American Ninja Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Hands-on Metal Gear Solid 4We preview Konami's latest demo from LA's E for All expo. by Bozon October 18, 2007 - From what we experienced at E for All today in Los Angeles, don't expect the show to return next year. Aside from being a Nintendo fanboy's dream, showcasing Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Galaxy, and a few other killer Wii titles, the "everybody gets to play" convention housed very little worthwhile content, save for one undeniably impressive effort by Konami: Metal Gear Solid 4. You've read impressions on the game before, and if you're anything like us video updates spawn instant email and IM chains across your friends list as you eagerly watch new snippets of footage. MGS4 is the game everyone's waiting for on PS3, so when we heard that an updated version of the TGS demo (now in English, and housing stronger AI) would be playable at the otherwise-desolate E for All we were of course on board. This won't be like any previous MGS4 hands-on article; whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, however, is up to you. Having watched the evolution of the Metal Gear franchise ever since the NES days, I personally have only gotten seriously into a handful of iterations. My Metal Gear knowledge goes none too far beyond what I picked up on NES, remember from Metal Gear Solid on PSX, paid attention to in the GBC remake, and tried to follow on PSP with Portable Ops. If nothing else, this preview should give non-MGS fans a look through the eyes of someone that's - admittedly - one in the same. Still, despite being a bit rusty in my MGS ways, today's playthrough captured my attention again, as Metal Gear Solid 4 is one hell of a game. As mentioned, the demo today harks back to the TGS version we played a while back, though it's now fully in English, and contains some stronger AI. The demo kicks off with Snake landing in a small village located in the Middle East Red Zone: Northwest Sector, responding to a recon mission based entirely on rumors that Liquid Snake is amassing an army in the city. After a quick mission briefing via codec, Snake is sent on his way, and within moments is caught up in a battle between a small resistance group and none other than Liquid's army, who rolls up in a turret-toting K-19 armored car. Troops unload, and a battle ensues. Since this demo is actually based on the first few minutes of the final game players will need to take this opportunity to practice evasive maneuvers. Laying down (or pushing up against) the ground or walls will automatically change Snake's active camo display, allowing up to 95% camouflage when out in the open. Personally this made the demo a bit too easy, as you could literally walk behind someone, lay down, and they'd miss you most of the time, even when at a laughably short distance. Still, for the most part you'll need to be smart about using physical cover in conjunction with active camo, ducking behind boxes and hiding in shadows as much as possible. As for the controls, Metal Gear Solid 4 is simple and intuitive to jump into, housing nearly all of the in-game actions on triangle, with shooting handled on R1, aiming on L1, and the classic MGS drop-down menus on L2/R2 respectively. The X button makes use of the fairly mainstream standing, crouch, prone setup, having players tap to switch between a full stand and crouch, with prone only activating when holding down X for a brief moment. Between those simple controls and a few others (O allows for reload, while square switches between aim modes) you've got everything you'll need. After a few minutes of sneaking around (and play time ticking away) I decided to open up on a few soldiers to check out MGS4's revamped combat control. It's a huge leap in the right direction, using the same over-the-shoulder RE4-like camera, with the additional option of rocking a more classic "auto-aim" function for MGS purists. The aiming was a bit floaty at times, but for the most part it was smooth sailing as I gunned down soldier after soldier with my MP5. Once you're in the thick of it though, you won't often come back, as the ambient noise switched from a propaganda-spewing loudspeaker to one radioing for military backup. After piling up a stack of about a dozen bodies, I made a run across the street for shelter and was promptly gunned down by the K-19 car. Hey, when you're short on time you at least need to try for it, right? Unfortunately our demo was pretty short, sitting at only about ten minutes total (which included a short briefing on the game), but if it was any indication of the game's appeal I was pretty much pushed out of the booth by Konami reps who handed me a feedback flyer and sent me on my way. From my very brief stint with the game, however, Metal Gear Solid 4 is already very impressive, and a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. Everything from the smooth controls to active camo system (which can display over 100 textures in the game) and RE4-inspired aiming hooked me within just a few minutes, and now I'm stuck wanting more. Snake Eater was a nice look back to the roots of Metal Gear, dropping players back into the wide open jungle, but there's something far more rewarding when you're creeping through monasteries, slithering on your belly as a firefight rages on all around you, or deciding to befriend local soldiers in return for support when it's most needed. Metal Gear Solid 4 blends the classic Metal Gear feel with a design not entirely removed from games like GRAW, and it's a refreshing experience to be back in the thick of battle. As far as I'm concerned, MGS4 is already shaping up to be the best Metal Gear since Solid. Take it with a grain of salt, but it's the first game in the series to really hook me in nearly a decade, and there's something to be said for that. We'll have more coverage of MGS4 soon, including footage from E for All, as the show continues. Stay tuned. Source: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/828/828573p1.html Man I cannot wait for this game! :woot: :woot: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy0 Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 GameTrailers also has a interview with Ryan Peyton, from E for All! I :heart: MGS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGS4-SS Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 :woot: I hate seeing all this stuff and not being able to play it :s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanley porkchop Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I really liked MGS3, but the series as a whole has never really grasped me. I'm looking forward to this game, but I'm not expecting to be blown away. Still, positive impressions are always good (Y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin001 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Gametrailers now has loads of gameplay vids frm the english demo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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