Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Whether you've owned the PS3 since its release or have just recently been a proud owner of the console, it's a safe bet to say you were playing the penultimate "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" game this past weekend. Writing a review to a game like Metal Gear Solid 4 is no small feat. I've started a couple of times, but my attempts fell short as the review became much bigger than me. It is especially difficult when you have the utmost respect, appreciation, and revere for each and every single frame. So I've decided to do things a little different this time. Some of my draft reviews have striking similarities to reviews already out there, so rather than spew the same critiques, I've decided to list some sources here, and provide my own perceptions on the game as a whole.

If only to say that MGS4 is true perfection and that Hideo Kojima is true genius would be a gross understatement. I can't imagine any other saga that has stirred this much emotion in such a way as Kojima has willed it to be. This has truly been a journey. Talk about wrapping things up...it's hard to put in words the amount of satisfaction and overachievement of MGS4. It was worth the wait. MGS4 culminates masterful artistry. To the beautiful moving camera not void of blood splatter, dust, snow and rain, to the changing interactive gameplay, to the awe-inspiring cutscenes, to the incredibly moving soundtrack, to all the characters themselves, Snake, Otacon, Liquid, Raiden, Vamp, Naomi, Big Mama, the BB Corps, Meryl, the Patriots, Big Boss...and to the actual story, perfection...definitely deserving a merit of supreme excellence. The balanced blend of humor, remorse, regret, action, morality, and sensibility make MGS4 a legendary game for the ages. With gratitude, thank you Kojima-sama!

Gamespot (Rating: 10/10)
IGN US (Rating: 10/10)
Eurogamer (Rating: 8/10)
PSX Extreme (Rating: 10/10)
Game Informer (Rating: 10/10)
Gametrailers (Rating: 9.3/10)