Metal Gear Solid 4 gameplay revealed

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Metal Gear Solid 4 (MGS 4) on the PS3 is big news. The game has been in the limelight ever since it was announced - we have seen a couple of videos, even some teasers; but it was only a few weeks back that its gameplay video was released.

I am a self-proclaimed MGS freak, and like any other MGS fan, I couldn't wait to see the video. What I saw finally was just beyond words, so I wanted to share my experience...

The demo starts off with Solid Snake standing in an old wrecked building. The gameplay video isn't the best quality, but even then one can discern the clear and detailed graphics, undoubtedly one of the best looking games in history. The video is presented by Hideo Kojima and controlled by Hiroaki Yoshiike. At first, the camera is focused around Snake, giving you a glimpse of his immediate surroundings - an old ruined building.

MGS 4 is a stealth game that is based in an open battlefield. Snake has a Solid Eye attached to him, he uses it to scan the battlefield before infiltrating it. After looking around and zooming in to a great extent, he can see a group of soldiers advancing towards him; these are soldiers of country A, as Hideo calls them. In the game, there are two factions fighting against each other and Snake can choose to join forces with either one, or be neutral.

There are a few places to hide in the battlefield; as the soldiers approach Snake, he looks for a place to hide and spots a statue in front of him that comprises of two figures. Using his unique camouflage suit which employs a new technique called Octocamo, Snake chooses the "Statue Camouflage" and stands still next to the two figures. In effect, the soldiers come towards him and pass him by without noticing him. Snake then moves out and starts taking down the enemy troops one by one. Here he showcases his new CQC (Close Quarters Combat) techniques which now enable him to gain more information and supplies from the enemy-troops before knocking them down. Snake's new camouflage takes place in real-time; basically it will gain the texture of the surface you come in contact with within a few seconds. Say, if he lays face-down on a tiled floor, his suit will adapt and change to the texture of the tiles in a few seconds. This helps him hide himself even in an open area like a battlefield. Snake can now disarm the enemy and take his weapon; and with new CQC moves, he can choke the enemy until they pass out.

Snake isn't a killer; he makes his way around the battlefield stunning people, and avoids carnage as much as he can. In the demo, he has his usual weapons along with some new ones. There's this standard "silenced-pistol" that he uses to put the enemy troops to sleep, namely - his tranquilizer. He also has a new knife that produces a large electric shock that instantly knocks down an enemy. Snake has a new unique set of moves as well - he can now roll on the floor to avoid detection, and also slowly crawl behind an enemy while he is face-down on the floor.

Whilst equipped with a gun, Snake will now have an over-the-shoulder view, something similar to Gears of War. This enables him to shoot better, while keeping an eye out for other enemy troops as the field of vision is bigger. Snake's trusty old cardboard box that he used to hide in closets and other closed-rooms will now be replaced by an old barrel. The barrel makes more sense as it can deflect a few bullets and help Snake roll faster, and knock-down enemies simultaneously. But remember, he will end up puking after a long roll.

Another old accessory that has been refurbished is the trusty old "Magazine". Remember the guy-magazine that was supposed to contain semi-nude females that Snake used in the previous games to distract patrolling troops? I say "supposed to contain" because one could never really see those pictures. This time around due to the high graphical ability of the PS3 and the new MGS engine, these magazines will contain highly detailed pictures; another step to keep the perverts glued to their TV screens.

Later in the game, Snake comes in contact with his trusted ally Otacon, but not in person. Otacon contacts and communicates with Snake using a small robot that is also called Metal Gear, that has a small screen and speaker which Otacon uses to talk to Snake. Snake can control the robot to scan and scout areas for him. He uses a PS3 controller to control the robot in the game. The robot, although ineffective in battle, can stun an enemy troop using an extended wire.

The demo was around 15 minutes, it gives a glimpse of what to expect from the game. After watching it, I have to admit that the game looks amazingly detailed and life-like; it is clearly one of the best looking games today. We all know of Hideo Kojima's ability to tell us a great story and provide us with awesome gameplay; this snippet seems promising enough to reinstate his abilities.

I have covered much from the demo, but do see it yourself from here :-

http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/english/index.html

[Phalanx]

Yeah...I've seen some pre-release material on the PS3 at work.
Very nice looking game, looks a LOT better than the last few MGS titles.
I've never got into them myself, but this one makes me want to backtrack.
One of the best looking PS3 titles I've seen - The camo effects are insane.

I say "supposed to contain" because one could never really see those pictures. This time around due to the high graphical ability of the PS3 and the new MGS engine, these magazines will contain highly detailed pictures; another step to keep the perverts glued to their TV screens.

True. You can look at them.
There's other collectable items this time 'round too.

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The backgrounds and gameplay are amazing and detailed to perfection. I bet MGS 4 will have a killer soundtrack too.

I cant wait for this one to release.:cool:

[Phalanx]

I just gotta get a PS3 myself so I can start playing around with all the pre-release stuff we get in the office...

I bet MGS 4 will have a killer soundtrack too.

Can't name any artists, but what I've heard is pretty cool, atmospheric spy-type stuff with rock and tech themes