Finished the game just minutes ago.
Well, my opinion is that it was the best piece of interactive entertainment i've ever experienced. It was the most emotional game. It was awesome to play, and awesome to watch.
You know, one could easily argue how MGS isn't as advanced, and doesn't progress the gameplay arena like others before it. You certainly spend a huge amount of time watching the game, and you could easily argue that it's bad game design. I know, i agree. But i also think that, we should stop thinking "Tetris" and start thinking "Interactive Entertainment". That's what i do.
Going into this gen, i expected certain things, gameplay wise, presentation wise, expectations that come from someone who likes games that allow him to be in the shoes of a character that finds himself in the middle of a game world and game sequences that look like they came out from the big screen, cinema.
I feel that Gears of War laid out a visual benchmark, that allowed certain things like mood to be achieved, visuals so good that you don't mind just watching the game. Call of Duty 4 was to me the first game that made me feel like i was playing something that was just as thrilling as any great action movie, honestly, even more thrilling. It felt like when i played MGS1, but the scale was just, worlds apart.
Mass Effect albeit flawed, did a wonderful job of making you feel like a hero in a world of villains, with plots and twists too. GTAIV did a wonderful job imo in doing something a bit more serious and more believable.
MGS4 is this cheesy but awesome action epic that is a true gem this side of gaming. I can guarantee you that when you play MGS4, you will feel that you've never played something as massive from a production level as MGS4, you never saw any game delivering you this kind of content this way. Never. This game is a juggernaut, and you feel it when you play it, and by the time it's over you will be wondering if you will ever play something this big again.
Game of the year, game of the forever, game of the month, i don't give a shit about those labels, it's not about that. It's about how unique it is, and how it marks you as an entertainment fan. It's a game that will stay long in your memory, it's a game that will make your jaw drop at how good it looks, it's a game that will have your heart racing with each boss you face, it's a game that will make you smile with each little detail you find, and it's a game that sometimes will have you rolling your eyes at how pretentious it sounds, at how corny it sounds sometimes, and if you are a fan like i am, that have dedicated countless hours to this franchise since MGS1, it's a game that will reward you and will make you feel "emotional" at points during the game.
This game is a game worth buying, this game deserves to be bought. It's pretty awesome guys, let all those fanboy labels, all the system wars crap aside, and play this game if you can.
EDIt: Just to add that this is the biggest MGS game, length wise. Sometimes people say "MGs3 takes at least 15 hours" etc, those people either suck at the game or are full of shit. I played this game at a standard pace, and it took me 20 hours. It's big, it's really big.
