overdid things (maybe 2 did a bit), but I was really getting annoyed at MGS4 for literally having 45 mins worth of cutscenes before I could play again.

 

[george_us]

I wasn't a huge fan of MGS4 for similar reasons. For me it felt like they took generic-over-the-shoulder 3rd person shooter and stuck in MGS mechanics with mixed results. The shooter elements especially never quite set right with me for some reason and I couldn't even make through a second play through. Meanwhile I've finished all three of the previous at least ten times each.

 

[Haunted]

metal gear solid 4 is greatest video game of all time. of this i am certain

i also enjoyed it more than my favorite movie and book

 

[mileS]

Lol, no. I've played the first 3 games and liked them to a certain degree (actually MGS3 was really good), but MGS4 overdid it. I'm positive the other games didn't have this many cutscenes (though I admit I've only played each game once). It never felt to me that the first 3 overdid things (maybe 2 did a bit), but I was really getting annoyed at MGS4 for literally having 45 mins worth of cutscenes before I could play again.

Well you don't have a very good memory when it comes to playing the past MGS games because they were just as bad in terms of cut scenes. You should have known what you were getting into.

 

[-tetsuo-]

I posted this on other forums but the main problem I have with the game is that it just keeps getting worse and worse. Act 1 gameplay wise was incredible. Big open areas with all kinds of different paths and building to explore. Different routes to take on top of different tactics to use. It was mostly all Snake, and Drebin wasnt so bad at this point. As the Acts go one, the freedom is taken from you. Characters are introduced that are silly. Cutscenes get longer and the story falls into near stupidity. Drebin tells bedtime stories after every (really kinda boring) B&B you defeat. Raiden continues to act like an idiot and everyone treats Snake like hes a moron.

By the time you get to the final act, you play for about 5 minutes tops before you run into a boss, then go down a corridor to the next and final boss, basically. Kojima is stuck trying to force so much drama on people that I was literally just shaking my head throguh most of the final parts of the game. The ending was just bad. Really bad. And to think, MGS 3 was so good.

Mind you, I don't think MGS 4 is a bad game. It just doesnt live up to the previous ones.

 

[Omikaru]

As a huge MGS fan, GOTP let me down big time. I can see why people liked it (and no doubt, it's a good game), but I hated it.

I play MGS for the story, MGS4 dropped the ball bigtime. It completely ruined the series for me. What's even worse is when I say this, I get people telling me, "If you're an MGS fan you'd love MGS4," or my favourite, "If you don't like MGS4, you're not a true fan."

Brilliant.

 

[mileS]

I'm always getting caught by some random guard that's off screen or that I can't see

Use the solid eye. You don't always need rations equipped like the past games.

The stealth doesn't feel as fluid as it did before

can you explain this? I'm having a hard time understanding why you would say that.

the more action-packed nature isn't really my thing (I especially don't like the whole battlefield deal, which makes it hard for me to make what army is what).

Use the solid eye. It's super easy to tell who is who with that on. I also think you're missing the point of the game. It's set up like that so you can find ways to sneak by in the middle of huge battles. Sure you can take a more action focused approach but in the end its a stealth game.. They encourage you to find ways of sneaking by people in the middle of the battlefield. If you remember the early demos Kojima did that was his main focus.

The radar isn't fluid as it used to be either - the fuzzy dots aren't helping matters.

One of the big complaints with past MGS was how easy the stealth was with the old style of radar. It was way too easy to sneak by guards when you can see their exact vision cone. This is why it was changed.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

It's just a boring game. It never gets into the good portions and it beats you over the head with it's retarded story. 3 has a retarded story, but it works better and it has way better gameplay and scenarios so I have no problem as seeing that as the end of the series.

This game basically exists so I can laugh at people in threads when they say it made them cry or something else cretinous.

 

[LM4sure]

MGS4 was GOTY 2008.

yours, not ours

 

[Oni Jazar]

yours, not ours

not not ours, but not yours.

 

[-viper-]

I had the same problem when i first played it. It didn't click. My major problem with MGS4 is that you cant shoot around corners. It also makes sticking to a wall useless, because you can already see around the corner, thanks to the camera system. If snake is able to peak out, for whatever reason, why the fuck cant I shoot a bitch while im at it.

You can even do this is MGS2, and im sure you can in MGS3 iirc. Would've been easier and more fun to play stealthy if this was possible in this one.


Someone mentioned repawning enemies, and to add to that, there were enemies that could see you through walls. Once you've alerted, every soldier in that area knows exactly where your position is, without them moving in your field of view. what the fuck.

Anyways, i loved the game regardless, it did some incredible fan service. More holy shit moments than most games (idk about MGS3 though) and some incredible attention to detail.

You could shoot around corners. The problem is that it was painfully slow.

They should've used the same mechanic for shooting around corners as MGS2. It worked perfectly.

 

[-COOLIO-]

yours, not ours

it was goty on gaf

so ours not yours?

 

[Houston3000]

The game is obviously a pretty love/hate experience. I absolutely loved it, it's basically my favorite game this generation (Fallout 3 comes close). I'm also a huge fan of Metal Gear Solid and played all three previous versions.

I don't mean any offense but... you're just playing it wrong I think, and I don't mean that in "you can only play it one way" but it seems you're stuck in your Metal Gear Solid 2/3 habits and are unwilling to change for MGS4. They did a lot to improve the controls in MGS4 and it helps if you just understand what you're doing.

You have the Solid Eye, USE IT, it's not something you put on for a few seconds and then immediately switch off to a ration. You leave it on while you're sneaking to get a better look at your environment! You don't need a ration handy if you aren't going to get caught and you shouldn't be getting caught if you're sneaking properly. On the same token you obviously aren't taking advantage of or don't understand your Threat Ring - sit still and lay low and use it and your Solid Eye together to assess you're surroundings. Also, OctoCamo, it works astoundingly well so you should take advantage of it at all times - lay on the ground or up against the wall to let it switch (the sound effect of it changing is also a good indication that you're clinging to a wall if you find it hard to tell from the stance Snake's in).

Other than that, learn some of the advanced techniques. While laying on the ground if you hold one of the buttons (X I think, haven't played in a while) Snake will flatten himself on the ground so his Camo Index goes even higher - great for when enemies are walking right next to you. While laying down you can press Triangle to roll over in place - if you're laying flat and a guard passes you you can use this to turn over and aim at him as he passes. Speaking of rolling over, if you hold L1 while pushing the stick to the side and press X Snake will roll sideways - it's silent and lets you move a lot faster than crawl strafing. There's a ton of small things like this, especially with CQC (like smothering enemies while laying flat at the same time). It could really help.

 

[jett]

You could shoot around corners. The problem is that it was painfully slow.

They should've used the same mechanic for shooting around corners as MGS2. It worked perfectly.

WAT

No, that shit was terrible in MGS2. It was also hideos in MGS3. It's kinda crap in MGS4 as well, but at least it's not really needed. What this series needs is to ditch that garbage "wall" mode they have and implement a proper, fluid cover mode.

 

[Cartman86]

Yep. I see this all the time with TV shows as they end. Battlestar Galactica just ended and thats all people were talking about. People just can't accept an ending. It's either going to be too rediculous or too simple. Lost is going to have this exact problem when it ends next year. Doesn't bother me, but for some it really gets under their skin.

 

[The-Switcher]

The problem with MGS4, is that it had to follow MGS3.

Impossible scenario.

 

[MoogPaul]

MGS4 plays like you just paid Kojima to jerk off into your cereal.

 

[-viper-]

WAT

No, that shit was terrible in MGS2. It was also hideos in MGS3. It's kinda crap in MGS4 as well, but at least it's not really needed. What this series needs is to ditch that garbage "wall" mode they have and implement a proper, fluid cover mode.

Well, it was better than what they put in MGS4

A fluid cover mode would be cool.

 

[Darkpen]

Well, the new camera system is a part of the reason I'm feeling completely unattached to this entry. I truly hate it. I prefer the older system because I didn't have to control the camera much to see if a guard was nearby. But with the new camera I am always checking and crap. Some guards will be right in front of my face sometimes and I won't realize it. I like how in MGS3:S you're given the option to use both camera-types, and they work together beautifully.

...are you using the Solid Eye? Are you paying attention to Snake's cone of awareness? (the bumps in the ring you see when he crouches/prones and stops moving)

I think you're basically just not feeling the 3D camera, and you're being thrown off your game by this new, different aspect of the combat system.

Just pay attention to those two things I mentioned in the first sentence, and you should be fine.

It no longer plays like Pacman. Now, its more like Splinter Cell, but with Snake. And more sneaking in camo rather than shadows (though you do use the shadow to your advantage)

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Isn't that basically the bread and butter of MGS?

Pretty much. They ditched the stealth-like action gameplay and infiltration for action shooting and variety in levels.

Easily the worst main MG in the series IMO.

In short what happened in Metal Gear was what happened with System Shock II to Bioshock, Resident Evil 4 to Resident Evil 5. They took the deep gameplay and changed it into basically a presentation heavy action game to reach a more mainstream audience (more so then the series already did, though MGS3 was a huge gap from the others in the sales department).

 

[proposition]

As a huge MGS fan, GOTP let me down big time. I can see why people liked it (and no doubt, it's a good game), but I hated it.

I play MGS for the story, MGS4 dropped the ball bigtime. It completely ruined the series for me. What's even worse is when I say this, I get people telling me, "If you're an MGS fan you'd love MGS4," or my favourite, "If you don't like MGS4, you're not a true fan."

Brilliant.

Ignore anyone who isn't using a phrase like that ironically. Ditto for anyone who says that anyone who doesn't like such-and-such just doesn't get it or understand it or whathaveyou. Those people are terminally stupid.

 

[Omikaru]

Can you explain the threat ring a little more?

The threat ring was one of MGS4's best features.

Think of it as Snake's senses. Because not everyone has surround sound and nobody can "feel" nearby presence in the game, the threat ring acts as Snake's ability to do just that, basically. When someone, or something, makes noise, moves near, or anything else that would catch Snake's attention, the threat ring jitters and spikes. The louder, or closer, it is, the more violent it'll shake.

Basically, when the ring surrounding Snake spikes or jitters or flubbers (or whatever word you want to use to describe it having activity) in one part, then someone or something is in that direction.

 

[Dr Bad Dude PHD]

Or maybe in the 10 years between MGS1 and MGS4 you grew up and your tastes changed, and you realized that what you thought was cool and epic was actually cliched and overwrought?

I disagree, I still play through the original MGS maybe twice every year because I love the story, I still think it is the pinnacle of videogame storytelling with the greatest cast ever in a videogame.

It's ok to like one MGS over another, or to hate them all, but I think people are just making up reasons when someone says they hated one and loved the other because of the quality of the story, or because it had too much cut-scenes (when they all had), or because of the gameplay (especially MGS1 vs 2 or 3 vs 4).

You think people are making up reasons why they didn't think MGS4 was as good as the rest of the series? Do you realize the extent to which MGS fans had been jerking off over the release of 4, why would they then make up reason to dislike it?

Also Act 5 gets dumped on here but the very beginning is amazingly designed, it took me over an hour to enter the ship on my first playthrough. It was one of my most memorable moments of the game.

I agree, on my first play through my entry to the ship was a matter of just killing everyone around me, on successive plays through I have perfected my stealth entry. MGS4 had superb gameplay and the beginning of Act 5 is a shining example of it.

 

[MvmntInGrn]

MGS4 is my second favorite in the series after MGS3.

The gameplay is amazing, I felt like I had more options than most others games for each situation. Every mechanic, IMO, worked as it should and felt very polished. The story strains under so much information though. Really it should have been two games.

 

[RPS37]

I started to like the game a lot more once I got a little bit through Act 2.