+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted December 21, 2007 Subscriber² Share Posted December 21, 2007 (edited) Kojima describes the gameplay as "wave form"MGS4 feels different - and not just as a result of ?wave form? play, but more on that later. It isn?t unrecognizable or broken but neither is it sublime, or intuitive. The buttons are sort of the same, but sufficiently different to feel dislocating. Old flaws - like collision detection and camera wobble when crawling through tight gaps - remain, as do old thrills - like cruelly toying with guards using your variety of skills and weapons. We spent our first hour cursing the revamped CQC (Close Quarters Combat) system and clumsily blasting past PMCs (Private Military Contractors) suspecting that we were ?doing it wrong?, only to put the pad down three hours later with heavy hearts, after a thrilling last 30 minutes of finding new ways to baffle, torture and debase three guards in the demo?s relatively tiny final section. It is, in short, a reflection of its producer, Hideo Kojima - an idiosyncratic, frustrating, flawed and endlessly entertaining kaleidoscope of comedy, invention and barbarity that entirely defies neat categorization. And as such, it?s still on track to be the most important, and exciting game of 2008. ?Wave form? play? It?s a fancy term for what we?ve always loved about Metal Gear Solid - the masterful pacing and juxtaposition of gameplay styles. MGS3, for example, contrasts an excruciatingly tense one-hour boss battle (The End jungle fight), with a leisurely, but certainly no less memorable, ten minute ladder climb, forcing you to reflect on the magnitude of your journey so far. ?Wave form? play attempts to solve Metal Gear Solid?s central dichotomy, making a ?stealth? game where combat is actively encouraged. ?The problem with previous games was that we throw you dozens of enemies and give you cool weapons and plenty of ammo, but you could never use your arsenal because weapon noises alerted nearby guards who would hunt you down,? reveals Kojima. ?In Metal Gear Solid 4, stealth remains at the core, but when Snake enters a battlefield, all bets are off. He doesn?t need to be quiet. You can unload on enemy soldiers, or if the PMCs are losing you can kill local militia to even the score, sending the battle into stalemate and allowing you to proceed in the commotion,? he expands. ?Then we send Snake back to stealth-based play, then onto another battlefield, and back to stealth. It?s this tension and release, wave form gameplay that satisfies both stealth and action game fans.? Our hands-on impressions are based on an extended version of the Tokyo Game Show code - the bulk of which can be seen in the 15-minute PS Store demo, where Snake camouflages himself as a statue and holds another carving?s genitals. While the demo is set over a relatively small location, there are multiple approaches. Remember the incredible 15-minute tanker demo for MGS2? You could zip through, or spend hours finding new ways to bamboozle guards, marveling at your ability to shoot individual wine bottles or write your name in darts on a foe?s buttocks. The Metal Gear Solid 4 demo isn?t as seismic a leap, but it?s equally open-ended. Enemies might be smarter, but not shockingly so, while environmental damage isn?t as extreme as once suggested - bullets leave direct scars in cement, and glass panes shatter, but we couldn?t blow the scenery into chunks using the Patriot rocket launcher or RPG. Visually, it?s impressive, but not staggering. Squint and pop into first-person view, and it?s not dissimilar to the Middle East sections in Call of Duty 4. In fact, playing MGS4 in FPS mode feels initially disappointing, since a part of your brain thinks you?re playing Infinity Ward?s incredible shooter. Extended play soon erodes comparisons - Metal Gear 4 is way more flexible - and the graphics gently dazzle: the volume of gunfire, explosions, soldiers and smoke in the final showdown with the PMC tank spikes your breath. It isn?t PS3?s best-looking game, but the solidity and detail - zoom in and just look at Snake?s grizzled face - is confidently reassuring. We?re yet to fight a single boss, or endure a set piece like, say, the final white rose petal battle against Boss in MGS3, or the showdown against the choppers in the mountains, so it?s fair to expect big surprises in the finished game. The demo is effectively one long ?bridge? section - a proof of concept - with no more significance than, for example, the first hour of jungle paths in MGS3. Controls have been tweaked - initially confusing for MGS veterans, but potentially more inviting for first-timers. Hold L1 to aim and R1 to shoot, or tap Triangle while holding your gun to go into FPS mode. There?s no sprint key, just standard analogue stick response. You tap X to crouch, and hold it to lie prone, removing the ridiculous triple-tap system of old where it was easy to prostrate yourself like a bullet sponge in the face of incoming fire. Triangle performs all ?Action? functions, like hiking over rubble, or hiding behind cover, using context-sensitive on-screen icons. It?s also used to ?absorb? scenery patterns with your Octo-camo suit, increasing your camouflage percentage. Otherwise, it?s largely as you?ve seen in the Network demo, with Sixaxis-controlled bin lid-opening and barrel-rolling over guards among the new features. The remote-controlled Mk II robot handles as you?d expect, but has a handy ?stealth? mode, with a clear, wobbly outline like the Predator?s wavy camouflage. It isn?t your skills, but their applications that enthrall. On one occasion, we tried to barrel roll down a multiple set of steps over incoming militia - getting comically stuck in a corner, before steamrolling our foes in a milkshake splat of blood and sick. It?s darkly comic, too. Lobbing a phosphorus grenade directly onto an enemy?s head causes him to scream while frantically patting at his clothes. You can roll grenades, too, by aiming them at the floor, or bounce them off walls. ?What?s a robot doing on the battlefield?? quizzes one militia, before you use the Mk II?s (Snake?s tiny mobile robot) extendable arm to electrocute his buttocks, frying him as long as you please. The Mk II can flip switches too - a hint at gameplay to come. With extended play, we were able to place sexy magazines (called ?MG Gal? and ?guaranteed to arouse the interest of males age 12 to 80?, though there?s no new pictures save what you?ve seen in the PSN demo), and lure guards by tapping walls. Better yet, plant a Sleeping Gas Satchel behind a nearby wall, and you can remote detonate it as the guards lean in to ?read? the sexy magazine. Careful, mind - you can gas yourself, forcing you to lie prone for minutes. At the end of the demo, we were gassing guards for fun, retreating to a safe location, and firing a precision RPG rocket between their trousers - leaving a blackened corpse with legs at near-180˚ angles. Ugh. The weapons are brilliant, with dramatic differences between, say, the GSR .45mm pistol, and the M6OE4 7.62mm machine gun. If anything, it?s a little too easy to mow down guards (they only need a shot or two to the face), reducing the need for stealth. That said, we suspect that?s because the demo has every weapon unlocked, as opposed to a stun knife and pistol. Make no mistake: you?re in deep trouble if you trip the alert and take on three armed guards with a USP. You can?t steal PMC weapons, since they?re ID tagged, but clumsier militia weapons like the AK47 can be plundered and customised by arms dealer Drebin. Others, like the M870 shotgun, have multiple ammunition types (tap Circle on the menu select screen to rotate), including OG Buck (for a wider range), Slugs (for power) and V Rings (rubber bullets for silent knock outs, a bit like Splinter Cell). Only PMC troops use the SOP nanomachine communication system hinted at by Meryl in the last trailer, too. Our hands-on ends at the same place as the PSN footage, with Snake using a Patriot missile to take down a tank, and befriending the local militia (?So you?re on our side now?? they whoop). You can even offer rations to friendly troops in exchange for ammo or other items. Intriguingly, when you retreat from the street to the militia safe house, the demo ends with a familiar cut-scene: the bit from the Tokyo Game Show trailer where Snake is confronted by rookie Akiba. Snake humiliates him with CQC, before Meryl and the Foxhound team appear. ?CQC? so you?re a real Big Boss, huh?? queries Meryl, initially failing to recognize Snake. He explains his appearance is due to accelerated aging but ?doesn?t know why?. The demo ends with Akiba suffering stomach cramps, setting up the bizarre diarrhea scene that you saw at the end of the TGS trailer. The plot?s too mental to describe or speculate about here, but we suspect a twist to rival playing as Raiden in MGS2. The in-game HUD curiously refers to Old Snake (not Solid Snake), perhaps suggesting you play as a different Snake clone. Could it be MGS3?s hero Big Boss? He was supposed to be dead, but if he was reanimated it would explain Snake?s aged appearance, and add further depth to the reappearance of former lover Eva in MGS4. That said, Old Snake does have both eyes (Big Boss loses one of his in MGS3) and, er, the Mk II scans Old Snake and displays his code name as ?Solid?. Or you might play as ?Old? and ?Young? versions of Solid Snake - explaining the mysterious youthful Snake at the end of the TGS 2006 trailer. How? Either Old Snake finds a cure for the aging, or the game?s set over two time periods. Every Metal Gear to date has been set in one location (Alaska, New York, Russia, Columbia), but MGS4 is the first with multiple environments, each different from the next. ?Middle East is the first, South America is the second,? confirms Koijma, vindicating eagle-eyed fans who?d spotted South American building structures in the previous trailer, where Vamp scraps with Raiden. We?ve heard there?ll be five main locations, two confirmed, plus - our informed guess - Shadow Moses (spotted in the last trailer where Liquid and Solid scrap in Metal Gear Rex and Ray), Eastern Europe and, surely, Outer Heaven, the soldier?s paradise long envisaged by Big Boss. ?The last location is a place you?ve been waiting to visit for 20 years,? teases Kojima Production?s Ryan Payton, doing little to deflect speculation. One thing is sure: the series is going out with a bang. ?The ending will be epic. People will talk about it for years to come,? assure Kojima Productions. Will Snake die? Don?t know - but we suspect a version of Snake will die, and, frankly, we?ve stopped taking bets on Ninja Raiden dying tragically while protecting Snake, hence cementing his hero status for all time. Metal Gear Solid 4 is mired in identity crises all round - from its lead character, to the controls, to the impossibility of pigeon holing it in any particular genre. But, despite it all, you can?t help thinking it might be the greatest game of all time for the same reasons, the rarest of beasts: a game you can?t predict, or dare to emulate. Playing the demo leaves you with the same feeling as brushing past a stranger who looks like an old friend - without saying a word, you?re ready to embrace them. Our hands-on impressions represent a translucent scalpel slice of Metal Gear Solid 4?s wider menu - but the ingredients are tasty enough to convince you that the remaining courses will tantalize, surprise, and satisfy like never before. SourcWe get into the nitty-gritty of what's been updated in the most anticipated PS3 title of the New Year&releaseId=20051216153655522074"]http://www.gamesradar.com/us/ps3/game/news...216153655522074[/url] We get into the nitty-gritty of what's been updated in the most anticipated PS3 title of the New YearWhile going through our latest ultra-thorough hands-on with MGS4, we took some meticulous notes to satisfy your cravings for anything and everything that makes Hideo Kojima?s labor of love an all-new, polished experience. First off, there?s MGS4?s opening movie, which will be produced by US design house LOGAN - the agency responsible for the iconic iPod silhouette ads. ?Preparation took one-and-a-half years,? The MGS4 HUD in deptha week in Hollywood working on it with a staff of 30 people.? The movie?s content and direction is top-secret, but if it tops the production values of the Bond-aping Snake Eater intro, it?Above: From left to right - Stress meter, Radar, Solid Eye/Item select, Weapon selectb//tress meter<ar/us/Games/M/Metal%20Gear%20Solid%204/Bulk%20Viewers/PS3/2007-12-19/UPM96.mgs4.fps_413--screenshot_large.jpg[/img][/center] Above: From left to right - Stress meter, Radar, Solid Eye/Item select, Weapon select Stress meter Stress builds as Snake engages in combat, or is faced adar<onditions (e.g. heavy shelling, weather, etc). High stress leads to fatigue and lower accuracy. Stress can be relieved by ?reading? saucy magazines, and using other secret techniques. Our guess? Expect ?comic? body functions. Radar The Baseline Map visually dispolid Eye/Item select<f by enemies and moving objects - the stronger the ?feel?, the more vivid the flash (bosses will appear as big dots). When Snake is stressed, he won?t ?feel? threats as vividly, leaving you likely to blunder into trouble. Solid Eye/Item select The Item menu is unchanged (tap L2 and scroeapon select<ing objects like Rations, Cardboard Box, Barrel and Cigarettes. The Solid Eye system?s vision modes - Normal, ENVG (thermal) and Scope (binoculars) - are toggled from the item menu. Double-tap L2 to equip the last used object, as ever. Weapon select Similar to the Item ow weapons work<p to quick-select weapons on-the-fly, or dip into the menu to change weapons and ammo types. Most weapons have a secondary fire option (R2), such as the knife?s charged stun attack. You can modify rifles with shotgun attachments, too. How weapons work Weapons have five main attributes. Pop into the menu and you can pan and zoom around them in 3D - a nice cosmetic touch, but it allows you to quantify your modifications, ranked S, A, B, C, D, or E. The categories are Damage, Shockwave, Penetration, Stability, and Reload. For example, theeapons<?? rank for Damage and Shockwave, but ?D? for reload speed. Weapons GSR - .45 pistol - 8 rounds Stun knife Javelin - rocket launcher - 1 round P90 - 5.7mm submachinegun - 50 rounds Akloz - 5.56mm assault rifle - 30 rounds M1 4EBR - Auto sniper rifle - 20 rounds M870 - Custom shotgun - 4(+1) rounds, OG Buck, Slug or V.Ring ammo - 24 rounds each M60E4 - 7.62mm m> Explosiveounds G18c - 9mm handgun - 33 rounds MP5SDS - 9mm submachine gun VZ83 - Czech 9mm submachine gun - 20 rounds M4A1 - 5.56mm carbine - 30 rounds MK17 - Heavy assault rifle DSR> New Codec reveale 5 rounds Mosin Nagant - bolt action sniper rifle Explosives Grenades WPG - White phosphorous grenade Stun G. - Stun grenade Smoke G. - Smoke grenade Petrobomb S.G. Mine - Sleep gas mine S.G. Satchel - Sleep gas with remote trigger New Codec revealed The bad news - depending on your view, since we personally love the pseudo-intellectual, genuinely soulful, though terribly-written dialogue - is that Co>MGS4?s all-new 3D map revealedod news is that you can Pause, Forward and Chapter Skip the Codec like a DVD, and rewind if you?ve missed a key point in anger. Also, Otacon is in full 3D and you can use the pad to zoom in on his face, if that?s what you like. MGS4?s all-new 3D map revealed While MGS3 provided branching paths through the jungle, they were essentially linear tracks through the same vertical space. MGS4 feels a lot more ?square? and open-ended, with zig-zagging routes, corridors, broken buildings and>Above: You can make the map 3D and pan around to explore alternative routes, or find itemless. [cente>All-new controls and movegb//images/mb//GamesRadar/us/Games/M/Metal%20Gear%20Solid%204/Bulk%20Viewers/PS3/2007-12-19/UPM96.mgs4.map223--screenshot_large.jpg[/img] Above: You can make the map 3D and pan around to explore alternative routes, or find items[/center] All-new controls and moves CQC (Close Quarters Combat) is no longer on the Circle button like in MGS3, but on the main fire button (R1) - with a different >The dilemma: Slash, or choken. Truth told, it?s a bit clumsier, but supposedly more flexible. You can use the right stick to modify your attack, but this wasn?t that easy to perform in the demo. In fairness, CQC was way too powerful in MGS3, so maybe it?s for the best. The dilemma: Slash, or choke? Sneak up behind and clasp your foe with a choke hold and drag him along. You can then flip him around and threaten to slic>Above: We swear, Snake is ?choking? hithe flo>The grab n? shovinto submission. How humane. Above: We swear, Snake is ?choking? him The grab n? shove Grab an enemy as usual, then use the right stick to prime a surprise shove attack, instantly knocking out your foe so you can hide him in a locker. The hold up When you?ve got a guard in a CQC choke hold, you can either use him as a human shield, slit his thro>Aim fredoing despite our best efforts not to - honestly), or knock him to the floor and then perform a hold-up technique, like dangling >Present dangeer his private parts until he gives up his items and weapons. Don?t worry sickos, you can still off him at any time when he?s paid up. Metal Gear Onlin[/b]ting the environment, you can flip between aiming over the left or right shoulder - useful depending on your cover. Present danger You can give rations to friendly militia, and they?ll reward you with weapons, like the Petrobomb. Gotta love the accompanying heart icon. Metal Gear Online For our final tidbit, a brief teaser of what multiplayer will offer: a 16-player virtual war - or, at least, a trial version of it, will be bundled free with MGS4. MGO?s teams use skills from MGS4 including CQC, the Mk II and even barrels to win battles. You?ll be able to ?hack? fallen soldier?s nanomachines to locate their buddies and signal the whereabouts of your stricken chums in need of help. Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/ps3/game/news...220104038260067 Did anybody get the new PlayStation the Official Magazine? The cover story was MGS4 in their "Top 10 PS3 Games of 2008". MGS4 was number 1 by the way. Since the source is a magazine, I can't provide any links, only pictures. But it is from the official magazine.I'll just list the new info to make it faster. NEW INFO! * Possible MGS4 + Metal Gear Online bundled together * When some scenes are shown related to other parts in the series, you can hold down a button to view a flashback from the original game. (Example: When talking about Metal Gear Rex, you can watch a flashback that plays from the earlier MG game to provide background info.) * ***Estimated 4 HOURS of cinematic cut scenes in the entire game!!!*** (More than MGS3) * 16 players online * Game types include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, and Team Sneak * Customizable characters can have up to three skills (like perks in COD4) * Some examples are "Marathon" for sprinting and "Narc" for showing enemy positions * Skills and weapons will level up the more you play * ***Up to 100 different weapons to acquire and use!!!*** * SOP system allows you to know current position of teammates, current status of teammates, and even sharing perks Trivia * MGS4 has a staggering 200 people working on the project * 30 of those are animators * Octocamo will be able to use 300 surface textures throughout whole game Also, I looked at the images on GameFAQs. I found some pictures of Snake firing a FGM-148 Javelin (for those who watch FutureWeapons), and even an M224 mortar with the line coming out of the barrel showing where the shell would land (the same as when you throw a grenade in the game). http://img167.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ptomwr7.jpg http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ptom2vi0.jpg http://img100.imageshack.u:drool:p:drool:ptom3ge2.jpg http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mortarqx4.png Source: http://ps3forums.com/showthread.php?t=115168 :drool: :drool: Edited December 21, 2007 by Audioboxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CY:G Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 Cant wait, 2008 will be PS3s year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortex566 Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 This is the game ! I say this is the game ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genius Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 must have :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted December 21, 2007 Author Subscriber² Share Posted December 21, 2007 Added some new info from the official PS Magazine at the bottom of post 1. * When some scenes are shown related to other parts in the series, you can hold down a button to view a flashback from the original game. (Example: When talking about Metal Gear Rex, you can watch a flashback that plays from the earlier MG game to provide background info.) Someone was asking about that on the forums recently (Y) * ***Estimated 4 HOURS of cinematic cut scenes in the entire game!!!*** (More than MGS3) 4 hours?! :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PENGUINwithM4A1 Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 Omg must...Buy...PS3... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corris Veteran Posted December 21, 2007 Veteran Share Posted December 21, 2007 *starts to freak* Just can't wait for this game, going to be so awesome, I have never been disappointed with any MGS games, and this one is starting to look real bad ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PL_ Veteran Posted December 21, 2007 Veteran Share Posted December 21, 2007 Reading that was surprisingly nice, I thought they were going to kiss it's ass all the way through, but it's somewhat refreshing to hear at least a little bit of criticism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scazza Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 Wow, that looks spectacular.........*passes out*. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keito Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 I don't know if Snake dies or anyone else of the leading characters - but I can assure you, I'll come close to dying once I've playing it through and my most favorite games series is done :( Thanks for the post though - nice read ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathachew Veteran Posted December 21, 2007 Veteran Share Posted December 21, 2007 Above: We swear, Snake is ?choking? him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy0 Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 Great read. Being able to rewind/re-listen to codec conversations sounds nice if you miss an important part (God forbid). Also the 3D map is a nice addition to plan your route through the battlefield if you wish too. The flashback feature during cut-scenes was revealed a while ago, wasn't it? Sounds like a brilliant feature to help new players to the MGS series get some background knowledge, and also fans of the series to refresh their memory if they haven't played them in a while. Can't wait for this game to come out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novaoblivion Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 Sounds incredible I cant wait! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L3thal Veteran Posted December 22, 2007 Veteran Share Posted December 22, 2007 2008 couldn't come any sooner :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusuf M. Veteran Posted December 22, 2007 Veteran Share Posted December 22, 2007 Very interesting. I'll buy a PS3 if this game is as good as it looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emn1ty Posted December 22, 2007 Share Posted December 22, 2007 Very interesting. I'll buy a PS3 if this game is as good as it looks. I might just consider getting one as well. Although the real selling point for the PS3 is KH3 for me. Im just glad that the PS3 finally has a game worth getting the system for... although we will have to see the reviews after it comes out to really know if its good or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morficus Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 This and SSB Brawl are my top games fro 2008 I REALLY REALLY hope the bundle MGS4 with MGO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Constructors Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 I am buying a PS3 when this drops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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