This game is designed to be a stand alone as well as a continuation to the Metal Gear series. I will admit this is the first Metal Gear game that I have played all the way through and not knowing much of the past storylines was not a major hang-up. Throughout the playing of Guns of the Patriots they elude to past storylines just enough to keep you informed of how past events are effecting the current timeline.
If friends often make fun of you for not being a “real gamer” play this game. Anyone who beats a MGS game gains respect within the gaming community. I consider myself pretty good, but especially being a girl, my male counterparts laughed when I said I was going to play through and beat MGS4. They all said it couldn’t be done – not by me…a girl. I proved them wrong.
A warning for the newbie – there is no tutorial at the beginning of the game. There is a virtual training simulation that you can access through the title menu that can prove to be very helpful. Also, don’t think for one second that you can go through the entire game without using Close Quarter Combat (CQC), so learn early on before it becomes mandatory.
This game is very graphics heavy as is common with the Playstation 3. Be prepared for long cinematic sequences which are apparently common to the Metal Gear Solid games. When I first started watching the cinematics I was bored, but the storyline and game hints that are revealed during them drew me in and before long I was looking forward to learning more storyline. View playing these games as being able to control parts of a movie and you will be just fine.
The A.I. is intelligent. That’s right, the computer operated guys actually have brains. If they see anything that seems out of place they will kick it, move it or check inside of it, adding a whole new level of realism to the covert game play.
Snake is infamous for his cardboard box that he can hide under when enemies are nearby. Now however, he also has a steel drum he can hide beneath. Here’s another place where those intelligent A.I. come into play – if Snake is hiding under a steel drum next to a pile of boxes, they will notice it is out of place and check on the situation. Look at your surroundings before choosing to hide in the box or steel drum.
Another new addition is Snake’s ability to fake his death or play dead. This is great when lying in a field of dead solders, in a room where there happen to be other dead bodies or when your enemies are firing at you from a distance. Do not try to play dead at the feet of an enemy solder though, it will not play out very well for you.