PS3 & Previews w2n on 23 Dec 2006 11:30 pm
Metal Gear Solid 4 : Guns of The Patriots
Metal Gear Solid 4 is officially titled Guns of the Patriots. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (commonly abbreviated to MGS4) is a stealth-based game directed by Hideo Kojima and Shuyo Murata. Guns of the Patriots is currently being developed by Kojima Productions for the PlayStation 3 video game console. The game uses the motto “no place to hide” with the theme of “senses”.
Story
The player once again takes on the form of Solid Snake and undertakes new missions, entering new chaotic situation. Buildings lie burnt and shattered. Streets are twisted and mangled. Some war ruined this place. Some war ruins it still.
Set in the year 2015, six years after the Manhattan incident (the events of Metal Gear Solid 2), MGS4 portrays a world where the restriction of military intervention on foreign soil has eased, leading to demands on mercenaries to fight proxy battles for business purposes, fueling the need for private military contractors (PMCs) and automated weapons.
However, the five largest PMCs are revealed to be owned by a single mother company, Outer Heaven (the name of Big Boss’ mercenary company and fortified nation in the original Metal Gear), operated by Liquid Ocelot. It is revealed that Outer Heaven has amassed a military equivalent in manpower to the United States’ own, and is now preparing to launch an armed insurrection. With the world once again in crisis, Solid Snake is deployed to the Middle East.
Graphic
That, however, is reality from an external perspective and does not necessarily take into account the inner aspect. In the past, buildings in games were similar to those found on movie or stage sets and were merely pictures or photographs of wall-material pasted on the surface of a polygon model.
That, however, is reality from an external perspective and does not necessarily take into account the inner aspect. In the past, buildings in games were similar to those found on movie or stage sets and were merely pictures or photographs of wall-material pasted on the surface of a polygon model. The characters created on infinitesimally thin boards were also devoid of any signs of inner flesh, blood, or heThe inner aspect is unseen and establishes its presence only through time and the will of the player. This will pave the way toward a revolutionary change that will lead us away from the past concept based on “reality” towards the “natural.”
Gameplay
Kojima has stated the main new concept for Metal Gear Solid 4 will be “No Place To Hide!”, but has also assured fans that this theme does not imply that the trademark stealth gameplay has been removed. However, Kojima has stated in Weekly Famitsu magazine that the game is no longer based around predetermined “sneaking missions”, permitting the player to choose the best method in order to traverse the environment and carry out their objectives, be it combatively or stealthily.
The defensive and stealth maneuvers Snake has at his disposal in MGS 4 also smoothly transition into offensive moves. While face-down on the ground, his chameleon ability is triggered, as shown when he takes on a shadowy hue in an alley, allowing two soldiers to pass him by. Just as they march past, he flips over onto his back, and with pistol right up against his belly, takes out both soldiers from behind. Snake also made use of a new shooting perspective reminiscent of that in Resident Evil 4, with rifle butt against his shoulder, and the camera view hovering above his shoulder. He was dressed as a local soldier with a cloak low over his head here, so we can presume he’ll don different outfits as befits the situation.
Sense
Kojima has stated that with the PlayStation 3, he will be able to focus on the things we can’t see, and to explore the senses that video games rarely tap into. For example, if a building is severely damaged, the resulting sound from a nearby explosion could cause the building to crumble and fall. Furthermore, he is planning to consult psychiatrists on how to emphasize a “mental battle” between Snake and his enemies, so that “who controls the fear can decide the outcome”. The game’s trailer hints that the tactical Metal Gears featured in the game are designed to play with Snake’s emotions: one unit paws the ground and growls like a bull while hunting for Snake, while another makes cicada noises to create a false sense of security.
Continuing with this theme, the soldiers Snake will encounter are not specifically friends or enemies at first - rather, the player’s actions towards them will influence how they respond to Snake. In an interview in Edge, Kojima stated that he plans to allow players to have a greater effect on the enemy than just fighting them, allowing alliances and aggressions to form and change between Snake and the other parties on the battlefield.
Returning elements
The game is planned to utilize a new 360-degree third-person camera system in addition to the top-down camera used in the previous three Metal Gear Solid games. An experimental version of this camera system is included in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. The altered third-person camera also allows for a more precise first-person aiming system. The CQC system will also be reprised, allowing players to interrogate guards for information and supplies as before. Another feature that debuted in Subsistence, an online battle mode, will also be featured in Metal Gear Solid 4.
In a first for the series, the graphics will emphasize natural movement in actions such as an enemy’s discovery of Snake, thus eliminating the need of exclamation marks or question marks as indicators. However, recent interviews suggest that they may be reinstated for nostalgic reasons.
Although no Metal Gear models have been revealed as of yet, a similar concept mecha called GEKKO makes a prominent appearance. Kojima has described the machine as being equivalent to a jeep, whereas a traditional Metal Gear, with its greater lethality, would be a tank in comparison.
Developer : Kojima Production
Publisher : Konami
Genre : Espionage, Stealth
Platform : PS3
ESRB : RP (Rating Pending)
Release Date : TBA 2007