Metal Gear series

[Kenny]

Okay, good. I was like "no way, man".

Despite it all, the reunion of some of the characters should be really exciting. And the actual demo of the game looks really fun, all those techniques look awesome. I'm glad they actually added realtime events during the gameplay to give it more of a sense of realism.

[OL]

Yeah, the beasts look pretty stupid. They sound stupid, too. I mean, come on, a bird-thing that keeps yelling "RAGE!!!"?
Yeah, try to tell me that's not gonna get annoying during a boss battle. Not to mention the fact that it's cheesy as hell.
And the robot wolf is a little dumb. I mean, it actually howls. It howls. What point does it serve a robot to howl? I've always thought the robots in Metal Gear were cool because they make sounds more akin to grinding metal, which makes more sense. But howling?
*sigh*
I'm almost inclined to think the "puppeteer" character is someone we've seen before, since Snake says "It can't be...?" when he sees it (and we all know "It can't be..." is the international phrase everyone in popular media uses when they've seen something before). The natural response to that would be that it might be Psycho Mantis. But that's just a random theory from watching the trailer once, so in all likelyhood I'm wrong.
And the worst of all was the octopus-lady-thing. It looks like something out of Silent Hill, and it very, very clearly doesn't fit in with anything related to MGS. It almost hurts to think that this is part of MGS4.
Ugh x 10.

[Kenny]

They sound annoying, but there's always the mute button.

Or, for the love of god, an option to turn off/down the dialouge momentarily.

[Henry Spencer]

Funny. I seem to remember your favourite MGS game being MGS3....

....The Cobra Unit anyone? You just contradicted youself.

THE PAIN

THE FURY

THE END

THE FEAR

THE JOY

...Pathetic.

[Milky Joe]

The Cobra unit all have names of emotions that they carry into battle right, so what the fuck is the end. You can't feel end, can you?

[OL]

Funny. I seem to remember your favourite MGS game being MGS3....

....The Cobra Unit anyone? You just contradicted youself.

THE PAIN

THE FURY

THE END

THE FEAR

THE JOY

...Pathetic.

How did I contradict myself?
And how is it pathetic?

[Kenny]

The Cobra unit all have names of emotions that they carry into battle right, so what the fuck is the end. You can't feel end, can you?

Maybe its another way to say Death.

[Henry Spencer]

Funny. I seem to remember your favourite MGS game being MGS3....

....The Cobra Unit anyone? You just contradicted youself.

THE PAIN

THE FURY

THE END

THE FEAR

THE JOY

...Pathetic.

How did I contradict myself?
And how is it pathetic?

You were saying that 'the howling and guy yelling 'RAGE' was pathetic', yet Kojima started off this stupid craze with MGS3. All The Pain and The Fear seemed to want to say was what their name was, and describe their meaning to the storyline. All those two shouted at their death beds were 'The Pain/Fear, The Pain/Fear...THE PAIN/FEAR'. Which was just STUPID.

Stupid names, underdeveloped characters. The only one who is passable for me out of those you actually fight, is The Fury, since at least we establish that he went mad after coming back from space (which itself sounds reasonable, since space can drive some people strangely insane). The rest of them were horribly underdeveloped. That's just my take anyway.

The Sorrow and The Joy however weren't underdeveloped though, thankfully.

Just saying you sorta contradicted yourself because Crying Wolf was 'howling' although she was actually crying like a human being too. And that guy yelling 'THE RAGE' really reminds me of the Cobra unit, since that's where that came from. I must admit, I don't like them two very much anyway, but I know I'll get used to them, so will everyone, I guess.

Screaming Mantis and Laughing Octopus however, look awesome! I really love my insane characters they're always the MGS characters I like the best, and since we get one from each MGS title that is really like, totally and utterly fucked up in the head, more so than the rest, Octopus fits the bill very well. The voice acting is rather freaky too for Octopus, having both male and female voiceovers inter lapping one another works very well indeed, especially with the incredibly manic laughter. Screaming Mantis definitely is not living up to her name though, lol, she's very much a mute, merely just commanding the unit (establishing that she is in charge of this latest set of freaks) and bowing to Snake as she departs. I reckon she is a new character, since they are having real life models generated into the game as these characters.

[Kenny]

At least one thing is for sure: this is not gonna top MGS1.

I've seen enough to convince me. It can probably top 2 & 3 (which remains to be seen), but there's no way in hell I can see this toping the original.

[Martin]

I'm a huge Metal Gear nerd, and I'm loving everything about MGS4 so far. Unlike Kenny, I think it has the potential to be the best game in the series, though I'll be perfectly comfortable with it being second best. I think MGS2 was the worst (terrible writing and too much random nonsense). Yeah, the bosses in MGS4 are kind of cheesy, but then they always are. The flying one shouting "RAGE!!" constantly is no more annoying than all the MGS3 bosses doing the same. I can't see it being a major game-killing issue.

Despite Snake going "It can't be..!" to the Mantis one, and despite the Mantis one bowing, I don't think it's a returning character. Remember, they're all women. Unless that turns out to be a rouse by Kojima (wouldn't put anything past him, he kept gayboy Raiden a secret), I can't think of any returning women characters that aren't beyond a reasonable doubt. Sniper Wolf was shot in the face at point blank range by Snake, execution-style. Bringing her back would be rather silly. I suppose the only candidate would be Olga. She died a less absolute death, and her child will apparently feature in MGS4, so Olga making a return isn't beyond the realms of possibility, I don't think.

[Henry Spencer]

At least one thing is for sure: this is not gonna top MGS1.

I've seen enough to convince me. It can probably top 2 & 3 (which remains to be seen), but there's no way in hell I can see this topping the original.

Sadly, I agree with everything you said. It has the potential to, being Solid Snake's 'final mission' and all (and I am guessing a LOT of characters are going to die in this). And since Kojima handles tragedy storylines, twists and saddening death speech scenes so bloody well, with all his games, not just MG, I can see him delving into this story very well; remember, he is going to kill a lot of characters, in many fashions I am guessing (LOL) and make it all rather upsetting. Towards the ending, the Voice Director said that she was crying at the script, which no other material she has ever worked on before (done tons upon tons of productions in the past), has given her this reaction. Must be bloody good if it made her cry! I doubt I'll ever cry at a game, (LOL) but it must be pushing the right buttons if it's making people feel the way the director intended, tears or no tears.

[Kenny]

On a gameplay standpoint, of course it's going to be the best MG. Every succeeding MG as been better than the last in that department.

But I haven't been completely engrossed in a Kojima game since MGS1. The game's storyline was perfectly structured, had awesome unforgettable characters (I thought they looked awesome before I played the game), and had a great atmosphere attached to it (a dark, moody Tim Burton-ish feel, which kicks the ass out of these bland gray muddy atmospheres Kojima has been working with lately). He is a genius in every way, but I think the original is too big for even him to top.

Towards the ending, the Voice Director said that she was crying at the script, which no other material she has ever worked on before (done tons upon tons of productions in the past), has given her this reaction. Must be bloody good if it made her cry! I doubt I'll ever cry at a game, (LOL) but it must be pushing the right buttons if it's making people feel the way the director intended, tears or no tears.

You mean the end of MGS4? MGS3 had a very good ending as well. I'm sure the ending concerning the original characters (as well as the badass cutscenes) will be worthwhile, but i'm not too sure about the entirety yet. I already think the new B&B unit look pretty lame, that kinda hurts its chances with me.

[Milky Joe]

At least one thing is for sure: this is not gonna top MGS1.

I've seen enough to convince me. It can probably top 2 & 3 (which remains to be seen), but there's no way in hell I can see this topping the original.

Sadly, I agree with everything you said. It has the potential to, being Solid Snake's 'final mission' and all (and I am guessing a LOT of characters are going to die in this). And since Kojima handles tragedy storylines, twists and saddening death speech scenes so bloody well, with all his games, not just MG, I can see him delving into this story very well; remember, he is going to kill a lot of characters, in many fashions I am guessing (LOL) and make it all rather upsetting. Towards the ending, the Voice Director said that she was crying at the script, which no other material she has ever worked on before (done tons upon tons of productions in the past), has given her this reaction. Must be bloody good if it made her cry! I doubt I'll ever cry at a game, (LOL) but it must be pushing the right buttons if it's making people feel the way the director intended, tears or no tears.

C'mon, admit it, a game made you cry at least once. Super Mario World anyone? I've actually played some really epic games where i teared a little at the end.

[vnisanian2001]

Not sure how Super Mario World could make someone cry, when I can't think of any sad moments that game had.

[Henry Spencer]

Nope, sorry Minase. Not a single game has made me cry. None. Shenmue made me close to tears at how good it was, but aside from that? You meant in a sense of how emotional the content was, right? Yeah, none. Not gonna judge anybody who has or anything, but not one has affected me in that way, sure, some have made me upset, like the material wishes the gamers to, such as the MGS series did a LOT of damn times, ditto for Shenmue, Snatcher and Max Payne.

Just realised that EVA as she looks now, looks a helluva lot like Joan Allen from The Bourne Trilogy (wouldn't put it past him, he and Shinkawa are always basing the looks on famous and not so famous actors and actresses).

On a gameplay standpoint, of course it's going to be the best MG. Every succeeding MG as been better than the last in that department.

But I haven't been completely engrossed in a Kojima game since MGS1. The game's storyline was perfectly structured, had awesome unforgettable characters (I thought they looked awesome before I played the game), and had a great atmosphere attached to it (a dark, moody Tim Burton-ish feel, which kicks the ass out of these bland gray muddy atmospheres Kojima has been working with lately). He is a genius in every way, but I think the original is too big for even him to top.

I totally agree with you. MGS1 had that first time appeal, as well. The atmosphere, the characters, the music, the voice acting, the artwork, the writing; it was all fresh to me. I had never played any game like it before, it blew me away, it was my new obsession of the time, I didn't know anybody who had played the game from beginning to end, who didn't like it (this was before I had the internetz). MGS1, overall, is still my clear favourite. MGS3 is my favourite game to play, since it is so much fun. MGS2 I still play, since there are so many details, so many unlockables.

And I agree with the gameplay; it gets better and better each and everytime. Kojima and his devoted team are a bunch of brilliant guys, who damn well know how games should be designed. I do agree with your Tim Burton comparison, too. I think their both the kings of dark storylines, in both of their respective trades. And since the greay murky colours that are being used a lot lately, are only one location, with Kojima saying gamers will be travelling all over the world in this chapter, we'll see if he delivers and takes us to a place filled with those dark colours we love to remember from MGS1 and 2.

Towards the ending, the Voice Director said that she was crying at the script, which no other material she has ever worked on before (done tons upon tons of productions in the past), has given her this reaction. Must be bloody good if it made her cry! I doubt I'll ever cry at a game, (LOL) but it must be pushing the right buttons if it's making people feel the way the director intended, tears or no tears.

You mean the end of MGS4? MGS3 had a very good ending as well. I'm sure the ending concerning the original characters (as well as the badass cutscenes) will be worthwhile, but i'm not too sure about the entirety yet. I already think the new B&B unit look pretty lame, that kinda hurts its chances with me.

Aye, I do mean at the end of MGS4. MGS3 did have a very good ending, they all do. Even MGS2 (controversy alert). The B&B unit gave me a 'lets combine all of the bosses into one' feel about it all. Sorta lame, but I'm sure they'll grow on me, like Dead Cell did. At least we have confirmation that their backstories will be fully fleshed out.