I'm not quite ready to comment too much on it, but in the meantime I will, as promised, address some of the questions you sent via email. I even defied my own rules and answered questions left in the comments.
Primarily, you guys asked about how less-rabid fans will find the game, whether you need to have played prior titles to enjoy it, and, interestingly, what it was like writing a review of a game that I obviously anticipated so highly.
When more than one of you asked the same question, I just consolidated into whoever sent it first. Some questions have been edited for length.
Glenn: I'm a part-time fan of the series: played some of MGS1, completed 2 and played none of 3. Not a massive fan of being sneaky-sneaky, but I can put up with it sometimes...so I guess my main question is,Is MGS4 a fan service game, or will someone with a passing interest in the series find it to be a lot of fun, from both a story and a gameplay perspective?
SVGL: MGS4 is definitely a fan service game. It introduces only a handful of new characters and primarily focuses on expanding and resolving the storylines of existing characters and past installments. The cutscenes do explain everything as you go, but they are numerous and quite long. There are no fabled "90 minute cutscenes," but there are some 30-minute ones, and if you have no emotional relationship to what's being discussed, you might have trouble staying engaged. That being said, though, the "sneaky-sneaky" is a lot more challenging here than in the past. For example, I beat MGS3 killing only one guy the entire game - I have a huge body count for MGS4. So it's possible, and maybe even necessary, to play it with a bit more direct confrontation, so if you haven't got the sneaking fetish, you'll still have fun. Several people asked about the controls. They are streamlined a bit and are made more intuitive, yes, but are still fairly complex - tapping a button won't do the same thing as holding it, for example, and sometimes I have trouble keeping stuff straight, especially the CQC moves. But it's possible to play it quite simply if you like, so no dealbreaker for those who hate complexity.
Justin: Should I at least force myself to play through MGS2 before beginning 4? Am I doing myself a huge disservice by not experiencing as much of the story as I can, firsthand?
SVGL: Tough call, hard for me to be wholly objective about that. My guess, though, is that the game would lose a little of its emotional impact without MGS2 experience - but to a lesser extent, as MGS2 focuses so largely on Raiden. MGS1 is the real must-play here, as the game returns to a lot of themes, conventions and moments of the first game. Several scenes and areas I've played were positively chill-inducing because of the parallels to the original game. So if you must pick and choose your prior experience, I'd hazard as long as you have 1, you're OK. My recommendation - and this is just a personal one - is to read through the plot summary of MGS2 before you play, and catch up on that game itself later if you'd rather not wait. I'll add that the plot of MGS2 is more convoluted and incomprehensible than any of the other games, and even I periodically need to reread the plot summary on Wikipedia (I have had to check it twice since starting MGS 4).
Justin: Are the boss battles awesome?
SVGL: Yes, I think so. I'm venturing into spoiler territory a bit here, so I'll keep it vague. Early battles are against the Beauty and Beast units (check their animal names against MGS1 to guess the order in which they appear), and as always, strategy varies depending on the boss' attributes. The fight against The End in MGS3 is in my opinion the greatest boss fight ever waged in a video game, and there is one that is somewhat reminiscent, but harder and not as fun. The environment in which it's set is impressive, though, for reasons other than the obvious, but I'll let you discover that for yourself.
Hans: I'm planning on attending the MGS event at the Metreon in San Francisco this Saturday and am trying to plan ahead. When you went to the event in New York, did they allow you to bring your own copy of the game to have signed? If so, is it possible to get two copies signed?
SVGL: They did allow me to bring my own copy, but I would not bet on them letting you have two. Though I'm sure it depends on the crowd level and the handlers' mood, so I'd recommend bringing the second copy with you just in case and then feeling it out for yourself.
Hans: Does MGS4 still have a "compendium" containing all the history and details from the previous games? I never finished MGS3 or MGS: Portable Ops, and I remember hearing about such a feature in a preview of the MGS4 somewhere.
That compendium, "Metal Gear Saga Vol 2," was available as a GameStop preorder bonus. The limited edition comes with an artbook detailing the history, also.
Hans: I do not know if you participated in the MGO Beta, but I am sure you heard about the account registration process. Do you know if MGO will still require you to have the three accounts (Konami ID, Game ID, Character Name), or did they finally tie it in to your PSN account?
SVGL: I didn't participate in the beta, and I have not yet tried MGO (and probably won't; I'd never ruin my Metal Gear by playing it with other people!) I don't know anything about the Konami IDs yet.
Hans: Since meeting Kojima-san, have you washed your hand yet?
SVGL: Alas, yeah.
Sean: You've mentioned here your qualms about having to review MGS4. Did you have a hard time doing so for Variety?
SVGL: Yes, but not because I had difficulty criticizing the game or suppressing an emotional bias. The challenge for me was trying to determine how someone without my personal acquaintance with the series, or my emotional relationship to it, would view it and react both to the gameplay elements and the story. Especially since Variety's is not generally a traditional "gamer" audience, necessarily.
Sean: Were you trying not to let any gushing fangirlism seep into the review? Was there any trepidation about doing the review?
SVGL: I had no issue keeping fangirlism from the review - the audience is constantly putting the thumbscrews to the games press about "objectivity," but the fact is, a review is largely an opinion supported by an interpretation of facts. The difference between a critic and an enthusiast opinion, largely, is that the critic should be able to interpret the material fairly and place it in the larger context of how it may be received by different audiences, I think. I plan to write plenty in the coming days that's more personal regarding why I love the game, because I think there's a place for that too, but an official review is not necessarily the place for that and I know it.
I did have some trepidation. I'd been a little bit afraid that, if I had an overwhelmingly positive opinion of the game (and for the most part, I do), my audience would dismiss it. I have a couple critical issues that I plan to raise eventually, though, so I don't think anybody can accuse me of being blind to faults. I was also terrified of not liking the game, and what it'd feel like to have to negatively mark in public something I have so much sentimental affection for. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
The most difficult part of writing the review, actually, was giving praise where it was due. The game is actually deserving of some powerfully-worded praise, but I had to think carefully so that I could trust that it really had earned it rather than me leaning into the arena of hyperbole because of sentiment.
Sean: Your past Variety reviews seem to fit the "recommend or not" format, but your MGS4 review seemed to focus more on explaining the game and some of its features than acting as a recommendation. Was that a deliberate choice on your part?
SVGL: I actually think I was pretty clear - they're explanations as conditional recommendations. So much about the game is a matter of taste that I did focus intentionally, yes, on elaborating the game's key features so that anyone reading it could decide for themselves whether they'd like it or not.
Some things about MGS4 are indisputable to me - such as the fact that the production values are stunning, and that the classic storyline is being handled in more depth than ever. But are the cutscenes too long? Depends on what you consider "too long." Are the controls too complicated? Depends on what you consider "complicated." Would I recommend it? To fans, definitely. To others, it depends on their taste. I can pretty surely state that MGS4, just like its series siblings, is not for everyone, even though it's a fantastic-quality game.
Robert: Did your giggling fit when you put in the game last longer than the install?
SVGL: Yes. The install is eight minutes long - I completely can't understand why it's such a hot button issue for people. Go do something else for a sec! Personally, though, I lay down on my living room floor and smoked a cigarette along with Snake and read all of the little warning captions on the screen encouraging you not to smoke and to dispose of cigarettes properly.
By the way, there are also three-minute installs between each act. Not a real big deal - in fact, it's sort of nice to have meditative pauses between the game's sections, and because MGS 4, like its predecessors, takes so much concentration to play well, it's nice to have a little break to zone out. Still, I can't wait to see the angry fanboy explosion over this.
Sean B: Given the fact it was stated that it is PS3 exclusive, let's imagine it stays that way. My question is, is MGS4 worth getting a PS3 for?
SVGL: Admittedly, I am not particularly savvy about tech specs (which is one of the largest reasons I sidestep almost the entire PC gaming scene). But from what I understand of the Cell processor's power, I actually find it hard to believe it'd be possible to put MGS4 on the Xbox 360. Nobody flip out, because I could be wrong, but if the PS3 requires so many little installs and loading screens as mentioned above, my guess is the 360 would struggle to run it cleanly. My impression of the differences between GTA IV on both consoles helps inform this guess - you know, no pop-in on PS3, some pop-in on 360. MGS4 is so intricately developed and was done specifically for PS3, I'd marvel if it were possible to create a 360 version. I mean, my 360 (Elite) died from playing Guitar Hero III for a few straight hours on a hot day. So I, too, am assuming it stays exclusive.
To answer your question, yeah, I think it is worth it - although, of course, that depends on your finances and how much of a sacrifice it'd be for you to make it happen. To some people the high price tag is a matter of principle, and to others it's the difference between "feasible" and "not." But I'm just stunned by MGS4 as an experience - it's not really like any game I've ever played, in terms of the experience of playing it. Does that help at all?
Darkness U.S.A: I just wanna know about the codec. I have gotten so used to having more than one person to contact on the codec, is Otacon the only one you can talk to in this one?
SVGL: No. There are at least two people (the second person is largely useless, though). I expect, though, that like the other titles this one will have "secret" codec frequences for various fun things, but I haven't experimented with it much yet (except to try Meryl's number, which didn't work). On my second playthrough I'll try to earn a good ranking, minimize kills and discover all of the hidden quirks.
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