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We take a look at Solid Snake's final mission.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots marks the final chapter in the series, bringing a close to a story over two decades old. The iconic hero of the series, Solid Snake, has now aged tremendously, yet he is the only man who can complete the task at hand. Liquid Ocelot is finally making his move against the Patriots and for world domination, as Snake’s final duty; he must hunt down and kill Liquid. His mission will take him all over the globe, from the heated battle scarred towns of the Middle East, to the rebel fighting torn landscapes of South America, and even the place where Snake’s ordeal began.

The game is truly nothing short of a love letter from series creator, Hideo Kojima to the series’ fans. It invokes the spirits of the previous games, answers all and I mean all, of the remaining questions, and closes the series in a rarely seen way that will leave the fans wholly satisfied. That being said, this game is sadly not for everyone.

While the game is very accessible for anyone wanting to give it a shot, it really is strictly aimed at the fans. The plot remains as bizarre as ever and is unfolded through the series trademark of long cutscenes, though the accusation of 90 minute scenes is grossly exaggerated, however a minor few of them do border on the 20-40 minute mark. But if there was ever a part in the game where you would need to “bring a magazine”, it would be the games’ install time (approx. 8 minutes).



So if it’s geared toward the fans, what makes it so accessible to the rest of you? The answer is gameplay, though if you’ve never played a Metal Gear Solid game before, this would be the one to play. The entire plot of the series is told from beginning to end so there is no fear of being forever lost in the story, it’ll just take you awhile longer than the rest of us. But the gameplay is indeed far more user friendly and all around better than anything the series packed before. Combat has been simplified to two buttons and it feels as fluid as a shooting game is supposed to feel.

Thanks to the gun launder Drebin, players can purchase a wide assortment of arsenal and customize them as they see fit, while not necessary, it does add a bit of personality to the game. Also adding personality to game is how players approach battles. For the first time in the series, players will be able to engage in firefights with enemy armies or take the traditional stealth approach by using the new Octocamo system, which itself is a more accessible version of the camouflage system found in Metal Gear Solid 3.

It allows Snake to absorb the texture of his surroundings onto his suit to help blend in, no need for menus. “CQC” also returns, but is no where near as important as it was in Metal Gear Solid 3 as players will more likely find themselves using their weapons and the stealth surveillance drone, Metal Gear MK. II. Also not returning from MGS 3, is the need to worry about Snake’s stamina. Sorry, no more hunting. But hey we do have a gauge for you to watch, the Psyche gauge. One of MGS 4’s underlying themes is the psychological effects of warfare and since Snake is getting older, his mind is more vulnerable to stress. It’s up to the players to find ways to keep him sane.