[Renwood]

Finished. Good game. I'm not sure I enjoyed how split up the areas were. The diversity felt good, but I loved the first two games for having an interconnected game world that could be, for the most part, traversed and retreaded at will. MGS4 is definitely a tunnel, and I never felt like I truly got to know any of the setting represented. This may be in part because of my anxiousness to get through things quickly to keep the plot flowing.

Story suffered heavily in the way that many conspiracy plots do when they finally attempt to answer all the questions. I'll give it to them: almost everything was wrapped up or explained in some way. The problem is in what those explanations were. Sometimes, it felt very much like a fan-fic with high production values.

On the other side though, MGS4's strength shines through when it hits the player with specific moments, not narrative or plot. When you reach a certain area, and certain audio and visual cues start hitting, it really gets to you. I will not spoil it, but Metal Gear Solid 4, for all the criticism of the series as being interactive movies, is best in ways that only work as a game. And that is a good, good thing.

If I think too much, there are some real concerns. But in the moment, and as an experience, great fun.

New Game+ now.

edit: ty