The only draw back to this game is the outrageously long cutscenes, last night I booted up to play and I had to watch over an hour and a half of cutscenes before I even got to play. Of course the metal gear franchise demonstrates some of the most innovative and superb gameplay ever not to mention loads of visual style. Though in my opinion the story elements have always been long winded, convuluted, confusing and in this case boring. Close to 2 hours in one sitting of cutscenes is over the top. I am in Act 4 of the game and I have begun to start skipping the cutscenes once I get the gist of what is going on...still an awesome game when you actually get to play. Furthermore I have read that of the 25 hours of total "game play" close to 13 hours are cut scenes, hence only about 17 hours of actual gameplay time...

Para todos los que hemos jugado MGS, MGS2, MGS3... este es definitivamente el broche que cierra cinturon. Hay muchas agradables sorpresas asi como tambien misterios resueltos de la saga...

Muy buen video, sonido, y como siempre excelente historia.

I just got the ps3 and the first game I bought it metal gear 4, of course it is 3rd person view. It has 5 levels of difficulty, I recommend you to star in level 1 if you have never played it before. If you played the game in ps2 you have to move up to ps3, it is more fun and the images are neater. I played for almost 2 days and still halfway into the game. It is long but never get tired of it, you meet different people, missions, weapons..heat seeking missiles, grenade launcher, etc. You'll like it.

I felt like I was watching a cartoon, and once a while playing the game. The "cut scenes" should have been named "scenes", and "game play" should have named "cut game play". This is not a joke! In the beginning I was watching all the cut scenes; then, I tried to skip them ... guess what there were multiple cut scenes in a row ... when it was over, I had to wait for "loading" ... after loading, cut scenes again!!! Even after I was done with the game I had to watch once again multiple cut scenes for almost 40 minutes. I'm pretty sure that I spent more time watching cut scenes and waiting for the game to load than playing the actual game. Now, when you actually play the game, it's fun; therefore, I gave 3 stars.

p.s. So far, Resistance, Ucharted, and Heavenly Sword were the best games I had on PS3.

This is by far the best game I've ever played. It's complicated and provided hundreds of hours of gameplay fun. The plot in single player mode is amazing. If you like Lost or X-Files or Borne Identity, then you'll love the cut scenes. The online gameplay is fun too. The strategy guide is a must.

Where's the game. This is more like watching a movie. If I wanted to watch a movie I would go buy a movie. This game is way to easy. You call this a 17+ game but you made it for a 9 year old to play. I for one would much rather the game have HALF the graphics with double the game play. That is because I buy a game to PLAY it not watch it play itself. I just hope the new tomb raider is not done this same way. Because Drakes was a great game but way to short to play and to many movie moments. I sure hope someone that makes games reads this or someone that has a friend that makes games get them to read this. Game makers spend so much time on the movie moments that if they just spent the time on the game they could release new versions more often. I know if tomb raider made a new one every year I would buy it. Even every 6 months. Instead of making the latest greatest hair, water, clouds and plants (lets not forget snakes a$$ i mean comeone its guys that play this game i do not need to see that mabe on laura but thats it). anyway final thought MORE GAME LESS MOVIE. thanks hope this helps.

If you like the action and game play of games such as Call of Duty 4, this is NOT the game for you. The game play is nothing like COD4 (especially online.) However the story line is interesting, but if I wanted that I'd just rent a DVD. I guess COD4 just spoiled me too much.

Hello Folks,

I am shocked to see the high scores.

This game truly sucks. Lousy single player, and even lousier multiplayer.

Linear game flow, silly and boring story, loose controls, and very boring play make this game a one star. I am glad I sold it and the game guide. Oh, and no co-op either.

The MP was boring, slow-moving, not inspiring...not fun.

If you want fun MP action, with destructable environment, fantastic sound dynamics/realism, and the best looking visuals in a game, head over to Battlefield Bad Company. That has no co-op in SP either, but the MP is great fun.

John

there are so many refrences to mgs1 that make you laugh and the gameplay and graphics are top of the line. we all know this even the online is funny. just pick it up and be amazed.

When I bought my PS3 I started out playing COD4 and thought that nothing could compare. Well this game surpasses. This game is a hoot to play and the story and graphics are fantastic. This is a must own game if you enjoy military/shooter games. I can't say enough good things about it.

Overall this is a great game but I only recommend this to fans of the series....
I use to have MGS2 which is my first one because I wanted to get into the series, I did not like that game at all, returned it the next game for something better.
I wanted to give it another shot and bought MGS4. Which happens to be a great improvement. Bad thing is I am lost in the story and don't know most of the characters.
Cutscenes are fine, it's a purpose of the game.
These are 3 things I really hate
1.Knife technique-(No F#$%* way you would kill somebody with such gay kife moves, especially in Stealth)
2.Changing weapons on pause-(This defeats any purpose when you are in a heated gun battle)
3.Can't jump-(He can get low, run, seak around, but why can't he jump? he only can climb over certain things.
Awsome game for anything else.
Highly Recommended for Metal Gear Fans ONLY!!!.....

Graphic and sound is stunning, take some time to get usual to play, but after that it gets worth

Metal Gear Solid 4 was a really good game. It could of been a little more involved as it was pretty easy to beat but like the graphics and the variety of actions the character can do.

I consider myself an average gamer. I have played an MGS game before and I did enjoy it. But this one I played for about 30 minutes and really couldnt get into it. It seemed cheesy to me. Yeah the graphics are outstanding, sound good as far as I can tell. The story at the beginning seemed a little corn ball. I dont know this game just couldnt get my atttention so to speak. I know there are some people who cream all over this stuff, but like I said its not for me

MGS4: This game is excellent, great story (although the cutscenes can be a little too long and confusing)... a lot of action, great graphics and sound, you have various options to finish the game by shooting everybody or being more tactical and sneaky...

MGO: one of the best online games, has a great diversity of match modes (tdm, dm, snk, tsne (my favorite), etc...) no lag (well, most of the time).. the only letdowns are the rank system cause it can be a little frustrating, and the increase of glitchers that can ruin the whole experience for everybody, KONAMI DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

I highly recommend this game!!!!

Its really different than any game that i have played before, I really think its the best

This game is absolutely brilliant!
As promised by Konami this game shows PS3 capabilities at its best.
The game has a fantastic storyline, amazing graphics, great attention to detail, great sound and a bunch of gadgets and different weapons to keep you busy shooting for a while.

I think that this game is only intended for experienced gamers in this genre as controls are a little hard to get used to for some people as Ive seen and same with the tactics to achieve your goals. Also it requires serious time to get the most of it, casual gamers should be better playing a single soccer match of PES or a race or two with gran turismo 5. Don`t even waste your time trying this game out if you don`t own it or you ain`t planning to get it cause the cut scenes are very very long. The game requires full attention and several hours to be played.

If you like warfare/spying games this is the best title out there hands down.

I mainly play PC games, but bought this to highlight my PS3 purchased primarily for Blu-Ray movies. I found the controls confusing and complicated. This is the first Metal Gear game and found myself a bit lost with the plot. The game technique just didn't appeal to me, I guess I am just simple minded but much prefer running around shooting things than sneaking around for hours on end. In the end it was a frustrating, long experience that I gave up in Act 2.

I was never into Metal Gear Solid before, simply because I could not play stealth games. Usually these games where you try to sneak around would always play out the same way for me.

Sneak
Get Spotted
Get Shot
Run
Get Shot some more
Die horribly
Repeat 100 times
Take the disk out and play Mario instead

But I got the PS3 bundle with MGS4 because it was the backwards compatible one, and I figured that if all these sites were giving the game perfect 10 reviews then I could give it a shot.

This is the perfect game for someone who's not great at these kind of games. It's got variable difficulty settings, and different ways to play through it. So if you just want a 3rd person action shooter you can get that, and if you want your usual stealthy not kill anyone game, you've got that too. I started off just going through it like I would any other shooter. And throughout the course of the game I slowly started learning how to avoid beeing seen and use more stealth when moving around the levels. I'm on my second time through and now I'm actually playing it like people used to play the older Metal Gear Games - not getting caught, not killing anyone, avoiding suspicion, stuff like that.

People like to complain that this takes away from what the series is supposed to be. But if you like stealth oriented gameplay like the older games, you can just ignore all the other options. I think is a very smart move on Kojima's part. He's not only made a game that everyone can enjoy, but he's also made kind of a portal for newbs like myself to get into the series. I personally went out and bought the Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection and am playing through it now.

The online component isn't bad per say, but it's not great. Sometimes it'll take quite awhile to look for a lobby that's open. And half the time it'll just kick you back out to the main screen to start again. And the gameplay itself just doesn't seem like the type that meshes well with online gameplay. But it's still fun. It just takes awhile to get used to going slower, taking your time, and relying on teammates to get your kills. Having a headset definately makes this 20x easier.

So basically, if you've got a PS3, buy the game. Odds are with all the options available to you, you'll be able to find some way to play it that you like. And you might just find some way to get into the rest of the series. I'm really glad I did.

The last Metal Gear game I had played for more than 15 minutes was on the NES and Reagan was in the White House.

While I was always casually aware of the new releases and soaked up pieces from game screens and reviews,and having never owned a PS2, I never really picked up on the series.

Money doesn't grow on trees so I'm a picky shopper and I am careful to avoid hype. After all the, mostly unfounded, hype of the Halo, and GTA series, I have been carful to pick up any game that is given "perfect" reviews. MGS 4 has been part of this group of late, so i was cautious but curious. Well I finally caved and scooped up the game to see for myself. And what did I find?

Yep, its good. Perfect? Nope. I don't think there is such a game, but Metal Gear Solid 4 is well worth the purchase price.

What is the good?

You feel for the characters, no matter how outlandish the overall story is. Even in the opening seconds of the game, you invest in Snake immediately, he's a well drawn hero. The control is easy to pick up, for the most part. The overall presentation is full of nuance and attention to detail. The game doesn't just have good graphics, it's that Metal Gear Solid 4 is full of real artistry and care, both in the dusty lighting of the Middle East and wind-blown newspapers, to the amazing sound mixing and professional music score.

What is the not so good?

After the third chapter, the gameplay set pieces begin to get shorter and shorter compared to earlier chapters in the game. You get the feeling they were running low on Blu-Ray space or the game needed to be finished on time. It isn't a big complaint, but it is something of notice.

And those long cutscenes?

Sure some of them are insanely long and some voice acting is so-so (David Hytner's gutteral take on Snake Plisken probably could be improved on) but as a newcomer to the series, it was easy to take in the story and seeing and hearing about Big Boss, it was nice to see how things had been tied in some way all the way to the old NES game. I think the overall pace of the gameplay fits well with the story sequences too. It gives a nice break between the action too. Overall I enjoyed most of Kojima's execution.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is a classic, a really great game and has a solid feel of time-honed craftsmanship. This game is not perfect, but it is expertly constructed, defiantly satisfying, entertaining and just a great way to kill a few afternoons.

check out some of the cable channels or HBO re-runs. If you're looking for a video game, look somewhere else. Graphics are nice but that's it. After 15-30 Minutes you will be so bored you just want it to be over.

Overall game play is very repetitive, the story dumb and the cut-scenes are just neverending. Don't get me wrong, I loved most of the other MGS titles but this time it's not much playing but a lot of watching. If this is the kind of video game experience you enjoy, you might want to consider. If you like to use the controller at all, stay away.

Funny enough, the guys at the local store of a big video game store franchise praised it all over. At least I was able to get some trade value after 5 days and I learned this lesson: Don't ever listen to the guys at the large chains.

Biggest PS3 disappointment so far.

I have nothing but Great words to describe this game, even if you've never played a MG game before this game will grab you and with its story and game play and amazing visuals through out. You can go easy or normal mode and just run and gun or go Hard or Boss and sneak/strategize. what are you waiting for buy it!

We all know that the Metal Gear series have been a breakthrough in gaming. Guns of the Patriots is not the exception. Once you get it, you will get one of the best gaming experiences ever made, complete with an extraordinary storyline, daring gameplay and beautiful visuals.

If you've been a fan of the series, you know that this might be the case at least for all the previous games, but Guns of the Patriots raises the bar to a whole new level. Best of all, you'll finally see the conclusion of one the best story lines ever created.

Yes, it was my first MGS experience.
The controls are awkward. Why can't snake jump? Why is it so hard for him to turn around when crawling?
These flaws constantly reminded me I was playing a video game.
That said, the many hours of cutscenes told an interesting and thought-provoking antiwar, anti-military-industrial-complex, pro-individualism story. That was the fun part.
The Apple product placements were a nice touch.

MGS4 is quite a game. The graphics are superb, the gameplay is stellar, the sound is awesome, the replay value is high, it has a pretty good online component, and it's pretty damn fun. The only problem is the ridiculously long cut scenes. Some are great and others are boring as hell. They should have used better judgement and eliminated some of the needless filler and shortened the enite storytelling and added some more gameplay. This game is a technical masterpiece and it's obvious that a tremendous amount of effort went into this game. Could've been absolutely perfect if they just shortened the cut scenes. If you have a PS3 and you're a shooter fan, this is a must buy, period.

The chance to own a game that will affect how you look at video games and how you feel about them come few and far between. I am a fan of the series and please beat all the other games unless you won't get all the flashbacks in the game. It has amazing visuals and once again the story is so envolved that it seems to evolve as you reach the climatic ending to what is probably the best series ever in a video game.

Probably THE best game ever. Incredible graphics, sound, story, and control makes this a must-own game for any PS3 owner who wants to know what the future of gaming is. So far I've only played MGS1 and now MGS4. I plan on starting over form the beginning to really get deeper into the complex masterpiece that is the Metal Gear Solid story. Buy this game.

I am on my mothers account who purchased the bundle pack (PS3 and MGS4) from fingerhut due to the fact that they were no longer in stock on Amazon.

This game is with out a doubt one of the best games I have ever played in my entire life and THE best Metal Gear Solid game to date.
If you are a fan of the Metal Gear games this is a must have. I realize that its only for ps3 and that they are quite expensive, But for me this game alone makes the ps3 worth buying and The Ps3 itself is a remarkable piece.

I have been a huge fan of the games since I first played MGS on the original Playstation. The game was at the time unlike anything I had Ever played before. I spent hours and hours playing it. I must have played the game all the way through at least 20 times.
When MGS2 came out I was in heaven. The only thing I really Disliked about that game was the fact that you could only be Snake for a little while before Raiden comes in and you become him for the rest and majority of the game. The graphics were big for me. With the new tech of the gaming industry and of the ps2 it made everything seem much more real. Same with MGS Snake Eater.

But This time they really outdid themselves. If you have not played this game you should prepare yourself for a complete mind-trip when you do. Everything you think you know is about to change. I cant really say much more about the story because I really dont want to spoil it.

The graphics of the new ps3 make you feel like you are watching an interactive movie rather then playing a game. It really is quite remarkable.

If you have played all the other MGS games, then you NEED to play this one. It will blow your mind.

I will admit going in that I have never played Metal Gear Solid I, II, or III. That being said, if this is the greatest one of all than I haven't been missing much. I can't write a 15 paragraph review because honestly I only played this one for approximately 3-4 hours in total. The things I found very irritating and soured the entire game for me:

1) The main guy moves entirely too slow. Yes, I understand this is a "stealthy" game where the idea is not being noticed. BUT.....I should be able to run when I'm getting my --- kicked. How old is this guy exactly? If I have been spotted and am being shot at, I want to run away. Snake just slowly jogs all hunched over like a 75 year old. Once the stealth is lost why do they forbid you from running? Especially when you're being attacked by those robots in the beginning. I mean come on man, run!

2) There are way too many types of grenades. Normally, I enjoy a game that gives you options when it comes to weaponry, BUT.....honestly give me 3 or grenades that explode in different ways, not 35 slightly different ones that I will not use anyway. Every two steps I was picking up a different box of grenades.

3) Switching weapons is annoying and slow. You practically have to pause the game to change guns. That is stupid, and it is done far better in Call of Duty Modern Warfare. When you're on the fly in a battle you should change guns only when you're behind cover, not fully stop the game and spend 15 minutes deciding what you need.

4) The barrel. This one takes the cake. People keep ranting about realism with this game, yet......I found an empty barrel to hide in and walk/roll around in, and I was able to carry it with me for the rest of the game?? How exactly are you fitting that into your bag? I found it oh so stupid that I could whip out my barrel any time I wanted to and hide from enemies. I actually laughed and put the controller down at that point.

Overall I have been spoiled by Modern Warfare, and don't tell me "they're two totally different games." I am aware of that, but does that mean I have to completely sacrifice realism and a good control scheme?? If this wins game of the year I'll be shocked.

This game comes with the highest recommendation i can give, everything from the graphics to the gameplay is as perfect as any game i have ever played. Granted, the cutscenes are ridicoulusly long, but if you appreciate the game and the plotline then you'd find that they are much more interesting.

I never write reviews for anything, but the world must know about this game. If you appreciate a great gun game that isnt just run and gun, you MUST buy this game.

This is just, a great game. I started by playing the original on the Nintendo Entertainment System and remembering the cool espionage background story even back then when it came out. Now we have the finale coming into play.

I have to say that, everything positive of this game is given at face value, you really don't have to look very far to see its incredible quality. Whether it be the graphics, the story or gameplay, its all there.

The one thing most people won't like about this game is the cutscenes and story itself. The cutscenes are what take up most of the game and for someone not prepared for its rather fantastical backdrop, may be finding the story and scenes to be rather overbearing to the overall game. That being said, it can still be enjoyed to the fullest and you can still find yourself being emotionally pulled into the cast of characters just waiting to see what happens next.

Farewell Metal Gear Solid, it was a good run.

This game is nearly a work of art. I wouldn't advise someone to just buy a ps3 for it, but I'd certainly advise people to make friends with someone who owns one and play through it.

It's not very playable if you aren't already a big fan of the series and the constant cutscenes get a little tiring. You CAN pause them in this game though, which is nice. It's just frustrating to have a ten minute movie every five minutes of walking.

Either way, the story line is epic, fantastic, and it's a stunning 'conclusion' to the MGS series.

This is a great game even if you have never played the ones before it. I actually went back and bought some of the old ones I had not played to learn more about the intricate storyline.

In short: Metal Gear Solid 4 is a great game. It is visually superb, the controls are solid, and the gameplay is fun. The cut-scenes are quite long, but suitably so, seeing as how the game is wrapping up the stories around Solid Snake.

Now, to go into a little more depth.

Again, the game is visually superb. Even though I only played the game on standard definition, it looked amazing. I look forward to seeing this on an HDTV when I finally get one. Textures, animations, camera angles--basically, this game looks as good or better than 95% of its contemporaries.

The controls are a bit different from older MGS titles, but not so much so that it would alienate an MGS veteran. I was not used to it at first, but using L1 to "ready" your weapon and "R1" to fire makes it a lot more natural to use a gun in the game, which makes the game a lot easier for gamers who are used to shooters. CQC (close quarter combat) is developed more from Metal Gear Solid 3, and it generally is a little easier to do the more complicated actions. By the end of the first Act, you are pretty well adjusted to the controls.

The gameplay is fun. Sneaking up on folks and using CQC on them is my favorite. However, the change of controls from the older MGS controls to MGS4's L1 to "ready" and R1 to "fire" makes MGS4 a lot more shooter-friendly. MGS4 can basically play as a third person shooter, if you're good enough (or the difficulty is set low enough) and you don't even have to try sneaking around. This allows for some versatility. Personally, I try to sneak around as much as possible. And when there are large firefights I keep a distance from the enemy and use my sniper rifle. Good times. Be warned, though, if you do not improve your third person shooting skills, it will be difficult to be very good in Metal Gear Online.

Finally, the cut-scenes... Long cut-scenes, and heaps of dialogue--this is a huge part of the Metal Gear Solid series. If you've played any of MGS4's predecessors, you would know what to expect. Actually, MGS4 might have even more than its predecessors, but it is entirely suitable. The game really does wrap up a lot of loose ends from the previous games and provides closure for those interested in the story and characters of the series. There are a lot of dramatic scenes, and many of them are much more enjoyable if you have played through the previous Metal Gear Solids. If you want to fully enjoy MGS4, you really should play through the first Metal Gear Solid on the PSOne, 2 and 3 on the PS2, Portable Ops on the PSP, and maybe even the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 (available one way or another, look it up).
Conclusion: Everything about the game is of a very high quality. Visuals, controls, gameplay, plot and story. The game is good.

A lot of hype surrounded this game prior to launch, as well as a lot of delays. But at last, Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid 4 arrived to the public. How to critique such a game is a challenge in itself. I'm going to start off by getting the "negative" out of the way. Quotes because "negative" is not how I would speak of this game, but I know anybody new to the series might find these things turn offs.

First of all, yes. The cut scenes are very, very long. My first play through, I watched all of them, including the codec conversations. I clocked in the game time at about 21 hours when all was said and done. I have since played through the game 6 more times and when running through the game, it takes about 2.5 hours. Granted, even when you play the game without cut scenes, you won't be running through the game on your first play through. So with that said, I would put the actual game play right around 10 to 12 hours. Correct. Movie sequences will take up close to 6+ hours of your gaming experience. I found this to be very, very exciting, but like I said, if you have no idea what is going on in MGS land, you will most likely find this very, very disappointing.

I actually can't remember ever struggling with the controls for any Metal Gear Solid game, so it is hard for me to comment on how "difficult" these controls are. I find it to be intuitive and was fine from the moment the game started. Of course, I was one of those crazy kids that actually enjoyed the controls for the first 3 Resident Evil games. I can only imagine that it would take some time for someone to get used to all the buttons you have to press to get where you want to go. I would hardly say it takes an hour, however.

::Now for the good!::

With the negative out of the way, I can focus on where this game really shines.

Graphics: The graphics are top notch. There are very few games out right now that outperform this game in the graphics department. Very realistic facial animations; sometimes you can't tell weather it is real or not. The different settings are all done very nicely. From a desert wasteland to a lush African jungle, they all look great.

Game play: What game play? Ha. I josh. When you break it down, there still is quite a bit of content within those 10 or so hours of game play. There are over 70 weapons, a multitude of unlockables, and several different ways to approach the game. You could go in guns a blazing, or take the silent approach and sneak your way to a no-kill victory. Like I said, I am on my 7th play through and I have yet to get bored. Many game play elements also makes this game a AAA title. Little nuances that show Kojima went the extra mile. For example, when you get knocked down, you can play dead. Or you can immediately sit up and shoot the enemy, while lying on your back. The MK.II is an excellent scout tool and can knock enemies unconscious. The Octocamo is a great addition with the ability to take your surroundings and turn it into camouflage. The Solid-Eye is also a great tool used to find items or find you way in the dark.

Sound: I recently bought a surround sound system, but unfortunately have yet to test this game out on it. I am looking forward to it. The sound coming out of my TV speakers was great. I have always loved the music in Metal Gear Solid games and this installment is no exception. The small details in the sound are also great. David Hayter brought his A game to this A game! His 'Old Snake' voice is fantastic and instills you with the belief that he is actually dieing. All the voices are fantastic and believable.

Multiplayer: For the few times I have played the multiplayer, it has been an okay experience. I never really got into the previous Metal Gear Online. Its not bad, mind you, just not my type of multiplayer game. Single player is where this game shines.

Fun: This game is hella fun. For as many times as I've played it, I thought it might be a daunting task. But I have walked away each time just as impressed as I was the first time. With all the medals to unlock, you might be playing it for a while.

Bottom Line: If you liked previous versions of the game, you will love this one. If you like games like Call of Duty and Halo and have never tried a Metal Gear game, give it a rent. You might be disappointed, you might not. I think it is well worth any money you pay for it.