Joystiq

Microsoft's Halo team bolstered by Gearbox's Corrinne Yu

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-08-29T16:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

The juicy "Gearbox is developing Halo 4 OMG" rumor continues to be at the top of fanboy debate lists, with Microsoft confirming to Kotaku that Corrinne Yu, director of technology at Gearbox and pictured in full Spartan armor, has been hired as principle engine architect (fancy!) for the Xbox manufacturer's internal Halo team. The official statement: "As the Halo franchise continues to flourish, Microsoft Game Studios is growing its internal team to develop future Halo projects."

And what could "future Halo projects" entail? Microsoft isn't blabbing, but suspicious men in trenchcoats posit that Yu will be working on the nebulous Peter Jackson project and putting her Unreal Engine 3 expertise to good use.

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Shane Kim talks MMO stumbles

Justin McElroy — 2008-07-30T01:00:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, MMO

Shane Kim knows (and he know we know) that Microsoft has had some problems in the MMO department, and he even takes the full blame, saying "It's a tough and challenging space that's evolving all the time - a lot of shifting sands. We haven't been able to crack the code." Listen, Kim (can we call you Kim?) we can sympathize. Lord knows we burned through enough cash on our ill-fated lifeguard MMO Endless Deep End. And though we can't help you crack the whole code, we can offer an important first step to MMO success: Release one.

We know, it's a small thing, but you'd be surprised how many miss this important step. Though we're giving him a hard time, we're betting NCsoft wishes they'd had a Shane Kim on staff when Auto Assault was being workshopped. "Everyone please leave the room," he'd say, as he loaded his syringe and slipped on rubber gloves, Auto Assault huddling in the corner. "And for the love of God, whatever you hear, do not come in."

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Hands on: Gears of War 2 multiplayer

Richard Mitchell — 2008-07-15T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Features, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters

Microsoft held a special Gears of War 2 reception at E3 on Monday, giving eager journalists a chance to play the game's multiplayer modes and test their mettle against other journalists. We're proud to say that we managed quite well against our competition, slamming active reloads all the while, though that's perhaps beside the point. You all want to hear about Gears 2, not about how awesome we are at it. Read on for our hands on impressions.

Gallery: E308: Microsoft Gears of War 2 Reception

First, there is one thing that absolutely must be said: Gears of War 2 plays an awful lot like Gears of War. It doesn't reinvent the wheel. Picking up Gears of War 2 isn't like trying to learn a new language. You still roadie run with the A button. You still take cover, dive, roll, swat turn and chainsaw. Hell, adjusting to Gears of War 2 isn't even as difficult as adjusting to Halo 3 after playing Halo 2.

None of that, however, is a bad thing. Far from it. This is an expansion of the multiplayer offering from the first game, and thus far the choices made seem to be good ones. The most important expansion to the formula is the inclusion of several new gametypes. Each game type adds significantly to the Gears repertoire and gives the multiplayer that extra oomph that was lacking in the first go around, and by 'oomph' we mean team dynamics.

Whereas the first Gears centered mostly around variants of deathmatch game types, Gears of War 2 has plenty of modes that stress and, yes, require team cooperation. Honestly, we had trouble coming up with a personal favorite. We've all heard about "meatflag" which is actually called Submission, but it really must be played to be appreciated. Submission is simply the Gears variant of capture the flag with one glorious twist, the flag is a human being. Specifically, the flag is a mean, crotchety old man with a shotgun (in my game, his name was Chaps ... seriously). As you may have guessed, he doesn't want to be captured and he will kill you to prevent it. The meatflag must first be subdued, held hostage, and then dragged to the capture point.

One of the unique aspects of this game type is that it actually empowers the flag carrier, unlike most shooters. In a game like Halo, the flag carrier is essentially a sitting duck -- an unarmed sitting duck with slower movement speed. The meatflag will definitely slow you down in Gears 2 (a lot), but it also absorbs bullets, making the flag carrier much harder to kill so long as he keeps facing the enemy. The flag carrier can even take shots back at the enemy using any one handed weapon (including the new burst shot pistol, more on that later).

Of course, it's in the best interest of the team to protect the flag carrier. There is another twist though. If the flag carrier is killed or incapacitated, the hostage will spring back to life, shotgun in tow. Rather than simply warping back to the flag base, the old man will run back, shooting anyone in his way. More than once I found myself carrying the flag, only to be knocked over by a smoke grenade, thus losing my prisoner. The prisoner, naturally, takes the opportunity to blow me and my teammates away as we are blinded by smoke. Good stuff.

We also got to try out Wingman, which pits five teams of two against each other in a deathmatch. As you might expect, your survival depends on working closely with your teammate. This means covering him when he goes in for that chainsaw kill and being there to revive him if he's downed. With five competing teams, no one is safe. You may find yourself trying to pick off a team that's busy fending off another attack only to find that another team is now attacking you from behind. Wingman is definitely one of the most quickly paced games we played.

Next, we played Guardian. In Guardian, a leader is designated for each team. You have to keep him alive, much like the Assassination game type in the original Gears of War. The catch here is that killing a team's leader eliminates that team's ability to respawn. In other words, if you want to keep playing, you have to keep your leader alive. This simple change keeps the game from devolving into team deathmatch, which often happened in the original. The top scorer on each team becomes the leader in the following match.

Along with the new game types, we also got to see the new maps Avalanche and Day One, both of which featured some great set pieces. Day One features a giant Seeder that erupts from the center of the map, making the ground shake. Avalanche features -- what else -- an avalanche that occurs a few minutes into play. The match begins with both teams atop walls on either side of a courtyard. On top of a gazebo in the middle of the courtyard -- too high for players to reach -- is a Boomshot grenade launcher. Once the avalanche hits, the courtyard is completely filled with snow, putting the top of the gazebo -- and the Boomshot -- at ground level with the outer walls. The best part is that the avalanche causes a nearly complete white out of the screen, sending both teams blindly rushing for the Boomshot. Again, good stuff. Oh, you'd best be careful not to be inside the courtyard when the avalanche hits too. Not if you like living anyway. On a side note, the maps we saw did have a certain amount of destructible scenery though, as far as we could tell, it was completely cosmetic. No strategic destruction here.

Finally, we tried out the Horde multiplayer mode. Horde is a cooperative multiplayer mode that has COG soldiers fending off wave after wave of Locust soldiers. Horde is essentially an arcade style mode with scores awarded for killing enemies and multipliers awarded based on difficulty. We saw some particularly nasty Locusts in this mode. Called Butchers, these Locusts are huge and carry a very hefty blade that rests somewhere between a meat cleaver and a machete. Yeah, they don't go down easy. Also seen in this mode (and regular multiplayer) is a new mortar weapon. One of the more complicated weapons, it requires players to take aim with the left trigger, planting the mortar in place. Once planted, trajectory is adjusted by holding the right trigger. The longer its held, the more horizontal the trajectory. If it sounds like it's hard to aim, it's because it is. Once the shells hit though, the explosion is mighty impressive and devastating to anything caught in the blast. One last note on weapons, the burst fire machine pistol (we didn't catch its name) is very satisfying and a must for anyone using a hostage as a shield. One active reload and the machine pistol cuts through enemies like butter.

After considerable time with the game, it definitely looks like Gears fans are in for a treat when the game launches this November. Let's just hope that all of this gameplay holds up when it's being played over Xbox Live and not on a closed network at E3.

Update: Be sure to check out X3F's impressions of the game as well, including plenty of details we couldn't get to.

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David Hayter needs your help to write Metal Gear Solid movie

Griffin McElroy — 2008-06-28T19:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture

Don't misinterpret that headline -- David Hayter, who has voiced the role of Solid Snake since ... well, since Solid Snake could speak, doesn't need you to submit your fan fiction to help piece together the plot of the supposedly upcoming Metal Gear Solid movie (though we're sure he would find your homemade Otacon/Sniper Wolf erotic literature wildly fascinating).

According to a recent IMDB post from Hayter himself, he needs fans of his work and of Kojima's epic series to email a certain Sony Pictures rep and politely suggest that Hayter be the one to pen the film's script. He's got the credentials to do so, having written screenplays for the first two X-Men movies and the upcoming adaptation of Alan Moore's Watchmen. We can also assume that he's played the game he would be adapting, giving him a significant edge over most screenwriters of ludologically-inspired films.

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Joyswag: Win a Kojima-signed copy of MGS4

Andrew Yoon — 2008-06-17T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Joyswag

Update: A winner has been selected and contacted via e-mail. Congrats!

So this "Hideo Kojima" guy totally ruined our copy of Metal Gear Solid 4. He had the nerve to scribble all over it in permanent marker. It looks like he ... signed it? Yuck!

His signature has obviously tarnished our copy. It's worthless now, so we're giving it away in this latest edition of Joyswag: Garbage Edition. Go ahead, take it away from us. We don't want it! Bah!

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment expressing your earnest desire to collect our garbage. Comments must be left before 5PM EST on Monday, June 23rd. Only one comment per person per calendar day -- or else! One winner will be selected in a random drawing. Grand Prize Winner will receive a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (signed by Hideo Kojima and Yumi Kikuchi) for PS3 (MSRP: $60). Click here for complete Official Rules. Eligibility is restricted to the legal residents of the 50 United States (including DC) and Canada (excluding Quebec). You must be 18 years or older to enter.

For another chance to win an autographed copy, visit PS3 Fanboy.

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Shane Kim in his new role: talks 'mass market' Xbox appeal

Christopher Grant — 2008-06-13T19:51:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360

Following yesterday's game of musical executive chairs inside Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business - wherein Shane Kim ordered a brand new chair for his newly created office of corporate vice president of Strategy and Business Development, while Phil Spencer adopted Kim's old chair as the new general manager of Microsoft Game Studios - Next-Gen spoke with the two execs about their new roles. Unsurprisingly, Kim is the focus of the interview, and he offered a handful of forward-facing statements, fitting with his new strategic role.

When asked if MGS could publish another title as popular as Halo 3, Kim says the chances are "really good" explaining, "We've got the talent, we've got people who are always on the lookout for new ideas and talent, and most importantly we have the commitment and the will to create those hits." Even more telling, Kim puts that new title to use, addressing the strategy of appealing to a new mainstream market: "For us, our opportunity is much like the industry's opportunity: How do we make what we do mass market? How do we make it a mainstream form of entertainment?" Sounds like Kim was bumped upstairs to help Xbox get some of that Wii money, no?

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Metal Gear Solid 4 Limited Edition (PAL): The Unboxing

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-06-13T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action

Oh no, isn't one gallery devoted to video game packaging (packaging!) enough? Well, it would be, had we not sensed your overwhelming and debilitating desire to see the contents of Metal Gear Solid 4's European Limited Edition. Check out the gallery if you're keen to meet our newest friend, LE PAL.

Gallery: Metal Gear Solid 4 LE (PAL)

Snake? Snaaaake? SNAAAAAAKE! Check out our Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots page for all things Metal Gear.

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You have rookie eyes: a first-timer's MGS4 experience

Ross Miller — 2008-06-12T15:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, Adventure

I have a confession to make: this is my first serious attempt at playing a Metal Gear Solid title. Back at GDC 2007, my editor Chris Grant kept making references to the flash video Metal Gear Awesome. I was admittedly confused, and he thus dropped everything to show me the video. It took me a long time to appreciate all the humor.

Cut to present day. Like war, a lot has changed. I tried playing the MGS remake Twin Snakes on hard mode, only to succumb to frustration two hours later. For today's Metal Gear Solid 4 release, I brushed up on Metal Gear lore, exhausted Wikipedia, and commissioned one of our writers to give me a crash course in the series. I got my copy last night, installed the game, and I was ready to play.

This is Metal Gear Solid 4, through rookie eyes.

Gallery: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots

(Let me give obligatory spoiler warning here. While I'll try to abstain from big plot reveals - having only played 2 hours of the story, that shouldn't be too hard - if you don't want anything ruined for you, it might be best to avoid the rest of this article.)

Acknowledging that my sneaking skills are lacking and determined to enjoy the narrative, I started up the game in Liquid Easy mode. The first act loading was balanced by letting me sift through these random channels with some mind-screwing content, each followed by a PMC ad. I ended up on the David Hayter interview (highly recommended).

"I found sneaking to be painless and, quite frankly, a lot of fun."

The game's cut scenes have so far all come from previously released trailers and footage, though it was great to see them again with context. For the first part of the game, small cut scenes are spliced with equally small play portions, easing you into the controls. Thanks in no small part to it being easy mode, I found sneaking to be painless and, quite frankly, a lot of fun.

The rest of my time was spent sneaking, watching cut scenes, and sneaking some more. Here are some other highlights:

During the flashbacks you're prompted occasionally to hit the X button if you wish to see some more context. Unfortunately, those who are clueless to the Metal Gear Solid series will be very confused by the 1 to 2 second clips.
I ended up getting caught once or twice but was able to avoid killing anyone. Having watched PS3 Fanboy's Nick Doerr play through hard mode, I'm quite glad to be playing it on easy for the moment. I want to enjoy the story for now; after getting through that, I'll gladly replay on a harder difficulty.
I haven't found a way around it, but Snake runs slow. It didn't come up a lot, though, since I spent most of the time crouched or in prone position.
"Excuse me waiter, there's an Apple in my snake." Snake hits the battlefield with an iPod, which you interact with via the right thumbstick. We chose Sea Breeze from MGS3 and found it quite amusing juxtaposed with gunshots, shrill screams and explosions. Also, we discovered Meryl uses a Macbook Pro. What, are there no Sony Vaio's in the future?
I can't say enough about the graphics and audio. Top notch!
Being a survivor of the Xenosaga series, I didn't find the cut scene length to be a problem. So far, at least.
Speaking of humor, there's quite a bit to be found. Search every crevice. Listen to soldier's talk. You'll be well rewarded. If you come a cross a certain magazine, be sure to look it up in the inventory and inspect the cover.

That's it for now, I have to go back, Snake is calling for me and I can't resist him.

Snake? Snaaaake? SNAAAAAAKE! Check out our Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots page for all things Metal Gear.

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Sagacious advice from the MGS4 install screen

Ross Miller — 2008-06-12T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Galleries

In case you were thinking of skipping the approximately 8-minute install (which also translates to 4 or 5 cigarettes for our aged hero) and making a sandwich, consider the little bit of humor you'd be missing. If you're still undeterred and plan to ignore the game while it installs, check out our gallery for the sagacious and spoiler-free advice.

While some of it is a bit mundane, there are some rather humorous tidbits scattered about. For instance, how does one take a break every 15-minutes when cut-scenes run longer than that? [By pausing, you troll! - Ed]

Gallery: MGS4 install screen advice

Snake? Snaaaake? SNAAAAAAKE! Check out our Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots page for all things Metal Gear.

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Yeah, we met Kojima in Times Square

Andrew Yoon — 2008-06-12T02:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Galleries

Hideo Kojima stopped by New York City's Virgin Megastore in TImes Square to meet and greet fans at the Metal Gear Solid 4 launch. We got a number of signed copies ... maybe one will go to a lucky reader (if we feel generous enough!). Check out our gallery below, or some highlights, after the cut.

Gallery: Metal Gear Solid 4 launch in Times Square

The very first in line.

Hideo Kojima stars in ... Dead Rising

Yes, someone got a cardboard box signed.

The one and only.

The voice of Otocon (Christopher Randolph) was also present.

Awesome t-shirt.

Model Yumi Kikuchi is on hand as well.

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Today in Joystiq: June 11, 2008

Ross Miller — 2008-06-11T23:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture

OhmygodhotnessIwannaPLAYyou. Check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery
Born for Wii: new column reimagines franchises on the Wii
Law of the Game on Joystiq: May the Enforce Be With You
Readers pick best webcomic: Team Fortress Pooh
Ready at Dawn talks abandoning the PSP, piracy and being original
What you need to know before playing Metal Gear Solid 4
Wii Fanboy Weekly: June 5 - June 11

News
Mario Super Sluggers features new characters, super moves
GameFly's Austin center 'officially' open, servicing seven states
Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion in the works
No Ken or Ryu in the Street Fighter movie
High Voltage details The Conduit, plans Q1 2009 release
Yoink! Adventure game reuses Oblivion's graphics
Wal-Mart corporate confirms $100 PS3 gift card -- YES, even the MGS 4 bundle
Dark Sector demo spins into Xbox Live
Hellgate: London programmer claims staff leaving 'in droves'
Spyro, Guilty Gear coming to Xbox Originals
Oregon Trail now available for mobile phones
Live-action Turok movie in the works
Criterion softens PC 'Paradise' with ambient occlusion
Ubisoft wants to up its game: be on par with EA, Activision Blizzard
NCsoft says Tabula Rasa is doing fine
New screens, video, 'tech demo' for Telltale's Strong Bad
Konami cancels Japan MGS4 launch events after Akihabara tragedy
Wii storage for 'geeks and otaku', says Nintendo marketing director
We have 360 Unreal Tournament III screenshots
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix beta starts June 25
Unreal Tournament III on Xbox 360 begins fragging away July 7
Hancock game trailer sets new standard for movie tie-ins
Turbine working on console MMO

Rumors & Speculation
Analysts predict big jump in May game sales
Analyst blames Xbox RRoD on MS-designed graphics chip
Rumor: MTV ad 'leaks' new Rock Band tracks
Rumorong: Ready at Dawn not going Wii-exclusive

Culture & Community
Metal Gear Retrospective: Part Five is all in your hands
Konami Code works in Google Reader
Onion unveils WoW expansion World of World of Warcraft

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Konami cancels Japan MGS4 launch events after Akihabara tragedy

Ross Miller — 2008-06-11T18:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Business

Konami has canceled its three Tokyo launch event planned for Metal Gear Solid 4 following the tragic events in the tech-savvy Akihabara district yesterday when 25-year old Tomohiro Kato killed four people and injured ten more (via AP). One of the events was to be in Akihabara.

Konami cited "safety of participants in mind" as its reason for the cancellations. The launch events planned for U.S. will proceed as planned, according to a representative.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

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The (Big) Bosses of Metal Gear Solid

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-06-10T15:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo GameCube, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox, Action

A hero's true worth lies in his ability to overcome the greatest of villains. Metal Gear Solid's slithery protagonist, Snake, has conquered not only the greatest of villains, but the weirdest mustache-twirlers gaming has ever seen.

Be sure to click on the above gallery and join us as we examine our favorite fearsome foes, kooky killers and big bosses.

Snake? Snaaaake? SNAAAAAAKE! Check out our Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots page for all things Metal Gear.

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Ask Joystiq: What's essentially in the MGS collection?

Ross Miller — 2008-06-09T19:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3

A signed MGS Essential Collection from Kojima's London Signing

The once-dormant Ask Joystiq has returned for a special Metal Gear edition. If you have any burning questions, unsolved gaming mysteries, or just a desire for musings from our knowledgeable cadre of writers, drop us a line at ask AAT joystiq DAWT com (and yes, we write it that way for a reason).

I want to get the MGS Essential Collection before I get Metal Gear Solid 4 but what exactly is in it? I mean for example does it have the Subsistence edition of MGS2 or MGS3? What does directors cut mean? Does it mean they cut from the original games? Please help me!
- Manuel G.

The Metal Gear Solid Essential Collection includes the original MGS, MGS2: Substance and MGS3: Subsistence (sans Disc 2). For MGS2, that includes:

The original MGS2: Sons of Liberty, with new infrared effects and new dog tags.
Boss Survival and Casting Theater, both found in the original PAL and Japanese version.
300 VR missions and 200 "Alternate missions"
Snake Tales, a series of non-canonical missions featuring Snake
A demo for Evolution Skateboarding featuring Snake and Raiden shredding the Big Shell

Since MGS3: Subsistence is without its second disk, there's no online mode. However, you still get the new 3rd-person camera mode with the main game, as well as a demo theater to watch in-game cinematics. For more on what's being left out of disc two, check out The Metal Gear Wikia.

When Substance and Subsistence are referred to as "Director's Cuts," that means it has expanded the game and included more than the original release of the title. For example, the Japanese and PAL editions of the original MGS2 had Boss Survival and Casting Theater (the game was released in North America first, which might pose an explanation for their exclusion).

Some director's cuts also fix up localization and translation errors. Despite the occasional wishful thinking, we couldn't think of a director's cut of a game that excluded content.

Snake? Snaaaake? SNAAAAAAKE! Check out our Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots page for all things Metal Gear.

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Introducing the Joystiq Metal Gear Solid 4 page

Ross Miller — 2008-06-06T21:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, Adventure

Need a refresher on Kojima's forthcoming masterpiece? Check out our game page for all things Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Seriously, this is everything we've written on the game. Bookmark the page, as we'll be constantly updating with new content in the lead-up to MGS4's worldwide launch next week.

Note: The MGS4 page also benefits from not having comments and is therefore spoiler free. That said, we will do our best to monitor the comment system, at our own risk, and delete spoilers. Still, we're human, so be careful when treading through comments, on any website, for the next few weeks.

To those who do post spoilers: Expect to see a banhammer slam into your forehead.

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MGS4 PS3 bundle on Amazon.com tomorrow

Scott Jon Siegel — 2008-06-05T22:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3

Interested in the 80GB Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 bundle? It'll likely be hard to come by on June 12, so those worried about picking one up in person can try their luck online. Amazon.com will be pre-selling the North American branded console bundles tomorrow morning, so best rest up your refreshing finger, and get that credit card of yours good and ready.

Amazon will begin selling the bundles at 10am PST (or 1pm EST) on Friday, June 6. They expect to sell out quickly (duh), so get "there" early. Best of luck to you.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

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The B[ack]log: The Snake is a Lie

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-05-31T11:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Action

This article contains enormous spoilers, just so you know.

Playing Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty again, after all these years, has had an interesting effect on my opinion of it. Which is to say, I actually like it now. I'm tempted to compare it to a maturing, fine wine, a substance I'm sure was heavily consumed during the game's development, but the truth is that Sons of Liberty remains every bit the unhinged and convoluted mess I remember it to be. A mess that, with patience and even the slightest idea of what you're getting yourself into, becomes considerably easier to navigate. Wait ... does that make me the wine?

Interestingly, your impression of Metal Gear Solid 2 is likely to be more positive if you never bothered to finish it. Upon first completion, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth, an inkling of bitterness that ultimately overpowers every other memory of your experience. Indeed, my recollection of the game brought about nothing but a feeling of anger -- the Metal Gear Solid sequel I expected and the one I played seemed to differ greatly -- and a dull ache at the back of my head. I'm sure that's due to the game's mind-warping plot and, if not, the injuries sustained by having the carpet constantly yanked from under me. Thankfully, subsequent visits allow you to spot Hideo Kojima's fingers and give them a good stomping.

Removed from the narrative stunts and bizarre situations, the gameplay in Metal Gear Solid 2 is, without a doubt, superior to that found in the original adventure. You'd think that alone would make it the better game, but... we'll get to that. Sons of Liberty greatly expands upon the franchise's peculiar and still unique brand of stealth, not to mention the mental capacity of the formerly inept and forgetful guards. Whereas genre competitors like Splinter Cell adopt a serious approach and encourage you to linger within shadows, Metal Gear Solid's alternative to direct confrontation has always been a tad more playful. It's just like those youthful days of hide-and-seek in the park, the critical difference being that you get shot if someone finds you. Rough neighborhood.

The corner view allows you to study the environment, as well as Snake's excellent mullet.
The single greatest leap in minion intelligence comes in the shared realization that they're not alone. Guards will whip out radios and demand heavily armed backup before chasing you around the corner. No longer will they forget about you as soon as you disappear from view, engaging in systematic searches because, hey, you were there just a second ago! And forget about that cunning cardboard box disguise -- a suspicious box will be properly aerated first.

"Sons of Liberty asks an interesting question: What do you want from a sequel? "

With improved, sneaky maneuvers and more cunning (albeit still comical) guards to foil, how is it that Metal Gear Solid 2 unites so many faces and palms? The game's infamous surprise, of course, is the introduction of a different protagonist following the game's rain-drenched prologue, though you may want to switch out the "different" adjective for something like "foppish," "effeminate" or "flimsy." Raiden was certainly no Solid Snake, despite having identical moves, gadgets, weapons and motivations. The white-haired whiner's greatest contribution to gaming, perhaps, is delivering proof that players actually care about nonsense like "characters" and "story."

Raiden's role -- and that's a word I and the game's characters use intentionally -- closely mirrors that of Snake's in Metal Gear Solid. So much so, that Metal Gear Solid 2 borders on being an outright remake of the previous game. I'm not sure whether it's intentional or not (does it matter?), but Sons of Liberty asks an interesting question: What do you want from a sequel?

We angrily assault message boards when our favorite franchises take an unexpected turn, in the fear that number two or number three will fail to capture those feelings we had before. Essentially, we want a similar, familiar experience with a just tweak here and an interesting twist there. That's what Metal Gear Solid 2 delivers, with several elements that can be directly linked to Snake's Shadow Moses mission.

Just like Snake, Raiden suffers through a lengthy torture and interrogation sequence towards the end of the game -- in an identical room with identical equipment, no less. Entering via an underwater passage and a cargo elevator, his mission is to infiltrate an isolated, guarded installation that is merely a front for something more sinister. A group of bizarre, melancholy weirdos stand in his way, once again led by a clone of pre-Solid Metal Gear villain, Big Boss. The high-ranking individuals Raiden is sent to rescue perish immediately after encountering him. A mysterious cyborg ninja aids him along the way, even repeating Gray Fox's warning of hidden mines. Add in a sniper section, throw in a remote-controlled rocket sequence and switch out the Hind battle with a Harrier fight, and you have your sequel.

Stop staring at his crotch.
Of course, what drags this one down is the change in avatars -- you're still not playing as Solid Snake! Indeed, Metal Gear Solid 2's true cleverness (and utter pretentiousness) comes through when it integrates its "perfect sequel" structure directly into the story. Raiden, switch off your console. This mission is just a simulation.

Though hugely impractical and exceedingly unbelievable, the situational simulation that Raiden finds himself in is actually an elaborate machine, meant to replicate a soldier on par with Solid Snake. Every battle and every circumstance encountered throughout the game, while sincere from the point of view of the participants, forms part of a veiled Shadow Moses recreation. Despite being congruous with Metal Gear's theme of cloning exceptional warriors, the belief that an exactly calculated sequence of events and challenges can forge a legendary hero could be considered just a teensy bit far-fetched. Well, it would be in any other medium.

"The climax is nothing short of an insane attack on the fourth wall ... everyone talks to you like you're playing a game. And, let's face it, you are.'"

Sons of Liberty's climax is nothing short of an insane attack on the fourth wall. An uploaded virus doesn't merely affect the game's fictional computer network, but the game itself. The colonel suffers a hilarious mental breakdown, Snake assures you he's got "infinite ammo" and everybody talks to you like you're playing a game. And, let's face it, you are. In a moment very reminiscent of BioShock's late-game revelation, Colonel Campbell asks Raiden why he's even taking orders from someone he's never even met. Why are you taking orders from the colonel, hmm?

The machine meant to transform Raiden into Snake isn't confined to the Big Shell complex -- it envelops the game, or the "simulation," itself. What is a game, if not an exactly calculated sequence of events and challenges, meant to transform you, the player, into a virtual soldier? Or a thief. Or a race car driver. Or a superhero. No matter the genre, success in a game always hinges on your ability to play a specific role.

For all its deception and overwrought delivery, Metal Gear Solid 2 ultimately delivers a fun and fascinating look at video games and sequels. It may not be intentional and it may not be particularly subtle, but it's a message that should resonate with anybody who's ever wanted to become someone else in a game. Have you?

WE LOVE KATAMARI
TOMB RAIDER: ANNIVERSARY
ELITE BEAT AGENTS
DIRT
METAL GEAR SOLID
METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY

The B[ack]log chronicles Ludwig Kietzmann's fight against that seemingly insurmountable and entirely self-inflicted obstacle, the ever-sprawling backlog of games that are either unfinished, unplayed or unloved. Every week (HA!), Ludwig hopes to subtract at least one and ramble on about it for a few paragraphs ... if you don't mind.
If you do, let him know:

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MGS4 print reviewers asked to not disclose install time, cut scene length, reports MTV

Ross Miller — 2008-05-30T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, Adventure, Business

MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo, who has been doing some great coverage of the game reviews industry this week (seriously, go check it out), reports that he's heard from two gaming media sources that say that Konami had some rather odd restrictions for Metal Gear Solid 4 print reviews. Namely, that they avoid the topic of the game's installation or the length of the cut scenes.

The 4.5GB installation is listed on the box itself, and the cut scene length was brought up in IGN UK's review. "One of those things that Konami doesn't want us to talk about is the 'total length of cut-scenes,'" reads the review, which later goes on to say that cut scenes encompass about half the game's content. Whether or not these restrictions are true remain to be seen (they certainly aren't true online). We'll have to keep an eye out as the print reviews start showing up.

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Metal Gear Retrospective: Part Three explores the Big Shell incident

Griffin McElroy — 2008-05-25T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 2, Action

Sure, there was plenty that we didn't like about Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, like the ol' protagonist switcheroo, and the outrageously confusing ending, and the mind blowing amount of endgame dudity (that is, dude nudity) -- but petty qualms aside, it remains one of our favorite PlayStation 2 games, just as the obligatory companion game, Substance, remains one of our favorite Xbox titles. Relive those Big Shell memories by checking out the above video, and ponder what other undiscovered pockets of nostalgia GameTrailers will drill into next week.

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The B[ack]log: Metal Gear?!

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-05-16T18:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Retro, Action

The B[ack]log finally returns with a special, three-part look at Metal Gear Solid:

It seems I've become the architect of my own failure. Instead of demolishing the skyscraper of untouched games in my living room, I recently and rather foolishly added three more stories to it. Three very involving, convoluted and relentlessly ridiculous stories, mind you, but ones that I've already been through once. With the release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots close enough for me to start using the word "impending," I thought it was time for a Metal Gear Solid replay.

A word of warning: While I've tried to steer clear of plot-related spoilers, we're talking about a game that's nearly ten years old. FYI, the Titanic sinks at the end.

One of the main criticisms of Metal Gear Solid and the franchise as a whole is that the use of cutscenes and dialogue sequences can be self-indulgent, if not downright excessive. When delivered by the acerbic wit of the internet, this complaint often manifests itself as, "I want to play a game, not watch a movie." My counter to that is, uh... Hmm. I guess don't have one. It's completely true. And while you do need a measure of patience in order to navigate all the chatty characters, surprise soliloquies and carefully choreographed action scenes, I don't believe any of it makes Metal Gear Solid any less of a game. Heck, the first ones to point this out are the characters themselves.

At the outset of Metal Gear Solid, you're tasked with infiltrating a nuclear weapons disposal facility (OR IS IT?) gripped by a frigid climate and a band of outlandish super villains. It's a one-man sneaking mission, and the "one man" is Snake, a soldier skilled at snapping unsuspecting necks and grinding mountains to dust with his vocal chords. Aiding him via radio transmission is a team of helpful specialists and a retired colonel who's really quite poor at filling you in on all the operational details.

Hey, I'd be hiding too if I didn't have A FACE.

Being the start of the game, however, he will dispense some helpful advice, such as which button to press in order to crawl. While plenty of games will bend over backwards to remove tutorial information from the context of the game's world, Metal Gear Solid's characters have no difficulty broaching the traditionally taboo topic of "buttons." Need to save your game? Call up Mei-Ling, a charming "data analyst" who saves your progress and dispenses a surprisingly relevant Chinese proverb at the same time. "Don't go chasing after too many items, Snake!" She may as well be talking directly to you.

The game's band of bizarre baddies -- "cartoon characters" by Snake's own admission -- also revel in reducing the fourth wall to a mound of shattered, two-way glass. Revolver Ocelot, named so for his Wild West flair and mastery of the firearm, wags his finger, warning you not to cheat. Don't even think about using auto-fire on your controller, because he'll know. More famous, perhaps, is the battle against Psycho Mantis, a telepathic creep who enjoys telling you what's on your mind, or rather, your memory card. He also commands you to put down your controller, only to move it across the floor with the power of his mind. You don't get that in movies or books!

A NSFW recap of some of MGS' events.
With these sly nods to the player, Metal Gear Solid embraces its existence as a game, more so than many other titles. If the game itself can admit as much, then you shouldn't have trouble doing the same. True, it's not fully interactive all the time, but the game's slavish devotion to its characters and labyrinthine story only serves to make the gameplay more meaningful and memorable. Removed from the game's campy context (and make no mistake, there's a resounding failure of seriousness in MGS), you're just piloting a blob of polygons through a large box, with nary a care as to who dies and who gets betrayed. Similarly, taking control during crucial events -- sticking your hand through the fourth wall and meddling in another world , as it were -- makes every last plot twist that much more engaging.

Throughout the game, series mastermind Hideo Kojima gets away with a lot of narrative stunts, which simply wouldn't be accepted in most other mediums. A boss will suddenly burst into an expository flashback and explain his role in the game, or Snake will get roped into an earnest codec conversation at the least opportune of times (don't worry, the world stands still while he's yammering.) And let's not forget those moments when the game pulls out its anti-nuke message and beats you to a nodding pulp with it. It's a cheesy, unorthodox and downright odd way of delivering a narrative, but it works ... for the most part.

Even when it doesn't, I applaud the game for its stubborn refusal to shut up. It might not be representative of the medium in its purest form and you might not like having control wrestled away from you, but it's rare to find a game with such a strong voice. Ten years later, I still find that most other titles are a little too shy for my liking. Speak up, fellas!

Next week: I'll talk about the franchise's (GASP!) gameplay, with reference to Metal Gear Solid's craziest entry, Sons of Liberty. Be sure to check out GameTrailers' excellent Metal Gear retrospective in the meantime.

WE LOVE KATAMARI
TOMB RAIDER: ANNIVERSARY
ELITE BEAT AGENTS
DIRT
METAL GEAR SOLID

The B[ack]log chronicles Ludwig Kietzmann's fight against that seemingly insurmountable and entirely self-inflicted obstacle, the ever-sprawling backlog of games that are either unfinished, unplayed or unloved. Every week, Ludwig hopes to subtract at least one and ramble on about it for a few paragraphs ... if you don't mind.
If you do, let him know:

Permalink | Email this | Comments