The Game Druid

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the most technically stunning video game ever made. It’s also a fine example of storytelling prowess within its medium, combining gameplay and narrative so slickly and beautifully that it’s impossible to extricate one from the other. It’s likely you will emerge awestruck from your first play-through, wishing the experience would continue yet nonetheless satisfied with its conclusion. It’s difficult not to sound hyperbolic when discussing MGS4 because every part of its design seemingly fulfills its vision, without compromise. There is no halfway.

Fully realized, lengthy story sequences will come as no surprise to anyone who has played a Metal Gear game. You’ll spend a good half of MGS4 watching cinematics, but it would be a grave misinterpretation to assume that great gameplay takes a backseat to the story. Rather, these two elements are tightly intertwined, and this tapestry is held together by an important technical thread: Cutscenes that are rendered fully in real time within the game engine. It’s impressive enough that these scenes look as good as any prerendered cinematic you’ve ever watched. It’s even more amazing when those same scenes transition without pause into gameplay, and the same hulking mech you watched lumber about in the cinematic is looming above you. The subtle animations, the lush environments, and the rich textures are the same in and out of story sequences, and the effect is so seamless it may take your breath away. You can skip past the scenes if you prefer, but doing so would soften the experience. The story sequences carry more weight because of the intense gameplay that precedes them–and the gameplay feels more compelling because the story gives you powerful reasons to care about your mission. The high point of this fusion occurs in an exciting and memorable split-screen sequence that simply must be experienced.

Talking about what, exactly, is going on in the plot in the midst of MGS4’s grand sweeping gestures is to risk spoiling each little surprise as it emerges. Snake, suffering from the rapid onset of aging, now must cope with stiff joints in addition to the looming specter of Liquid Ocelot’s newest plans. This is Snake’s final hurrah; yet as the story reaches one height after another, the juxtaposition of huge set piece battles and formidable bosses with Snake’s deteriorating body creates tension and gravity even beyond the series’ usual pretensions. Some new plot strands emerge while others get tied up, and old friends (and enemies) refuse to be forgotten. You’ll also bear witness to a few reunions–some bloody, some teary, and some legitimately shocking. Parts of it are overblown, to be sure. The musical score gets heavy-handed and the voice acting and writing are frequently dogmatic, so while there are plenty of subtle moments, subtlety isn’t really MGS4’s strong suit. But it doesn’t need to be. After all, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and judging from a few silly attempts at humor that don’t work, developer Kojima Productions was wise to err on the side of melodrama.

The gameplay proper is familiar to fans, but it’s been cleaned up and expanded, holding as many twists and surprises as the story. For starters, both gunplay and close-quarters combat are more satisfying. Regarding melee, the controls have been streamlined, making it less cumbersome to grab an enemy soldier or perform a stealthy blade kill. Shooting mechanics are even more improved, so much so that shooting your way out of a pickle is just as enjoyable as sneaking around it. There are a huge number of weapons to play with; so many that you’ll probably finish the campaign without using many of them. Yet, quality wasn’t sacrificed for quantity: Every weapon feels just right, from your handy operator sidearm (best when upgraded with a silencer) and standard issue assault rifles to a powerful railgun. The standard over-the-shoulder view is fine for the most part, but you can gaze down the sights from a first-person perspective. Both views can be further improved with various enhancements, such as laser sights and scopes.

Not that you don’t have all the tools for completely avoiding your enemies if you choose that route. Snake’s got the basics covered: crawling, hugging walls, peeking around corners, and hanging from ledges, for example. Cover mechanics are tighter than ever, so you can crouch and take potshots from behind cover with ease. There are also a number of important gadgets that will make your life easier in this regard. The most obvious of these is your OctoCamo suit, which takes on the texture of your surroundings when you’re prone or pressed against cover. Not only does this make it simpler to avoid watchful eyes, but it’s also a cool visual effect. Eventually, you’ll be able to camouflage Snake’s head, and a few of the available camo options are bound to stir some fans’ nostalgia. The Solid Eye is your other major tool, as it expands your compass into a sonic-sensitive radar and allows you to use night vision and a tactical first-person view. These are helpful gadgets indeed, even during boss fights, like a stirring encounter in a blinding blizzard.

Other gadgets, such as portable hiding places (cardboard boxes and rusty barrels) and the Metal Gear Mk. II (a stealthed robot that you can command as a scouting device), are useful to anyone who prefers the sneaky approach. Not every gadget is a welcome addition, though. For example, the much-ballyhooed iPod is a neat touch, but to use it, you cannot have another gadget equipped, so you’ll quickly forget the option even exists. But aside from these nitpicks, one of the things that makes the core gameplay so enjoyable is that you’re rarely strapped into a single style of play. Shooting your way through requires more thought and care than you’d put into a standard action game, but you never feel as though the gun mechanics are stuffed uncomfortably into a stealth game. If you’d rather sneak, you never have the impression that stealth was shoehorned into a game that’s meant to be played as a shooter. Sure, you’re Solid Snake–you’re not supposed to get caught. But if you’re stuck in a jam, breaking stealth isn’t a death sentence, and in fact, facing certain enemies head-on is often a heart-pounding, challenging experience. The few levels that do force you into one style, such as one in which you shadow your target through an Eastern European city, are still great, if not quite as impactful.

You’ll need to keep an eye on Snake’s stress levels and psyche. Though these aspects are more peripheral than health levels, they fit nicely within the plot. When Snake gets stressed (if he gets cold or encumbered, for example), his psyche gauge starts to deplete. The lower the gauge, the slower you will move and the less quickly you replenish health. Generally speaking, the psyche meter is rarely a factor, and should you notice Snake groaning a bit more, there are items like compresses you can use for a pick-me-up. Should the meter get too low, you won’t be able to hold up your weapon or rush for cover. This doesn’t happen often though, and while you’ll need to keep a close eye on your health for obvious reasons, you won’t need to pay too much heed to psyche.

The gameplay and story would, perhaps, not be as effective if Metal Gear Solid 4 did not look and sound so impressive, but truth be told, it’s an amazing piece of technology. From the gritty textures of concrete walls to the effective lighting and shadowing, there are few aspects you could reasonably fault. In the biggest battles, billows of smoke fill the screen and blood splatters against the camera–all while meticulously designed helicopters fly overhead and ad-hoc team members take potshots from behind grungy dilapidated vehicles. Yet in the midst of the visual drama, it’s the little things that are likely to provoke awe. Small details, such as how Snake rubs his sore back when his stress levels get high or the authentic manner in which he ascends staircases, create as much atmosphere as cluttered underground tunnels and war-torn Middle Eastern cities. You will have to wait through some scattered install periods (just under 20 minutes worth, in total) and the occasional loading screen, and you may find some frame rate drops and low-res textures here and there, but these aren’t issues in light of MGS4’s impressive graphical accomplishments.

The sound design comes together nearly as well. The soundtrack on its own is rather pompous, but in context, it works just fine to create the appropriate mood for any given cutscene or battle. The voice acting follows suit but succeeds far better. Because the growling voice of David Hayter’s Solid Snake is so good, the rare hamming from the mostly excellent supporting cast is easily forgotten. But the sound effects are unforgettable and excellent across the board. The Gekkos emit blood-curdling moos like gargantuan cows, explosions are outstandingly obnoxious, and everything from the clicks of the Solid Eye to the laughter and screams of the beastly bosses are top-notch.

On top of it all, Metal Gear Solid 4 offers some enjoyable online 16-player action to complement its superb single-player experience. Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch are represented, of course, and they play just fine, assuming you don’t approach the online component as a standard shooter. The maps are beautifully rendered and packed with detail, and while not every mechanic is as wonderful in multiplayer as it is in single-player (hiding in your cardboard box won’t usually get you far, for example), it’s all good fun once you adjust to the pace. The multiplayer star, however, is sneaking mode, a Team Deathmatch variant in which one player plays as Snake and another supports him as the Metal Gear Mk II. Shooting others is amusing–but sneaking enthusiasts will enjoy the violent, stealthy game of hide and seek you play as Snake. Playing support is equally entertaining because as Mk. II, you can go invisible, creep up on other players, and zap them with your electronic tentacle. It’s a blast. Other modes include base mission, in which teams compete to conquer bases; a capture and defend mode; and rescue mission, which is similar to the same mode in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. Unfortunately, the process of creating an online account is laborious, so expect to take a few minutes to enter a litany of information (a pain if you aren’t using a keyboard). Thankfully, the variety of customization options and sheer numbers of players online mean that this process is quickly forgotten.

If the story-heavy presentation of previous Metal Gear games taxed your patience, Metal Gear Solid 4 won’t change your mind. For anyone who appreciates games that rise above the simple act of pushing a few buttons and pulling a few triggers, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a stimulating ride that you won’t soon forget. You’ll want to see what happens next, yet when its long campaign draws to a close, you’ll wish it would continue. That’s not just because it’s a well-told tale, but because that tale is woven through a thoroughly impressive game that tops its predecessors.

So i got this courtesy gamespot:

Capcom’s been teasing us with the promise of Resident Evil 5 for quite some time. The highly anticipated follow up first appeared on our radar in 2005 when it was first announced. Since then there have been a few appearances and teases on the game but nothing too meaty outside of trailers and the odd interview. We got a nice surprise at Capcom’s recent press event in the form of a new trailer, and short look at the game in motion on the Xbox 360 which has us intrigued.

Producers Jun Takeuchi and Masachika Kawata gave a short presentation that led into a new trailer which they freely admitted would merely raise more questions about what’s going on in the game. Takeuchi essentially ran through most of the high level information out for the game. He noted RE5 is set in Africa and follows Chris Redfield on an adventure that will lead him to discover the origins of the progenitor virus seen in RE: Code Veronica. The trailer was a montage of images and clips that offered a tiny hint at the game’s scope and some of the additional locales you’ll get to. We saw ruins, some country side, riots in the now familiar village, brutal imagery of locals clashing, and Chris running from a mob. Other parts of the montage included sewers, dogs, fighting on rooftops, a factory explosion, Chris using various weapons, dealing with chainsaw wielding foes, and a mysterious new female character who welcomes him to Africa. At the end of the trailer Takeuchi noted that the game is roughly 60% complete and should wind up being over 20 hours or so.

Once the trailer was over Takeuchi sprung the surprise and fired up a work in progress version of the game on the Xbox 360 for Kawata to play through. The demo opened with Chris Redfield in a house fending off zombies (or whatever the heck they’re calling them in this game) as they came in through the front door. From the look of things the game is sticking pretty close to the core of RE4’s combat systems. We saw Chris shoot, stab, and get off a context sensitive kick on the horde foes coming at him. As time passed, enemies started pouring down from the ceiling, which added a whole new dynamic to the action. As if all that wasn’t challenging enough, a massive warhammer wielding punched a whole through wall, showing off the new destructible environments and allowing more enemies in.

With the house compromised, Chris is sent running outside through the ruined streets with a mob of foes behind him–including his hammer wielding friend. The open space offers some new defensive opportunities as Chris is able to ignite some conveniently placed drums which flame up nicely and deal with the smaller enemies. Chris also switches weapons to his shotgun which tears through groups of foes at close range. Of course none of this matters to the massive hammer wielding foe who continues to shamble after the hapless adventurer. We then see Chris take to the rooftops to try and avoid enemies who simply head on up after him. The persistent bunch weather Chris’ throwing grenades and weapons fire to keep on coming at him. When none of that work Chris nabs a machine gun and incendiary grenade and gets up to a higher level on the roof in order to put them to good use. During his maneuvering he’s caught by an enemy and has to shake them off by moving the analog stick and matching a button prompt.

The remainder of the demo showed Chris making use of whatever he could in his surroundings in order to avoid or defeat his enemies. Takeuchi noted that the town is considerably larger than the one seen in RE4. In addition he stated that the large enemy with the hammer was basically a one hit foe (Kawata was using an invincibility cheat for the demo) that players will know to respect fairly quickly. Outside of the demo Takechi didn’t offer too much more insight into the game, noting only that more would be revealed at E3.

The work in progress 360 version of the game was richly detailed to convey its African town setting and sported impressive graphics. RE5 will run using the most current version of the framework engine that Capcom has been using. While elements of the visuals were unsettling, they certainly kept with the disturbing theme. Lighting and the like were looking very sharp as the settlement reflected its environment. The detail on Chris is really well done as are all his foes and their twisted minions. In terms of audio, the game is sounding great with everyone’s moans fitting quite well.

Based on what we saw, Resident Evil 5 should continue the rejuvenation of the series which got an impressive jump start with RE4. If the controls can be as solid as the original game but add some cool stuff we’ll be sold. We’re also hoping that there’s one hell of a story to be told, hopefully explaining the unsettling imagery. Resident Evil 5 is slated to ship during Capcom’s fiscal year which means it’s due at the end of this year or the start of 2009. Look for more on the game at this year’s E3.

U remember the good old NES game? It came out recently on XBLA also..here’s our old post on Bionic Commando…Like the original, you’ll swing across chasms and make death-defying leaps, except in glorious 3-D. Along the way, you’ll blast evildoers and tackle giant robots in what could be one of 2008’s most addictive games.

Once again, you don the combat boots of Nathan “Rad” Spencer, an FSA operative that was given the shaft by the government. Five years after defeating those rascally Imperials, his country betrays him and locks him up for crimes he didn’t commit. To add icing on the proverbial “this is crap” cake, the higher ups sentence him to death for kicks. Little did they know that terrorists planned an attack the day of his execution, and in thrilling fashion, turn a fictitious city upside down by unleashing a massive earthquake, killing everyone. With the terrorists in control of the air defense grid, and with little options, an embarrassed FSA calls on Spencer to single handedly save the world.

As expected, Spencer isn’t pleased with the situation. This isn’t the happy looking and dorky guy in the NES game (though you can unlock that costume if you purchase the downloadable Bionic Commando Rearmed). This guy has a nasty attitude, enormous muscles and dreadlocks. He still, however, possesses the mighty bionic arm, and he uses it to latch onto things and swing throughout the environments. Unlike in the Activision’s Spider-Man games, though, he can only grab onto certain objects, so mastering the swinging mechanic relies on locating connection points, which glow blue whenever you position the targeting reticule onto them. From there, you press and hold the left trigger, and Spencer easily grabs onto something and swings like Tarzan. Once you get the hang of things, you’ll be able to chain swings together to easily move around.

Overall, swinging works well, and the only trouble we ran into came from our experience with the aforementioned Spider-Man video games. Instead of trusting the bionic arm, we immediately pressed the trigger hoping to latch onto thin air, only to watch as Spencer plummeted to the ground. As we grew more comfortable, using the left analog stick to build up the swing and searching for the best possible swing times, designated by the reticule changing shape, we quickly traversed the post apocalyptic city and later, a forest, making all sorts of impressive maneuvers.

On the ground, we clicked in the right analog stick to zoom and pressed the right trigger to fire Spencer’s hand gun, automatic rifle and a rocket launcher that let us target up to four enemies at once. In addition, we chucked grenades and used the bionic arm to grab enemies, yank them towards Spencer and make short work of them. We even tackled a marauding robot, hitting it with grenades and watching it explode into scrap metal.

After playing the demo twice, we can happily report that Bionic Commando isn’t broken and should be a fun video game, but it’s obvious that the developer, GRIN, still has tons of work to do. For starters, the game is too easy, which is in contrast to its impossible predecessor. Enemies often stand around, oblivious to Spencer’s presence or that their buddy died. As for that robot, we managed to get it stuck on a rock and safely tossed grenades at it. With that said, not only does the artificial intelligence need an intelligence boost, but we also recommend throwing more enemies into the mix. Swinging around a huge post apocalyptic city and running across two to three guys at a time doesn’t get our adrenaline rushing.

Furthermore, the ammo drops don’t make sense. Whenever Spencer needs supplies, he calls on his buddies, who immediately drop them onto the playfield. However, instead of giving him a full arsenal, it’s one gun at a time with minimal ammo. It’s silly.

We also need to test Bionic Commando’s multiplayer mode. Playing as different teams and swinging all over the place looks like a fun time, but we’ll have to get our hands on it to determine whether all that flying around will make shooting guys a chore. For now, however, the game looks solid and we can’t wait to play more at the upcoming E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) this July. Until we do, we’ll go a few rounds with the original, just to see how pathetic our video game skills are.