NINJA GAIDEN 2 presents: Zero Punctuation's MGS4 review

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jun 25th 2008 at 4:45PM }

By the time the Zero Punctuation video review of Metal Gear Solid 4 ended, we still had another two and a half minutes of commercials to watch. Given our dire attention spans, we'd completely forgotten what had happened! But those ads sure are spiffy ... Wasn't it cool how Ryu Hyuwhatshisname from Ninja Gaiden II chopped those guys in half? Ninja Gaiden II is awesome! We should all go out and buy Ninja Gaiden II, right now!

... If you want to watch this week's review of ... what was it again? Oh, MGS4. Check it out after the break. Hey, did you see that ad for de-rez?

Tags: escapist, zero-punctuation, zeropunctuation

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Donald @ Jun 25th 2008 4:46PM

Epic shitstorm incoming.

Slayer @ Jun 25th 2008 4:54PM

*Activates flame shield*

Vegnagun bwf @ Jun 25th 2008 4:57PM

I doubt it. Much worse things have been said about Metal Gear in a much funnier way.

samfish @ Jun 25th 2008 5:18PM

SONY DEFENSE FORCE – HOOOOOOOOOOO!

Korova of the highlands @ Jun 25th 2008 5:39PM

The only use for asbestos where benefits outweigh the risks - fanboy flamewar retardant. Or should I say retardant fanboy flamewar retardant.

Korova of the highlands @ Jun 25th 2008 5:39PM

The only use for asbestos where benefits outweigh the risks - fanboy flamewar retardant. Or should I say retardant fanboy flamewar retardant.

why not the LS2LS7? @ Jun 25th 2008 7:28PM

Wow, that's great. With all your flaming of fanboys, you've made your own shitstorm bigger than the fanboys did.

What a waste.

GenBanks @ Jun 26th 2008 4:03AM

@ Vegnagun bwf

Support your sweeping statement with a link or it isn't true.

ben @ Jun 26th 2008 12:07PM

Scatmasters

slickestjg @ Jun 25th 2008 4:55PM

Pretty much exactly how I feel about the game, I'm hoping that once I get into it a little more, it will warrant that 10 rating its been getting, but maybe its just a fan service game. This is my first MGS experience so I might be missing something.

Vegnagun bwf @ Jun 25th 2008 4:58PM

I like how you mentioned that it's a game for the fans of Metal Gear, go on to say that this is your first Metal gear game, and then end it with you think you're missing something.

DWells55 @ Jun 25th 2008 5:02PM

Yeah, the only other Metal Gear I played was Metal Gear Solid 2, a game which I truly enjoyed. So between how much I enjoyed MGS2 and the amount of hype and perfect reviews floating around for MGS4, I was expecting some sort of excellent game experience.

Instead, I'm a couple hours into the game, by which I mean I've played for maybe 20 minutes and watched over an hour and a half of cutscenes. Yay. What little gameplay there has been consisted of pretty linear run from point A to B and kill or sneak past the random guys. It's like Splinter Cell Double Agent so far except not as good, which is saying something since that was easily the worst Splinter Cell yet. Also, the plot is absurd and the voice acting is awful.

DWells55 @ Jun 25th 2008 5:03PM

Trev @ Jun 25th 2008 5:04PM

Yeah, you're missing a lot of continuity there. It doesn't matter how far you get into it, it's still going to be goofy science fiction stuff and reference heavily from the past games. You're basically watching Return of the Jedi, without having seen New Hope or Empire (except that comparison makes Jedi the best movie in the series).

You should put MGS4 back in the case and go get yourself the MGS Essential Collection, provided you can play it. I'm sure you can still enjoy the gameplay without the story, but you're missing a whole aspect of the game.

DangerMouse @ Jun 25th 2008 5:08PM

The game isn't everyone's cup of tea, and i understand that. It's one of my favorite series, and so far i think this game is incredible. The attention to detail is astounding. The dialogue does get repetitive, but it's presented in a very entertaining way that i have yet to get bored listening to it. If you didn't like the other games, you probably won't like this one.

browntown @ Jun 25th 2008 7:03PM

If u are a fan u will love this game. Theres not that much gameplay, but wat there is, is pretty awsome. I reccomend playing the previous games.

Grant @ Jun 25th 2008 4:55PM

here's a little trick i learned a long time ago... once you are done watching the review and don't want to see the commercials either press pause(there's no stop button), hit the back button on your browser, or just close your browser!

Wowee!No more commercials!

AoE @ Jun 25th 2008 5:02PM

Close the browser? wtf man?! you must be a computer science major... that shit's too tricky for the average blogger!

samfish @ Jun 25th 2008 5:25PM

I just open the page it's embedded in in a new tab. That way I can click out of it and get back to whatever it was I was browsing for before (porn) at maximum speed.

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jun 25th 2008 5:53PM

Close... the browser? ARE YOU INSANE?!

Vegnagun bwf @ Jun 25th 2008 4:56PM

I would have expected this to be much more funny considering how much of the Metal Gear story is convoluted and bizarre, but he missed that chance. I still stand by not finding Yahtzee funny or clever anymore.

Fernando Rocker @ Jun 25th 2008 4:59PM

I second that. Sorry, but is the true. Even if he is bashing a PS3 game, I just find funny what he say. Curses and bad words are not fun to me.

He is like the Meet the Spartans of reviewers... altought, at first, last year, he was fun.

Fernando Rocker @ Jun 25th 2008 5:00PM

I just *dont...

Vegnagun bwf @ Jun 25th 2008 5:06PM

Also, to all the people who are playing Metal Gear for the first time and don't think it's that great: Do you expect to jump into the 4th season of Lost and understand it? Then why do you expect to jump into Metal Gear Solid 4, as in the fourth installation to the Metal Gear Solid series which is a continuation of the Metal Gear series and understand everything. It has a 4 right in the title of the game. That doesn't mean "everyone is welcome here" it means that it's picking up where the story left off.

Obie @ Jun 25th 2008 5:09PM

I never saw Meet the Spartans, or Date Movie, or Epic movie....I am so glad I did.

samfish @ Jun 25th 2008 5:24PM

Wait, there's a movie called Epic Movie?

I know there's a Scary Move, Date Movie and I seem to recall a Superhero Movie...

Good lord...how sad is it that they can keep churning out crappy, unfunny movies like that?

Cesaria (www.cesariatic.wordpress.com) @ Jun 25th 2008 5:25PM

Yeah, he got a little old. Moviebob is the future! He's intelligent and funny. You might like this one, Fernando. It his the nail on the head for us Nintendo guys: http://youtube.com/watch?v=73toAMJ7rqY

Cesaria (www.cesariatic.wordpress.com) @ Jun 25th 2008 5:28PM

Add to that Disaster Movie, Samfish. Not even making it up: http://youtube.com/watch?v=qeXdJFe5aC4
Now they're spoofing movies that haven't even come out yet. LOL.

WiiFTW @ Jun 25th 2008 6:03PM

The reason he's not funny is because he is reviewing good games (MGS4, SSBB) and games that aren't suited to his tastes (MGS4, SSBB). He should go back to reviewing games only fanboys would get pissed at or better yet go back to shitty games. Yahtzee reviewing good games is basically him whining about what he personally doesn't like about a game.

Geoffrey @ Jun 25th 2008 6:05PM

The "4" at the end of Call of Duty didn't seem to prevent people from enjoying it without having played the prior three? Super Mario Brothers "3" similarly had no issues for those who skipped 1 and 2.

Your point that appreciation of the game is hindered by lack of experience with the prior games is valid, and shared by most of the internet. But, your claim that the "4" is the indicator which would tip off the end user is a little off base.

Cesaria (www.cesariatic.wordpress.com) @ Jun 25th 2008 6:13PM

Seriously? There is no over-arcing story line in Call of Duty or Mario. CoD 4 isn't even set in the same decade as the other games.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 25th 2008 8:38PM

Scary movie's the good one and was made by different people (the wayans brothers...all of them I think). Date movie, epic movie, meet the spartans and disaster movie (that name was well chosen) are all made by the same, very very terrible people.

LaughingTarget @ Jun 25th 2008 10:54PM

MGS4 should have been written as a stand alone. The only game it would truly tie into are the NES games, which everyone has forgotten beats the ever loving hell out of any of the titles with Solid slapped after them and maybe MGS1, which was the only one that was stomachable because Kojima couldn't stuff hours of movies into a CD.

MGS2 was a bullshit Matrix-like story that never actually happened, so seeing characters reoccurring from that one doesn't make sense and 3 could have been glossed over in the first couple of minutes.

It is extra important for games, which takes on the order of 4 to 5 times longer than a movie to make, to be able to create a self-sustaining experience. The entire series spans 10 years (20 if you count the MSX2/NES original) and you can't expect new players to try and go back and figure out the whole thing, especially when they may not have the equipment (NES or a non-PS2 BC PS3) or time to dig through the entire thing. Catching up on the two hour A New Hope to figure out what is going on in Empire Strikes Back is not a big deal. Catching up on the 30 or so hours of Metal Gear games dating back to 1987 is a big deal.

VoLiTioN @ Jun 25th 2008 4:59PM

Zero Punctuation?

Meh.

Sora267 @ Jun 25th 2008 4:59PM

He speaks slowly nowadays but this review was funnier than the past few. Also lol at the NG2 ad.

eNrique @ Jun 26th 2008 3:11AM

Yeah, i agree. Also, he forgot to mention Call of Duty 4,

How can someone forgot this title?

It's the one of the bestest 4th title evaaaa!!

DangerMouse @ Jun 25th 2008 5:01PM

Gamefacks.

Korova of the highlands @ Jun 25th 2008 5:40PM

GOD! You are so cool.

Korova of the highlands @ Jun 25th 2008 5:41PM

GOD! You are so cool.

Korova of the highlands @ Jun 25th 2008 5:41PM

GOD! You are so cool.

Neebs @ Jun 25th 2008 6:28PM

As a resident of GameFAQs, that's how it's said.

Hala Madrid!! (Madrileno hasta la muerte!) @ Jun 25th 2008 5:01PM

YES! this is the review I was waiting for.
Finally somebody that shares my point of view about this game.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 25th 2008 8:40PM

Yeah I mean it's not like he didn't echo the exact same complaints as nearly everyone on planet earth has already. Nope...not at all.

xFenixKnightx @ Jun 25th 2008 5:04PM

Maybe its because MGS4 is probably my favorite game of all time but this wasn't all that good. I still think his rip on SSBB and Teh WiiFanboyz vid has been his best and funniest ever.

Fatass of Rebuttalness @ Jun 25th 2008 5:13PM

Galaxy and Turok reviews > his Brawl review

though the Fanboy review > any of his reviews

keep in mind, though, the fanboy review wasn't just about Wii fanboys. I thought his Brawl review was pretty funny, but (as usual, since I don't agree with Yahtzee ever) he blew things out of proportion and often brought up points that simply weren't true. Which wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the Wii fanboy response and the even greater elitest/Wiibasher 'oh he's so right' response.

Mr Khan @ Jun 26th 2008 4:58PM

He claimed that you could win in Smash Bros by button mashing, and that the playing field was relatively level between a noob and someone familiar with the game

Greater bullshit has not been said, my friends. I mean sure Brawl had its flaws (my efforts to find a room online a few days ago are testament to that), but he avoided the game's actual flaws, made up some other flaws, and went to town on the flaws he made up

Obie @ Jun 25th 2008 5:05PM

I wonder when all the dust settles and the true hindsight for the game will be.

I congratulate PS3 owners for having their first true blockbuster since the system launch, but as a person that hated the second game. I would like a true opinion and not one through rose-colored glasses.

J @ Jun 25th 2008 5:29PM

When all the dust settles, no one will care.

why not the LS2LS7? @ Jun 25th 2008 5:32PM

What are you talking about rose colored glasses? It's not like it got a 100 on metacritic. It picked up its fair share of 80s too.

It's a polarizing game. If it's your thing, you'll probably really like it. If not, then you will find it merely adequate or a downright turnoff.

This is what the reviews are saying already, no need to wait 3 years to find this out. I mean, it isn't like this is GRiD, which mysteriously picked up 90s.

MGS4 got a 94 on metacritic. Halo 3 got the same. Honestly, they seem like the same kind of deal to me. Halo 3 is either the best Halo (which is considered a great series) ever or it's the nth space marine FPS, depending on whether you're a Halo fan or not. MGS4 is in the same boat, for but Japanese sneak games.

And btw, I don't own Halo 3 or MGS4, despite owning both consoles.

ViagraFiend @ Jun 25th 2008 5:50PM

If you hated the second game, you shouldn't play this one. I think thats pretty simple to comprehend.

BTW, a "true" opinion is any opinion because it is always just an opinion that someone has for something.

If you're so interested then go rent the damn game and form your own opinion. Maybe it will be the "true" opinion that you seek.

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