Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
The North American box art for Guns of the Patriots.
Developer(s)	Kojima Productions
Publisher(s)	Konami
Designer(s)	Hideo Kojima (producer, director, writer) Shuyo Murata (writer) Kenichiro Imaizumi (producer) Yoji Shinkawa (character designer)
Composer(s)	Harry Gregson-Williams David Buckley Nobuko Toda
Series	Metal Gear
Engine	In-house engine
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3
Release	June 12, 2008
Genre(s)	Stealth Action
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer online (Metal Gear Online only, downloadable content)

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (メタルギア・ソリッド4・ガンズ・オブ・ザ・パトリオット, Metaru Gia Soriddo 4 Ganzu obu za Patoriotto) (commonly abbreviated to MGS4) is the best game ever, period. It is also a stealth action video game. Directed by Hideo Kojima, Shuyo Murata and Yoji Shinkawa, Guns of the Patriots was developed by Kojima Productions exclusively for the PlayStation 3 video game console. It is the seventh title in the Metal Gear series and the first in its fourth generation. The game was released worldwide on June 12, 2008, 10 years after the release of Metal Gear Solid and 20 years after the US release of the first Metal Gear.

Gameplay

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Gameplay of Metal Gear Solid 4.

In Metal Gear Solid 4, the player (Old Snake) must navigate the game world in order to progress, using cunning in addition to traditional combat. It uses third person view with full camera manipulation, but also allows the freedom to play in first-person mode, as well as an over the shoulder view which can be switched from right shoulder to left for corner maneuvering. The Close Quarters Combat system has been completely revamped. Several elements from previous titles return in modified forms. Players can also use a new form of camouflage called "Octocamo," which replaces the camouflage system featured in Metal Gear Solid 3. The normally dark-blue OctoCamo suit allows the wearer to blend in with any surface within a few seconds. Players use the Sixaxis/DualShock 3 controller's motion-sensing capability to reset the OctoCamo to its default colour. Snake later gains a facial version of this technology, either enhancing the effect or allowing him to impersonate others. A new monocular device called "Solid Eye" replaces the various binoculars and image intensifiers from previous titles, and a steel drum complements the series' traditional cardboard box disguise. It is able to deflect bullets, and can be rolled to knock enemy soldiers over, but can lead to Snake being sick should the player roll around excessively.

The game is filled with cut scene "flashbacks" (although they're not actually cut scenes, but still photos of past events, locations, or characters) that reference what happened in previous Metal Gear Solid games and how the events or characters relate to the setting of MGS4. Players are able to choose whether to view these scenes by pressing the X button [O button in some countries] on their controller when prompted (though there are some instances where there will not be a prompt). Players also have the choice of watching the Mission camera angles or exploring them with the Metal Gear Mk. II/III.

Snake is also partnered with a robotic drone, the Metal Gear Mk. II/III, which allows him to communicate with other characters, in addition to the CODEC radio system from previous games. It is also capable of incapacitating enemies using a weak electric shock, as well as providing reconnaissance. This drone is reminiscent of Gillian Seed's robotic sidekick of the same name from another Hideo Kojima game, Snatcher.

Due to the lack of force feedback (an important part in previous titles) from the PlayStation 3 during much of the development, the game had been designed with a new feature: a white "Threat Ring," that shows "hills" that display nearby enemies. As a series known for extensive use of force feedback, when Sony announced the reintroduction of a new DualShock 3, MGS4 was announced as one of the first major games to make use of the restored capabilities.

Snake's health plays a small factor during gameplay. If injured on the battlefield, cuts and burns will remain on his skin. However, the developers wished to avoid putting the stress of maintaining Snake's health onto the players, so he wears a muscle suit, allowing players to move in a similar fashion to previous games.

Snake has a meter and an index that replaces the stamina bar from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The index, "Stress," is based on current fighting and climate conditions. This can cause Snake to go into a "combat high," that sharply increases his accuracy and reduces damage taken. However this effect will eventually wear off and could cause Snake to momentarily collapse. Smoking a cigarette calms him down. The meter, "Psyche," slowly drops over time reducing Snake's accuracy and his ability to recover his LIFE bar. Many items in the game -- such as the iPod -- will increase the meter, as will consuming ReGain Energy Drinks, noodles, and military rations, or using a compress on Snake's sore back muscles. Reading an issue of Playboy Magazine (in first person view) "curiously raises Snake's Psyche".

There is also a "Baseline Map" which is a radar map with a dynamic circle based on Snake's "presence" in regards to the environment. Accessible through the main menu, the Virtual Range is a test facility that allows the player to access the game's library of weapons as well as practice Snake's CQC moves.

Plot

Characters

The cast of the game comprises mainly characters from previous Metal Gear Solid games, although a few new characters are introduced as well. A prematurely aged Solid Snake returns as the game's sole playable character under the new codename Old Snake. Assisting him are Roy Campbell, his former commanding officer; Otacon, his sidekick since the original Metal Gear Solid; Naomi Hunter, the scientist who injected him with the FOXDIE virus; Meryl Silverburgh, heroine of Metal Gear Solid, now the leader of Rat Patrol Team 01, a military unit sent to investigate PMC activities; Mei Ling, Snake's former data analyst and now Captain of the recommissioned USS Missouri (BB-63); Raiden, the protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, now a Cyborg Ninja; Rosemary, Raiden's former girlfriend, who now works as a psychological counselor; and EVA from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, now a resistance leader named Big Mama.

File:FOXHOUND Unit depicted in MGS4.jpg

Left to right: Ed, Meryl, Jonathan and Johnny.

Also assisting Snake is Drebin, a gun launderer accompanied by his pet monkey, Little Gray; Sunny, Olga Gurlukovich's daughter, who was rescued from the Patriots; and the other members of Rat Patrol Team 01, which consist of Ed, the team's second-in-command, radio man, and sniper; Jonathan, a hulking soldier; and Johnny, nicknamed "Akiba", the team's electronics expert. Jonathan and Ed are named after the main characters of Hideo Kojima's Template:Vgy adventure game Policenauts, from which Meryl debuted as a supporting character. Johnny was the guard that was stripped naked by Meryl in MGS1.

The antagonist of the game is Liquid Ocelot, formerly Revolver Ocelot, an agent of the Patriots until his mind was apparently possessed by Liquid Snake as a result of an arm transplant. On Liquid Ocelot's side are: Vamp, the sole surviving Dead Cell member from Metal Gear Solid 2; The Beauty and The Beast Corps; and his private army, the elite all-female Haven Troops (also known as the FROGS). The ghost of Psycho Mantis from Metal Gear Solid also makes a special cameo in the game.

File:Metal-gear-solid-4-guns-of-the-patriots beauty-beast-unit.jpg

The Beauty and the Beast Corps.

The Beauty and the Beast Corps serves as the central boss characters of Metal Gear Solid 4: Its members are Laughing Octopus, Raging Raven, Crying Wolf and Screaming Mantis. They are jokingly referred as the "Snakehound Unit" as their recent mission is to kill Snake on sight. Their animal names openly reference the members of FOXHOUND from MGS, their emotions relating to the Cobras from MGS3, and their weapons taken from Dead Cell members from MGS2. A close inspection of Screaming Mantis reveals two marionettes of previous MGS bosses: Psycho Mantis and The Sorrow, both of whom were psychics. All four of them are women who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and, as a result of this, have become war machines. Their outer appearance is referred to as "Beast", while their inner appearance is referred to as "Beauty". Four models were chosen for their in-game appearances as their "Beauty" side: Lyndall Jarvis (Laughing Beauty), Scarlett Chorvat (Screaming Beauty), Mieko Rye (Crying Beauty), and Yumi Kikuchi (Raging Beauty). The voice acting for the characters is done by having the female voice actors perform the lines while a male voice (Shozo Iizuka in Japanese and Fred Tatasciore in English) overdubs on top of the female voices, creating a split-voice effect for the characters.

Story

Set in 2014, five years after the "Big Shell Incident" (the events of the Plant Chapter from Metal Gear Solid 2), Metal Gear Solid 4 portrays a world where private military companies (PMCs) have effectively replaced the world's standing armies, fighting proxy wars for business purposes. Nanotechnology has become prominent, both to enhance the capabilities and enforce the loyalty of mercenaries. The nanomachine system that PMCs use is called "Sons of the Patriots" or "SOP." The five largest of these PMCs are owned by a single mother company named Outer Haven, operated by Liquid Ocelot. Amassing an army whose manpower rivals that of the United States, Liquid prepares to launch an armed insurrection by taking control of SOP. A rapidly aging and disillusioned Solid Snake (now known as Old Snake) is deployed into the Middle East by Roy Campbell to terminate Liquid. Guns of the Patriots takes place in five locations: the Middle East, South America, Eastern Europe, Shadow Moses Island, and Outer Haven.

Act 1 - Liquid Sun

Snake begins his mission by infiltrating a war-torn Middle Eastern city with a local militia convoy. After the convoy is decimated by troops from Praying Mantis, one of Liquid's PMCs, and Gekko (a mass-produced, bipedal Metal Gear variant) units, Snake meets up with the Metal Gear Mk. II, a robotic drone Otacon developed to assist him remotely. On the way to rendezvous with Campbell's informants, Snake encounters Drebin 893, a self-proclaimed ArmsTech employee who offers his gun laundering services. Snake accepts after much hesitation, and Drebin injects him with what he says are merely "suppressor nanomachines." Snake is shocked to discover that the informant is Meryl Silverburgh, the leader of Rat Patrol Team 01. After Snake and Meryl discuss their assignments, they are forced to escape the building when it is raided by Liquid's elite soldiers, the FROGs. As Snake reaches the Praying Mantis HQ, he witnesses the slaughter of some militia by four mysterious cyborgs. One is consumed with sorrow, one is hysterical, one is compelled by rage, and the last and most powerful one is screaming and seems to have telekinetic power. Snake makes his way into the camp unnoticed, where he prepares to assassinate Liquid. An unknown force suddenly causes all of the soldiers in the area to collapse in pain and begin violently attacking each other. As Liquid escapes in his helicopter, Snake also collapses, but as his vision fades, he is approached by Dr. Naomi Hunter, who gives him a syringe. Snake is carried to safety by Johnny, the lone unaffected member of Meryl's team.

Act 2 - Solid Sun

Otacon receives an encoded message from Naomi, which explains that she is being held captive in South America. Snake takes advantage of a rebel uprising in the area to sneak into the base of the Pieuvre Armement PMC, where Naomi is being held. Upon arrival, Snake sees Vamp and the hysterical cyborg from the Middle East. After the two leave, Snake infiltrates the area and again encounters Drebin, who reveals that the Patriots are actually a network of five AIs. Four AIs are named after US Presidents: GW, TJ, TR and AL. These are controlled and regulated by the core AI, named JD (John Doe). He also tells Snake about the cyborgs, who are known as the Beauty and Beast (BB) Unit: Laughing Octopus, Raging Raven, Crying Wolf and Screaming Mantis. They have orders to kill Snake.

Snake finds Naomi, who explains that Liquid is planning to use Big Boss's genetic information to access JD and take control of SOP (Sons of the Patriots), the system of nanomachines and ID-authentications which allow the Patriots to monitor and control soldiers. She also explains that Snake's aging (Senescence) is due to intentional gene manipulation of Big Boss's clones, and that he has less than six months left to live. However, the FOXDIE virus in Snake's body has also begun to mutate, and Naomi estimates that in three months the virus will have become mutated enough to attack anyone, turning Snake into a "walking biological weapon." A group of FROGS led by Laughing Octopus take Naomi away, leaving Snake to battle them and Laughing Octopus herself. Snake then rescues Naomi and both escape with Drebin. Raiden mysteriously resurfaces as a Cyborg Ninja after having disappeared for several years. He holds off numerous Gekkos and Vamp while Otacon rescues Snake and Naomi via helicopter, but is seriously wounded in the process. Raiden then leaps onto the helicopter; before he blacks out, he tells Snake to go meet "Big Mama", the leader of a resistance group based in Eastern Europe.

Act 3 - Third Sun

Naomi explains that Big Boss is in fact alive, although brain dead. His body is in the control of the resistance group Paradise Lost in Eastern Europe. While Snake locates the group, Naomi and Sunny, a little orphan girl taken in by Otacon, take Raiden to get dialysis. By stalking a Paradise Lost member Snake manages to find their leader, Big Mama, who reveals herself to be EVA, and the surrogate mother of both Liquid Snake and Solid Snake himself. She explains the origins of the Patriots, founded by Major Zero forty years ago. The Raven Sword PMC, led by Raging Raven, suddenly attacks the group's hideout. Snake and Big Mama escape on a motorcycle, but it crashes, and Big Mama is wounded. After defeating Raging Raven, Snake helps Big Mama escape down a sewer connecting to the Vltava River, where Liquid is waiting for them. Liquid displays his power over SOP by incapacitating an entire army of American troops using his ability to lock down the system controlling their nanomachines. He incinerates Big Boss' body, and Big Mama is severely burned attempting to rescue him. The left side of Snake's face is also badly burned as he rescues her from the flames. As Liquid escapes in a gunboat down the river, Big Mama dies in Snake's arms.

Act 4 - Twin Suns

Liquid's final plan is to destroy JD, the Patriot's core AI, so that he may seize control of the Patriots' network with GW (which Liquid apparently repaired and took control of shortly after the Big Shell incident). To this end, Liquid plans to use the only WMDs still not controlled by the Patriots - the stealth warheads launched by Metal Gear REX's rail gun - to fire a nuclear warhead at JD, which is housed within a satellite. Snake returns to Shadow Moses Island, where the facility and REX have remained untouched in the nine years after the events of Metal Gear Solid. After defeating Crying Wolf and a squadron of FROGs, Snake discovers that REX's rail gun has already been removed. In the hangar, Snake is attacked by Vamp, accompanied by Naomi, who had defected back to Liquid's side. With the timely arrival of Raiden, Snake suppresses the nanomachines in Vamp's body that cause his apparent immortality, and fights off a unit of Suicide Gekko while Raiden finally kills Vamp. Naomi, filled with guilt over all the sins she has committed during her lifetime, ends her own life by disabling the nanomachines that had been suppressing the effects of the cancer that would have normally killed her years ago. Using the Mk. III, Otacon reactivates REX, and Snake and Raiden escape the building just as the Suicide Gekko self-destruct. Raiden becomes trapped underneath a large pile of rubble while Snake uses REX to fight Metal Gear RAY, piloted by Liquid. Liquid then reveals his ultimate weapon: a battleship named "Outer Haven" with REX's rail gun mounted on it. Liquid attempts to crush the crippled Snake by ramming the ship into the dockside, but Raiden cuts off his own arm to escape the rubble and is able to restrain the ship temporarily, allowing Snake to escape with his life but crushing Raiden in the process.

Act 5 - Old Sun

Aboard the re-commissioned battleship USS Missouri, Mei Ling plans to catch up with Outer Haven, which needs to be as physically close as possible to JD's satellite in order to get the most precise shot from the rail gun. A strike team consisting of Snake, Meryl and Johnny are sent to infiltrate GW's physical processor and upload a computer virus that will destroy the AI. Aboard Outer Haven, Snake defeats Screaming Mantis, who is revealed to have the implanted personality of Psycho Mantis. Snake plans to stay behind and fight the FROGs, but Meryl insists he continue and disable SOP. Snake apologizes to Meryl, who assures him they will meet again on the outside. As Snake approaches the final corridor to GW, he is ambushed by FROGs but saved once again by Raiden, who is still alive but missing both arms. Though Snake is severely weakened by heat exposure and overwhelmed by countless Dwarf Gekko, he reaches GW, where Otacon takes control of the Mk. III and uploads the virus. The virus unexpectedly uses GW as a conduit to infect the whole AI network, destroying all five Patriot AIs, and disables SOP and all military systems implementing it worldwide, including Liquid's. A video recording of Naomi set to play back after the destruction of the Patriots explains that the Patriots had intended to implement nanomachine personality control worldwide. She and Sunny designed the virus as the antithesis to FOXDIE; as the nanomachines used in SOP were technological derivatives of Naomi's FOXDIE, the new virus, named "FOXALIVE," would atone for Naomi's mistake by shutting down SOP. Sunny's programming also made sure that in destroying the Patriot AIs, SOP and the war economy, FOXALIVE would preserve the systems controlling vital and benign world infrastructures such as water, air, telecommunications and the internet.

The U.S. Marines easily take over the now-defenseless Outer Haven. In the confusion, Liquid Ocelot takes Snake to the sail of Outer Haven and thanks him for accomplishing Liquid's own goals. Ocelot had allowed the will of Liquid to live on within his body through the use of hypnosis and auto-suggestion, perpetuating both Liquid's own agenda against the Patriots, as well as the feud between the two sons of Big Boss. His plan to use REX's rail gun was just a diversion, knowing that JD would be allocating its resources into stopping Liquid and not into preventing the upload of FOXALIVE. After this revelation, Liquid's personality acts upon his final wish within Ocelot's body: for the sons of Big Boss to engage in one final fight on top of Outer Haven. As Snake and Liquid wage their brutal fist fight, Ocelot's personality gradually resurfaces, culminating in the use of his trademark hand gestures. His last words are "You're pretty good...", echoing his taunt from Metal Gear Solid and his response when Naked Snake said those same words during the events of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Epilogue - Naked Sin

The epilogue begins with Meryl and Johnny's wedding, attended by the members of Rat Patrol, Otacon, Sunny, Drebin, Mei Ling and Campbell. Meryl reconciles with Campbell and finally accepts him as her father. Raiden's body is freed from the machinations of the Patriots and is back to its original form, and he reunites with his ex-fiancée Rosemary and their son, John, whom Rosemary had lied about miscarrying to protect him from the Patriots. Snake attempts to commit suicide by gunshot in the graveyard housing the graves of Big Boss and The Boss in order to prevent his mutated FOXDIE strain from spreading further. Meanwhile, Drebin reveals to Otacon that he was a child soldier who was adopted by the Patriots with the intention of raising him to become a gun launderer. He also explains that Rat Patrol 01 (which, in its shortened form "RAT PT 01," is an anagram of "PATR10T") had been manipulated by the Patriots as well. Sunny gives the Mk. III to a local boy (her first "outside friend"), and asks Otacon where Snake is, to which Otacon - knowing that Snake has gone to commit suicide - replies tearfully that Snake "needs some time to rest."

Debriefing - Naked Son

Back at the cemetery, it is revealed that Snake could not kill himself. A familiar voice approaches Snake and encourages him not to do it. A bewildered Snake turns around to see Big Boss, who disarms Snake and gives him a fatherly hug. Big Boss tells Snake that the body burned on the Volta was actually that of Big Boss's clone Solidus Snake, and that he was reconstructed with parts from both Solidus and Liquid's bodies, and kept alive with extensive nanotechnology. He brings Major Zero along with him, who is now a 105-year-old man and confined to a wheelchair in his vegetative state. Big Boss explains that he and Zero founded the Patriots as an interpretation of The Boss' will, along with EVA, Ocelot, Sigint and Para-Medic. As the Patriots became more influential in society, Zero became a megalomaniac, obsessed with uniformity and erasing individuality, leading Big Boss to leave the Patriots and form Outer Heaven as another interpretation of The Boss' will. EVA and Ocelot joined him in his struggle to end the Patriots. As Zero became elderly, control of the Patriots was increasingly left in the hands of the five AIs, who further misinterpreted Zero's will and completely alienated themselves from the original will of The Boss. JD sought to control the masses through manipulation of the economy, digital information, and eventually personalities. Ocelot willingly assimilated the personality of Liquid Snake in order to fool the system and propagate the feud between the sons of Big Boss. Big Boss then euthanizes Zero by turning off his life support.

Big Boss reveals that the injection given to Snake by Drebin in Act 1 included a new strain of FOXDIE, created by the proxy AIs to kill the surviving defectors of the Patriots, explaining the deaths of EVA and Ocelot. Big Boss also relays Naomi's message that the new FOXDIE strain has neutralized the older strain, meaning that Snake is no longer in danger of becoming a biological weapon. The newer FOXDIE is already affecting him, Big Boss, who is being attacked one last time by the Patriots through Snake. He finally makes peace with Snake before dying on The Boss' gravestone.

In the post-credits dialogue, Snake explains to Otacon that he will spend his remaining days attempting to simply live his life. At this same time he also from what is said that he is quiting smoking saying "No. I'm quiting." Then saying after Otacon is confused. "Those thing just kill you." Otacon requests to accompany him in order to chronicle the last days of Solid Snake. Snake initially refuses - but with some persuasion he ultimately relents, allowing Otacon and Sunny to accompany him.

Development

Hideo Kojima announced that he would be retiring as director of the Metal Gear series after Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and would leave his position open to another person for Metal Gear Solid 4. As a joke, the new director was announced as "Alan Smithee", but in R, a 400-page book bundled with Metal Gear Solid 3's Japanese "Premium Package", the director was revealed to be Shuyo Murata, co-writer of MGS3 and director of Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner. He has also contributed humorous Easter eggs to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. However, it was announced that Kojima would be co-directing the game with Murata after substantial negative fan reaction, including death threats.

The title was described as "essentially finished" by January 2008, and went through extensive beta testing. At Destination PlayStation on February 26, 2008, Sony announced that MGS4 would be released worldwide on June 12, 2008, along with the special MGS4 PlayStation 3 bundle.

Guns of the Patriots is the first PS3 game that uses a full 50GB dual layer Blu-ray Disc through extensive efforts in data compression.

Originally, one of Kojima's endings for the game would have had Snake and Otacon turn themselves in for breaking the law, and subsequently they would be convicted and executed, but this idea was vetoed by his team.

Soundtrack

Main article: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Original Soundtrack

The score to Metal Gear Solid 4 was led by Harry Gregson-Williams, his third Metal Gear Solid soundtrack, and Nobuko Toda, who provided music for Metal Gear Acid and Metal Gear Acid 2. Other contributors are Konami employees Shuichi Kobori, Kazuma Jinnouchi, Akihiro Honda, and Sota Fujimori. Directed by Norihiko Hibino, GEM Impact employees Yoshitaka Suzuki and Takahiro Izutani also made compositions late in the game's production.. It was revealed in an interview with Norihiko Hibino that the team in fact wrote 90 minutes of music for the game's cutscenes, only 15 minutes of which made its way onto the official soundtrack.

There are two vocal themes for the game. The opening theme, "Love Theme", is sung by Jackie Presti and composed by Nobuko Toda. The ending theme, "Here's To You", is sung by Lisbeth Scott. Before the release of the game, "MGS4 - Theme of Love - Smash Bros. Brawl Version" was provided for Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the Shadow Moses Island level.

The official soundtrack was released on May 28, 2008 by Konami Digital Entertainment under the catalog number GFCA-98/9. It consists of two discs of music and 47 tracks. A soundtrack album was also packaged with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition.

Marketing

At a press conference on May 13, 2008, Hideo Kojima announced a marketing campaign and agreements with several companies to promote the game. Apple computers and monitors feature in the game and an Apple iPod is an in-game item that Snake can use to change the background music, listen to in-game podcasts and collect hidden songs scattered throughout the game. ReGain Energy Drinks are used in the game as a Psyche gauge booster, and Sony Ericsson mobile phones are used.

Konami and Ubisoft put an unlockable costume in the game for Snake, Altaïr from the Ubisoft stealth game Assassin's Creed. Initially revealed on April Fool's Day 2008, Kojima later announced that it would actually be in the game, unlockable by doing "something special". To obtain the attire, the player must acquire the "Assassin Emblem", a nod to the game's title.

Konami had originally planned to organize grand launch events in Tokyo, but some of them were canceled with the "safety of participants in mind" in light of the Akihabara massacre on 8 June, 2008.

Versions and releases

Limited Edition

The Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots limited edition was released simultaneously with the game's standard edition, as an enhanced counterpart. The limited edition contains Guns of the Patriots, a box with artwork by Yoji Shinkawa, a Blu-ray containing two "making of" documentaries, and the game soundtrack. The Limited Edition was available exclusively at GameStop in the United States and EB Games in Canada, while a similar bundle with an additional 6-inch 'Olive Drab' Old Snake Figurine was made available at Play.com in the United Kingdom.

Console bundles

In North America, a bundle containing an 80GB PlayStation 3, a DualShock 3 wireless controller, a downloadable game coupon from PSN (Pain) and a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was released for US$499 on June 12, 2008 to coincide with the release of the standalone edition. Japan will see the release of the Guns of the Patriots Welcome Box that contains the game itself, a DualShock 3 controller, and a 40GB PS3 in either black, white or silver.

Sony has also announced a limited edition pre-order bundle containing Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition and a matte grey (officially titled Gunmetal Grey) 40GB PlayStation 3. First announced in Japan on March 18, 2008 at a cost of ¥51,800 the bundle sold out within six days from March 20, 2008 to March 25, 2008. An identical bundle was available in North America for pre-order on May 19, 2008 in "very limited" supply for US$600 at Konami's official website. David Reeves has announced a similar bundle for Europe which includes a 40GB PlayStation 3, the game itself and a Sixaxis controller.

Related products

Metal Gear Online

Main article: Metal Gear Online

Metal Gear Online (commonly abbreviated to MGO) is the online component of Metal Gear Solid 4. The game features 16-player online stealth battles, encouraging players to engage heavily in teamwork. MGO is distributed with MGS4 in the form of a starter pack, and will eventually see a stand-alone release. The game will also be expanded through downloadable content via the PlayStation Network, potentially for up to 10 years.

The game was in beta testing in Japan from August 20, 2007 to September 3, 2007; around 3,000 people were selected to join the test sessions. A further beta test was then announced for release in April 2008. US and Canadian customers who pre-ordered Metal Gear Solid 4 in April received an "invite code" along with their documentary DVD, whilst European PlayStation 3 owners were able to download the beta from the PlayStation Store. However, due to many technical difficulties - including busy registration and login servers - it was postponed to April 25, 2008 and continued until May 11, 2008, promptly shutting down at midnight PST. It then returned on June 12, 2008 for the worldwide release of MGS4.

Metal Gear Online is region locked and players can only play others in their own region.

Database

On 19 June, 2008, Konami released the Metal Gear Solid 4: Database onto the PlayStation Store in North America and Japan, and one week later on the European store. The Database is a downloadable application for PlayStation 3 that catalogues every piece of Metal Gear lore from all seven canonical entries in the series, in the form of an encyclopedia (browsable by alphabet and category), a timeline, and character relationship diagrams. Highlighted words in each article link to related articles, and it keeps track of which ones the user has already read. The Database automatically locks any items related to MGS4, in order to prevent the leaking of spoilers to those who have not beaten the game. In order to reveal these articles, the user must have a completed MGS4 game save that was created on the same console. The encyclopedia uses the same interface as the one featured in the supplemental discs for the 3DO and PlayStation versions of Policenauts, as well as in the Saturn version of the full game.

Critical Reception

Commercial

According to Enterbrain, MGS4 sold 476,334 copies in its first four days on sale in Japan, which includes copies bundled with the PlayStation 3, and caused a boost in PlayStation 3 sales. The PS3, which usually sells nearly 10,000 units in a given week, went on to sell 77,208 units in MGS4's debut week. As of July 9, 2008, the game has sold 576,437 copies in Japan. According to Chart-Track, the game is the second fastest-selling PlayStation 3 title in the United Kingdom after Grand Theft Auto IV and was below Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty's opening weekend figure by 14,000 copies recorded in 2002; the sales of the PlayStation 3 increased by a "minimal" seven percent over MGS4's opening weekend. Konami has reported that MGS4 sold over one million copies across Europe in its first week, with 25,000 limited-edition copies "snapped up almost immediately". In the United States, MGS4 was the best-selling game in June 2008 selling 774,600 copies (nearly one million if the number of copies bundled with the PS3 were included), causing PS3 sales to double over the previous month, according to the NPD Group. As of August 5, 2008, MGS4 has shipped 3.94 million copies worldwide. Many stores had game players lined up around the block at midnight and the excitement was covered by a variety of news outlets including a humorous look by the Current TV show infoMania's Ben Hoffman and his segment Tech Report.

Critical

Reviews

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	93% (72 reviews)
Metacritic	94% (77 reviews)

Review scores

Publication	Score
Computer and Video Games	9.5/10
Edge	8/10
Electronic Gaming Monthly	A-
Eurogamer	8/10
Famitsu	40/40
Game Informer	10/10
GamePro	5/5
GamesMaster	97%
GameSpot	10/10
GameTrailers	9.3/10
IGN	10/10
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK	10/10
PSM3	9.5/10
X-Play	5/5

Metal Gear Solid 4 has received high critical acclaim, with a 94% aggregate rating at Metacritic and a 93% aggregate rating on Game Rankings. The first review was a 10/10 from PlayStation Official Magazine (UK), commenting "[MGS4] shifts gears constantly, innovating again and again". The game has been awarded 10/10 from Game Informer and a 5/5 in all categories (graphics, control, sound, and fun factor) from GamePro. The game also received perfect scores from PlayStation: The Official Magazine (5/5), Japanese magazine Famitsu (40/40) and Empire. The game received a 9.9/10 from IGN UK, a 9.5/10 from IGN AU, and a 10/10 from IGN. IGN was quoted in a video review, saying MGS4 is "one of the best games ever made". Edge and Eurogamer both gave the game 8/10. GameSpot gave it a perfect 10/10 saying "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the most technically stunning video game ever made."

Reviewers were unanimous in approval of the way the title continues and concludes the series. Eurogamer stated that "You could not ask for a funnier, cleverer, more ambitious or inspired or over-the-top conclusion", and IGN AU found that the result "refines the MGS formula and introduces just enough new (or respectfully influenced) ideas to ensure that it stands on its own as a game". Edge concluded that "it is faithful to its fans, its premise and its heart, delivering an experience that is, in so many ways, without equal", while IGN UK describe it simply as "the ultimate Metal Gear game" and "a dazzling, heart-lifting, voyage of discovery".

The new control scheme ("the ideal balance of intuitivness and range"), camouflage system and shift to more free-form, "replayable" gameplay (in particular the Drebin Points system and alternatives to "stealthy" play) were particularly highly praised with a few minor annoyances. The variety of set-piece events, details such as the "psyche" meter, and healthy provision of secrets were also remarked upon. Eurogamer tempered their overall praise with concern that one of the chapters may induce "ennui", but noted that the game quickly recovered, while Edge expressed mild disappointment that the "Beauty and the Beast" unit compare poorly to the previous title's main foes, the "Cobra Unit".

The game was also lauded for its technological and artistic achievements, with Edge describing the "Otacon" character as "the real star", and "a gaming revolution" while they found the game's score to be superior to that of many Hollywood offerings. The magazine felt that the few visual shortfalls (such as texture detail) did nothing to detract from the game's overall quality. IGN UK comment that the attention to detail in both visuals and audio represent "sublime brilliance", and remark upon innovations such as the use of split-screen.

Criticism of the game was largely leveled at the storyline, which reviewers found at times to be confusing or poorly executed and with IGN UK advising players to revisit the earlier titles for clarity. However the overall result was praised as emotionally engaging and topical, and characters such as Liquid Ocelot were singled out for the quality of their depiction. It was generally conceded that although the use of cut scenes is more intrusive than it needs to be (comprising "about half of the content of the game" by one estimate, and which "might make you crave action, or wonder why they couldn't have been turned into interactive sequences"), the style is somewhat appropriate given the rest of the series ("in many ways it's a vindication of Kojima's unique interpretation of the videogame medium") and unlikely to trouble fans. The addition of a pause function for these story sequences was universally welcomed.

Edge and Eurogamer alike concluded that although the game represents an apotheosis of the series style, it ultimately fails to revitalise it, and will not win over new fans. IGN UK were concerned that the game's hype and widespread praise may lead to disappointment, but feel that objectively, the game is a "masterpiece".

Konami review limitations

Several publications have commented on limitations given to pre-release reviewers by Konami, including discussion on the length of cutscenes and size of the PS3 installation. These limitations have resulted in Electronic Gaming Monthly delaying its review. In lieu of a review, the magazine printed a roundtable discussion about the game, with a proper review expected to print in the magazine and post on 1UP.com after Konami's restrictions have been lifted. Kojima Productions spokesperson Ryan Payton has since explained more specifically what the NDA restricts, and has amended "some items [that] are outdated and require more explanation." He also listed the length of install times, noting that the restrictions were intended to prevent spoilers regarding what occurs during the installations.

Following this statement, gaming site GameSpot published a blog entry in which it claims it will be unable to review the game either, claiming Konami have withheld review code because of non-compliance with the limitations. The article originally implied that the absence of a review was due to GameSpot's refusal to attend the "Boot Camp" event at Kojima Productions' offices. However it has revised it to state that the Boot Camp was a mid-development feedback and PR exercise, and would not have led to a review in any case.

The day before Konami's restrictions were to be lifted, Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewer Jeremy Parish clarified the reasons for the self-imposed review embargo, dispelling rumors of a disagreement between Konami and EGM on the review conditions in a lengthy blog commentary. His review of the game appeared on the website shortly after.

The limitations were of particular interest due to a widely-publicised claim by CVG that the game had "cut-scenes that approach the 90 minutes mark", misattributed to PlayStation World magazine. GamePro and Ryan Payton have described this as an exaggeration. A review by Edge describes scenes "perilously close" to 90 minutes in duration, but this has not been commented upon by the publisher.

Sequel

Even before the release of MGS4, Kojima stated in an issue of Famitsu that he was already thinking about MGS5 but to have less involvement with future games in the series.

Ryan Payton, the Assistant Producer for Metal Gear Solid 4 mentioned a sequel when he announced that he would be leaving Kojima Productions on the August 26 2008, saying, "It'll be hard not being involved in MGS5, but I've got the utmost confidence that Hideo Kojima, Ken Imaizumi, and our amazing team will put together another blockbuster game. I'll be cheering from the sidelines" Hideo Kojima has also hinted to a sequel several times in other interviews.

Following Konami's event in Tokyo, celebrating the completion of Metal Gear Solid 4, 1UP translated one final audio clip featuring Revolver Ocelot who has a conversation with an unknown character about a "sequel."

External links

• Metal Gear Solid 20th Anniversary party
• Metal Gear Solid 4 Global Site

• Metal Gear Wiki, an external wiki