Reviews// Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Seeing The Sex Pistols in Birmingham (England, not Alabama) recently presented the kind of an experience that playing Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (GotP) has done.

Both provided the chance to see familiar old faces (or at least aged ones); to hear lots of old and familiar ideas (some of which had been updated but not so they were in anyway discomfiting); to repeat activities that were once exciting and vibrant and are now just plain good fun.

However, while the Pistols came on, played songs, gave some cheeky banter, did some encores and then pissed off practically unconcerned as to whether I drew every single inference from every word, GotP really, really wanted me to love and understand it.

No, I'm not being entirely honest there – it wanted me to love and understand it and it's entire family going back to the beginning of Metal Gear Solid time.

Overall, though, the whole GotP experience made me feel lovely and comforted and ready to get on with the washing up and vacuuming. So, what of the review? First things first:

Let's pretend that you're reading this in order to find out about Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Let's pretend that you're not reading it to:

1) have your own opinion confirmed.
2) have your choice to buy a PlayStation 3 over an Xbox 360 supported.

Because, let's face it, if you're here for those reasons, then you've already bought Hideo Kojima's latest/last Snake outing and are now simply looking for affirmation and reassurance.

So, here's a tip - if you have already bought the game then – seriously – you shouldn't need anybody else's opinion at all.

Now, let's get shot of those of you who don't like to read reviews but merely want to know scores. At this point in the review I am giving GotP 20% - that's out of 100% not 110%.

Right, everybody else ready?

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is exclusive to the PS3; it's directed by Hideo Kojima and it's a stealth combat game. Its development reaches back into the very depths of time (well, 1987). Its narrative goes back even further – to 1918 in fact, although not in terms of game-play, and that's just the start of the confusion... sorry, rich narrative line.

One thing we do know, it is a video game. At least it's sold as a video game and it has video game heritage – and occasionally you get to press buttons and affect the outcome.

It is also the end of an era of the Metal Gear franchise. One question is, does it herald the arrival of a new era – does it indicate a new way of making games? No, no it doesn't. It certainly builds on what came before. It also gave me a sense of like for the PlayStation 3 that had faltered a little since Burnout Paradise.

But who says that video games with the kind of hype that GotP had should do anything other than consolidate themselves? No one.