Metal Gear Solid 4 Hands-on
I'm the first American in the world to have beaten MGS4, which is freaking awesome.
by Jeff Haynes
April 2, 2008 - Three weeks ago, Konami extended a once in a lifetime invitation to a handful of journalists. Fourteen people from around the world gathered together at the Konami Super Campus in Nasu to experience one of the most anticipated titles in recent history, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in a specialized boot camp for the game. We weren't simply shown snippets of levels or gameplay demos; instead, we were sequestered for three days at their facility for two specific tasks. The first task was that we were to play through the entire title from start to finish with the Konami team gathering our stats and play information as we progressed.
The second task was much more important, because at the end of every gameplay session, we were asked to provide detailed feedback, which would be given to the development team to make adjustments to the final build of the title. We weren't alone in experiencing the game in this way; Kojima himself was replaying the title at the same time we were, going through the same gameplay sections and feedback tasks as we were. In effect, we became part of the design team. As I stated earlier, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially for any Metal Gear Solid fan. Not only were we getting a chance to complete the game before anyone else, but we were making an impact on the overall game that will launch worldwide on June 12th.
The final chapter in the 20-year franchise that constantly redefined the stealth action genre, Metal Gear Solid 4 brings Solid Snake back out of the shadows for one final mission to eliminate his nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. But, like every other Metal Gear Solid game, there's much more going on than a simple assassination. I certainly won't spoil the plot points or the story here; there is only so much that I'm allowed to talk about, after all. Instead, I will go into more detail on a section we've previously covered: the Middle East area that Snake has infiltrated in released trailers or demos.
But let me first preface that statement with one new piece of info that we hadn't previously known. Whereas previous Metal Gear Solid games have been relatively linear in their approach, MGS4 is much more of an open-world affair. While there are still specific locations that Snake will need to get to (which will constantly be indicated on Snake's mini-map), the environments that he finds himself in will provide multiple paths to get him to his eventual destination. This provides much more flexibility in how you fight your way through the battlefields that engulf MGS4.
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Snake will come across the horrors of war.
As we were told in last year's E3 trailer, war has completely changed the world. No longer is it a breakdown of diplomacy between countries – conflict has become a financial factor by itself, supporting the global economy by virtue of the PMCs that are continually moving into areas of the world and engaging in battle. In fact, battles aren't about countries any more – they're more about factions engaging other factions. Even civilians aren't safe in this new world order, as most people are simply born to fight and die, mostly without a cause or a reason to go to war. Cities are constantly shelled, buildings are blown up and every street is a battlefield. This constant conflict between nanomachine-enhanced soldiers is a significant factor within the game, and plays a huge role within your exploration of the ruined landscape of the Middle East.
It's into this kind of regionalized turmoil that Snake is initially deployed. The first time you see the legendary soldier, he's clad in the garb of a local militia man, which he uses to infiltrates a village during an attack. Even though his clothing looks like that of the locals, he hasn't fully earned the trust of the militia. This provides a different spin on the standard "lone wolf" insertion that Snake has performed in his previous games. By choosing to fight alongside the militia, you can slowly build confidence with the warriors. This can be advantageous to you, because if you convince them of your intentions, the resistance soldiers will provide covering fire, hand you ammunition and even provide health items that you can use to restore your flagging energy. However, this alliance can be a fragile one, particularly if your aim is poor. Not only will your former allies turn on you if they sense something suspicious, but all of the other soldiers will immediately know if you've betrayed their comrades, and you may need to change back into your militia gear to avoid suspicion or to better blend in with resistance groups that aren't friendly so you can accomplish your mission.
Speaking of modifying your appearance, Snake's OctoCamo suit works better than what we've seen in previous trailers. Give Snake two to three seconds without moving, and he immediately blends into the surroundings, taking on the textured appearance of the surface he's kneeling next to or lying on. It's an excellent trick that innately builds upon the camouflage elements of Snake Eater and makes it much easier to evade detection by intelligent PMC troops as long as you don't attract attention with obvious movement. Inchworming along the ground while camouflaged or rolling from one location to the other shouldn't attract much attention, which is a good thing for these much more alert enemies. These troops won't merely walk along simple patrol paths. They'll actively scan environments for trouble, communicating anything suspicious to their comrades and call in for backup, making them much more threatening than previous enemies Snake has faced.
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Never saw it coming.
Apart from using the OctoCamo to fade from sight, you can acquire a drum can to hide you from troops. Much like the classically used cardboard box, Snake can tiptoe in the metallic drum can, advancing silently into areas under cover. The drum can isn't perfect, especially because astute soldiers can kick and overturn the barrel if they sense something out of order. However, unlike the cardboard box, which is easily destroyed, the drum also has a few defensive uses. Its metallic shell will repel gunfire from most firearms, and players can tip it on its side and roll through enemies, knocking them for a loop.
This is merely one of the ways that Snake can take out soldiers. He has a whole new compliment of CQC moves, such as choking them silently along the ground. We did notice that unconscious soldiers did appear to be knocked out much longer than in previous Metal Gear Solid games, regardless of whether we took them out with our fists, an electric shock from our stun blade, a tranquilizer dart or by being rolled over by drum can. But sometimes you might need more firepower than non-lethal means, particularly when you and your allies are pinned down by large groups of PMCs in armored personnel carriers. You've got a couple of options available to you in this case. The first is to get behind the controls of a mortar and shell the enemy positions. While Snake is somewhat exposed as he's adjusting the trajectory of the weapon, he can fire an unlimited amount of shells on troops and vehicles alike. Along with the destructive power, the splash damage from the explosives will easily knock down or eliminate nearby enemies.
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The battlefield will be littered with wreckage. Grab some cover.
The other way is to use firearms that you acquire from fallen enemies. Like previous Metal Gear Solid games, you'll acquire pistols, machine guns, grenades and other weapons from enemy soldiers. However, there's a twist to the standard "procure on site" method that MGS fans are accustomed to. In this world of PMCs and rebel factions, all weapons are coded to specific soldiers via their individual nanomachine codes. If you're not that soldier and you attempt to fire their gun, you get absolutely no response whatsoever (call it the ultimate trigger lock). So how exactly do you gain useable firearms in the game?
You have to have someone launder the weapon, removing this lockout feature. In Metal Gear Solid 4, this is handled via Drebin, the mysterious new character introduced in earlier released trailers. This new shop system works rather ingeniously – every single weapon that Snake comes across is immediately translated to Drebin points, representing its current world value in the theater of war during a given day. The more violent the conflict in the world, the more Drebin points you receive. Players can then use these points to unlock these collected weapons for their use, or players can save their points up to purchase ammunition or items in Drebin's shop, such as laser sights, hand grips and flashlights. These additional items can improve the accuracy or stability of a weapon, making it much better in combat. What's more, you can even get more for your Drebin Points if you return to the shop on certain in-game "days," as Drebin will offer sales for Snake so he can get the best bang for his buck.
Fortunately, you don't have to continually backtrack to a set location to sell your collected weapons, nor do you have to constantly expose yourself to danger just to collect a few guns from fallen soldiers. The Mark II can act as your conduit to Drebin, automatically converting any weapons into Drebin Points while saving the ammunition for Snake. Thanks to its size and the fact that it is invisibly cloaked from view thanks to OctoCamo technology, Snake can use the diminutive robot to sprint around the battlefield, gathering fallen weapons as he scouts out the environment around him. The Mark II can also be used to knock out soldiers from afar, as it can stealthily move up to troops and discharge an electrical blast akin to the stun knife. However, you have to be careful, because the Mark II can disrupt its invisibility if it bumps into a target or goes over a significant drop. The robot also has a limited range that it can be sent away from Snake before it becomes uncontrollable, and finally, it only has a certain amount of batteries that it can use before it runs out of power and has to be recharged.
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Chopper going down...
The Mark II isn't the only new gadget that Snake gets in MGS4. Otacon has been hard at work on a brand new vision system known as the Solid Eye, which actually combines features of multiple items from previous games. The ocular device has three separate vision modes: night vision, thermal and zoom functionality. It also ties into Snake's radar, making it easier to discern enemies on a battlefield from friendlies at a quick glance by projecting their group affiliation above their head. What's also cool about the Solid Eye system is that it allows players to have the option to play through sections of the game with completely new camera angles and viewpoints. No longer do you have to focus solely on a top-down perspective with a camera angle that swings behind your shoulder when you fire. Now, players can opt to fire and move in either a first person or third person viewpoint at any time, which is an excellent option to have when you're looking to snipe a soldier in an elevated position.
However, just as Snake had to contend with stamina in previous games, he'll have two new gauges to contend with in the battlefield, his Psyche gauge and his Stress Gauge. Snake is not as young as he used to be, and these two meters help track just how the seasoned soldier is performing during his missions. His Psyche gauge measures how he is mentally reacting to the battlefield at all times – when things are relatively calm, he can aim and fire without difficulty, but if he performs physically exhausting moves, such as tumbling rolls or has to seek cover from large bursts of gunfire, he'll start to lose his concentration, making easy shots much harder. Snake will also feel the aches and pains of his age much more and will sometimes react to a sharp pain in his back or another physical symptom more frequently, indicating that he's being pushed way too hard. This correlates to Snake's Stress Gauge -- if this mental exertion continues for prolonged periods of time, his Stress Gauge starts to spike. If it goes too high, Snake will immediately enter what's known as a Combat High, where he'll suddenly snap into a moment of heightened accuracy with a gun while shrugging off inflicted damage for a small period of time. Unfortunately, after a combat high, Snake will crash, bottoming out his stress and psyche gauges. This can harm Snake's health as well as leave him vulnerable to incoming attacks.
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Run, Snake, Run!
Obviously, being in a vulnerable state against PMC soldiers is hazardous, but that doesn't compare to facing off against some of the tougher enemies in the Middle East, such as the bipedal walkers known as Gekkos. These metal monstrosities, which have dominated the previously released trailers of the game, can easily eliminate a platoon of men without showing a single scratch, and their agility at climbing walls, leaping barricades, and firing at individuals makes them a threat in both close combat and long range situations.
Another threat comes with Liquid's elite personal guard known as the FROGS. Another squad of superhumanly-enhanced soldiers shown in previously released trailers, this all-female squad boasts cybernetic suits that allow them to cling to walls and fire at their enemies (you) from any angle. Their speed and acrobatic skills help them avoid incoming fire, which makes them even more dangerous. This is especially true when you fight them in the remains of a dilapidated hotel rigged with booby traps, where each step could be Snake's last. Fortunately, he's not alone in this massive battle. Meryl and her Rat Patrol provide ample fire support.
This four man squad is composed of a hulking brute with a Mohawk named Jonathan, a bald sharpshooter named Ed, an "intestinally challenged" grunt named Johnny, and Meryl, who's surprised and not particularly thrilled to see Snake. But for both soldiers to accomplish their missions, they have to team up to repel Liquid's attacking squads and attempt to bury them under the hotel rubble.
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Ready, Aim, Fire!
Meryl isn't the only familiar face that Snake runs into during his initial mission. Otacon provides intelligence support from aboard a mobile drop ship, providing hints and back up via the Mark II. Otacon also briefs Snake on various situations during some of the game's numerous cutscenes, which offer an interesting take on Metal Gear history through flashback sequences. By pressing the L1 or X button prompts when they appear, Snake can trigger a sequence or image from a previous title, adding extra depth to topics being discussed at that point in time, which is an excellent way to fill in pieces of the complex puzzle that is the Metal Gear universe of the last 20 years.
These cutscenes are not the only way that players will acquire background information on the situations Snake faces. Between operations, Snake will receive detailed mission briefings on his next assignment, Liquid's movements, or the threat of various PMCs in the area he will be dispatched to.
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Watch the FROGS.
Visually, Metal Gear Solid 4 is even more striking on the console than it has been in released trailers. We always had a sense that what Kojima was showing us was incredible footage, but the detail within the game itself is simply breathtaking. One example of this: when an explosion goes off near Snake, a fine coating of dust covers the camera, adding to the cinematic feel of the game. Another showcase of the striking graphics is the seamless transition between cutscenes and gameplay, many of which are only highlighted by a camera shift to indicate the cutscene has ended and gameplay has begun.
Another thing that stands out is the sound quality of the game, which is presented in Certified Dolby Digital Sound. The ambient battlefield noise provides a haunting backdrop to onscreen action, making you feel like just one part of a much larger conflict. The game's soundtrack is subtly shaded by local musical influences, as in the Middle East level, punctuated by a driving techno beat that builds when the guards become alerted to your presence and increases further if gunplay breaks out.
As I said earlier, there's only so much I can go into right now, but this is the system seller that we've all known Metal Gear Solid 4 was going to be. This preview has only scratched the surface; we haven't even described some of the bosses, radical and innovative game mechanics, or other features that make this title a fitting conclusion to one of the best franchises in gaming. As soon as we're able, we'll bring you more details on Metal Gear Solid 4, but for more information, check out our interview with Hideo Kojima here. And for new screens of the game, click on the gallery at the bottom of the page.
