You can't deny that a good chunk of the boss fights were lame though.Originally Posted by Pete for President
You can't deny that a good chunk of the boss fights were lame though.
If you haven't gone back to the game since you beat it (in 2008), there might be something of interest for you to check out.
6 months after the game released, they started releasing more of the MGS4 Integral podcasts, and these ones did a sort of walk-through of specific areas of the game that told you some neat behind-the-scenes type stuff. I thought it was really neat, a lot like what Valve has done in the past.
I really love the game. All the way through. The only cinematic I felt went overboard was the end. He needs an editor or something that tells him when to stop.
I will give you that. Mechanics-wise, they were varied, but they had no personality, which made them totally forgettable. Drebin's anecdotes post-battle did give a little depth to the characters, but considering you get none of that the whole time leading up (other than "I WANT TO HEAR YOU SCREAAAAM/WHY AM I ALWAYS CRYYYYYYING/I'M SO ANGRYYYYYYYYY" which just doesn't cut it) it was hard to find any of them memorable.You can't deny that a good chunk of the boss fights were lame though.
The B&B unit was like the retarded version of the Cobra unit. And they were pretty retarded by themselves, so that's saying a lot.
This twenty-year-old boy was distinguished from childhood by strange qualities, a dreamer and an eccentric. A girl fell in love with him, and he went and sold her to a brothel...
I must admit they are indeed not very memorable story and character-wise. On the other hand, on my first playthrough I did find (several spoilers throughout the whole game ahead; )(SPOILER)the first 3 of the B&B squad battles really intense to a level where it was almost kinda scary. They weren't easy and I think that's quite rare nowadays.I will give you that. Mechanics-wise, they were varied, but they had no personality, which made them totally forgettable. Drebin's anecdotes post-battle did give a little depth to the characters, but considering you get none of that the whole time leading up (other than "I WANT TO HEAR YOU SCREAAAAM/WHY AM I ALWAYS CRYYYYYYING/I'M SO ANGRYYYYYYYYY" which just doesn't cut it) it was hard to find any of them memorable.You can't deny that a good chunk of the boss fights were lame though.
Also, I remember myself being so so so cautious when I first attempted the sniper boss, I was actually afraid to leave the safetyness of the conveniently placed truck.
In conclusion; compared to the other MGS games the bosses in MGS4 are only second to MGS1 in my opinion.
Yeah, like I said, the mechanics of the battles where intense and creative. However, considering how the bosses in the other games usually have a solid mixture of unique gameplay ideas and interesting personalities, it felt like I only got half of the package with these guys.
I honestly couldn't agree more! I remember I first time I fought Raging Raven & Crying Wolf it was so intense my t-shirt was drenched in sweat (which was gross!) There aren't very many games I've played that are intense to that degree!I must admit they are indeed not very memorable story and character-wise. On the other hand, on my first playthrough I did find (several spoilers throughout the whole game ahead; )(SPOILER)the first 3 of the B&B squad battles really intense to a level where it was almost kinda scary. They weren't easy and I think that's quite rare nowadays.I will give you that. Mechanics-wise, they were varied, but they had no personality, which made them totally forgettable. Drebin's anecdotes post-battle did give a little depth to the characters, but considering you get none of that the whole time leading up (other than "I WANT TO HEAR YOU SCREAAAAM/WHY AM I ALWAYS CRYYYYYYING/I'M SO ANGRYYYYYYYYY" which just doesn't cut it) it was hard to find any of them memorable.You can't deny that a good chunk of the boss fights were lame though.
Also, I remember myself being so so so cautious when I first attempted the sniper boss, I was actually afraid to leave the safetyness of the conveniently placed truck.
In conclusion; compared to the other MGS games the bosses in MGS4 are only second to MGS1 in my opinion.
To each his own I guess.
I would say you should play it at least until you complete Act 2 - there's a lot of insane scenarios there. Even if you're underwhelmed by it, is it really worse than 75% of the games the average person keeps anyway?
I was just amazed at how well the cutscenes were directed, with the camera angles, dialogue, and presentation of the action. The introduction of the Irving/Gekko was nothing short of brilliant to me.
I think people got confused by how much action is going on and didn't realize just how insane and deep the stealth is in this game. Sneaking through these battlefields made this the most intense Metal Gear game I've ever played. If you don't like that, then I really can't help you.
Lastly, how can you get lost? You pretty much always go north, your destination is clearly marked on your map, as is your position.
What difficulty are you playing on? This honestly is one of the few games I've played where there is a huuuge difference between the settings. When I first played the game at release, I didn't own a PS3. So, I borrowed a friend's and only had a single week to finish it. I played on Liquid Easy, and went through the whole game as a straight-up shooter (even a little bit in Act 3).
Recently, I replayed the game at a much more relaxed pace. I went up to Naked Normal, not expecting it to be much different. That playthrough was a much greater balance of stealth and shooting. I had to be very aware of my surroundings, and exploited both. Additionally, I never used any CQC moves on my first playthrough, and now I use basic CQC tactics frequently. I will absolutely say that I had an even greater time playing the game a second time!
I have very few personal issues with the game. The control scheme is a bit unintuitive at first, although is a vast improvement over MGS3's. It became second nature after a while, and I feel it is justified given the breadth of Snake's moveset. He has more techniques at his disposal than in any game of this type I've seen.
Other than that, I still think the story is at many times too divorced from the gameplay. The first two acts provide some meaty gameplay, but Act 3 is basically all cutscenes/setpieces after the incredibly deep "stalking" scenario (seriously deep: there are far too many routes and options, secrets, and it changes so much between difficulty settings). It's not a game that can simply be loaded up for fun, because you know you'll get roped into some extremely long sequences.
Overall though, I don't have much to complain about. Its storyline touched me far more than its predecessors, and I thought its gameplay was a sublime mixture of stealth and 3rd-person shooting with some of the best boss battles and setpiece moments I've ever been a part of in a game. The game is also highly replayable, with an amazing amount of secrets, weapons, and again, the difficulty settings that genuinely affect the experience.
So, if you haven't been having fun by now, I'd honestly suggest trading it in. For me, it truly doesn't get much better than this game. Clearly you don't feel the same, and I doubt the remaining acts would convince you otherwise.
I'll also go ahead and throw out there that I think MGS1 has aged poorly (on a gameplay level, not necessarily visually), I've never enjoyed MGS3, and prior to 4's release MGS2 was my favorite in the series (and is the only pre-4 title I replay). Take that for what you will.
Currently playing: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
I completely co-sign pretty much everything Alucard said, except end-thoughts on the other games :P
Personally I was more forgiving with the B&B Corp. I thought it was very bad storytelling for Drebin to come on the radio at the end and give you a 15-minute monologue on their past. The lack of personality was sorely missed as well.
But they are, above and beyond, some of the greatest designed characters in the Metal Gear. I remember the first time seeing them in one of the reveal trailers, I couldn't believe what I was seeing - it was horrifying and awesome at the same time. They were so intimidating and out-of-this world that it was a true accomplishment to actually best them.
IMO they didn't need the personality of previous Metal Gear bosses because their character design said it all about them.
I think character designs overall are what really make MGS4 unparalleled for me, both in the series and in gaming in general. You just have to look at Old Snake. With the Octocamo, the Solideye, the mustache, and holding the M4, I think this is the best designed rendition of Snake yet.
How interesting that the notion of the story being 'divorced from gameplay' shows up on a Final Fantasy fan board :P
But seriously, you guys who have finished and liked the game, I'm gonna reiterate my prior post. Go back, download those podcasts, and check out the behind-the-scenes walkthroughs. They tell you were to start listening to it in each stage (sometimes it's not at the beginning--I believe the first one begins after you enter the building where you meet Meryl) and then tell you to 'do this' or 'look at this' while they tell you something about it.
I thought overall it was a pretty good game but fell short in comparison to the previous titles. It was entertaining enough for me because I felt it tied up the loose ends quite nicely. It was lacking in some of the creative gameplay mechanics and situations the older ones put you in though.
I thought that the whole weapon system was way bigger than anything you ever needed it to be, and that the whole mechanic of 'siding' with a faction didnt work very well and was pretty much scrapped at the end of chapter 2 anyway.
What I really did enjoy was the story, the music and some of the later scenes such as later and last chapter spoilersThe Psychomantis type boss, crawling through the microwave room (epic moment!) and the very old school style of the final fight with Liquid. Oh and also the Rex fight!
People may call it fan service, I call it tying up the loose ends, but I agree that it seems like Kojima was too focused on that part of the game (I dont really fault him for it, it was a massive undertaking!).
I actually like chapters 3-5 a lot better than 1-2, but that may just be me.
Overall, loved it while I played and finished it, but in hindsight realised some of the bigger problems.
Yeah emm, might not be a very helpful post, just thought Id give my opinion on it.
These thoughts are in regard to some of the character stuff, but it's almost entirely spoilers, so:
(SPOILER)This is one of few pieces of media where the pain the character suffers actually feels tangible. They did an amazing job of making you really feel what Snake was going through, from the effects of his accelerated aging to the actual physical damage that occurs (like the explosion in Act III scarring his face, or the microwave room... god, that was the most smurfing intense scene ever). I felt more drawn into the character of Solid Snake more than the other games in the series, much like they created an emotional attachment to Naked Snake in MGS3. Overall I think it amplified the effect of the story. It brought closure to both the overarching plot that started in MGS, as well as making you understand that you're reaching the end of Snake's story and life.
The emotional impact is less than that of MGS3, admittedly, but it's still pretty damn strong.
What pissed me off most about the game, aside from it's other flaws, was the way they handled the ending. (SPOILER)A wedding between Meryl and a comic relief character? Wtf were they thinking? What's that sappy romantic comedydoing in my MGS? And Snake should've just shot himself at the graveyard, instead of the Harry Potter ending with Dumbledore/Big Boss coming back from the dead and having to explain about how it was all planned from the beginning and how Ocelot pulled a Snape. It smurfing sucked. Would it have been that hard to just cut all the irrelevant stuff and just get straight to the point during the game? Why does Kojima suck so hard at telling a story?
This twenty-year-old boy was distinguished from childhood by strange qualities, a dreamer and an eccentric. A girl fell in love with him, and he went and sold her to a brothel...
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