"War has changed..."

"War has changed", says Old Snake. And so too, has Metal Gear Solid. Guns of the Patriots begins not with the slow trawl of Snake Eater, but placing the player in the war-torn Middle Eastern stage of previous trailers – and straight in front of MGS's most nimble, mobile Metal Gear yet, the Gekko.

Gekko Gear

It's a baptism of fire if ever there was one. Ten-feet-plus tall and possessing powerful, tentacle-like legs, Guns of the Patriots' agile mech Gekko can jump buildings, smash through walls and dig its limbs into stone in pursuit of a fleeing Snake. You never feel safe, inducing a panic perfectly in keeping with the series' sneaking roots, but here transplanted to the sandy streets of some nondescript eastern city, lined with militia fighting a fierce guerrilla war against Liquid Ocelot's PMCs. The clinical corridors of Shadow Moses and Big Shell suddenly seem safe; halcyon with hindsight.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots gives an immediate sense that this wrinkled, cynical Snake has been shunted into a conflict he neither belongs to, nor advocates. Otacon calls in via Codec to remind you of this, encouraging you to crouch, sneak – even worm – your way past firefights, blending into the background thanks to the new, texture-copying Octocamo, the all-in-one goggle, Solid Eye, and the mobile reconaissance of the stealth-equipped Metal Gear Mk.II robot.

But avoiding them outright proves a nigh-on impossibility as road blocks, building bottlenecks and endless rubble funnel you down one of a few, treacherous paths, bullets ricocheting and screams erupting with glorious, bloody abandon. You'll have to engage the enemy at some point – even gaining favour with the side you help. Just make sure to avoid that Gekko - you can't hope to take one down this early on.

Yes, war has certainly changed.

Advanced gear

Snake has also changed – prematurely aged, given six months to live and increasingly grumpy. His gear, too, has advanced, building upon and refining the features of past games to make this a faster, smoother stealth-em-up.

Where Snake Eater saw minutes of camo-altering menu hopping, Guns of the Patriots Octocamo works on auto, changing on-the-fly after a few seconds lying prone. MGS3's Stamina gauge meanwhile becomes Stress and Psyche in Metal Gear Solid 4, altering depending on Snake's approach to the battlefield. It sounds complex, but it's kept in check easily enough with the right foods and other stim items, rarely getting in the way of gameplay.

Which is fantastic, by the way. The free-floating cam, first introduced in Subsistence, is improved here, making you wonder how you ever played a Metal Gear without it. Control feels fluid, mixing a Gears of War style over-the-shoulder shooting view with a first-person option, and a far smoother transition from crawling, to skulking and outright sprinting. It perfectly suits the busier, grittier battlefield, Octocamo-enhanced stealth and the multiple routes, combining for a stylish sandbox feel.

Drebin gear

The MGS4 sandbox is improved exponentially by Drebin, Metal Gear Solid 4's answer to Resident Evil 4's weapon merchant. Within Metal Gear's new War Economy, gun launderers like Drebin make a killing feeding militia and PMCs with stock. Drebin's shop can be found in the pause menu, where Snake can unlock ID-tagged weapons, plus buy brand new firearms and mods, all purchased with Drebin Points accrued by picking up excess firepower throughout Guns of the Patriots. It adds another degree of replayability to a series famed for return play.

There are certain things we aren't allowed to talk about at this stage. We can't detail cutscene length and frequency – though it's fair to say that MGS is renowned for its cinematics, and Metal Gear Solid 4 isn't reinventing the franchise. Guns of the Patriots will win few new converts, though the option to pause and skip both cutscenes and Codec dialogues will be welcomed by all. We're also not at liberty to mention the number or length of chapters – but we can say that, if all stages take as long as our Middle East runthrough, MGS4 may trump even Snake Eater for sheer size.

But it's the little touches that will define if fans fall in love with Metal Gear Solid 4 the same way they did with the PSone original. From the standard-setting visuals – Snake's world would make Altair green with envy – to the humour – Rat Patrol's Akiba had us in stitches – to knowing nods and returning injokes – a cardboard box with 'No Place For Hideo' written on its side – and the control scheme – slightly tweaked for online-friendly play, with aiming and fire on the shoulder buttons – there's little doubt that this is a special, special game.

Bumper Gear

Add in the sneak-tastic Metal Gear Online, and you've got an epic, bumper package that few titles can top. Indeed, Metal Gear Solid 4 compiles the best bits of recent popular releases – the believability of Assassin's Creed's environments, the intense warzone of Call of Duty, Gears of War-esque third-person shooting and stealth that refines the already successful Snake Eater – for what's all set to be the PlayStation 3's biggest, boldest and arguably best exclusive release yet.

War has changed. Viva la revolution.

Preview by: Mark 'Solid' Scott
Version Tested: PS3
Preview Published: 08.05.08