Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

Metal gear Solid 4 is the final chapter in the story line of solid snake. The story line of the game carries straight on from that of Metal Gear Solid 2. Since the end of Metal gear solid (will now on be referred to as MGS) 2, the world has changed. ID tagged soldiers carry ID tagged weapons; everything is controlled by "the system" known the existing MGS fans as the patriots.
You play the role of Solid Snake, the main protagonist of the first metal gear solid game.

Controls: MGS 4 is a stealth game however can be played as a shooter. It features a third person view and an over the shoulder style shooting view, much like the shooting scheme in games like Resident Evil 4. The controls are easy to get used to and the camera angles really complement the smooth game play, using the left analogue stick the move Snake and the right analogue stick to control the camera.

The Characters: Without wanting to give too much away for anyone who has yet to play this game. Players new to the series will find the characters exciting if not slightly eccentric, were as existing fans of the series will enjoy old favourites as well as new characters.

The Enemies: If one thing previous metal gear games are let down by is the AI of some of the enemies, however in Kojimas latest effort, players will be happily satisfied with the intelligence of the computer generated enemies. Gone is the cone shaped view on the radar which shows the enemies vision. The enemy soldiers will hear and see you form quite long distances, which adds individual touches to the game play. For example if Snake develops back ache he will grunt which could alert enemy guards.

In many parts of the game you will be sneaking around the battlefield on which a civil war is taking place, this means you can chose a side to help which will best aid you in getting to your destination.

Graphics: Never have a seen such a beautifully put together game graphics-wise. There are times when during cut scenes it is hard to tell what is real footage and what is CGI, a good example would be the eggs in the mission briefings (buy the game you'll know what I mean :P ).
Other great additions to the graphics are smaller things which only the keen eyed among you will appreciate, like when you reload a gun and the empty bullet shells pop out etc.

Replay Value: This game, I believe will have a lot of replay value for both those who have previously played MGS games and for those who haven't.
You are given a ranking at end of your first play through, and you can do many things to get different ranks, one thing that will keep players coming back for more is trying to achieve that all important, no alerts and no kills play through. You can also unlock new items for your next play-through when you complete the game.
Also for existing MGS fans, Kojima has included a series of "Easter eggs" in the game which will make existing fans at some points making them giggle and at other times making the player feel nostalgic. (you'll know what I'm talking about when you get to act 4, and a tiny spoiler coming up here but ill just say two words, Shadow Moses :).

Among the many advantages to this game there are a few things which let it down, which is why it will only receive a 4/5.
At the beginning of each act you have to install a section of the game, each installation takes on average 5 minutes but it can get annoying when you're getting into the story line.
Another thing that might put you off this game is the length of the cut scenes but all in all i think these things matter less than the great experience and thrill you will get from playing this game. It is more like playing a movie.
One other big let down with this game is the online play which is laggy and just doesn't work well with this style game.

This wraps up the end of my review, I hope you enjoyed it and if there was anything you think I missed out message me. I think anyone who picks up this game will find it and interesting experience and it is worth a play. Although I recommend those players who are not die hard fans of the series to wait for the price tag to fall a bit.

Thanks for your time.