I could just go through the checklist - tell you how awesome the game looks in action, how wicked it sounds, how fantastic the new game mechanics are - but that's only what makes MGS4 a great video game and are not where its magic comes from. The magic, charisma, and epic-ness that make MGS4 more than just a great game all stem from its characters and their history together, which as mentioned has lasted over 20 years. The irony is that it has kind of become an epic saga in real life too, throughout which we have interacted with all the characters involved. Because the history and characters of earlier Metal Gear games are so intertwined in this latest installment, critiquing MGS4 is in essence critiquing the entire Metal Gear franchise.

As such, if you haven't played the previous Metal Gear games (or at least the three Metal Gear Solid games) I implore you to go back and play through them before starting MGS4. Similarly, if you absolutely loathe the cinematic side of Kojima's games, while you'll still enjoy MGS4 more than any other Metal Gear title, I feel obligated to mention that you probably won't grasp why it's so perfect. Needless to say Konami was smart to release MGS Essentials a couple of months ago. MGS4 answers all the questions you have about the previous games while simultaneously injecting them with a huge dose of nanomachine-inhibiting adrenaline, making the whole series better as a result. Now that I have completed MGS4 I actually want to go back and replay the entire lineup in chronological order (MGS3, MGPO, MG1, MG2, MGS1, MGS2, MGS4)... that'd be epic.

Why is it so grand? Simply put, no other game or movie, or book, or narrative I've witnessed conjures the same sense of homecoming and nostalgia as MGS4. This is a prime example of the power of an interactive medium; it's virtual experience. A lot of it is due to the way Kojima has always made players realize that they're playing a video game during the mission (e.g. the neat controller and screen tricks of Psycho Mantis in MGS1, the entire last quarter of MGS2, the references to video games and movies in MGS3, etc.) These real life references act as a way of reminding you that, in a sense, you are actually partaking in this (fictitious/virtual/digital) adventure. Because we have literally (albeit, virtually) experienced the journey with Snake over the past 10-20 years, the return of characters and discussion of the issues we've dealt with in the previous games holds a certain amount of realism and recollection for the player in MGS4. Yes, it is the memory of a video games we played 4/7/10+ years ago, but it is still a real memory.

As a direct result of this, the major revelations made apparent in MGS4 are ultra satisfying; Almost overtly so. There are so many "Holy F**k!" moments that it's hard to pick a single, specific favorite. With that in mind it's funny that one of MGS4's greatest accomplishments is how each successive Act (in total there are 5 playable Acts) builds on the previous one, effectively making it better than the last. I was constantly wondering how KojiPro was going to top the previous sequence, only to be floored by megaton plot points, amazing scenes, and/or emotionally charged confrontations. And again, these are plot points and conflicts which have gone unanswered and unresolved for a span of years. How cool is that?

The Metal Gear franchise has always been chock full of cinematics. Fortunately, even if you're the type of person that skips cutscenes, this time around MGS4 still has you covered. It's a top-tier title by any measure; the narrative and the gameplay could stand by themselves and would still be considered spectacular in their own right. Even though the game is drenched in fan-service, the attention to detail (although sometimes obscure) and production value can be enjoyed by anyone. The majority of people will forget about any minor flaws because of the obvious care that went into making every minuscule portion of this game.

My favourite example is the ability to set a real-life bluetooth headset to receive codec messages from Octacon in the battlefield, but there are plenty of these little additions in the game. These easter-egg details range from failed "stealth" upskirt attempts and staring at hot villainous buttocks (no really, push L1 during cutscenes) to an in-game digital camera and functional iPod. It's not just that you can use this stuff in the game either, but that they make the experience an external one - as mentioned, Kojima has a knack for making you realize that, as the player, you are an important part in this virtual adventure (after all, it wouldn't be possible without you).

The DigiCam, for example, can export your in-game photos as jpegs to your PS3's XMB for you to share - Neato! And by assigning the camera to a second controller, you can let someone else take third-person action shots while you focus on playing the game. It's a small feature, but its inclusion makes taking virtual pictures so much more flexible and oddly entertaining. The iPod functionality is even better; you can actually download MGS4-exclusive podcasts in the game (dubbed "the MGS4 Integral Podcast" hosted by Ryan Payton) and collect hidden soundtrack songs from previous Hideo Kojima produced/directed games (MG series, Policenauts, ZoE, et al). Furthermore, when Snake equips and listens to the iPod, different songs increase different abilities (giving him better aim, better psyche or health rejuvenation, increase CQC damage, etc.) It's a subtle addition, but it's also friggen' genius.

To broaden the franchise's appeal, MGS4 is the first game in the series that can realistically be played as a run-and-gun shooter. While it is still first and foremost a stealth game (and you're rewarded for playing it as such), the control scheme and gunplay has been balanced to the point that either style of play can be successful. The most accurate description of the control scheme I can think of is that it's equal parts MGS, R6V, and Gears of War. And if you just like shooting things, with over 60 highly detailed and customizable weapons, MGS4 has enough gun-porn to go around.

Further blurring the line between tactical espionage action and shooter, Metal Gear Online is making its reappearance with MGS4 in the form of a starter pack (what GT5p is to GT5). MGO offers an equally compelling online portion to the game and while it's no COD4-killer, it's a surprisingly different take on the online shooter genre. When combining its uniqueness with the game's weapons and customization, MGO is a considerably deep online experience that will probably keep the MGS4 disc in your PS3 for quite some time. I just wish signing up for a Konami ID wasn't such a hassle - luckily it's a onetime thing.

Along with its rich story, experience, and answers to all your MGS-related questions, MGS4 also has the graphics and audio to back it up. Visually, I'd go as far as saying it looks better than most pre-rendered CG cinematics in other games. I can't decide whether it's the best looking game I've seen or if it has the best in-game presentation and direction (it might be both). Either way MGS4 is absolutely gorgeous. It looks so good that on more than one occasion I didn't realize I was back in control of Snake after a cutscene had ended (end portions of Act 3 and Act 5). The camera work in the game is so organic (and cinematic) in its approach that I just couldn't help forgetting it's rendered in real-time. Ironically, the only other time a game has been able to do that to me so completely was when you first landed on the tanker at the very beginning of Sons of Liberty.

Of particular graphical hotness are the game's character models. The Beauty and Beast Corps, as their name implies, are objectively the most "beautiful" but the real stars of the show are the models of Old Snake and Raiden. Snake's OctoCamo suit is radical in both form and function. The sheer volume of textures and colours that the suit can mimic is mind boggling. Stealth Camo is all well and good, but OctoCamo is vastly more cool; lean up against a wall or tree and you become that wall's concrete or that tree's bark. Despite his old appearance, the OctoCamo suit makes Snake look completely badass.

Then there's Raiden. Raiden is, well, from a design and graphics standpoint, the best compliment I can think of is that he gives Frank Yeager/Cyborg Ninja a run for his money.

Audio, too, is on a whole different level. It bests every movie and game I've ever heard (Saving Private Ryan might be in the same ballpark, but it's sitting in the stands, not on the field). I'm not talking about the Harry Gregson-Williams soundtrack or the voice acting - everyone knew those were going to be perfect (the use of acoustic guitar is divine) - I'm talking about the sound effects. A lot of the game is spent in war zones with skirmishes taking place all around you. Bullets constantly whiz by your head, ricochet off walls, or thud on the ground next to you and each weapon sounds minutely, yet distinguishably different. All of it is done with absolutely brilliant aural precision, bringing the auditory chaos of the war you're seeing on screen. Oh, and the OctoCamo's environment-copying sound effect is spot on. "Whiz-zoot!"

Replayability has always been a big part in the MGS series and MGS4 is no different. The collectable items are addicting because they're also very pliable. When you unlock a cool new weapon or item after beating the game a certain way, you feel compelled to start a new game in order to use it. With MGS4 there is a whole slew of returning and new (often hilarious) unlockables. Fueling the addiction is the fluidness of the campaign. At first you may start a new game just to test out an unlocked gadget, but before you know it, it's 3am and you're half-way through Act 3 again. And depending on how you play more unlockables become available - try beating the game without killing anyone or getting an alert, then, with the unlocked items from that playthrough, it'd be much easier to get 100 CQC kills on your next playthrough. If collecting items isn't your thing (or you're a masochist), you can always try playing through the game on the "The Boss Extreme" difficulty setting that gets unlocked after you beat the game the first time.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is far more than the sum of its parts (graphics, audio, gameplay, story, characters). It's a saga that's been 20 years in the making and draws heavily from all six critically acclaimed games in the series. MGS4 captures the essence (the will, so to speak) of those titles and mixes it together to form something so familiar, yet ultimately different; something magnified...purer...conclusive. It's not possible to experience something like this with a completely passive narrative; MGS4 is proof that you just can't relate to a passive medium in the same way as an interactive one. Kojima wrapped everything up in a nice little bow and gave it to us as a parting gift. Your questions get answered, your heartstrings get pulled, your mind gets blown, and you finally get the closure you've spent the last two decades earning. You've had a hard life; it's time for a much deserved rest.

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