The initial shock and awe of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has come and gone, and it's now time to reflect on Hideo Kojima's recently released opus. Though MGS4 is no doubt a stunning game and many would argue evidence for videogames being treated as art, it's by no means perfect. Having just completed the game and spent some time in Metal Gear Online, I'm here to share my gripes about the game. Being a long-time fan of the MGS series, it's frustrating to see MGS4 turn out the way that it did, but I suppose it is what it is. Be warned, I don't have any criticisms of the story, but I do discuss the gameplay in each Act of the game, so if you don't want anything spoiled, best to just move on.
1. No reason to be on the Playstation 3
Why is this game on the PS3 again, besides Sony likely throwing a ton of money at Konami to keep it exclusive? It doesn't utilize the Playstation 3's strengths at all. The previously shown SIXAXIS support is nonexistent in the final product, with only one small sequence that uses it, to poor effect at that. And don't tell me they needed the storage space for Blu-Ray. We all know it was merely an excuse for Kojima to use uncompressed audio throughout the game. Throw some lossy compression at the audio (that 99% of users will never notice) and this game could fit on a single dual-layer DVD.
That's the question asked in the latest trailer from Konami for one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Warning: you may consider this footage to have spoilers.
Between the young Snake in the TGS trailer, and now this, I can't take many more mindfucks from Kojima.
With Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots a scant two months away, eager games are no doubt wondering how to best prepare themselves for the conclusion of the Metal Gear saga (or so Kojima says). MGS4 is primed to answer all of the lingering questions that have built up over the decades that his series has been around, but how will first-time players know what's going on? Big Boss, Revolver Ocelot, and Solid Snake (among others) all have story lines that span multiple games across multiple platforms, so catching up could be difficult. MGS4 Producer Ryan Payton has promised us that newcomers won't be lost, thanks to an innovative system that will allow players to receive additional information any time an unfamiliar reference is made to earlier games (for example: "Shadow Moses" or "Zanzibar Land"), but if you really want to enjoy Metal Gear Solid 4, you've got to play its predecessors. Thankfully not all of the games are necessary, so I've compiled all of the Metal Gear materials for you and I'll set the record straight on what should be experienced.
We'll go through the overall story arc games first, then dive into the supplemental materials like re-releases and spin-offs. Depending on the game, there may be a better way to experience it than the original version, so I'll be sure to note that. I should warn you that the plot sections of each entry contain spoilers, so if you still haven't played them, you'll want to skip ahead to the verdict.
Hit the jump for details on almost two dozen entires in the Metal Gear saga!
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is no doubt one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, up there with Grant Theft Auto IV and Gears of War 2. MGS4 will hit store shelves on June 12, but until now there have been some lingering questions about the different SKUs that will be available. Thanks to today's update on PlayStation.Blog, the record has been set straight. Metal Gear Solid 4 will be available in four different SKUs, including a standard version, a Limited Edition, a bundled version with the Playstation 3, and a newly announced Limited Edition bundle.
Read on for more details about each SKU, and how the pricing breaks down.
With Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots a scant two months away, eager games are no doubt wondering how to best prepare themselves for the conclusion of the Metal Gear saga (or so Kojima says). MGS4 is primed to answer all of the lingering questions that have built up over the decades that his series has been around, but how will first-time players know what's going on? Big Boss, Revolver Ocelot, and Solid Snake (among others) all have story lines that span multiple games across multiple platforms, so catching up could be difficult. MGS4 Producer Ryan Payton has 
