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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (メタルギアソリッド4) (commonly abbreviated to MGS4) is an upcoming stealth action video game in the popular Metal Gear series. Directed by Hideo Kojima, Shuyo Murata and Yoji Shinkawa, Guns of the Patriots is currently being developed by Kojima Productions exclusively for the PlayStation 3 video game console. The game is being designed around the motto, “No Place to Hide!” and will be the last Metal Gear game developed by Hideo Kojima, and the last game in the series starring Solid Snake. The game will be released worldwide on June 12, 2008, 10 years after the release of Metal Gear Solid and 20 years after the first Metal Gear.

With Metal Gear Solid 4’s launch just a month away, Konami held a press conference in Japan to celebrate the game’s completion. Half of the conference was about speeches and launch promotions, but with the event taking place in a cineplex, we also got to see a lot of game action on the big screen. To make the cinema experience as real as possible, the press conference started off with a “No Smoking” MGS ad, followed by a few CGI-rendered commercials that were actually fake ads based on the Metal Gear Solid 4 world. It was an interesting way to start off the event because the ads were all supposed to be from the in-game Private Military Companies (PMCs), which subtly hints that they’re a major power in the MGS4 world, even outside of the war zone. Following the ads, the conference started off with MGS4’s opening scene in the Middle East, which can be seen at MGS4’s new official site together with the aforementioned ads. In the opening, Snake is seen riding on the back of a truck that’s heading toward a war zone, and he’s disguised in a robe to look just like the other civilian soldiers riding with him. He goes on a monologue about how the war is no longer about nations, ideologies, or ethnicities. It’s become an endless series of proxy battles by hired mercenaries and machines, and the consumption of life has become a practical business in the world.

Gameplay

In Metal Gear Solid 4, the player Old Snake must navigate the game world in order to progress, using stealth and cunning in addition to traditional combat. It will use the series’ traditional third person view with full camera manipulation, but also allows the freedom to play in first-person mode, as well as an over the shoulder view which can be switched from right shoulder to left for easy corner maneuvering. The Close Quarters Combat system will be completely revamped. The player will also be able to interrogate guards for information and supplies.

Several elements from previous titles return in modified forms. Players will also use a new form of camouflage called “Octocamo”, which replaces the camouflage system featured in Metal Gear Solid 3. Dark blue when disabled, the Octocamo suit allows the wearer to blend in with any surface within a few seconds. A new monocular device called “Solid Eye” replaces the various binoculars and image intensifiers from previous titles, and a steel drum complements the series’ traditional cardboard box disguise. It is able to deflect bullets, and can be rolled to knock enemy soldiers over, but can lead to Snake being sick should the player roll around too much.

According to Ryan Payton, the game will be filled with cut-scenes that explain what happened in previous MGS games and how that relates to the events of MGS4. Players will be able to choose whether to view these scenes by pressing the circle button on their controller when prompted. Although informative enough to excite the hardcore fans of the series, the cut scenes will be straight forward enough for casual gamers. Players will have the choice of watching the cut scenes from predetermined camera angles or exploring them with the Metal Gear Mk. II.

Snake will also be partnered with a robotic drone, the Metal Gear Mk. II, which allows him to communicate with other characters, in addition to the CODEC radio system from previous games. It is also capable of engaging enemies using an electric shock, as well as providing reconnaissance. This drone is reminiscent of Gillian Seed’s robotic sidekick of the same name from another Hideo Kojima game Snatcher.

Due to the lack of a rumble feature (an important part in previous titles) from the PlayStation 3 during much of the development, the game had been designed with a new feature: a white “Threat Ring,” that visibly vibrates when sound is made nearby. As a series known for extensive use of rumble, when Sony announced the reintroduction of a new DualShock 3, MGS4 was announced as one of the first major games to make use of the force feedback capabilities.

Snake’s health will play some factor during gameplay. If injured on the battlefield, cuts and burns will remain on his skin. However, the developers wish to avoid putting the stress of Snake’s health to the players, so he wears a muscle suit, allowing players to move in a similar fashion to previous games.

Snake will have two new meters that replace the stamina bar from Snake Eater. The first meter, “Stress”, is based on current fighting and climate conditions. This can cause Snake to go into a “combat high”, that increases his accuracy and reduces damage sustained. However this effect will eventually wear off and could cause Snake to momentarily collapse. Smoking a cigarette calms Snake down. The second meter, “Psyche”, slowly drops over time reducing Snake’s accuracy. Scanning the pages of a glamor magazine will increase the meter.

There is also a “Baseline Map” which is a radar map with a dynamic circle based on Snake’s “presence” to the environment. Accessible through the main menu, the Virtual Range is a test facility that allows the player to access the game’s library of weapons as well as practice Snake’s CQC moves.

In the May 2008 issue of Edge magazine, Kojima expressed dissatisfaction with the final game, citing the game’s graphics and his inability to realize his early vision. Kojima later clarified his remarks, stating that he was “very satisfied” with the final game and that his initial comments were sensationalized and mistranslated.

Plot

Set in 2014, five years after the “Big Shell Incident” (the events of the Plant chapter from Metal Gear Solid 2), Metal Gear Solid 4 portrays a world where the restriction of military intervention on foreign soil has been eased, fueling the need for private military companies (PMCs) to fight proxy wars for business purposes. Nanotechnology has become prominent, both to enhance the capabilities and enforce the loyalty of mercenaries. The nanos that are in the PMCs are called “Sons of the Patriots” or “SOP”. The five largest of these PMCs (Which are named Praying Mantis, Otselotovaya Khvatka, Werewolf, Pieuvre Armement and Raven Sword) are owned by a single mother company named Outer Haven, which is operated by Liquid Ocelot. Amassing an army whose manpower rivals that of the United States, Liquid prepares to launch an armed insurrection by taking control of SOP. Liquid will have the power to control all of the PMCs. With the world once again in crisis, a rapidly aging and disillusioned Solid Snake is deployed into the Middle East by Roy Campbell to terminate Liquid. Guns of the Patriots will take place in five locations, including the Middle East, South America and Eastern Europe.

Development

Hideo Kojima announced that he would be retiring as director of the Metal Gear series after Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and would leave his position open to another person for Metal Gear Solid 4, as he had announced he would after Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. As a joke, the new director was announced as “Alan Smithee”, but in R, a 400-page book bundled with Metal Gear Solid 3’s Japanese “Premium Package”, the director was revealed to be Shuyo Murata, co-writer of MGS3 and director of Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner. He has also contributed humorous easter eggs to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. However, it was announced that Kojima will be co-directing the game with Murata after substantial negative fan reaction, including death threats.

The title has been described as “essentially finished” since January 2008, and is currently entering extensive beta testing. As of April, a team of American and European journalists are the only individuals outside Konami to have played the game through its entirety, and have provided feedback to the development team.

At Destination PlayStation on February 26, 2008, Sony announced that MGS4 would be released worldwide on June 12, 2008, along with the special MGS4 PlayStation 3 bundle.

Guns of the Patriots is the first PS3 game that uses a full 50GB dual layer Blu-ray Disc through extensive efforts in data compression.

In the May 2008 issue of EDGE magazine, Kojima expressed dissatisfaction with the final game, citing the game’s graphics and his inability to realize his early vision. Kojima later clarified his remarks, stating that he was “very satisfied” with the final game and that his initial comments were sensationalized and mistranslated.

Characters and voice cast

Many of the Japanese voice cast from Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty will be returning to reprise their roles in Guns of the Patriots, with the notable exception of Kōji Totani, the voice of Revolver Ocelot, who died in February 2006. Totani will be replaced by Liquid Snake’s Japanese voice actor Banjō Ginga. Houko Kuwashima and Kikuko Inoue will reprise the roles of Mei Ling and Rosemary respectively for the game, Inoue will also voice a new character, Sunny, the daughter of Olga Gurlukovich. Japanese film director Shinya Tsukamoto will provide the Japanese voice for Vamp, replacing original actor Ryotaro Okiayu. An elderly EVA (who appears under the identity of Big Mama), from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, will also appear, and her voice will be provided by singer Mari Natsuki.

English voice acting work is being recorded in tandem under voice-director Kris Zimmerman. David Hayter returns as Solid Snake, with Quinton Flynn (Raiden), Paul Eiding (Roy Campbell), Christopher Randolph (Otacon), Debi Mae West (Meryl Silverburgh), Jennifer Hale (Naomi Hunter), and Phil LaMarr (Vamp) all reprising their roles from previous titles. The role of EVA will be voiced by actress Lee Meriwether. Cam Clarke, who performed the voice of Liquid Snake in the first two Metal Gear Solid games, will not be a part of the Metal Gear Solid 4 cast. The role of Liquid Ocelot was given to Patric Zimmerman, the voice of Revolver Ocelot. Kris Zimmerman, denying allegations of nepotism, has clarified that Kojima always intended for the character to use Ocelot’s voice.The character of Rosemary, played by Lara Cody in MGS2, will be played by Jennifer Hale in MGS4. Ryan Payton has stated that due to lack of space that there will be no option to switch audio to different languages.

Other new characters include Drebin, a self-styled “arms launderer” (notably voiced in Japanese by Keiji Fujiwara, the Japanese voice of Sigint in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater) whose Stryker will act as the in-game store.; “Little Gray”, a small, shaven, shorts-wearing monkey who appears to follow Drebin; a new FOXHOUND team under the command of Meryl Silverburgh; and the Beauty and the Beast Unit.

Solid Snake voice actor David Hayter will make a cameo in a specially-filmed live action sequence for the game

The New FOXHOUND

The four members of FOXHOUND, also known as “Rat Patrol Team”, are sent to investigate PMC activity. The team includes Meryl Silverburgh; Ed, Meryl’s second-in-command; Jonathan, a hulking soldier; and Johnny, also known as “Akiba”, the team’s electronics expert. Meryl, Ed, and Jonathan use the SOP (Sons Of the Patriots) system to share each other’s senses via the nanomachine network inside their bodies. Meryl states that they are investigating PMC activity for the US Army CID. Ed and Jonathan are named after Ed Brown and Jonathan Ingram, the main characters of Hideo Kojima’s Policenauts, from which Meryl also originally gained her name.

The Beauty and the Beast Corps

Four new bosses are also debuting in Guns of the Patriots: Crying Wolf, Raging Raven, Screaming Mantis, and Laughing Octopus, all members of The Beauty and the Beast Corps. Their animal names openly reference characters from Metal Gear Solid’s FOXHOUND unit, and the emotions relating to the Cobra Unit from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. A close inspection of Screaming Mantis reveals two marionettes of previous MGS bosses: Psycho Mantis and The Sorrow, both of whom were psychics. All four of them are women who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The only way they can cope with the damage done to their minds is to become war machines. Their inner appearance is referred to as “Beauty”, while their outer appearance is referred to as “Beast”. Four real-life models were chosen for their in-game appearances as their “Beauty” side: Lyndall Jarvis, Scarlett Chorvat, Mieko Rye, and Yumi Kikuchi. The English dubbing for the characters is done by having the female voice actors perform the lines while Fred Tatasciore overdubs on top of the female voices, creating a split-voice effect for the characters.

Soundtrack

The score to Metal Gear Solid 4 is being led by Harry Gregson-Williams, his third Metal Gear Solid soundtrack, and Nobuko Toda, who provided music for Metal Gear Acid and Metal Gear Acid 2. Directed by Norihiko Hibino, GEM Impact employees Yoshitaka Suzuki and Takahiro Izutani also made compositions late in the game’s production. Other contributors are Konami employees Shuichi Kobori, Kazuma Jinnouchi, Akihiro Honda, and Sota Fujimori.

There are two vocal themes for the game. The opening theme, “Love Theme”, is sung by Jackie Presti and composed by Nobuko Toda. The ending theme, “Here’s To You”, is sung by Lisbeth Scott. Before the release of the game, “MGS4 – Theme of Love – Smash Bros. Brawl Version” was provided for Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the Shadow Moses Island level.

The official soundtrack was released on May 28, 2008 by Konami Digital Entertainment under the catalog number GFCA-98/9. It is comprised of two discs of music and 47 tracks. A soundtrack album will also be packaged with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition.

Marketing

At a press conference on May 13, 2008, Hideo Kojima announced a marketing campaign and agreements with several companies to promote the game. An Apple iPod is an in-game item that Snake can use to change the background music, and collect hidden songs scattered throughout the game. ReGain Energy Drinks are used in the game as a stamina booster, and Sony Ericsson mobile phones are used.

Konami and Ubisoft put an unlockable costume in the game for Snake, Altaïr from the Ubisoft stealth game Assassin’s Creed. Initially revealed on April Fool’s Day 2008, Kojima later announced that it would actually be in the game, unlockable by doing “something special”

Versions and releases

Limited Edition

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition is to be released simultaneously with the game’s standard edition, as an enhanced counterpart. The release will contain Guns of the Patriots, a box with artwork by Yoji Shinkawa, a Blu-ray containing two “making of” documentaries, and the game soundtrack. The Limited Edition will be available exclusively at GameStop in the United States and EB Games in Canada, while a similar bundle with an additional 6-inch ‘Olive Drab’ Old Snake Figurine has been made available at Play.com in the United Kingdom.

Release bundles

In North America, a bundle containing an 80GB PlayStation 3, a DualShock 3 wireless controller, a downloadable game coupon from PSN and a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be released for US$499 to coincide with the release of the standalone edition. Japan will see the release of the Guns of the Patriots Welcome Box that contains the game itself, a DualShock 3 controller, and a 40GB PS3 in either black, white or silver.

Sony has also announced a limited edition pre-order bundle containing Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition and a matte grey (officially titled Gunmetal Grey) 40GB PlayStation 3. First announced in Japan on March 18, 2008 at a cost of ¥51,800 the bundle sold out within six days from March 20 to March 25. An identical bundle was available in North America for pre-order on May 19, 2008 in “very limited” supply for US$600 at Konami’s official website

Metal Gear Online

Metal Gear Online (commonly abbreviated to MGO) is the online component of Metal Gear Solid 4. The game will feature 16-player online stealth battles, encouraging players to engage heavily in teamwork. MGO will initially distributed with MGS4 in the form of a starter pack, although it will eventually see a stand-alone release. The game will also be expanded through downloadable content via the PlayStation Network, potentially for up to 10 years.

The game was in beta testing in Japan from August 20 to September 3, 2007. Around 3,000 people joined the test sessions. US and Canadian customers who pre-ordered Metal Gear Solid 4 in April were also included in a further beta test which was due to begin on April 21, 2008, however due to many technical difficulties including a server overload, it was postponed to April 25, 2008 and continued until May 11, 2008, promptly shutting down at midnight PST until its return on June 12 for the world-wide release of MGS4. The beta package obtained from pre-ordering the game also includes a documentary DVD titled “Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2″ with an “invite code” inside. On April 11, 2008, Konami announced an open Metal Gear Online beta for Europe and that it would be available for download from April 26 and would be entirely open to everyone who downloaded it until May 11.

Reception

Metal Gear Solid 4 has so far received positive reviews. The first review was a 10/10 from PlayStation Official Magazine (UK), commenting “[MSG4] shifts gears constantly, innovating again and again”. The game has been awarded 5/5 from GamePro. The game also received a 5/5 from the PlayStation: The Official Magazine.

Konami review limitations

Several publications have commented on limitations given to pre-release reviewers by Konami, including discussion on the length of cutscenes and size of the PS3 installation. These limitations have resulted in Electronic Gaming Monthly delaying their review. In lieu of a review, the magazine printed a roundtable discussion about the game, with a proper review expected to print in the magazine and post on 1UP.com after Konami’s restrictions have been lifted.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Unlockables

Facepaint

iPod Tunes

Costumes

Metal Gear Solid 4 Secrets