Well, it's been a while since we last met Solid Snake on the battlefield. Not since the early years of the PS2 did we see our hero (MGS3 doesn't count since he was Big Boss not Solid Snake). After all these years Snake has aged quite a bit but don't judge him too quickly, he is still the biggest badass the world has ever seen.
Story: This is one hell of a cinematic experience, Hideo Kojima shouldn't be making games...he should be making Hollywood blockbusters. There is no hole left open at the end of this epic game. To tell any of its finely crafted story will be giving away something that you can get out of this masterpiece of gaming. Just trust me when I say that I have never EVER experienced anything like this game and it is a fitting ending chapter to a real American hero. One thing I can say is that the story is set in Acts (I won't tell you how many but know that it does not disappoint).
Gameplay: Every act brings something new to the tried and true gameplay of sneak and shoot. Coupled with what might just be the best boss fights of any Metal Gear game to date. The game play is what you have played before but enough new game play and controls are added that this title really shines on its own. The inclusion of OctoCamo is really nice since now you won't be fiddling through menus to change your camo, you just sit still for a second and the suit changes to suit its surroundings. There are around 70 different weapons in the game and each has their own unique stats and you will be sure to find a favorite. Many of the weapons can be customized to fit your playstyle (from adding silencers to adding a Red-Dot sight). With the inclusion of so many weapons it is very easy to play this game your own way (if you want to sneak go ahead, you wanna go all Rambo why not). The way you acquire new weapons is by finding them from dropped soldiers, finding them on the battlefield, or by buying them from Drebin. Drebin is a gun-launderer and can sell you any of the guns in the game and can also unlock the guns that you find. The way you buy from Drebin is by finding weapons and selling them to him for DP (Drebin Points).
Sound: All I have to say is 5.1 Surround Sound was amazing. I can't say how it would sound on anything lower but I have a feeling that it would sound just as amazing as on Surround Sound systems. All the little subtleties show you that these guys meant business while designing this game. All the guns sound like their real life counterparts and the ambiance is just unsettling sometimes. Another thing to note is how amazing the score is. All of the music in game is just simply breath-taking and all of it is placed correctly. The inclusion of a certain item allows you to listen to whatever music you want whilst playing.
Graphics: After playing through this masterpiece, I really learned to appreciate my PS3. This game pushed what is possible in console games graphics wise. And even though it is very realistic, it still somehow retains the look and feel of a Metal Gear game. The game runs extremely smooth except when there is a whole lot of explosions going on, then it will stumble for a split second and get back on its game. The look of everything from explosions, to characters, to the ground you walk (or in Snake's case crawl) on is buttery smooth and very crisp and realistic. You feel like you could actually visit some of the places in this game.
Conclusion: I have to cut this short before I use breath-taking, amazing, beautiful, and awesome anymore. All I have to say is that before this game my favorite game of all time was a tie between Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Kingdom Hearts II. Before even beating this game it took the number one spot, after beating it it solidified that spot. It has been a long time since a game has moved me as much as this game has, and it will be a long time until another will do the same. Metal Gear Solid 4 has set the bar so high for what we should expect from next-generation gaming that we will have a Metal Gear aftertaste for the next few years.
