MGS4

[bobcat]

Originally Posted by Dyne

That's really impressive for Japan. This game definitely deserves the attention.

I wonder how many Japanese are actually playing with 1080p and surround? The surround is FANTASTIC and there needs to be more 1080p games on the PS3 like this.

I have it on 720p. Is 720p better than 1080i? It still looks damn good on 720p tho

[mickydaniels]

An old adage of games used to be that graphics don't make the game. Here, I have to say that cutscenes do not make a game. They appear frequently and take up so much time that they often kill any momentum that I started to get while playing it.

Massively overrated and part of a very disturbing trend that I'm starting to see in these big-budget, overhyped games being praised to the heavens by critics; I really am starting to suspect some form of payola is going on.

[bobcat]

Originally Posted by mickydaniels

An old adage of games used to be that graphics don't make the game. Here, I have to say that cutscenes do not make a game. They appear frequently and take up so much time that they often kill any momentum that I started to get while playing it.

Massively overrated and part of a very disturbing trend that I'm starting to see in these big-budget, overhyped games being praised to the heavens by critics; I really am starting to suspect some form of payola is going on.

I was completely the opposite. The cut scenes drew me more into the game. I would actually play the game and look forward to the cutscenes appearing (and of course loved playing the game too). There's nothing like it out there in the market and that's what I love about it.

I'd tell myself I would stop playing once I past a certain point, but I had no self control as to how much I was playing the game.

The game is hyped, but the highlight of the game is that it raises the bar again for gaming in general, just like Super Mario Galaxy did, just like GTAIV did (hmm......IMO this didn't raise it that much higher, but you know).

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by mickydaniels

An old adage of games used to be that graphics don't make the game. Here, I have to say that cutscenes do not make a game. They appear frequently and take up so much time that they often kill any momentum that I started to get while playing it.

Massively overrated and part of a very disturbing trend that I'm starting to see in these big-budget, overhyped games being praised to the heavens by critics; I really am starting to suspect some form of payola is going on.

That might have made sense if all the gamers here didn't love it too, and I'm suspect to believe they aren't on any kind of payroll to say they enjoyed the game.

Sometimes long cut scenes are nice. I played, beat, and enjoyed Xenosaga immensely, it had some very very long cut scenes. If the story is good enough, I don't mind at all. As long as they give you a pause button.

[mickydaniels]

I don't know about Xenosaga implements cutscenes, but I can't imagine that it could be like this. The end of Act 1 came out of nowhere. The last act perhaps the worst. You beat a boss and got such a potentially great item, and you have no one else to use it on. The scene before the last boss fight was a major offender to me as I sat there and watch and said to myself, "It really ends like this? Am I really just going to sit here and watch it?"

And that, to me, is a major problem. Cutscenes should be advancing the story. They should not be where most of the action is taking place. In a game, the action should actually be in your hands.

[Angrist]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's mickydaniels!!

Welcome back! Why the glorious return?

[TheGame]

You sound like you didn't know what to expect from the game. Metal gear solid 1-3 were all full with long cutscenes too. As kojima said, this game is for fans of metal gear. MGS is supposed to be a story that can only be told in the game format. The thing is... the gameplay is also very good. Its not like they tossed some crappy gameplay system in between the long cutscenes *coughrpgscough*.

But everyone's entitled to their opinions. I'll be the first to admit that you're right, compared to the average game, this one does have a lot of cutscenes, and its not as gameplay focused as your average 10 game usually is.

But I'll also say that the gameplay itself is very polished in its own respect, and I didn't buy MGS4 for the gameplay, I bought it for the cutscenes. I bought it because I wanted to advance the stories of the past games that were so open ended.

You probably thought of it as "Damn, another cutscene getting in the way of the gameplay." while I thought of it as "Damn, another gameplay part I have to fight through to earn my cutscene." If I wanted a game just to run and gun, and not to care about its generic story line.. I'd play a Halo 3 or GTA4.

[mickydaniels]

Originally Posted by TheGame

You sound like you didn't know what to expect from the game. Metal gear solid 1-3 were all full with long cutscenes too. As kojima said, this game is for fans of metal gear. MGS is supposed to be a story that can only be told in the game format. The thing is... the gameplay is also very good. Its not like they tossed some crappy gameplay system in between the long cutscenes *coughrpgscough*.

But everyone's entitled to their opinions. I'll be the first to admit that you're right, compared to the average game, this one does have a lot of cutscenes, and its not as gameplay focused as your average 10 game usually is.

But I'll also say that the gameplay itself is very polished in its own respect, and I didn't buy MGS4 for the gameplay, I bought it for the cutscenes. I bought it because I wanted to advance the stories of the past games that were so open ended.

You probably thought of it as "Damn, another cutscene getting in the way of the gameplay." while I thought of it as "Damn, another gameplay part I have to fight through to earn my cutscene." If I wanted a game just to run and gun, and not to care about its generic story line.. I'd play a Halo 3 or GTA4.

Well, I actually played MGS 1-3 and the 2 MSX ones thanks to the Subsistence package. I enjoyed them all. Because of their gameplay. Maybe I'm just too old-fashioned, huh?

Originally Posted by Angrist

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's mickydaniels!!

Welcome back! Why the glorious return?

I'm always lurking.

[Renwood]

If you enjoyed the gameplay in MGS1-3, there isn't much difference.

Discounting Act 5, which was little more than an interactive cutscene throughout, Acts 1 and 2 are the logical progression of gameplay in MGS3. Act 3's stalking section and the whole of Act 4 are a return to the basic sneaking mechanics of MGS1 and 2, where you really aren't supposed to run-and-gun, even if it is a little easier now. Trying to mow through the tiny metal gear balls is annoying, but when I tried actually sneaking, it was rewarding.

[Dyne]

Originally Posted by mickydaniels

An old adage of games used to be that graphics don't make the game. Here, I have to say that cutscenes do not make a game. They appear frequently and take up so much time that they often kill any momentum that I started to get while playing it.

Massively overrated and part of a very disturbing trend that I'm starting to see in these big-budget, overhyped games being praised to the heavens by critics; I really am starting to suspect some form of payola is going on.

No.. seriously. Did you really expect anything else going into a MGS game? That's mind-boggling.

Do you not remember the long, long codec calls before? They've DEFINITELY shifted away from that kind of story-telling now and I applaud them. Codec calls are actually used for plot progression, rather than backstory-telling and character development.

[mickydaniels]

Originally Posted by Dyne

No.. seriously. Did you really expect anything else going into a MGS game? That's mind-boggling.

Do you not remember the long, long codec calls before? They've DEFINITELY shifted away from that kind of story-telling now and I applaud them. Codec calls are actually used for plot progression, rather than backstory-telling and character development.

The cinematics before did not take up most of your gametime.
And the codec calls were long, yes. But watching is still watching, and the longest codec in MGS2 wasn't even 15 min. You sit around watching for more than 15 min at a time regularly here.

I'm not saying I didn't expect them, I didn't expect it to take up so much of the experience, because that didn't happen before.

[Renwood]

I started replaying Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 for the first time since 2005. Before, I wasn't sure if it was nostalgia coloring my memory, but now that I've gotten a ways into both, and with MGS4 fresh in my brain, the decline in voice acting quality after 2 is sharp. I am not sure what changed behind the scenes with who handled the NA voice acting sessions, but the delivery is just plain worse in 3 and 4 when stacked against 2.

Though I do think the actual dialogue plays a part here too, the awkwardness in how some of the lines come out is the bigger offender. When Snake and Octacon are jawing over the codec during the Tanker section, it feels natural, and while Snake still does fall into those moments where he parrots back lines, he also really seems to add to the conversation himself, which is nice.

I've read some things on how David Hayter has difficulty producing the Snake voice anymore, and it does show in 3 as his voice becomes more forced and reduced in range.

With that said, I don't think any part of the series has bad voice acting compared against its peers, but still certainly, it is a bit disappointing.

[magus113]

Originally Posted by BLueFire

Finally finished the game. Incredible...

The commentary in the game is amazing, too.

Don't let BLue fool you! He just sat and watched me play it! He's done nothing I tell you! NOTHING

[flunkie44]

Originally Posted by mickydaniels

An old adage of games used to be that graphics don't make the game. Here, I have to say that cutscenes do not make a game. They appear frequently and take up so much time that they often kill any momentum that I started to get while playing it.

Massively overrated and part of a very disturbing trend that I'm starting to see in these big-budget, overhyped games being praised to the heavens by critics; I really am starting to suspect some form of payola is going on.

[Renwood]

you add so much