Preview
Platform:
PlayStation 3Developer:
Konami Computer Entertainment Japan Co., Ltd.Publisher:
Konami of America, Inc.Previewed by
Justin Fassino on 2007-10-18
Mark it down: the E for All Expo in Los Angeles is the debut of the world's first public playable, English language version of
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
Konami flew the demo in shortly before the convention opened at the former E3 site, the Los Angeles Convention Center, and immediately upon opening the doors attendees flocked to the booth, causing a 90 minute line.
After reaching the front, Konami gave a brief prep session to introduce the gameplay mechanics and controller setup while gamers sat on sandbags in a small room covered with camouflage. Post-briefing, the demo stations were opened up for a 15 minute session. The demo saw Snake in the midst of a Middle Eastern city while two opposing armies deployed soldiers and vehicles around the area. Snake was tasked with meeting Otacon at the far end of the city; between Snake and his goal were a large number of enemy troops and several armored personnel carriers with turrets.
Furthering
MGS3's camouflage system, Snake's uniform will automatically change color and texture based on what surface he is standing in front of or pressing against. It's very subtle, but it's quite a nice graphical trick and it works with any surface, which is impressive. The demo provided Snake with a plentiful supply of rations and other weapons, including a brand new "prop" disguise: a metal barrel. Similar to the cardboard box, the barrel will keep Snake hidden in the environment, but it's equally as useless for stopping bullets. Among the other new features is a completely redesigned aiming system. By holding the L1 button, Snake will aim his weapon; if an enemy is nearby, Snake will automatically lock on to it. There's also the option to turn off the auto-aim and change the camera to a
Resident Evil 4-like over-the-shoulder free aim. In either case, pressing the triangle button will cause the game to go into first-person view. It is somewhat obtuse at first, especially if you prefer looking down the sights, but the aiming control setup does not seem to finalized yet.
For the stealthier gamer,
MGS4 has also implemented a system involving judo grabs and locks if Snake is able to grab his enemy from behind. After he has the choke on, Snake can perform a takedown or sleeper hold that will stun the foe, or if he has a knife equipped, execute a fatal stealth kill. On the GUI-side of things, Kojima's team has upgraded the codec. Instead of the dual-portrait system framed in green, the codec this time around is in full 3D as the character with whom Snake is speaking occupies a single window that dominates the screen. Instead of an on-screen radar during gameplay, the heads-up display is a lot less cluttered with the addition of the "threat ring," a white circle that surrounds Snake at all times; when there are no enemies present, the ring is perfectly flat. When Snake is in danger, the ring becomes wavy in the direction towards the enemy. It's unobtrusive but visually effective at alerting the player of their surroundings.
Audiovisually,
MGS4 is stellar. Guns have a healthy pop to them and the sound effects fans have been used to since the very first
Solid are still around. Some of the environmental textures are blurry, but for the most part everything is sharp and detailed, especially the characters.
Konami would not confirm a release date other than "early 2008," but March is the expected month. Look for more coverage of
Metal Gear Solid 4 in the future.
