As the year comes to an end I’m reflecting on the some of the games that I’m considering for the top 10 releases in 2008 & so I’m reviewing 2 of the big ones “GTA 4 & Metal Gear Solid 4: guns of the patriots” - both are top contenders for the number 1 spot, and so on with the reviews…
METAL GEAR SOLID 4: guns of the patriots [ Playstation 3] [15+] [Konami]
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the latest & in my view the best of the series. The game itself is a next generation action adventure packed with innovative ideas & is truly cinematic in scale. I cant go too much into the story because it would only spoil it for people so instead I'm going to talk about the game play itself. One of the major differences this time around is that the player is thrown into a war zone, a war zone that features not only the enemies but allies too - you can chose to either go it alone or you can fight alongside the militia to help them defeat your mutual enemy.
The character movement & combat skills have vastly improved - using technology like octocamo snake will blend into the scenery of your choice, this is great for hiding from the enemy. Another new item introduced to the game is the solid eye a kind of multi featured eye patch which can be used to access radar/enemy positioning/info & night vision in addition it also highlights information on weapons & much more. As for the weapons themselves there are so many I don't even know where to begin, I counted about 60+ but there are special unlockable weapons & items too not to mention tons of modifiers & special ammunition - from handguns to assault rifles to sniper rifles even to rocket launchers this game has them all.
Perhaps one of the strangest items I came across in the game was a fully functioning ipod - that's right you can listen to a selection of songs/music/pod casts while you play the game. CQC (close quarters combat) makes a welcome return to the game too & this time it seems more fluid & lifelike, holding enemies up at gunpoint for them to drop items has been improved but then so have the enemies & by that I mean the games AI (artificial intelligence).
METAL GEAR SOLID 4: guns of the patriots [ Playstation 3] [15+] [Konami]Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the latest & in my view the best of the series. The game itself is a next generation action adventure packed with innovative ideas & is truly cinematic in scale. I cant go too much into the story because it would only spoil it for people so instead I'm going to talk about the game play itself. One of the major differences this time around is that the player is thrown into a war zone, a war zone that features not only the enemies but allies too - you can chose to either go it alone or you can fight alongside the militia to help them defeat your mutual enemy.
The character movement & combat skills have vastly improved - using technology like octocamo snake will blend into the scenery of your choice, this is great for hiding from the enemy. Another new item introduced to the game is the solid eye a kind of multi featured eye patch which can be used to access radar/enemy positioning/info & night vision in addition it also highlights information on weapons & much more. As for the weapons themselves there are so many I don't even know where to begin, I counted about 60+ but there are special unlockable weapons & items too not to mention tons of modifiers & special ammunition - from handguns to assault rifles to sniper rifles even to rocket launchers this game has them all.
Perhaps one of the strangest items I came across in the game was a fully functioning ipod - that's right you can listen to a selection of songs/music/pod casts while you play the game. CQC (close quarters combat) makes a welcome return to the game too & this time it seems more fluid & lifelike, holding enemies up at gunpoint for them to drop items has been improved but then so have the enemies & by that I mean the games AI (artificial intelligence).
One of my favorite things about the game are the bosses - in the past games the bosses were always a crucial element of the game play & giving more depth to the story, as I said already the game immerses the player into an amazing cinematic experience & the visuals are some of the best I have seen yet even the voice acting is top notch. The graphics & environments are very impressive with so much detail to things like buildings/streets/jungles & they really blend well with the combat & stealth systems needed to progress through the game.Pros:
Mind blowing cinematic
A deep range of replay value
Incredible soundtrack & music elements
Top notch combat & stealth scenarios
Memorable characters & boss battles
Comes with the amazing metal gear online package
Cons:
Slightly annoying load times (the longest being 4mins)
Some people who are not familiar with the series may not understand the long cut scenes
I didn't really like the whole "old snake" thing - its just a little to different for me
GRAND THEFT AUTO IV [Playstation 3 - Xbox 360] [18+] [Rockstar games]
I don't usually review videogames but with the new installment of Grand Theft Auto I will make a big exception. In the past the GTA series set the standard for free-roaming or (sandbox style) game play & GTA IV completely blows away the competition.. In fact it may very well be the best game of all time!
A brief history of Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto - 1997/1998 (released on the playstation & the pc)
Grand Theft Auto 2 - 1999 (playstation & dream cast)
Grand Theft Auto 3 - 2001 (playstation 2)
Grand Theft Auto Vice City - 2002 (playstation 2)
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas - 2004 (playstation 2)
Grand Theft Auto 4 - 2008 (playstation 3 & X box 360)
(I left out liberty city & vice city stories on purpose)
The gameplay of Gta incorporates many styles of videogames including role-playing/action/adventure/driving/racing & even stealth, the character must make his way up in the ranks of the criminal underworld by dealing with & working with various organizations including the traditional mafia/the yakuzza/the triads/drugs cartels & newer crime groups like the Russian mafia or mafiya. The older games focused more on the threat of asian & Italian american crime groups but the newer more modern games such as the latest installment deal with the threat of eastern European crime groups.
One thing the Gta games have always incorporated is the use of proper acting talent for the roles of the characters, for example Ray Liotta provided the voice for the character Tommy Vercetti, actors such as Dennis Hopper,/Samuel L Jackson/Michael Madsen/James Woods/Burt Renolds & even Frank Vincent have provided voices in the past & have helped to give the player a more cinematic experience.
The series has also incorporated the use of a good soundtrack in a game, in Gta 3 the makers of the game licensed the entire soundtrack of scarface, they followed the tradition with Vice City - this time around the game was set in Miami in the 80's so the soundtrack featured bands like Iron Maiden/Kate Bush/REO Speedwagon/INXS/Talk Talk/Megadeth/Slayer/Judas Priest/Blondie & even Bryan Adams! No matter what way you look at it the games soundtrack appealed to almost everyone. San Andreas was a different story however - the game was set in Los Angeles & I always thought the soundtrack couldn't stand up to the past installments. The gameplay of San Andreas was more in-depth, the player could customize the character with clothes/hair/accessories & even weight! Feed the character in fact you had to feed him or else he would waste away & die.. Which felt too much like a ghetto tamogotchi at times - the player could use helicopters/jets/boats/cars/bikes & even a bmx. The map of the game itself was hugely superior to Vice City & Gta 3 - Los Angeles/San Francisco/Las Vegas & huge section of desert & countryside between the states was also included.. In short the game itself was huge! So big infact that there were rumors floating around the internet about a hidden Big Foot character roaming the mountains ..this of course wasn't true.. But yeah I looked as did most people!
As with most great things (slasher flicks & heavy metal) controversy wouldn't be far behind, the series so far has been blamed for the cause of murders/car theft (of course) violent behavior & even drink driving, as if that wasn't enough the success of the series caused other games developers to copy their formula.. While some games were good most were just blatant rip-off's or clones - a few examples of similar styled games would be True Crime 1 & 2/Saints Row/Scarface.
GTA IV PS3 & Xbox 360
the game is set in the fictional city of Liberty City but as anyone will tell you its New York, the environments are noting short of brilliant, the player feels just like they are walking through (or driving through at high speed!) a living breathing city. I played both the playstation 3 & the xbox 360 version & I have to be honest & say it plays smoother on the ps3, the graphics looks amazing & the physics engine is almost flawless, for me it was the weather that really blew me away. The developers use a new next generation engine to generate unprecedented weather & lighting effects, the sunlight streams realistically through interiors of buildings & through trees - the rain effects are some of the best I have seen in a game & I constantly find myself wishing it would last because it looks so realistic!
The building & road textures feature more detail than most next gen games - potholes/debris on the roads & water ( helicopters kick up dust & debris as they hover closer to the ground)Reflections on surfaces such as glass & water looks so natural you might forget you are playing a game, one of the highpoints being doing a mission at night in a boat with the lights of the city reflecting on the waters surface, police helicopter searchlights beating down on you as you run for cover provide an ultra realistic experience for the player.
The physics engine is a huge improvement on the past games, throwing objects or falling objects (including people) will react less like an unanimated or lifeless radolls which was the case for so many other games.. & still is,. There really is so much in the game that it would be impossible mention all or even half of them! From the handling of cars (each car will handle differently) to the use of mobile phones (customizing ring tones & wallpapers etc)
The map consists of four of the five New York boroughs - Manhattan/New Jersey/Queens & the Bronx of course these are named differently but its obvious to most people which areas of the map are based on which real-life areas on New York.
Pedestrians on the street will walk through the city talking on their phones/smoking cigarettes/reading newspapers/dropping litter & so on, (one of the things that really impressed me was a pedestrian being arrested for fighting on the street.. The police showed up & took him away, naturally I figured the car would just disappear a minute or two later but it turned out the car went all the way to the nearest police station along with its occupiers ..very impressive
The player can visit internet cafes & browse websites for missions & receive emails , climb almost any building including fire escapes/telephone poles/swim/make & receive calls - take photos on their phone/even use Atm's
The music this time may night appeal to everyone & if I was being entirely honest I would say it was lacking on catchy artists or songs, as the character is eastern European one of the music stations is hosted by the Ukrainian singer Ruslana -I myself knew most of the songs & artists feature but as some of my friends pointed out most people wouldn't be familiar with the bands or songs. Classic Rock/Hip hop/Reggae/Electronic & Hardcore are also included but no classical stations this time around which is a shame because in the 3rd game (which was also set in Liberty City - but didn't have anywhere near the current scale) it really brought a touch of class to the game .. By that I mean it was cool doing insane stunt jumps with tracks such as "o mio babbino caro" by gianna Schicchi playing as you launched your car into the air
GTA IV (story & characters)
The main character is Niko Bellic, a veteran of the Bosnian war who is voiced by Michael Hollick but who looks an awful lot like the sniper from the film "behind enemy lines"
He arrives in America with thoughts of making it big, along the way he encounters friends & foes that depending on how you react to them changes your development through the story ( killing certain people or letting them live will change your overall outcome) as with before you can drive & shoot your way through the story - but as it is free roaming you can progress through the game at your own pace, a huge improvement on the originals is the aiming system it takes a little bit of getting used to but once you master it you will wonder how you ever did without it before - from automatic locking to free aim, thankfully this time you don't have to exercise or eat constantly to stay alive! & if you did need to replenish your health you can stop off at a food vendor or a restaurant, as I already said the city is alive & vibrant with the islands being linked by tunnels & bridges, as for the missions themselves they are enjoyable & feel like an integrate part of moving the story forwards - some of the gangs & people incorporated into the story are the Russian/the Jamaicans/the Triads & the Irish (woohoo for the Irish its about time we got a break!)
The cars look more noticeable to that of their real life counterparts, Bmws/Mercedes/Maybachs/Bentleys/Lamborginis/Ferraris/Porches are all there but of course they are not going under their real names & because my knowledge of cars is the same as my knowledge on say ..quantum physics I cant go into too much detail on them - tires on the cars will react to gunfire (shred when shot at Etc) bullet holes will stay - dirt & scratches will show up along with scratches & wear & tear, news on the radio will reflect your progress in the game often speaking about missions you have completed or were involved in .. oh & if all that was not enough you can even watch TV! that's right you can sit down & watch TV in your safe houses! (my favorite programs being "I'm Rich" & "Republican Space Rangers")
Overall I would say it was the best gaming experience for me ever, it did come with setbacks but they were through no fault of the game - for instance after purchasing a copy of the game for the xbox 360 the machine decided to have a heart attack & soon after died! This wasn't any fault of the game as it was my 3rd xbox console! It seems they are cursed & will almost certainly breakdown.. But buying a new console & it breaking down that day? A bit crazy no? so I went & bought a copy of it for my PS3 (12 straight hours & no problems!..apart from my eyes almost melting & the hallucinations) for the moment there is no real difference between the PS3 & Xbox versions of the game but this might soon change because Microsoft have signed a deal with the makers of Gta to provide exclusive downloadable content.. I can only imagine that the content will be missions/weapons/music ..perhaps clothing too, I almost forgot - Gta 4 plays online too! You can play various games like capture the flag/deathmatch/racing & much more with the all the city as the game map, playing a ranked game will earn the character money …but as I have experienced already it means the games are extra competitive so be ready for some hardcore online gaming & of course don't start shooting me from a skyscraper with a sniper rifle (some complete bugger kept doing that to me for 20mins!)
Mind blowing cinematic
A deep range of replay value
Incredible soundtrack & music elements
Top notch combat & stealth scenarios
Memorable characters & boss battles
Comes with the amazing metal gear online package
Cons:
Slightly annoying load times (the longest being 4mins)
Some people who are not familiar with the series may not understand the long cut scenes
I didn't really like the whole "old snake" thing - its just a little to different for me
GRAND THEFT AUTO IV [Playstation 3 - Xbox 360] [18+] [Rockstar games]I don't usually review videogames but with the new installment of Grand Theft Auto I will make a big exception. In the past the GTA series set the standard for free-roaming or (sandbox style) game play & GTA IV completely blows away the competition.. In fact it may very well be the best game of all time!
A brief history of Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto - 1997/1998 (released on the playstation & the pc)
Grand Theft Auto 2 - 1999 (playstation & dream cast)
Grand Theft Auto 3 - 2001 (playstation 2)
Grand Theft Auto Vice City - 2002 (playstation 2)
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas - 2004 (playstation 2)
Grand Theft Auto 4 - 2008 (playstation 3 & X box 360)
(I left out liberty city & vice city stories on purpose)
The gameplay of Gta incorporates many styles of videogames including role-playing/action/adventure/driving/racing & even stealth, the character must make his way up in the ranks of the criminal underworld by dealing with & working with various organizations including the traditional mafia/the yakuzza/the triads/drugs cartels & newer crime groups like the Russian mafia or mafiya. The older games focused more on the threat of asian & Italian american crime groups but the newer more modern games such as the latest installment deal with the threat of eastern European crime groups.One thing the Gta games have always incorporated is the use of proper acting talent for the roles of the characters, for example Ray Liotta provided the voice for the character Tommy Vercetti, actors such as Dennis Hopper,/Samuel L Jackson/Michael Madsen/James Woods/Burt Renolds & even Frank Vincent have provided voices in the past & have helped to give the player a more cinematic experience.
The series has also incorporated the use of a good soundtrack in a game, in Gta 3 the makers of the game licensed the entire soundtrack of scarface, they followed the tradition with Vice City - this time around the game was set in Miami in the 80's so the soundtrack featured bands like Iron Maiden/Kate Bush/REO Speedwagon/INXS/Talk Talk/Megadeth/Slayer/Judas Priest/Blondie & even Bryan Adams! No matter what way you look at it the games soundtrack appealed to almost everyone. San Andreas was a different story however - the game was set in Los Angeles & I always thought the soundtrack couldn't stand up to the past installments. The gameplay of San Andreas was more in-depth, the player could customize the character with clothes/hair/accessories & even weight! Feed the character in fact you had to feed him or else he would waste away & die.. Which felt too much like a ghetto tamogotchi at times - the player could use helicopters/jets/boats/cars/bikes & even a bmx. The map of the game itself was hugely superior to Vice City & Gta 3 - Los Angeles/San Francisco/Las Vegas & huge section of desert & countryside between the states was also included.. In short the game itself was huge! So big infact that there were rumors floating around the internet about a hidden Big Foot character roaming the mountains ..this of course wasn't true.. But yeah I looked as did most people!
As with most great things (slasher flicks & heavy metal) controversy wouldn't be far behind, the series so far has been blamed for the cause of murders/car theft (of course) violent behavior & even drink driving, as if that wasn't enough the success of the series caused other games developers to copy their formula.. While some games were good most were just blatant rip-off's or clones - a few examples of similar styled games would be True Crime 1 & 2/Saints Row/Scarface.
GTA IV PS3 & Xbox 360the game is set in the fictional city of Liberty City but as anyone will tell you its New York, the environments are noting short of brilliant, the player feels just like they are walking through (or driving through at high speed!) a living breathing city. I played both the playstation 3 & the xbox 360 version & I have to be honest & say it plays smoother on the ps3, the graphics looks amazing & the physics engine is almost flawless, for me it was the weather that really blew me away. The developers use a new next generation engine to generate unprecedented weather & lighting effects, the sunlight streams realistically through interiors of buildings & through trees - the rain effects are some of the best I have seen in a game & I constantly find myself wishing it would last because it looks so realistic!
The building & road textures feature more detail than most next gen games - potholes/debris on the roads & water ( helicopters kick up dust & debris as they hover closer to the ground)Reflections on surfaces such as glass & water looks so natural you might forget you are playing a game, one of the highpoints being doing a mission at night in a boat with the lights of the city reflecting on the waters surface, police helicopter searchlights beating down on you as you run for cover provide an ultra realistic experience for the player.
The physics engine is a huge improvement on the past games, throwing objects or falling objects (including people) will react less like an unanimated or lifeless radolls which was the case for so many other games.. & still is,. There really is so much in the game that it would be impossible mention all or even half of them! From the handling of cars (each car will handle differently) to the use of mobile phones (customizing ring tones & wallpapers etc)
The map consists of four of the five New York boroughs - Manhattan/New Jersey/Queens & the Bronx of course these are named differently but its obvious to most people which areas of the map are based on which real-life areas on New York.
Pedestrians on the street will walk through the city talking on their phones/smoking cigarettes/reading newspapers/dropping litter & so on, (one of the things that really impressed me was a pedestrian being arrested for fighting on the street.. The police showed up & took him away, naturally I figured the car would just disappear a minute or two later but it turned out the car went all the way to the nearest police station along with its occupiers ..very impressiveThe player can visit internet cafes & browse websites for missions & receive emails , climb almost any building including fire escapes/telephone poles/swim/make & receive calls - take photos on their phone/even use Atm's
The music this time may night appeal to everyone & if I was being entirely honest I would say it was lacking on catchy artists or songs, as the character is eastern European one of the music stations is hosted by the Ukrainian singer Ruslana -I myself knew most of the songs & artists feature but as some of my friends pointed out most people wouldn't be familiar with the bands or songs. Classic Rock/Hip hop/Reggae/Electronic & Hardcore are also included but no classical stations this time around which is a shame because in the 3rd game (which was also set in Liberty City - but didn't have anywhere near the current scale) it really brought a touch of class to the game .. By that I mean it was cool doing insane stunt jumps with tracks such as "o mio babbino caro" by gianna Schicchi playing as you launched your car into the air
GTA IV (story & characters)The main character is Niko Bellic, a veteran of the Bosnian war who is voiced by Michael Hollick but who looks an awful lot like the sniper from the film "behind enemy lines"
He arrives in America with thoughts of making it big, along the way he encounters friends & foes that depending on how you react to them changes your development through the story ( killing certain people or letting them live will change your overall outcome) as with before you can drive & shoot your way through the story - but as it is free roaming you can progress through the game at your own pace, a huge improvement on the originals is the aiming system it takes a little bit of getting used to but once you master it you will wonder how you ever did without it before - from automatic locking to free aim, thankfully this time you don't have to exercise or eat constantly to stay alive! & if you did need to replenish your health you can stop off at a food vendor or a restaurant, as I already said the city is alive & vibrant with the islands being linked by tunnels & bridges, as for the missions themselves they are enjoyable & feel like an integrate part of moving the story forwards - some of the gangs & people incorporated into the story are the Russian/the Jamaicans/the Triads & the Irish (woohoo for the Irish its about time we got a break!)
The cars look more noticeable to that of their real life counterparts, Bmws/Mercedes/Maybachs/Bentleys/Lamborginis/Ferraris/Porches are all there but of course they are not going under their real names & because my knowledge of cars is the same as my knowledge on say ..quantum physics I cant go into too much detail on them - tires on the cars will react to gunfire (shred when shot at Etc) bullet holes will stay - dirt & scratches will show up along with scratches & wear & tear, news on the radio will reflect your progress in the game often speaking about missions you have completed or were involved in .. oh & if all that was not enough you can even watch TV! that's right you can sit down & watch TV in your safe houses! (my favorite programs being "I'm Rich" & "Republican Space Rangers")
Overall I would say it was the best gaming experience for me ever, it did come with setbacks but they were through no fault of the game - for instance after purchasing a copy of the game for the xbox 360 the machine decided to have a heart attack & soon after died! This wasn't any fault of the game as it was my 3rd xbox console! It seems they are cursed & will almost certainly breakdown.. But buying a new console & it breaking down that day? A bit crazy no? so I went & bought a copy of it for my PS3 (12 straight hours & no problems!..apart from my eyes almost melting & the hallucinations) for the moment there is no real difference between the PS3 & Xbox versions of the game but this might soon change because Microsoft have signed a deal with the makers of Gta to provide exclusive downloadable content.. I can only imagine that the content will be missions/weapons/music ..perhaps clothing too, I almost forgot - Gta 4 plays online too! You can play various games like capture the flag/deathmatch/racing & much more with the all the city as the game map, playing a ranked game will earn the character money …but as I have experienced already it means the games are extra competitive so be ready for some hardcore online gaming & of course don't start shooting me from a skyscraper with a sniper rifle (some complete bugger kept doing that to me for 20mins!) 
