Looking at: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

End of an Age

Age doesn't slow Snake down a bit, and he's still in fighting form.

Jesus fucking christ was that a long game to sit through.

I say "sit through" because the truth of it is, that despite being clocked at about 20 hours long, most of my time with MGS4 was spent in cut scenes, occasionally begging the game to let me play it again. Good god.

Regardless, MGS4 is the last of the Metal Gear games, chronically speaking, and serves as a way to tie up every loose end in the series. Does it succeed, or is this an OP not worth getting prepared for?

Endless War

Snake will routinely fight with companions against Liquid's insurrection.

MGS4 opens in a world that's been ravaged by almost constant war, to the point where war is no longer an isolated incident, but the driving force behind the global economy. Private Military Companies now employ millions of personal (the opening scene of the game reveals one company has more men then the combined population of Canada and Mexico) and battles are fought everywhere over anything. All of this is run by a complex system of AI that controls nano-machines in man and machine, making average soldiers super-powered and locking firearms to people's DNA.

Solid Snake returns to battle, now an old man, much older then he should be. As it turns out, while the FOXDIE virus he was infected with in MGS didn't kill him, it did accelerate his ageing ten-fold, and despite it only being ten years since the first game Snake now appears in his late seventies.

What follows is an incredibly intense and emotional journey as Snake hunts down Liquid Ocelot, a combination of Liquid Snake and Revolver Ocelot.

Ok, I'll be honest with you here, this game is fucking insane with it's story telling and script. Like, clinically insane. Probably best described as bi-polar, or even full on schizophrenic. It's like MGS4 is trying to be serious, much more serious then the previous games, and at times it goes to some really dark places, particularly Snake dealing with his age, or the various boss' back-stories. But there's still a sense of levity everywhere, constantly cracking jokes or doing dumb things. It's jarring to say the least.

In the end though, this is the most mature story I've seen in the series. It's a story completely and 100% aware of every moving part, even as it introduces new story elements. It wraps up everything, not only from itself, but MGS and MGS2 as well, and leaves nothing untouched. It's a dark story, dealing with the old VS the new, but it is a story worth listening to, as long as you have the patience.

Electronic Old Men

Drebin and his monkey, providing Snake what he needs, when he needs it.

MGS4's biggest strength is it's interesting wheelhouse of characters. Snake himself is probably the most interesting part, and this is the most interesting Snake we've ever seen. Not only is he dealing with his failing body, fighting against time, but it serves as a greater metaphor for Snake as a character. He's an old soldier fighting in a new soldier's war, and living in a world completely passing him by. It's an interesting deconstruction of the character, and it makes Snake actually interesting to pay attention to.

Not to say that any of the side characters are less interesting. Most of the cast is returning from the older games, like Meryl, Colonel Campbell, or Otocon. The new characters it introduces are great too, particularly Drebin, your personal gun launderer. All the guns in MGS4 are DNA locked to users, and Drebin can remove this lock, for a fee. More interestingly, he can sell you guns and ammo in the middle of a fight, reducing the need to scavange. Some people will find this distasteful, as it removes most of the need to avoid a fight, but his prices keep everything balanced, and you'll forget any misgivings when you order the silencer you need just in time.

MGS4 also carries on the series' tradition of character interaction, jilted and strange though it may be at times. Character talk to each other, and feel like real people with flaws. The relationship between the various characters is the most interesting it's ever been in the series, be it Snake and Otocon with their adopted daughter Sunny (don't ask), Meryl finding true love in the middle of a gunfight, or especially Snake and Liquid's strained and bizarre relationship the reaches a crescendo during the game's intense finale.

Grab the Popcorn

There is one major complaint I have above everything else in MGS4:

SIX FUCKING HOURS OF CUT SCENES.

True story, MGS4 broke and still holds a record for this, including two specific records: The longest continuous scene at 29 minutes, which itself is part of the longest sequence ever at 79 minutes long.
Simply put, MGS4 is not a game for the impatient, and admittedly I lost my patience with it during the overly long finale.

Most of the scenes are, however, not boring, which is a great far cry from MGS2's insane Codec conversations. There's things happening on screen that make watching it worth my time. The 79 minute sequence I talked about above features a great fight scene, and a scene that all but explains the entire game in a way that was interesting. Suffice to say, watching a man destroy an entire battalion of soldiers with his fingers is engaging to see. Even the finale, or at least the first part of it, features one of the most brutal hand-to-hand fights I've ever seen in a video game.

But it's not all great, and there were times where I stopped paying attention just because I wasn't engaged any more. When you're sitting there, not doing anything at all for forty minutes it can be hard to remember that MGS4 is classified as a video game for a video game console, something that people usually play.

Sneaking Mission

That's to bad, because the gameplay in MGS4 is the most refined it's ever been in the series. First and foremost is the camera. While MGS3 introduced a full 3d camera, that was added later, and it showed. MGS4, however, was built with the ground up, and its smooth and easy to use. Moving snake around too, is better then previous games, including the ability to crouch walk for added sneaking. There's no more dedicated sneaking controls like MGS3, but the PS3's controls handle better then the PS2, so it's not much of a problem.

The other major improvement is shooting. No more using a face button for firing your weapon, rather MGS4 plays like a more traditional shooter, and while the control change was jarring coming from MGS3 it quickly became a pleasant way to play. Aiming and firing a weapon felt good, especially with proper iron sights or scopes on all weapons, and it made combat engaging and fun.

Of course, combat is only necessary if you get caught, and thankfully stealth in MGS4 is at it's best too. There's a slew of tools you can use to remain stealthy, from an active camo-suit that changes dynamically to blend into the environment, to various items you can use to distract or knock out guards. All of it controls naturally and feels great to use.

Fading Sun

One of the Beauty and Beast boss battles.

MGS4 came out in 2008, but there's no doubt that it looks as good, if not better, then later PS3 releases. This is an amazing looking game, pushing the PS3 to it's absolute limits, and there were times where I forgot that it was animated.

Character models are stunningly good and detailed, from Snake's aging body, to Raiden's robotic ninja. Face animation is nearly perfect, making every character expressive and interesting. There's a million little details in everything, be it the environment, weapons, or characters, and it all looks great. The only problem is that the PS3 can't seem to keep up with everything all the time, and the framerate was as inconsistent as the story's tone. It never got to bad, but one scene looked like a slideshow, and another scene would be blazing fast.

Audio, however, never suffers, and it's the best it's ever been in the series. The music is amazing and matches every scene  perfectly, creating the perfect mood. There's even an in-game IPod (as well as a Mac Book. I guess Kojima likes Apple) to allow you to listen to music from the entire series.

Voice acting, and there's a lot, is great too. The cast is mostly returning from the old games, and they all give a stand out performance. Once again, top spot goes to David Hayer, doing his best work as Old Snake, and I have to imagine he was all but exhausted after all the recording he must have done. All the voice work is great, and the characters all come to life perfectly thanks to it.

Black Out

Liquid Ocelot, a clone of one of the greatest soldiers, in the body of another.

In the end, I did like MGS4. When I got to play it, the gameplay was amazing, and by far the best in the series. Despite the onslaught of cut scenes, more of them were interesting then those that weren't. And most importantly, it does tie up most, if not all, of the story threads weaved throughout the games. It's a mature and emotional journey through the past and future that demands patience to get through. I doubt I'll play it again, but I'm glad I played it through.

Next up: One more challenge from one of hand-held gaming's best, and a return to the past.

all images sourced from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmNpzP1JKvI

Looking at: Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zero

Tech Demo

Skull Face, the mysterious villain haunting Snake

It's somewhat unfair to call MGS:GZ a full game, since it really isn't. No, I'm not saying it's along the line of Gone Home or Dear Esther, where it's not a game. It's full of gameplay, which is a little strange considering the MGS series is famous for having way to many cutscenes. No, MGS:GZ isn't a full game because it's clearly just a tech demo for the upcoming MGS:V, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Despite this, MGS:GZ does still offer a lot to do for what it is. In fairness, I only paid $13 for it, whereas it launched on consoles at a full $60. I can't say I'd pay that much for this product, but one of the advantages of doing so much of my gaming on PC is that I rarely have to.

Speaking of PC, this is actually a return to the platform for MGS, since the last several entries have been console releases only. How does it hold as a port, and more importantly, is it worth even playing?

Peaceful Walker

Side missions take place during the day, allowing you to see the camp a little better.

Being a short game, GZ has a shockingly normal story for the series. The setup takes place directly after Peace Walker and you once again play as Naked Snake, AKA Big Boss. Boss also showed up in my favorite MGS game (and the only one I've beaten so far) MGS 3: Snake Eater.

Being a sequel to these two games, GZ once again takes place in the past, specifically 1975. It's not quite as low-fi as Peace Walker or Snake Eater, but there's still no radar system and most of the technology you use is somewhat antiquted, from the older weapons to first gen night vision.

The whole game takes place in a secret US black-site operation on the tip of Cuba. Two characters from Peace Walker have been kidnapped and are being held for interrogation and Boss has decided to rescue them himself. All of this is happening during a UN inspection of Mother Base's recently acquired nuclear stockpile, lending an urgency to the mission.

Despite it's length, GZ does still allow for plenty of exposition, tying some loose ends from Peace Walker and setting up perfectly for MGS:V. It's not a big game, but it is important, and the story it tells has the telltale cinematic flair we've come to love and appreciate from Hideo Kojima.

Kept You Waiting

The entire camp is open for exploration, and offers plenty of places to hide.

Gameplay is the standard stealth action affair, emphasizing avoidance over direct confrontation. Your opponents this time are all US soldiers, and while Boss doesn't technically have a home, it does offer a grounded reason to resort to non-lethal combat.

I haven't played MGS:4, so I don't know how similar the gameplay is, but I have played Peace Walker and Snake Eater, and I can say that the controls and stealth in GZ is a step up from both. You can once again crouch and move, and even move slower to reduce noise completely. Camera control is once again completely free, with fixed cameras no where in sight, allowing you to look around as you move forward.

Stealth in particular is much easier to execute, and I found it very simple, at least on the easier difficulty, to avoid detection as I used a combination of distractions and well timed ducking to stay out of sight. If you do get spotted there's a new reaction feature, giving you a few seconds of slowed down time to decide what to do, either shoot your detector, or deal with them another way. This can make the game feel to easy, and it's a dangerous crutch, but turning it off felt equally masochistic, and considering the otherwise difficulty of sneaking around, I found it to be a great addition.

Overall, the game just plays great. There's still the psychotic level of detail and re-activity, allowing you to start toying with the game as you discover new ways to break it. Most importantly, it plays like a modern stealth game should, and it makes it easy to jump into.

Rain Slicked Eve

Despite his age, Snake proves more then capable.

Graphically GZ continues the MGS standard of pushing graphical boundaries, and it's a great looking game. It's likely in direct competition with GTA V for the best looking PS3/360 game, and even on next gen consoles or a decent PC it looks amazing. The lighting is top notch, and the water effects on everything give the game a great slick look. Even in the day the Prison yard looks great, with small trees and bushes blowing in the wind, and insane amounts of details put into every texture.

Similarly, the character models of everyone look awesome. I can't confirm it, but it really felt like there were individual character textures for each enemy in the game, almost like I really was dealing with individuals. Snake, despite his age, looks great too, with loads of gear and a slew of animations that make him feel alive. I was disappointed that character mouths don't always move when talking, but it's a minor issue.

There's only a little bit of music in the game, but it sounds great, be it classic 70's music piping from a cassette, or the in-game music that plays during heightened moments. It all fits great and sounds even better, setting a mood perfectly.

Similarly voice acting is amazing, once again in line with the series as a whole. There's only a few characters, but their voice work is decent across the board. It's worth noting that Snake himself is no longer voiced by series veteran David Hayter, rather 24 star Keifer Sutherland fills the iconic role. I don't know if Hayer would have been better, but for making Snake sound older and gruffer, Sutherland does a great job. Snake doesn't speak all that much in GZ, so we'll need to wait until MGS:V proper to see if Sutherland is up to the gig.

The Boss

moving between cover can occasional expose you, and you'll need patience to move forward.

Overall, despite it's position as an extended tech demo, GZ is a pretty great game. The main mission won't take long to complete, but, at least on PC, there's four side missions that all rival it in length. There's collectibles to find, and each mission has an easy and a hard mode, as well as a grading system for real completionists. If you're a fan of the series, there's plenty to do and see in GZ.

As an hors d'oeuvre for this September's MGS:V, GZ does an excellent job, since when I finished it I was legitimately excited for that release. It shows off that the MGS games can work in an open-world environment, and that everything great about the series has been preserved perfectly. The PC version looks and runs great, and I have high hopes for the full game later this year. If it's just an extended commercial, then it's a damn fine one.

Looking at: Tomb Raider 2013

First Lady

this is Lara as we've never seen her before, and that's a good thing. 

Talk about games long enough and the topic will likely touch upon female characters in games. There's no denying the lack of great female protagonists in game, so much so that there's only a handful of notable names. Arguably the most controversial of these is Lara Croft, the short-shorts wearing, gun-wielding heroine of the long running Tomb Raider series.

Ms. Croft has one of the most turbulent histories of any hero, regardless of sex. Everything from her outfits, to fan-made modifications, to the actual quality of her games has been scrutinized over the years. Finally Lara got what every character fears most, a reboot in the form of a new origin story seeing her face her first challenges as a young adult.

Like most reboots, Tomb Raider13 would be a "departure" from the previous games. Thankfully, unlike Eidos' attempts to reboot Hitman, or whatever the fuck they call Thief, the Tomb Raider reboot is not only a great game, but one of the best in it's perspective series.

Dragon's Tooth

Lara often finds herself alone to reflect, for better or for worse.

Departure is the key word here, as TR13 is completely separated from the rest of the series, save of course for the heroine. Once again you strap on the boots of Lara Croft, this time in her early twenties, as she traverses some foreign land in search of treasure. At least, that's what the set up is.

In reality the expedition into a south Asian island chain known as the Dragon's Triangle, inspired by the real-world Devil's Sea. The place is supposedly cursed by ravenous storms that tear ships apart and, sure enough, Lara and co. find their ship... torn apart. Stranded on an island it quickly becomes apparent that all is not well, especially after making contact with the crazed gun wielding rape cult that inhabits the Japanese ruins.

The island itself is a pretty cool setting, littered with awesome vistas, ancient temples, and forgot Japanese war bunkers. There are leaps in the logic, but the world feels well constructed enough and transitions are believable most of the time. There is an odd amount of ancient wooden structures situated in/on cliffs, but these often contribute to the great action scenes, so it's sort of forgivable. Even better is there's a tonne of lore scattered around the island telling a variety of different stories about the various inhabitants, everyone from the ancient islanders, to WW2 vets, and even the insane cult you face down through the game. It's great world building and adds a lot of detail.

It's a world worth exploring too. While the game is decidedly linear, there's a lot of hidden rewards for exploring off the beaten path. Being a modern action game, there's also an RPG system where Lara can upgrade her equipment and abilities slowly over time using salvage scavenged from the world. It's a bit of a strange system, and there's some leaps in logic as this archaeology student MacGyver's an AK47 out of an old Japanese machinegun and some scrap metal.

Beaten and Battered

Despite the shift in tone, there's no shortage of tombs to raid.

TR13 is a much different game from it's predecessors when it comes to the tone and story. Whereas the earlier games were bubble-gum pop this is hard punk metal, screaming in defiance of it's own parentage. Lara and her friends are in a shitty situation and the game makes damn sure you know that as angry men swear and shoot at you. There's more then a few brushes with death and horrors far beyond any mummies from the first game. This is a gritty reboot in every sense of the world.

Even more terrifying is what the game is willing to do to Lara herself. There's no reverence for the character this time around, and she's far from invincible. Just getting through the story will beat the hell out of her. God help you if you fail one of the game's action sequences however, as your reward for this is seeing Lara get mutilated in ways that would make most horror games puke. She'll be stabbed, beaten, and generally tossed around like a ragdoll to an almost shocking degree. There's no doubt that TR13 is trying to distance itself from the old games, but it's almost shocking how far it goes with it.

The story itself is well told, with a small collection of characters. You're never confused as to what's happening and there's constant incentive to continue through as the situations get more and more ridiculous and the stakes get higher and higher. I guarantee there's at least a few dozen god-awful version of this script that came dangerously close to getting released, but thankfully what's on offer is well done and fits the game perfectly.

Scenic Vistas

Things rarely go well for Lara or her friends, and you'll be on the run throughout the game.

Graphically TR13 is pretty good looking. It does a great job of creating a real sense of place and mood on the island, and there's a lot of detail that makes each location feel more believable. There's a good variety of locals too, with forests, bunkers, ancient castles, and shanty towns all begging to be explored.

Character animations are awesome too, which is good considering how much stuff can be going on at once. There is the occasional strangeness, like getting caught on stairs, and Lara's "scramble" is almost hilarious in it's franticness, but it's all serviceable.

More over, the audio design is great. The voice over work is phenomenal, with every character delivering a lot of personality. Lara is the main star, and her newest VO actress has done a great job, especially considering all the shit the character goes through this time around. All of the main cast sound well done and believable, and enemies have enough unique dialogue that repeats are rare.

Survival of the fittest 

The constant shift in landscapes will keep you on your toes throughout the game.

TR13 seems like a game that wasn't really supposed to be as good as it is. Like I said, it's almost a guarantee that there are several late beta version of this game that are absolutely unplayable. It's a dark, gritty, mature reboot of a franchise best known for booty shorts and second rate platforming. There's no way this should've worked.

And yet, despite that TR13 hits it out of the park. The story is well told, the characters believable enough to care about, the action intense, hell even the platforming works better then the old ones. Tomb Raider 13's biggest issue isn't that anything in the game is bad, it's that it almost completely obsolete's all of it's predecessors with how great it is. Lara may have gone through some rough patches, but she back and better then ever.

Looking at: Max Payne 3

What's in a Name?

From it's opening moments, Max Payne 3 promises explosive action.

Max Payne is likely the most aptly named character in video games, save perhaps the actual characters of War and Death in the Darksider series. Despite his relative humble beginnings, Max is a man who's only real skill is in dealing pain and death to anyone in his way. For his third outing Max decides to take his unique brand of justice to the crime filled streets of Sao Paulo in one of the bloodiest, angriest action games I've ever played.

The Max Payne series has never received as much attention as some other classic games, perhaps owing to the fact that despite being in existence for over ten years there's only three games in the entire series. The first game, released in 2001 by Remedy (who would later go on to make the Alan Wake series) was an interesting break from other games of the time, with the dark noir story of Max's struggle do deal with his murdered wife and daughter. The second game in 2003 saw Max now dealing with forces much larger then him as he attempted to aid the fem fatale Mona Sax in her quest for answers.

The IP lay dormant for some time as Rockstar and Remedy parted ways, but finally Max returned to the small screen in 2012, this time courtesy of Rockstar themselves and despite sharing the same name, this was a whole new game.

Dime-store Angel of Death

Dynamic comic-book panels break up the numerous cutscenes.

If you didn't play Max Payne 1&2 don't worry, as the events of those two games are barely referenced at all, and it's clear that Rockstar were distancing the series from the original games. The set up is that Max is a disgraced former NYPD officer turned alcoholic, and has found work as a private security guard for one of the wealthiest families in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Things quickly go wrong as the family is repeatedly targeted and kidnapped by a local gang called the Comando Sombra and Max finds himself fighting a seemingly endless roundabout of people trying to kill him.

It's a dark and twisted story, owing much to the noir films of old. Max is older, angrier and almost suicidal throughout the experience and shows a lot more character then in the older games. This is helped by a great performance from James McCaffrey, who also provided the mo-cap for Max. All around the production value is Rockstar's normal quality of absolutely astounding with top quality acting and motion capture all around.

It's the character of Max that's likely the most interesting part of Max Payne 3. Like I said, this Max is older and angrier, and his inner demons have certainly done an impressive number on his psyche. He's a pill-popping drunk, and a few years of inactivity has put some meat on his once athletic body. There's more then a few grey hairs on his head, at least before he shaves it all off, and his beard is a tell-tale sign of a man that no longer takes care of himself. This is Max Payne for the new decade, tired of everything around him and constantly wishing that the next bullet will put him out of his misery.

Payne Killer

A moment of relative peace in Max's turbulent travels.

Make no mistake, there will be a lot of bullets. Payne attracts more unwanted attention then most other protagonists combined and despite it's noir narrative this is one of the most action-heavy shooters in a long time. Exact numbers are hard to come by, but it's estimated that throughout the 8-10 hour campaign you'll gun down north of 500 people, all in gruesome detail. You'll blow up cars, drive boats, and most importantly, fling yourself around in unscripted John Woo-esque slow motion dives to score fatal headshots and avoid enemy fire.

Rockstar has stated that they've purposely never made a first person shooter (prior to GTA V HD), and they consider Max Payne the closest they've ever gotten. What that means is that Max Payne 3 is, without any doubt, one of the smoothest, most fluid third person shooters I've ever played. Few games ever achieve the type of action that Max Payne 3 creates and, with very few exceptions, the game is able to constantly deliver damn near perfect gameplay. Everything in Max Payne 3 works flawlessly, whether it's popping out from behind cover to take down an enemy or flinging yourself through the air.

You'll do a lot of flinging, probably more then Max's body should be able to take. You'll do this because it slows time to a crawl and lets you score headshots. You'll do this because you'll constantly need to avoid enemy fire to stay alive. You'll do this because god DAMN it looks cool to spray bullets as you descend from the heavens like a heavily armed messiah. Bullet Time has always been a trademark of the Payne series and here it's reached it's absolute pinnacle. Despite the cover system in place I often found myself lunging towards waves of enemies, taking them head on as I rolled around the geography returning fire with ease.

Facilitating this constant flinging in Rockstar's in-house animation and physics engine, appropriately named the RAGE engine. RAGE first saw use in GTA IV, but here it's been refined to perfection, with frighteningly realistic animations. While the animations and physics on Max looks great, the engine really shines in the firefights, where it creates constant cinematic experiences dynamically.

Elite Squad

Throughout the game Max remarks on the divide between rich and poor in Brazil.

That's the key word in Max Payne 3: Cinematic. This is cinematic gaming at it's absolute best, never sacrificing the actual game for the movie-like experience. Max Payne 3 constantly feels like a high end action film in the best way possible, something like The Raid or John Wick. Not to dumb, but simple enough to understand.

Problematically, this leads to some of Max Payne 3's biggest issues. First and foremost is the linearity of the game. I'm all for a straight-forward game sure, but Max Payne 3 is linear almost to a fault, occasionally actively discouraging any exploration with Max himself chiding you for taking to long. There is a bit or replayability, thanks to the included arcade mode and hidden collectibles, but you'd be forgiven for only playing this game once.

There are other stumbles, like occasional glitches in animation. The worst one is during a last stand, where you're given one chance to kill the man that shot you in return for a second chance at life, the camera becomes locked and you won't be able to actually hit your target. It's a bit hard to explain, but if it happens it can ruin a good run.

Max Payne's pacing is also all over the place, acting like less of a rollercoaster and more of a ship at sea caught between several separate storms at once. The story makes like Max himself and constantly flings itself in several directions, ranging from Hollywood action to morose self reflection in just seconds time. It's jarring, and maybe in a certain light refreshing, but newcomers to the series might not get what's happening and can be turned off.

Long Hard Goodbye. 

Max is constantly living in a world of shifting shades of grey, with almost no real moral compass.

Max Payne may not have received the following some of his early 2000's counterparts did. No one cos-plays as Max Payne and there hasn't been a slew of sequels. But none of that really matters because Max Payne is a fun, enjoyable, and interesting game to play and stands a reminder of why Rockstar is considered one of the best developers in the industry.

Max Payne is shooting perfection, and a rare type of game in today's market. With a strong script, great voice work, excellent animation and visuals, and explosive action, Max Payne 3 is a game that reminds me why I like games so much. It's a hard-boiled, no-nonsense game and it's a hell of a good time.