How about MGS2

Personally I'm not a fan of long cut scenes. I really think a few short cut scenes can enhance the gaming experience, but  any more than that and it's more like watching a movie, where all you really do is press some buttons here and there... I think the perfect length for cut scenes can be found in Blizzard's games such as Diablo II and Warcraft III.

Also, games with long cut scenes tend to be very linear, at least in story. You can't seem to stray far off, and I prefer games where you have greater choices. Anyway, I'm certain once MGS4 hits fanboys (and girls) will be like "it's the greatest thing since the invention of fire!" but once the smoke clears... things might be akin to MGS2:

http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/sep … ex25.shtml
"...marvel at the effect that pretty graphics and massive pre-release hype can have on the minds of gamers..."

or with luck, it won't be.

MGS2 gets kicked around a bit much, I think. At the very least, I'd say people who enjoyed MGS1 but complain about the cutscene length in #2 have very dim memories of the first; it was awash in extraneous stuff as well.

My own take on cutscenes is, I have no issues with how long they are if they're interesting. The end of MGS2's Tanker episode, or the craziness toward the end, was fine. Confessionals about faking limps and doing one's relatives, not so much.

Snake Eater might be a better example. The beginning of the game takes about a half-hour to get going, what with the jump (fine), mission briefing (also fine), stressing the importance of stealth (OK, OK, OK), the sudden introduction of a mentor who lays down the theme of the story before I've really begun (ARRRRGGGHHH), and once again the stressing the importance of stealth (SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP). It's a bit much. But toward the end, there's an ongoing parade of cutscenes going on, and I don't care, because they're all purebred AWESOME.

I expect MGS4 to have cutscenes. Many cutscenes, long cutscenes. I also expect most of them to be relevatory, which should keep my interest up. Also, I wouldn't mind some extraneousness, as long as it's funny. Gary McGolden's book, after all, is my absolute favorite thing about MGS2:

"So where is Nastasha Romanenko now? I decided to give Global Elements Inc., the book's publisher a call. Below is a complete transcript of the conversation.

    Me: 'Hello. Listen, you leftover carnival prize, what do you know about a woman named Nastasha Romanenko?'

    Whoever it was: 'Hey, your village called. They want their idiot back. And watch your language, freak.' Click.

Clearly, they're hiding something."

Preordered it today along with FFIV DS. Who can resist that sexy LE box? Don't have a PS3, but hey, you can always find the system somewhere. You can't always find the game, especially the LE edition unless you like Ebay ripping you off with inflated prices. I know I'm gonna be over the soundtrack and the artbook like white on rice.

Does anyone know if the soundtrack is the full version or should I import the soundtrack separately if it's different?

There is a lot a news about this here:
http://www.squareenixmusic.com/musicnew … m=&ucat=2&

These may be a bit too out there, even for diehard MGS nuts like Angela:

http://kotaku.com/5010966/metal-gear-so … o-fake-ads

These are the propaganda ads featuring the various PMCs in the game, correct?  The ones made in collaboration by acclaimed iPod ad creators LOGAN, and are part of the actual game's introduction.  I don't plan on watching them yet, and I'm actually surprised that Konami was willing to show off what was once considered a top-secret sequence in the game.

I think that's right.  I'd never even heard of them until I saw that post.   I guess they're not a secret anymore.

BruceLeeRoy over at NeoGAF just made their official thread for MGS4 - and it's nothing short of amazing:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=303161

That said, I think it's almost time to jump ship, and to at last activate "PROJECT MEDIA BLACKOUT" - and to enforce it with an iron fist.  Spoilers are guaranteed to be forthcoming these final two weeks, and true Metal Gear fans have not waited four years -- check that: ten years.... no, make that twenty-one years -- to finally see the curtains close on this epic series just to have it all ruined in a matter of days.

Hopefully not! Konami has this huge list of "do not disclose" information that was given to reviewers. At least, so it says in IGN's UK review of MGS4. The score was a 9.9

.

Even so, this is TEH INTERNETZ; something is bound to get through in some way or another.  Game could leak early through unofficial channels.  And is it really the brightest idea to release the strategy guide so damned EARLY?   

http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/Product … t_id=69640

Man, we really need to regulate the flow of information. Where's the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo when we need 'em?

Same here. I'm going into my own bunker of sorts, probably after tonight. Don't cry for me though, I've NMH, Substance VR Missions, and a brand-new copy of Phantom Hourglass to tide me over these coming weeks. Just have a few last things to say here.

1. The last few hours of MGS2 still creep me right the hell out. I can't even look at the screen during the codec conversations. It probably doesn't help my phobia of distortion that the first time I'd played that part was at around 5 in the morning after an all-nighter. Still.

2. I'm pretty sure Raiden's VR Missions were designed to make me hate Rose even more, since her congratulations message means I ranked 2nd on a given mission, agonizingly close to 1st.
     "Jack, you're great!"
     "f--- off!"
     >RETRY<

3. I don't know how much bearing Portable Ops' story will have on MGS4 events, but there ARE some choice nuggets definitely relevant to the overarching plot (such as a previously unsuspected conspirator and possibly a cryptic hint towards GotP's climax), and besides that it comes wholly recommended just for being a great story.

4. I did happen to read EGM's set of not-really-reviews (they're putting official reviews off til next month in light of Konami's topical restrictions), and they do seem positive on the stuff they're allowed to talk about, at least - chief complaint seems to be inadequate cover mechanics. I suppose getting right up to the date more info on the negative aspects will arrive, but if the big hush-hush taboo is long cutscenes...well, so what? It's like complaining that the newest Mario game has underwater levels. Cutscenes are part & parcel of the Metal Gear package, and someone expecting anything different going into a finale which promises to answer everything deserves the disappointment...and a swift kick in the south forty, honestly. But I suppose it'll give the press a vantage point to bitch from, so as long as everyone's happy...

5. It's entirely likely by the time I resurface, I'll have a new niece. The inducement is scheduled for the 24th or so, but my sister says she's already begun dialating, so young Kate may be arranging the party herself.

6. GoldfishX, the Top 500 project has my attention, I'm just whittling my list from 100 down to 30. It's...not easy.

Well that's it for now. I'll catch up once I've invested some time in the game itself. Be kind to yourselves, and remember: Take care of your cardboard box and it will take care of you.

Marionette Dolphin, I salute thee.  Farewell, comrade; we'll say a few days short of two fortnights, then.   Best of luck to your sister and your new niece.  My own niece Emily is coming up for a visit this summer - after the arrival of MGS4, that'll be the second best thing to happen to me this year so far.

Here's two MTV-exclusive trailers (again with THE MOVIE GUY):

http://kotaku.com/5012161/mtvs-exclusiv … 4-trailers

And here's a cinema scene from Act 2 of the game (SPOILERS!):

http://kotaku.com/5012196/new-metal-gea … -4-footage

Two Japanese MGS4 commercials here:

http://kotaku.com/5013313/metal-gear-so … r-marriage

It looks to be an absolute minefield out there now.  People have either gotten the guide or the game early, and now the entire story is leaked online.  What's worse, idiots are ACTIVELY trying to spoil the game for people, going so far as to sending widespread emails with spoilers in the subject header, unexpected instant messages, and even shouting them out during online gaming sessions.  I myself remain unspoiled, but damn..... I don't anticipate playing COD4 this weekend. -_-;

"No place to hide", indeed.

OMG Sephiroth kills Aeris LOLOL

Wait, what?! 

Now that wasn't cool.  Point well illustrated, Zane, but maybe you (and now allyourbaseare) should edit your posts.  There's still folks out there who have no idea.

That's the point I was trying to make - I haven't read any of the books and I've been trying to hold out until the movies.

You know, I didn't read the last two Harry Potter books until after I moved back to the states from Japan, and RIGHT before I read the sixth one, I had to read that gigantic spoiler in a place that was entirely unrelated.  Probably best to not go blurting that out places until the movie is out.

It almost feels surreal that MGS4 is now spinning away in my PS3, ready for my ravenous consumption.  It's 1:12 am, and the coffee's a-brewin' as I wait for the mandatory HD installation to finish.  Luckily, I don't have to be in at work until 3 pm, so the repercussions of sleep depravation won't be so severe if I try for an all-nighter.  ;)  Verily, this old fogey of a gamer feels young and alive again; I haven't done something like this since finishing Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete on PSOne back in 1999.

I'm planning on undergoing a submerge period (yes, really this time) until I've finished the game.  I have, however, decided to do up a personal journal, detailing my complete experience, much like I had done with MGS3.  The first two entries are up for the night; no spoilers yet, just my brief adventure at getting the game tonight and packaging details.  After tomorrow, though, you'll definitely want to stay away as I'll be heading into full-on impressions and yes, undiluted spoilers:

http://geocities.com/angie_liu201/mgs4_journal.html

Have fun with the game, guys!  Here's hoping this badboy really ends up being all that. 

- Piranha

No midnight launches 'round here. Apparently special permission (and fees) would be required for my plaza-rooted game store to be open for the witching hour. That's OK, though. I'm almost certain the likelihood of spoilers would've gone up a googolfold if I'd been hanging around a crowd on the eve of release anyway. Especially with that Walmart screw-up*.

So instead I'll be heading out come morning with a trusted and dispassionate relative in tow to send into the store to trade my receipt for my copy (an extra precaution to thwart any last-minute spoilsports), go home and install, go to work (arrrrrgh), come home, eat a light dinner, wash up and begin in earnest.

P.S. I still do all-nighters from time-to-time (last one being Trials & Tribulations), but it won't be feasible with MGS4, since the one who uses the living-room couch for a bed gets ultimate say on when it's time to stop. Damn it.

*-long story short: WM enters on their comps that MGS4 is not to be sold until 6/12, but forgets to put a similar hold on the MGS4 System Bundle. Sales are made, dates are broken.

Have fun Angela!!  See you in a few weeks

Nice to see that the visibility problems of MGS3 have been improved here. But the multiple systems they have put in place (like the wavey circle) to compensate for the lack of the classic radar don't seem to make sense when they could have just used, well, the classic radar. It worked.

It looks pretty but the facial expressions are pretty dead here. I would have expected better. Music, however, is fantastic. I have avoided the soundtrack so I'm getting these tracks first in the game and they work really well.

So far, like MGS3 before it, I think the game is clunky and flawed but the story and characters are pulling me in. Love the Octosuit though.

Finally got a PS3 plus the game myself too, and one day before the official release date at that!
Haven't had much time to play it yet, but I'm enjoying it so far.
For all the fuss there's been concerning the amount and lenght of cutscenes, I find myself REALLY looking forward to the next one every time, to the extent that gameplay is almost getting in the way

Asshole! I was gonna play that game! :P

Made it up to the first "boss" I suppose, if it can be called that (it's a bit more like the Ocelot Unit skirmish from MGS3). It's a pretty handy encounter by which to guage how much I utterly suck at this game so far, at least. Some brief, early-hour, and hidden impressions (with some spoilers from previous MGS games, be ye warned):

1. The title screen's rather unsettling, isn't it? On its own it's fairly portentous, but in an especially eerie recreation of MGS3's ending, the scene doesn't have its ending until you push the button and pull the trigger.

2. The pre-intro...what the HELL was that? Talking to others locally, I guess the ones shown are random? I got a 7th Circle gameshow with a creepy floating head and a avant-garde ad for a skullheaded octopus...I can't begin to imagine.

3. The intro itself is pretty wild. I'll be the first to admit though, watching it I was deeply concerned the game would exclusively be a dour affair. I was expecting something like the L1 FPV thing, but the Spam X For Memory Flashes thing was a pleasant surprise.

4. As I alluded to before, I SUCK AT THIS GAME. Why on earth would Konami, at the series apparent twilight, suddenly graft on Haloesque FPS controls in lieu of the system I know so well? There's a reason I bought THIS game and not Call of Duty, guys. On a related note, I'm so tired of the Game Over theme it's not even funny.

5. Speaking of FPSes, anybody getting a heavy BioShock vibe off of this so far? Not the story or sneaking parts, but with the PMC posters and announcements, hacking for weapons, the fight with the Spider Splic--uhh, the Frogs? Is it just me?

6. Kind of ambivalent on the Octocamo. It works like a champ, sure, but I kinda liked going into MGS3's menu and playing with ridiculous combinations for the hell of it.

7. Mk-II is completely adorable. I made an embarassing happy noise when the Snatcher design Memory-Flashed.

8. Thank god for Akiba. My first real sign the series hadn't lost its sense of humor. Good laugh out of the shock mohawk, too.

9. They suddenly all say 'shit' a lot, don't they? *sigh*

10. The Beasts and Frogs are all women, hm? I smell a theme percolating. Especially since I know who that is in that picture.

In short, it's not really Metal Gear yet, for me at least, but it has shown signs that it's going to happen at any minute. I look forward to that. But still, DAMN THOSE CONTROLS.

The controls are utter pants. Well, in terms of what this game is trying to be. The first act is trying to be a war game and it is just not equipped to deliver that. This game either needed that section to be more true to its sneaking roots, or a whole new Gears-like control system. It's clunky, awkard and just wrong.

That section making your way out of the building in the first act was repetitive, dull and, at times, frustrating. Far, far too long. I've been playing a bit of Uncharted recently and it also features repetitive overlong gun battles but at least the control is equipped for them. So far, that has been the better game for me.

There is so much wrong with this game but I'm still quite early in it so will struggle on. Maybe. Or I might play Lego Indy which is actually fun.

While we're being negative, Tycho at PA makes some decent points as well.
Although Assassin's Creed stealth system was completely dumb and illogic (praying would get you out of ANYTHING, but simply jumping up a wall would send 50 guards your way), the game makes far better use of the Hardware, I feel.
I mean, the cities are HUGE and highly detailed, densele populated, with great draw distance and without any loading times, whereas MGS4 has lots of installments and very short, empty areas that, frankly, don't even look all that good to me. I'm still only in act 1 though...

Also, Splinter Cell does stealth much better than...well...anything else.
But then, it's not Tactical Espionage ACTION is it?

Having played games like Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed and Bioshock, I'm seriously starting to think the West is rapidly overtaking Japan in terms of technical prowess. Even Squenix's upcoming games are looking rather drab at this point I'm afraid.
It's as if Japanese developers don't really know how to make use of all those fancy specs yet...not as much as the West though, which has me saddened as a J-Gamer at heart.

Yep, I completely agree with you, Amazingu. One thing I find odd (and I'm only talking about the first act here) is how poor some of the locations look, particularly the textures. They're like overly Photoshopped (too much emboss) 'far away' textures but that's what we see up close. That's not what's odd. What's odd is that I heard so much about how amazing this looks and, to me, I'm just not seeing it. I feel like not only does the Emperor have no clothes on, but he has a rather small wang too.

Although, that said, that shot on the title screen is pretty stunning. It's gorgeous.

.

Just about finished the game (three days - for me, that's a record for any MGS game), so I'm coming out of my submerge period early.  But you bet I had fun, a LOT of fun.

To address the new control scheme, yeah, it can be problematic for MGS vets.  It's ironic that in their attempt to more 'westernize' and streamline the controls, Konami seems to have created a lot more for the player to contend with.  Still, if you buy into the concept that every successive MGS game has always added more to the table in terms of gameplay, then this shouldn't come as any surprise.  The learning curve is undoubtedly steeper because you basically need to de-construct much of what you already know about MGS to learn everything anew.  Checking out the Virtual Range training mode isn't a bad idea.  For myself, I'm just glad I got a leg-up on the controls from the MGO beta - it made jumping into the game a whole lot easier for me.  And now, everything clicks. 

Jay pretty much sums up the first act pretty well.  It's true, the first location isn't exactly the best way to showcase MGS4.  I'm going on the record to say that it's the weakest act in the game; a bit too heavy on the war zone factor to comfortably get acclimated to the new stealth workings, and the emphasis on action comes jarringly quick for what's basically supposed to be the introduction.  A bit of shell-shock, no doubt, and I too died a great number of times before getting used to everything.

That's the downside.  But the good news is (and I think anyone would be hard-pressed not to agree) the game gets so much better from the second act onward.   And it gets better at such an unprecedented rate, that you'll pretty much forgive the initial shortcomings.  The quality of the graphics shoot up exponentially based on the more vibrant locations, the pacing between stealth and balls-out action sequences are better paced, and the boss battles are absolutely terrific. (And some are downright terrifying to boot.)  All of that, of course, makes way for the massively ambitious story, which, at every turn starting from the middle of act 2, left me in complete and utter awe.  It's lean, mean, character-driven, and clearly not afraid to explore and resolve all the pertinent topics that every fan has demanded an explanation for.  Major kudos to Kojima for deftly finishing up the mythology that he's created.  And with a mythology as dense and involving (and yes, perplexing) as Metal Gear, that's no small feat.

SonicPanda, regarding the camo system.  You actually CAN play through the game using the MGS3 menu-based system.  At some point, the option will open up where you can choose your camo manually by saving any texture that you come across and then having the ability to pull them up at anytime.  Couple that with the Face Camo that opens up later, and you'll be all set.

I would get into more of the deeper intricacies, like how brilliant the Drebin System is for handling weapons, the dozens upon dozens of fan service nods and extras, and the nostalgia-based musical arrangements not even featured on the OST (no, not the iPod songs), but that's what my Journal is going to be for.

Good to know, and I have my guesses as to why. I've spent a hell of a lot of time thinking on this storyline, and I'd throw out some guesses for you to confirm except yes, I don't want to spoil myself.

These two-hour-a-day play increments are going to make me crazy.

P.S. I didn't really mean to trigger a whirlwind of bitchery about the thing, honest. For my part, I've no major issue with the graphics (he said some of them sucked, anyway), and even if I did, I'm here for the bosses and the story. Would've been happier though, if Akiba's rump had been mosaic'ed. Didn't need to see that. Least I couldn't smell it though. "Son of a..."

P.P.S. I watched the Mission Briefing again and had a good laugh when I realized 'Solidus' is the name of Sunny's chicken

This is indeed a consensus among gaming fans and developers. Now that arcade game has declined and game consoles just follow PC GPU technology (even one generation behind), there is no way J-games look better than the West games are. The only exception is Polyphony Digital, and maybe (hopefully) some other companies can do well, but the fact HD consoles (PS3 included) don't fare well in Japan while Wii, DS and PSP do also bears it out.

I'm a bit shocked to know MGS4 is 1024x768, (normally) 30fps.