 Preview By: Andrew Joy |
Developer: | Kojima Productions |
| Publisher: | Konami | |
| Genre: | Stealth Action | |
| ESRB: | Mature | |
| # Of Players: | 1 (1-16 online) | |
| Online Play: | Yes | |
| Accessories: | PlayStation Network (online play), Hard Drive (4600 MB required), HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p, Headset | |
| Estimated Release: | 06/12/2008 |
The Metal Gear Solid series is one of the few around to bear the moniker "must have" for most every one of its games. The series has had a particularly strong showing on PlayStation consoles, with the original Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the PlayStation 2 and the latest chapter, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, gearing up for the PlayStation 3.
Originally, series creator Hideo Kojima announced he would be retiring as series director after Snake Eater, though it turned out to be only a sort of semi-retirement, as Kojima will act as co-director for MGS4. So the project is expected to keep the same general feel that has made the other games in the series so popular. The director for MGS4 has been revealed as Shuyo Murata, who, in addition to directing Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, helped write the last MGS game.
Though little has actually been revealed of the story behind MGS4, it is known that the game takes place an undisclosed number of years after the events of Sons of Liberty. It has been confirmed that Solid Snake will return as the primary lead in this game, though his aged appearance, and even an eye patch, lend him a striking resemblance to Big Boss (not too mention the fact that Solid Snake is his clone). It hasn't been revealed yet whether Solid Snake has actually lost his eye, or if the patch is some sort of all-purpose technology, inline with the game's secondary theme of "senses". It has also been confirmed that Solid Snake's aged appearance is the result of advanced cell degeneration, a side effect of the imperfect cloning technology used to create him. With this new information, Kojima is sure not to alienate his younger audience, while still being able to target the game to an aging, more mature demographic.
This time around, Kojima Productions, a newly formed subsidiary of Konami, has announced that the theme behind Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be "no place to hide." Fans of the series rest assured; the stealth element will remain in this latest game. However, it will be harder to remain hidden...much harder. As players find cover behind objects, they will find walls demolished by the ongoing wars or the trucks they are concealed in the shadows of might suddenly drive off. It is a living, breathing world in this next Metal Gear Solid game, brought to you courtesy of the power of the PS3, and only the vigilante will survive.
In addition to more natural character movements, the graphics of the latest MGS are slick and fluid, showing once again the power of the system. Also, as Solid Snake finds himself in the middle of a war zone, he will have to make his own allies (or enemies), depending on how he interacts with them. Think Mercenaries, just on a larger, and at times more personal, scale. The large-scale wars involve multiple armies of human soldiers and the titular Metal Gears, and are intended to create an aspect of fear in players. In fact, series creator and MGS4 co-director Hideo Kojima has actually said he plans to hire a psychiatrist to help intensify the mental battle throughout the game. AI is also expected to play a big part in the game, and the new camera (a 360-degree third-person view akin to the Splinter Cell series) is said to be essential to the game. Naturally, players can expect just as much focus on combat as there is on stealth, with over a hundred different weapon combinations and the Close Quarters Combat (CQC) fighting style making a return from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
As more details and media are released on Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, expect Video Game Generation to keep you posted along with the rest of our continuing PlayStation 3 coverage.
Posted: 2006-01-30 13:56:35PST