Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots PlayStation 3

Released on 12/06/2008

• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Preview

  "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.

  You never feel safe, inducing a panic perfectly in keeping with the series' sneaking roots.

  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.

  The busier, grittier battlefield, Octocamo-enhanced stealth and multiple routes combine for a stylish sandbox feel.

  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.

  All set to be the PlayStation 3's biggest, boldest and arguably best exclusive release yet.

  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

  Published: 09/05/2008

• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Review

  Solid Gold.

  There's this bit in the original Metal Gear Solid. You're in a vent, and from your lowly first-person vantage point you see a guard. You soon realise; in a few seconds you'll be stood behind him in plain sight – either throttling him senseless, or getting shot to pieces. So you watch his patrol route and wait. With just one chance to get it right, you steel your nerves and move. It's all or nothing. Now or never.

  Back in 1999, such tense, patient, intelligent gameplay was unheard of. Forget your Mario 64s and Half Lifes – for PSone owners, this was polygon gaming's real paradigm shift.

  Memorable

  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has many memorable moments, but one stands out. It's that first time a PMC soldier strolls past an OctoCamo-concealed Old Snake, ripe for stealthy slaughter. In that instant you realise; Guns of the Patriots is a nine-year refinement of Metal Gear Solid.

  Guns of the Patriots is a nine-year refinement of Metal Gear Solid.

  Indeed, Metal Gear Solid 4 is exactly what creator Hideo Kojima wanted the series to be. Longwinded; layered in dialogue and political discussion almost entirely out of place in 'a mere videogame'. Pretentious; preaching its virtues of freedom and anti-censorship with unedited abandon. And for long slogs, entirely non-interactive; steeped heavily in cinematics that convey its rich, convoluted narrative.

  And it's bloody brilliant.

  Because Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is, like its forebears, a clever game; full of sophisticated sneaking, gadgets galore and superbly tense atmosphere. It's also a knowing game; boasting self-referential humour, mid-cutscene flashbacks and memory triggers at every turn, designed to captivate existing fans, win back those lost after MGS2, and blow away newcomers; selling PS3's in the process.

  Genius or madman?
  

  With so much riding on it, Metal Gear Solid 4 is all or nothing for Kojima, too. And like Sons of Liberty, Guns of the Patriots delivers – but at a price.

  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the most Metal Gear MGS ever, flaunting MGS conventions from stealth to set pieces and wrapping up loose ends in typically hammed-up, elaborately cinematic fashion. For diehard fans this will be nirvana, showcasing the height of Hideo's creative ambition. Detractors will say the opposite – that a 20+ hour game spent one third watching displays the peak of Kojima's productive lunacy.

  Few could argue that this is the most ambitious, well-polished, cinematic gaming experience ever.

  But its credentials as a stealth game cannot be questioned. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots' chameleon-esque OctoCamo allows for truly play-as-you-like sneaking, and the fresh battlefield feel places Snake in the crossfire between PMC troops and rival militia, asking you to pick your side or ignore them altogether. For this, the Solid Eye is essential in distinguishing friend from foe; the remote-controlled Metal Gear Mk.II can sneak up on and electrocute enemies; and all the time Snake's Stress and Psyche meters need to be kept in check.

  When spotted, Metal Gear Solid 4 proves an equally accomplished action game. New shooter-style controls, over-the-shoulder aiming and a quick-toggle FPS view are enhanced further by Drebin Points, which encourage salvaging firearms to buy new weapons, ammo and mods from the pause menu. It all makes Metal Gear Solid 4 refreshingly diverse, and richly replayable.

  Stunning production
  

  It's also powerfully presented. A few low-res textures aside, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots looks astounding, sounds supreme, and has direction to match the best Hollywood blockbusters. The story may be hard to follow for non fans, but few could argue that this is the most ambitious, well-polished, cinematic gaming experience ever.

  Yet also a fractured one. Metal Gear Solid 4 doesn't build to a crescendo like Snake Eater, instead shifting focus drastically from stealth to story in its final few hours, pushing atmosphere, nostalgia and narrative at the expense of early chapters' stylish sneaking – climaxing with a cheesy 70 minute cutscene which would make Peter Jackson proud.

  So much depth, so many injokes, inventive touches and surprise twists that this should be looked upon as a standout title of its generation.

  That's Kojima for you, though. His games have always been divisive, and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots pulls no punches. Yet there's so much depth to both gameplay and plot, so many injokes, inventive touches and surprise twists that this closing chapter to the Solid Snake story should, much like the first, be looked upon as a standout title of its generation.

  There's Metal Gear Online, too. A curious attempt at blending stealth with a multiplayer shooter, it doesn't always work, but playing as or hunting down a camo-concealed Snake in MGO's signature Sneaking Mode alone deserves a cult following. It's lite on levels, which should be sated with download content, but the fact that you need to pay for more than one character per console is annoying. Not everyone will take to it, but MGO's individuality makes it worth sampling.

  System seller

  And in a way, that's indicative of MGS4 – oozing quality and ideas, but not always balancing them, and packing idiosyncrasies plenty will adore, but a few will dismiss outright. Nonetheless, Metal Gear Solid 4 deserves its place as the PS3's most hyped system-seller. It's a unique, compelling and complete fan service, a supreme celebration of a stunning series, and fitting send-off for one of gaming's greatest characters.

  So long, Snake. Thanks for the memories.

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • The most ambitious, cinematic, lavishly produced, lovingly nuanced videogame you're likely to play for many a year.
  • So many ways to play; stunning stealth, accomplished action - many months of replay value.
  • The most Metal Gear MGS ever: a truly emotive, nostalgic fan service, and a powerful, fitting finale to the Solid Snake saga.

  

  • At one third of the game's entire 20+ hours, cutscenes will be as divisive here as ever in the series.
  • The opening half is MGS4's best, with lengthy cutscenes and force-fed nostalgia making up much of the final few chapters.
  • Not made for newcomers: the story will confuse non-fans, and long breaks in play may frustrate many.

  Review by: Mark 'Meme Gene Scene Sense' Scott
  Version Tested: PS3
  Review Published: 18.06.08

  Published: 18/06/2008

• History of Metal Gear Solid Series

  "Choose your own legacy."
  

  The History of Metal Gear Solid

  
  

  Metal Gear Solid is one of the most revered game series ever. A unique mix of stealth, storytelling and style, Hideo Kojima's Tactical Espionage Action blends engrossing story, inspired direction and philosophical debate with genuine humour, hilarious quirks, brilliant boss battles and ingenious design decisions. If there's another game that features hiding in a cardboard box, we've yet to play it.

  Yet Metal Gear Solid is gaming marmite. Detractors consider it the work of a frustrated film director and more interactive movie than game. Fans, however, adore its intricate plotting, post-modern spin and sophisticated sneaking. So as Snake's final mission sidles into view, we've taken the opportunity to look back at Metal Gear Solid's highs and lows, based upon six key themes.

  Still confused with the story? Check out our MGS Timeline!
  

  
  Gear - Metal Gear Begins (MSX & NES, 1987, 1990)

  Also: Snake's Revenge (non-Canon)(NES, 1990)

  While the first Metal Gear Solid hit UK shores in 1999, the Metal Gear saga, minus the 'Solid', began in 1987. MSX and NES Metal Gear and its 1990 Japan-only MSX sequel, Metal Gear: Solid Snake introduced Solid Snake, his covert government unit FOXHOUND, and his one-man mission to rid the world of the titular nuclear-equipped mobile battle tank.

  Sneaking past patrolling enemy soldiers who attacked only if they spotted you, was the height of sophistication.

  But it was the unusual concept of a hide and seek videogame which was creator Hideo Kojima's inspiration. In an era of side-scrolling platformers and rudimentary artificial intelligence, to be tasked with sneaking past patrolling enemy soldiers who attacked only if they spotted you, and would hunt you down if you hid, was the height of sophistication.

  The plot was special too, laced with subterfuge, double-crosses and genuine shocks. FOXHOUND commander, Big Boss, was unveiled as the first game's terrorist leader, and in the sequel as Snake's own father which didn't stop Snake killing him in an emotive, bittersweet 8bit finale. Epic and gripping even in 2D, Metal Gear 1 and 2 remain landmarks in videogame history. Both can be found as bonuses on MGS3: Subsistence.

  
  Gene - Metal Gear Solid (PSone, 1999)

  Also: MGS: VR Missions (1999), MGS: The Twin Snakes (GC, 2003), MGS: Digital Graphic Novel (PSP, 2006)

  Twelve years on and Metal Gear Solid arrived on Sony's market-leading PlayStation. Snake's mission was to infiltrate Alaska's Shadow Moses Island and stop renegade unit FOXHOUND, made up of Revolver Ocelot, Vulcan Raven, Sniper Wolf, Psycho Mantis, Decoy Octopus and their enigmatic leader Liquid Snake, launching a nuclear strike. But unbeknownst to Snake and the player, he was merely a vessel for FOXIDE, a deadly virus carried by the nanomachines inside his body, designed to target the terrorist's DNA.

  It was a stellar success. The top-down viewpoint, on-screen enemy radar, sneaky gadget-packed 3D gameplay and thrill-ride story surpassed anything in the genre. Metal Gear Solid was a clever game. Taking out enemy soldiers required sweaty-palmed planning and ruthless execution. One false move and you'd be hunted by gun-toting terrorists as a timer ticked tensely down.

  And it was inventive. One boss required you to swap joypad ports to stop him reading your thoughts. Kojima even had gamers scratching their heads looking for a radio frequency. 'It's on the box' you're told. Cue players frantically scouring Snake's inventory and gameworld. As it turned out, it was found in a screenshot on the back of the game's own box.

  Inspired in design and satisfying at its conclusion, this was one of the great games of its era.

  Metal Gear Solid remains one of the few games to make gamers think outside of the confines of its world. It also wasn't afraid to reference its rich back-story, causing players to read up on the events of the old NES games. Few videogame narratives offer such depth.

  The theme of Metal Gear Solid was Gene. Its closing act revealed Snake and Liquid to be clones of Big Boss; products of a project to create the perfect soldier, called Les Enfants Terrible. By sneaking past the Genome Army (themselves combat optimised by Big Boss's DNA), eliminating the renegade FOXHOUND, defeating Metal Gear Rex, killing his genetically superior twin Liquid (thanks to FOXDIE), rescuing Rex designer Hal 'Otacon' Emmerich and saving rookie soldier Meryl Silverburgh, Snake proved that his own choices and character mattered more than the legacy of his genes.

  Metal Gear Solid was itself proof that the PlayStation was a gamer's console. Setting new standards for production, inspired in design and satisfying at its conclusion, this was one of the great games of its era. Criticised for being short (12+ hours coasting through, but under 5 if you rushed), and for relying heavily on the dialogue-driven Codec (Snake's in-ear radio) to tell the story, there was still nothing like it. A PS2 sequel topped everyone's most wanted lists.

  Meme - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2, 2002)

  Also: MGS2: Substance, (PS2, Xbox, 2004)

  Hailed as a 'killer app' and delayed in the UK to stifle the Xbox launch, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty proved a controversial follow-up. Consternation centred on the fact that Metal Gear Solid's rock-hard hero Solid Snake was replaced by girly white-haired Raiden for the majority of the game. No-one saw it coming.

  Moreover, Kojima went to town on the plot, confusing with elaborate Codec dialogue, long cutscenes and a bonkers screenplay, enhancing what made MGS1 so divisive. Ocelot now had Liquid Snake's arm grafted to him, which somehow took him over. FOXHOUND were replaced by another set of superpowered freaks called Dead Cell one of which, Vamp, seemed immortal. And a longwinded climax practically told you that everything had been a cover-up. Plenty were perplexed. A disillusioned few swore off the series for life.

  Which was a shame because, between breaks in play, Sons of Liberty was astonishing. For starters, it oozed production values; with unrivalled graphical detail and a soundtrack courtesy of Hollywood Harry Gregson Williams, fronted by a rousing re-edit of the MGS theme.

  Sons of Liberty is, with hindsight, a contradicted game, but still a bonafide blockbuster action-adventure.

  Gameplay followed suit. This was an extrapolation of everything that defined Metal Gear. Refined A.I., a new hold-up technique and some ingeniously designed rooms gave MGS2 a sandbox feel. Lockers, tables, first-person aiming and hiding bodies made sneaking at once tenser, but more open to interpretation. And the big plot twist the Big Brother style Patriots put the entire saga into a new context.

  MGS2 made everything bigger. It showed Kojima wasn't afraid to sacrifice popular opinion to pursue his vision. Impenetrable at its most pretentious but compelling, playable and stupendously surreal at its peak, Sons of Liberty is, with hindsight, a contradicted game, but still a bonafide blockbuster action-adventure.

  It evolved Kojima's storytelling, too. Though controversial, playing as Raiden gave a newfound respect for Snake. The theme also evolved, becoming Meme. Kojima wanted to express that we should pick the ideas, culture and beliefs for us; passing on these memes to shape the future.

  MGS2's story reflected this, seeing Snake and Liquid's older clone brother, Solidus, turning terrorist to rebel against the secret censorship of the all-controlling Patriots. The Patriots became an ominous, faceless, oppressive uber-foe, who have still to be defeated, which is what makes Metal Gear Solid 4 such a tantalising prospect.

  Scene - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2, 2005)

  Also: MGS3: Subsistence, (PS2, 2006)

  The stage firmly set for a climactic battle between Snake, Liquid and The Patriots, Kojima instead made a prequel. Set in the Cold War era, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater starred Snake and Liquid's Dad, Big Boss, in his Darth Vader style turn to evil which led to the events of NES Metal Gear. This was Kojima's Revenge of the Sith.

  The theme, Scene, was something different. Kojima had explored Gene, and genetic legacy. He'd gone into Meme, and handing down values. But Scene focused on adapting to the here and now. It was expressed in the gameplay, with Snake adapting to his jungle surroundings through camouflage and cannibalising wildlife. And it was explored in the narrative, which discussed how values of people, politics and nations change with the times.

  At the same time, Metal Gear Solid 3 detailed the origins of the Patriots; who ultimately pulled the world's political strings, of Metal Gear technology, and of Big Boss himself, known by another codename; Naked Snake.

  Snake Eater starred Snake and Liquid's Dad, Big Boss, in his Darth Vader style turn to evil. This was Kojima's Revenge of the Sith.

  But there was an awful lot of stop-and-start. Cutscenes and Codec conversations were prevalent in the opening quarter of this longest ever, 20+ hour Metal Gear. Healing and feeding menu screens ate into gameplay too. The jungle, meanwhile, presented fewer hiding places. Getting spotted meant running between areas (with long loading screens) or hiding in foliage for minutes at a time. Snake Eater was slow going.

  But when it gathered momentum, MGS3 was a triumph. The 1960's setting made this a low-tech Metal Gear Solid, lacking on-screen radar or hi-spec gadgets, but the story was far easier to follow. Snake's mission to rescue a Soviet scientist and destroy the nuclear-equipped Shagohod tank (the forebear to Metal Gear robots) encompassed memorable characters including a young Ocelot, megalomaniacal cyborg Colonel Volgin, femme fatale Eva, and Snake's mentor, The Boss, accompanied by her team, the Cobras.

  Slow start aside, MGS3's main criticisms lay in the camera, and the Cobras' lack of depth. MGS1 and 2's bosses had intricate personal histories, but here they were simply The Boss's war comrades. Nonetheless, they made for spectacular battles, and when Subsistence re-released MGS3 the following year with a new free-floating camera and online multiplayer, fans and critics were unanimous that Metal Gear Solid 3 was another sneaky Kojima corker.

  Small - Handheld Metal Gears (GBA, PSP)

  As well as the famous home-system versions, the Metal Gear series has spawned a selection of stylish portable spinoffs to varying degrees of success. Here's the handheld titles any true Metal Gear gamer may wish to track down/p>

  • Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (2000): A GameBoy Color title that played a little like the original NES Metal Gears, renamed simply Metal Gear Solid in the west. Starring Solid Snake, the story was later dubbed an 'alternate sequel to Metal Gear' by Kojima.
  • Metal Gear Ac!d 1 & 2 (2005, 2006): Replaced MGS's action with a turn-based card battle system. Not your typical Metal Gear, Ac!d is the most cult release amongst series fans.
  • Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2007): A proper MGS game in shrunken-down form and a direct story sequel to MGS3, again featuring Naked Snake/Big Boss as the main character, this time in the 1970's as he established the fledgling FOXHOUND.
  • Portable Ops pioneered a squad system, allowing players to recruit soldiers and utilise their unique abilities. It also boasted Wi-Fi compatible online multiplayer that took a lot from Subsistence, and proved a huge success for Sony's smaller system.
  • Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (2008): Portable Ops Plus gave gamers extra multiplayer content in the form of new characters (including Raiden), new missions and tutorials, plus a new singleplayer component that put aside story to focus on randomly generated missions. One for fans of the first game's online offering.

  Sense - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3, 2008)

  Underpinning Gene, Meme and Scene of Metal Gear Solids 1 to 3 has been a central theme of passing on information to future generations. MGS1 was Gene. MGS2 was Meme. MGS3's Scene discussed how the times and places we live in dictate the information we see and share. Metal Gear Solid 4's Sense focuses on how perceptions and feelings influence those choices.

  What we know about Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has us extremely excited. In the five years since Sons of Liberty, Snake's clone body has aged considerably. His last mission is to stop Liquid, in control of Ocelot's body, launching a military coup against the United States, secretly controlled by The Patriots.

  Snake's last mission is to stop Liquid Ocelot launching a military coup against the United States, secretly controlled by The Patriots.

  MGS4 will span five global locations including the Middle East, and a snowy area looking suspiciously like MGS1's Shadow Moses, where Snake will face new bosses with familiar codenames; Crying Wolf, Raging Raven, Screaming Mantis and Laughing Octopus. As the final chapter, all remaining stories of an enormous ensemble cast must be tied up especially Snake, pictured holding a gun to his own mouth on several occasions.

  Sense is apparent in Old Snake's new armoury. The Solid Eye combines binoculars, thermal and night vision goggles to one all-purpose sight sense. The Octo Cammo Suit mimics the look of surfaces it touches to conceal Snake from sight. And the Metal Gear Mk.II can scout ahead to stun enemies, becoming an advanced eyes, ears and attack option.

  Sense is also apparent in the new Stress and Psyche system. The explosive MGS4 warzone causes Snake's stress to soar, increasing accuracy and damage resistance for a short while at the expense of psyche, which will eventually crash, affecting stamina and health.

  For its many, many fans Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be a fitting finale to a trailblazing series.

  It promises a constant balancing act, maintained with cigarettes, adult magazines, and stealthier approaches. Those who wish, however, can go gung-ho, earning Drebin Points to buy new weapons from MGS4's gun launderer. And of course, it will all be framed by epic cinematics, evocative sound and the option to see catch-up flashbacks from past Metal Gears.

  But what of the remaining sense? Will MGS4 conclusion leave behind a bitter taste? The proof will be in the playing, but Kojima has promised a true fan service, with the boldest, most Metal Gear MGS ever. The inclusion of Metal Gear Online makes this an immense package, and production values are unparalleled. It may still be marmite, but for its many, many fans Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be a fitting finale to a trailblazing series, a great goodbye to Tactical Espionage Action, and a Sense-sational send-off for Solid Snake.

  Article by: Mark 'Gene' Scott
  Published: 16.05.08

  The History of Metal Gear Solid - Timeline

  1942

  

  • The Manhattan Project, worked on by Otacon's grandfather.
  • The Boss sets up The Cobra Unit, who go on to help win WWII for Allied forces.

  1944

  • The Boss Gives birth to Ocelot, who is taken by The Philosophers.

  1945

  • Hiroshima is bombed. On the same day, Otacon's father is born.

  1947

  • The Boss disbands The Cobras.

  1950

  • Jack becomes a student of The Boss.

  1959

  • The Boss abandons Jack on a mission.

  1964

  Events of Metal Gear Solid 3 Naked Snake - Metal Gear Solid Timeline

  • Jack, codenamed 'Naked Snake', infiltrates the Soviet jungle, defeats Shagohod, kills The Boss and gets a new codename, 'Big Boss'.
  • EVA, a Chinese spy, steals The Philosophers Legacy.

  1970

  Events of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.

  • Big Boss meets Roy Campbell and Frank Jaegar, and defeats the first Metal Gear.
  • Ocelot retrieves The Philosophers Legacy.
  • American Branch of The Philosophers change their name to The Patriots.

  1971

  • Big Boss officially establishes FOXHOUND, with Roy Campbell his second in charge.

  1972

  • Les Enfants Terribles Project. Big Boss is cloned; Snake, Liquid and Solidus are born.

  1975

  • Big Boss breaks Frank Jaegar out of prison camp and officially adopts him.

  1980s

  First Metal Gear on Nintendo Entertainment System - Metal Gear Solid Timeline

  • Frank Jaegar officially adopts Naomi. Big Boss gets them into the US with the surname 'Hunter'.

  1995

  • Solid Snake joins FOXHOUND.
  • Events of Metal Gear. Snake infiltrates Outer Heaven, rescues FOXHOUND operative Frank Jaeger, now codenamed Grey Fox, defeats the turncoat Big Boss and destroys Metal Gear.
  • Following Big Boss's turn, Roy Campbell becomes FOXHOUND commander-in-chief.

  1999
  Events of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.

  • Snake infiltrates Zanzibar Land, fights and kills both the turncoat Grey Fox, and the returning Big Boss, who reveals before he dies that he is Snake's father.

  2005

  Metal Gear Solid Codec - Metal Gear Solid Timeline Events of Metal Gear Solid.

  • Dr. Naomi Hunter injects Snake with nanomachines carrying FOXDIE; a deadly virus designed to target FOXHOUND member's DNA. Angry over Grey Fox's death, Naomi also programs FOXDIE to kill Snake at a random time.
  • Grey Fox returns as a cyborg ninja, cutting off Ocelot's hand and fighting Solid Snake, before giving his life helping Snake battle Metal Gear Rex.
  • Liquid Snake details the Les Enfants Terribles project to Solid Snake.
  • Commanded by Campbell via Codec, Snake infiltrates Shadow Moses, stops FOXHOUND, kills Liquid (thanks to FOXDIE) and defeats Metal Gear Rex, rescuing Campbell illegitimate daughter Meryl and Rex designer Hal 'Otacon' Emmerich.

  2007

  Events of Metal Gear Solid 2 'Tanker' Chapter.

  • Snake meets and battles Olga Gurlukovich aboard an oil tanker on the Hudson River.
  • Ocelot, now with the 'dead' Liquid Snake's arm grafted to him, steals the new Metal Gear Ray.

  Snake and Raiden - Metal Gear Solid Timeline

  2008

  • Olga Gurlukovich gives birth to Sunny, who is kidnapped by The Patriots.

  2009

  Events of Metal Gear Solid 2 'Big Shell' Chapter.

  • Ocelot's body is overtaken by the consciousness of Liquid Snake.
  • The Patriots are officially revealed as the true power in the United States.
  • Raiden infiltrates Big Shell, meets Snake, fights members of Dead Cell, battles a series of Metal Gear Rays aboard Arsenal Gear, and kills Solidus, who was attempting to liberate Manhattan from Patriot control.

  2009-2014 (Date unknown)

  • Sons of the Patriots (SOP) system implemented, placing nanomachines in every solder for maximum battlefield efficiency.
  • Snake and Otacon rescue Sunny. She's an awful cook.
  • Liquid Ocelot kidnaps Naomi Hunter in order to control the SOP nanomachines.

  2014

  Snake in Guns of the Patriots - Metal Gear Solid Timeline Events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

  • A prematurely aged, FOXDIE-ravaged Solid Snake is hired by the UN to eliminate Liquid Ocelot, who is engineering an SOP override, and building forces for an armed insurrection against The Patriots.
  • War has changed...

• Metal Gear Solid 4 Story and Characters

  "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo!"

  Just who are The Patriots? It's a question we've been left with since the grand finale of MGS2. Are they human? Are they artificial? Are they even alive? We know only one thing theye the real power behind the US government, manipulating elections and technology to ensure an era of controlled information and restricted political and personal freedoms.

  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots takes place in 2014, five years after Sons of Liberty, in a world where war has become the epicentre of global economy, Metal Gear technology is widespread, and Private Military Companies fight for faceless business interests.

  The five largest PMCs are owned by a company called Outer Heaven, ran by Liquid Ocelot. Bent on reviving the dream of Big Boss, he looks to end The Patriots' unseen dominance and rekindle an age of endless violence. The final conflict is at hand.

  Heading cautiously into the fray and caught between two opposing ideologies, an aging Solid Snake seeks to take down Liquid, find and finish The Patriots, and ultimately usher in a new age of peace and freedom for all.

• E3 2011: MGS 1 headed to HD consoles?

  According to Eurogamer, Kojima Productions wants to remake the very first Metal Gear Solid game in full HD. That’s what the studio’s creative producer Yoshikazu Matsuhana is saying, anyway.

  In an interview with Eurogamer conducted at E3 last week, Matsuhana said the team couldn’t use the original game in its forthcoming MGS HD Collection as the original’s looking a little too old.

  "Obviously, we wanted to include it and make it a complete collection. However, as you know, Metal Gear Solid 1 was for the PSone. It has a very, very low polygon count," he said. "While at the time the game was something new and refreshing, just bringing it as is into HD probably wouldn't have that much meaning to us. We're doing two and three with a certain work flow where the goal is to take that game, preserve it and introduce it to a new generation. We can't really take that approach with Metal Gear Solid 1 because it's very dated at this point."

  Excitingly, we went on to add that, "if we were going to do Metal Gear Solid 1 we'd want to take more time with it. Not just up-res the textures, not just make things look pretty and polished, but go back and tweak some of the gameplay, tweak the story to update things and do it properly. Not just a re-master but a re-imagining almost. We do want to do that sometime down the road but it will take more time.”

  Sounds good to us. In the meantime, The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, incorporating MGS 2, MGS 3, and Peace Walker, will be hitting the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 later this year.
  

• Kojima hates Metal Gear?

  Okay, so that’s kind of a misleading headline, but this is still an interesting story. Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima loves his famous stealth action series – but he hates the Metal Gear NES game, which was a lot of fans’ introduction to the world of Solid Snake.

  It all comes down to the fact that Metal Gear was originally released for Microsoft’s MSX computer, way back in 1987. The game only ended up on the NES after it was ported. And Kojima wasn’t happy about it.

  "I had absolutely no participation in the development of the NES version," Kojima told Nintendo Power recently (thanks Eurogamer). "The NES version was a pitiful title developed cheaply and simply by a small team in Tokyo. That was during the bubble economy where anything and everything that was released would sell. I came across the game in a bargain bin and tried play it, but the game design is pretty bad. There is some gameplay that includes infiltrating a base that didn't exist in the original. However, even I, the developer of the original game, was unable to infiltrate the base even once. That title has only soiled my reputation."

  It’s not all bad, though: "Even though it was an abomination, it was during the bubble economy and it sold millions overseas.”

  If you want to check out more recent Metal Gear games, of course, you could do worse than pick up the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 when it comes out this November. It contains HD remasters of MGS2, MGS3, and Peace Walker. Ace!

• Hideo Kojima says he's never been satisfied with any of his games

  Legendary Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima, the mad genius behind the blockbuster Metal Gear Solid series, has admitted to insider website Gamesindustry.biz that he never been completely happy with any of the games he made, including the best-selling Metal Gear Solid 4. Even more shocking, he says that the day he fully satisfied is the day he quits games for good.

  "I've never created something that completely satisfies me," he explained. "I don't think that, even as technology continues to improve, I will ever be able to create something that completely satisfies me."

  "Creating something is about turning impossible things into possible things, things you want to be able to do. If it gets to the point where I'm able to create anything I want, I'll probably stop making video games.

  Kojima, who divides his time between development and his duties as Vice President of Konami, is currently overseeing no less than three entries in the Metal Gear series, including Snake Eater 3D for the 3DS, the Raiden-centric spin-off Metal Gear Solid: Rising and an HD compilation of the original Metal Gear Solid and its sequels.

• Four-player mode confirmed for MGS HD Collection's Peace Walker

  The upcoming Metal Gear Solid HD Collection will feature four-player support in its conversion of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

  Series creator Hideo Kojima, who is overseeing the creation of the new PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 compilation pack, has confirmed that the acclaimed PSP title Peace Walker will make the transition to home consoles with its multiplayer mode intact.

  He revealed via Twitter that the game will be playable online via Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, while players can expect the cooperative experience to run at a smooth 60 frames per second.

  The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is due for release this November and will feature high-definition conversions of three of the most popular titles in the iconic series.

  As well as Peace Walker, the PlayStation 2 classics Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater will be included.

  Each game features support for Trophies and Achievements for the first time, in addition to the visual upgrade.

  Published: 06/09/2011

• Bring On The Bad Guys!

  
  

  

  This week sees the release of Prototype 2, where the Alex Mercer, hero from the first game seems to have become the new bad guy to beat. So, in celebration of all things vile and villainous, the digital team has once again been gently prodded to share with you our favourite evil-doers. These are the people, who, in the style of Bugsy Malone, are "the very best at being bad"

  
  

  

  Glenn - Mad Mod

  Diablo is the Lord of Terror and a Prime Evil of Hell. That's a job title that alone warrants a spot on our best bad guys list.

  He manipulates his opponents using their innermost fears and then obliterates them with his Demonic strength and incredibly powerful Spells. The strongest Demon in Hell, named after the Devil himself, and seemingly indestructible (Read - he's been destroyed a number of times, even with the Arch Angels helping and he's still keeps ticking, like a malevolent Duracell bunny), devious and able to possess his enemies, Diablo is the Ultimate Bad Guy. And he's back in Diablo 3!
  

  

  Marc - Analyst to the Stars

  The little girl from F.E.A.R. - Alma Wade.

  She was scary. Honest. Like the girl from the Ring (Japanese version, obviously). The first corridor experience with her and the ceiling of blood is one of the scariest scenes ever in a game.

  The Music and Sound was eerie too. It was just all far too scary and Alma was the cause of it all.

  Carl - Design Doodler

  Shao Kahn from Mortal Kombat. Because he's massive and I can't kill him!

  

  Ali - Queen of the Internet

  My favourite video game villain is Revolver Ocelot. He started life in Metal Gear Solid as a random gunslinger who you could kill if you (as Solid Snake) waited for him to need to reload his revolver - he really should have named himself something with more than 6 bullets!

  After cutting off his arm you assume that's the end of him, but he's more maniacal than you realise as he replaces his arm with that of your dead clone brother Liquid Snake. In a strange twist of surgery his arm takes over his mind so you have to beat him again in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Finally the epic family feud of a lifetime is over, but with Metal Gear nothing ever seems to stay dead. Roll on Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance!

  James - Captain Category

  G-Man from Half-Life - not really a villain but still very creepy

  

  Nick - Colonel Category

  Wesker from Resident Evil.
  
  How many times did he die escape get retconned? Nigh on unkillable (until the muddle that was Resident Evil 5), the variety of his super powers (whatever the situation demanded, basically) and his smartass one-liners made him the man (ish?) well all loved to hate.

  Plus, sunglasses in those dark places, yes, THAT's how hard he was!

  Louis - Merchandising Meddler

  Wesker be top of my favourite picks, too. From his humble beginnings in a dual life as a scientist/Umbrella genius/STARS Leader, he goes about sacrificing his entire team in the name of science... and obtaining reliable combat data.

  After he is foiled by Chris and Jill, Wesker fakes his own death, escapes, and, not content with the destruction of Raccoon City, tries to continue his research away from the tenacious and meddling Redfield...

  But, Wesker is a bad guy and is therefore doomed to fail. After failing twice, mutating his body beyond belief and moving to Africa, he becomes nothing short of annoying and impossible to kill. The only way he is stopped is by being tackled by Chris and Eva and hundreds of bullets later, is engulfed in a pool of lava.

  Truly special, I'll always remember him for his rubbish sunglasses (worn at all times) and even worse Matrix-esque coat (RE 5). It was also really weird the way his accent changed too. He went from camp American to indignant English... I guess that cemented the transformation from mildly devious to completely evil!

  My second pick would be The Shredder (many Turtles games, but in particular, the 1989 TMNT Arcade Game). Not content with burning down April's apartment building, he kidnaps her too - forcing the Turtles into action and on a mission to end all missions. To a degree, menacing, but generally just annoying and incessant ; )

  Finally, I'd say my third pick would be Dr. Robotnik from Sonic. Generally, he's also just annoying, but also very devious and innovative. From trying to run Sonic down with a drill machine, to smashing Sonic with a giant wrecking ball, to trying to drown Sonic, to pitting Sonic against Metal Sonic in a race to save Amy Rose. Robotnik never gives up... You gotta love a good villain!

  

  Robyn - In-Yer-Face Interfacer

  Baron von Blubba. You know, the whale in Bubble Bobble! When time runs out it goes ape and super fast... Waaaaaah!!!! (o_o)

  Damien - Good Word Writing Man

  Does 'Dragonforce - Through the Fire and Flames' from Guitar Hero: World Tour count? Talk about an unbeatable enemy... No? Well then there's always the Joker in Arkham Asylum and City - played with delicious glee by Mark Hamill. He won an award for it and everything.

  Published: 22/04/2012

• Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes 'targeting a lot of taboos'

  Hideo Kojima, the mercurial genius behind the Metal Gear franchise, has been talking about the upcoming evolution of the series, Ground Zeroes. VideoGamer has reported that the Japanese auteur thinks the game may be too controversial for audiences to handle.

  "Video games as a medium haven't matured very much at all in the last 25 years," Kojima told journalists. "It's always about killing aliens and zombies. Not that I don't like those kinds of games... they are fun, but I think games have a long way to go before they can mature."

  "Over the past 25 year I have tried to work with the Metal Gear series to introduce more mature themes, but really it hasn't gotten there yet. Compared to movies and books it still has a long way to go. That's precisely what I want to try to tackle with Ground Zeroes. Honestly I'm going to be targeting a lot of taboos, a lot of mature themes that really are quite risky. I'm not even sure if I'm going to be able to release the game, and even if I did release the game then maybe it wouldn't sell because it's too much. As a creator I want to take that risk."

  What could he be talking about? Ground Zeroes marks a radical departure for the Metal Gear brand, using Kojima's own Fox Engine to power an open world stealth action experience unlike any previous title. It will follow the recently released - and absolutely fantastic - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which also shakes things up, focusing on cyborg ninja Raiden and his ability to slice enemies into tiny chunks.

  Published: 25/02/2013

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