I read somewhere that it contains a lot of cutscenes throughout the game to explain what has happened in the 3 previous games and how those events relate to this game.  I’ve also read that you can skip through those scenes if you want to.
Personally, I like the ratio of movie to gameplay that MGS has had in the past, so I’ll probably be buying this once I get around to actually buying a PS3.

It should be a huge hint as to how cinematic the game is when reviewers were told not to mention the mandatory install that takes nine minutes to reduce loading times as well as the two to three minute installs between acts. This first install takes 4.6 gigs of the ps3 hard drive. People who got the 2w0 gig and even 40 gig users are reporting that these mandatory game installs have taken up all their hard drive space. Some of the game cutscences were said to be 90 minutes in length.

http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/05/30/possible-mgs4-review-limits/

I haven’t updated my console system from the PSX…the first run of them with the back port for a Game Shark that still works the “swap method” for doing import games.  However, I’ve been hanging around with some folks shooting the breeze about different games, and I heard that MGS 4 meanders incoherently and lacks both the solid plot of 1 & 2 and enjoyable action.  For what it’s worth, these same people had nothing bad to say about Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, so they may be more of a MMO hack & slash crowd.

If she is going to just get one game get Guitar Hero: On Tour. It’s the portable guitar hero game.

Also there is going to be Guitar Hero: World Tour which ups rock band in many features.

90 minutes!!?? Jeebus! I thought the last infodump in MGS3—the one where the Boss is telling you her life story and begging you to kill her—lasted a long time when I first played that game. When I played it through again, it turned out to be about 10 minutes or so.

I can’t comprehend a 90-minute cutscene.

I was all gung-ho for it, I was going to buy it as soon as I got rich as Cresus, but now? Maybe I don’t need to know what Ocelot’s whole deal is quite that bad.

Nice post!

Never having been one for the military training/sim games, I have nothing of substance to add.

But! For other Wii gamers out there: Lego Indiana Jones is awesome.

And I can’t wait for Rock Band to be ported for the Wii. Just wanted to share.

There is always the Grand Theft Auto IV, which I understand to be a small-time story-focused game which satirizes car theft.

The burnout is quite understandable, but I think you’re missing out if you skipped MGS3. It’s worth it, if only for the Secret Origin of Revolver Ocelot. (Not to mention that the soundtrack is probably the best yet in the series, which says a lot, given how high a bar MGS2 set in that regard.)

It’s good. It’s plot-intensive but it didn’t feel it as heavy or overdone.

Then again, I’m biased. MGS1 was a great game that i still replay every other year or so. MGS2 had its highlights but it suffered from a clear case of -trying way too hard-. They packed every subplot and conspiracy that could remotely be linked into the metaplot and tried to run with them. I can partially respect that (trying to present the concept of memetics and societal formatting to 13-year-olds who want to shoot bad guys is a lofty goal in anyone’s book), but the end result was clunky.

MGS3 was quite good. A bit campy, but then again it was a homage to the Cold war thrillers in which the bad guys could not be too cartoonish. and all flash aside, the Boss was a wonderful character. Props for the very mature and poignant ending.

As for MG4…no spoilers.

Rock Band for the wii sucks. It’s cheap cash in port that is just the ps2 version. Get Guitar Hero World Tour it blows Rock Band away in terms of content and on the wii it has the DLC and character creator as well as you being able to create your own songs. Plus the drum kit is loads better then the Rock Band one.

“military training/sim games”

Metal Gear Solid is none of those.

As for simulated killing get Godfather Black Hand edition for the wii. The melee moves are sublime when you simulate choking someone by mimicing the action. Real visceral.

Grand Theft Auto IV is overhyped a number of reviewers have admitted as such. Without the name the game would have gotten sixs and sevens from reviewers and not be bought at all. A lot of people have stopped playing it over Boom Blox. http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/why-we-stopped-playing-gta-iv/?icid=aimDBDL2_link1-b details a number of reasons why people are starting to get disapointed with GTAIV.

I don’t think I’ll pick up MGS4 when I eventually get a PS3, even though I’ve played all the other Metal Gear games.  I’m so tired of games with tons of cutscenes.  I’d rather play than watch.

And I can’t wait for Rock Band to be ported for the Wii. Just wanted to share.

Neither can Augustlet, and neither could I, until I found out that there won’t be any downloadable songs for it - again.

not that I wouldn’t play MGS, but you should definitely check out Bioshock when it comes to the PS3 in the fall (assuming you haven’t already played it on an Xbox).

Yeah, the lack of downloadable songs for Rock Band Wii pushed me towards getting a 360 for it. Got GTA IV for it for free as well, so no complaints there.

But if you’re considering MGS4 you probably like the gameplay so it’s probably the game for you. It’s one of those love it or hate it things (I hate it).

“Yeah, the lack of downloadable songs for Rock Band Wii”

Thing is Guitar Hero World Tour has the downloadable songs and is a better game overall from the features that have been detailed. They are releasing the downloadable rock band as track albums that don’t require the original Rock Band wii game.

“Bioshock”

System Shock 2 blows the pants off of it.

For any fans of MGS, Chris Doucette just finished his webcomic, The Last Days of Foxhound.  Strongly recommended.

Yes, but I’ve already played System Shock 2.  About… six times.  Not counting false starts.  There’s not a lot left to do.

I’ve been playing with DOSBox and a bunch of old DOS RPGs; Pool of Radiance and the rest of the Gold Box games, Eye of the Beholder, Realms of Arkania, that sort of thing.  Happy times.

everything I’ve heard about it falls into the tautology as Penny Arcade described it. “If you like metal gear, you’ll like metal gear.”

as my computer is a 2 year old laptop that is rapidly becoming more and more obsolete, and all I have for consoles are a PS2 and a DS, I’ve been getting my gaming in older, more overlooked games. that and low-resource indie games, which are fun as hell.

but yeah, when I have money, I hope to get a PS3 and MGS4. Just for the sake of completion.

Rose and Camellia 2 is out. I will defeat my evil mother in law and reclaim the honor owed me as the widow of the aristocratic family’s eldest son!

no really. it’s alot of fun. fucking needs a DS and/or Wii port.

Go back and play 3. 3 has a lot of information about certain characters and organizations that you will need for 4, and it’s far and away the best game out of the series (bearing in mind that I haven’t played 4.)