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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Info Thread Console: PlayStation 3
Developed by: Kojima Productions
Published by: Konami
Genre: 3rd person Action/Adventure Stealth
Producer: Hideo Kojima
Players: 1 offline, 16 online Release Date: Worldwide Release: June 12 2008
Confirmed Features: Use of tilt function, online play, rumble
Overview The direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 4 is already being called the killer app for the PlayStation 3. Killer visuals, a promising storyline, the return of franchise favorite characters, and the supposed last game in one of the best game series of all time means the MGS4 will be one game every PS3 owner needs to buy. Metal Gear Solid is a stealth action franchise that has mostly been exclusive to the PS platforms. The games have a heavy emphasis on single player gaming. In MGS4 you take the role of Solid Snake, a legend in the MG universe for stopping “Metal Gears”- walking “tanks” capable of launching nukes from anywhere. You are sent into battle for seemingly the final time in the series, in hopes of stopping Metal Gears once and for all. Legendary producer Hideo Kojima once again takes the reigns in MGS4. With high expectations and hopes from fans, Kojima can hopefully once again deliver a stellar game that sets the benchmark for games to come 5/11 Update: The newest KP Report is out. It confirms, among other things, that over 300 people are working on the game. The comments section also confirms that the camera scheme is being worked on.
Plot Details Solid Snake will be returning as the main character of the game once again. The game is set about 7 years after the Manhattan incident in MGS2, in the Middle East and other various locations. This future world is overrun by mercenaries and PMC (private military contractors) who rule over warfare. The five largest PMCs are run by a single company, Outer Heaven, which is operated by Liquid Ocelot. Outer Heaven has amassed enough nuclear weapons to rival the US’s, and plans on launching an armed rebellion. Solid Snake is once again called into battle in hopes of ending the threat of mass warfare and the spread of Metal Gears. Philanthropy seems to still be intact. If the organization itself is not, Snake and Otacon are once again working together to take down Metal Gear. The new trailer shown at E3 states that this game is different than past games- the mission is not sanctioned by the US government. Rather, it's more of a personal favor to the Colonel, who asks Snake to kill Liquid once and for all
Many events seem to have taken place between MGS2 and MGS4. Raiden apparently was severly injured, leaving him only with a head and spine. Snake also has seemed to age a great deal. Metal Gears became much more widespread in use as well, to the point where even PMCs can use them Exclusitivity: According to Kojima, the PS3 is like a movie theater while the 360 is like a DVD player. He said, ""But like I said, MGS4 is aimed for the movie theatre, it's aimed for the PS3, so the game's scenario and graphics need this theatre-type hardware. It's when a producer has a game that can work on the 'DVD level' that a game will go multiplatform"" Credit: Kotaku interview with Kojima
Voice Acting
David Hayter- voices Solid Snake (has voiced Snake since MGS1) Quinton Flynn- voices Raiden (has voiced Raiden in MGS2) Paul Eiding- voices Roy Campbell (has voiced Campbell since MGS1) Christopher Randolph- continues to voice Otacon Debbie Mae West- voices Meryl, which she has done in MGS1 Phil LaMarr- Voices Vamp, which he did in MGS2 All of the major characters will have the same voice actors. In addition, the newest KP Report ( Session 38) says that the voice overs are supposed to sound older, confirming once again that MGS4 takes place after MGS2. Characters- Artwork vs In game pictures
 
Solid Snake. Snake will once again be taken over the reigns as the main character during the game. GotP takes place after MGS2 in terms of story. The game picks up with Philanthropy looking to take down Liquid, now living through Ocelot’s arm, and Metal Gear one last time. Because of the imperfect cloning process that gave birth to Snake, he is rapidly aging and trailers hint that he needs medication in order to stay alive. One of the newest trailers threw a curveball at how old Snake really is. It has been confirmed that he is 43 in the game. The trailers shows a younger Snake towards the end of the trailer, looking much closer to how he looked in MGS2. The "younger Snake" could be: - Snake cures himself from FoxDie/finds away around the cloning process during the game and looks normal aged
- The game begins with younger Solid Snake and as the game progresses, either Snake rapidly ages or there's a time jump like in MGS2, with part of the game taking place years later
- Kojima just wanting to show what Snake would look like on PS3 as a treat to fans
- A hint that the old "Snake" might not be Solid Snake, but rather a clone or someone else entirely different
- The Octocam mask transforming into younger Snake's face
- Or something else entirely
The role of FoxDie in the game is uncertain. The medicine that Snake is seen injecting himself with could be something to control his FoxDie. Naomi tells Snake that he only has 6 months to live, which possibly could be because of FoxDie. For more on FoxDie, see The Unofficial FoxDie Explanation Thread Hal Emmerich (Otacon). Otacon returns in MGS4 as well, communicating with Snake remotely via a robot that looks similar to the Metal Gear MK II in one of Kojima’s previous game, Snatcher. Otacon will likely continue the role he had in past MGS games of giving Snake support in the battlefield.   Meryl Silverburgh. Snake’s love interest from MGS1 returns in MGS4 (The canonical ending of MGS1 was that Snake survived torture and Meryl lived). Not much is known about her role in MGS4 but she will be leading the FOXHOUND unit.  
Liquid Ocelot. Snake’s long time antagonist returns in MGS4 and will likely play a major plot role. All of the trailers so far have shown Liquid being in control of Ocelots body, giving him the moniker “Liquid Ocelot”. Liquid Ocelot is in control of Outer Heaven, the mother company that controls the 5 largest PMC companies. Liquid is trying to gain control of all soliders via thier nanomachines. Nanomachines are on thier third generation- Foxdie being a firts generation nanomachine. In the E3 2007 trailer, he is able to severly injure all of the soldiers present, except for one unknown soldier. Meryl and Snake are both weakened as well.
 
Raiden. The protagonist of MGS2 returns as a series staple, the ninja. Raiden is now fused into a ninja suit that keeps him alive. The only real parts of his body left are his head and his spine. Trailers show that Raiden is now a master at using swords and at close range combat. Raiden has also said in the trailers that it is his turn to protect Snake, a reversal of the roles in MGS2. This is most likely because Snake appears much older and weaker health wise but there could be another plot twist there too
 
Naomi Hunter. Naomi gave Snake foxdie in MGS1 because she believed he killed her brother, Gray Fox. She set up the Foxdie so that Snake would die randomly from it. Her role in MGS4 is still unknown. She confirmed in one of the latest trailers that Snake only has 6 months to live. Whether or not this is a direct result of Foxdie remains to be seen.  
Vamp. Vamp is in the E3 2007 trailer, in an awesome fight with Raiden. Vamp is immortal, and asks if Raiden is the one who can finally kill him. Vamp still uses his signature knives, but also appears to have claws in his feet. His legs may not be organic, but rather fake or robotic 
Roy Campbell. Colonel Campbell will be returning in MGS4, and in the trailers visits Snake at a cemetery. He explains to Snake his mission objective in the trailer. Mei Ling. Mei Ling was last seen in MGS1 and was in charge of saving the game for Snake. She will be returning in MGS4.
Sunny. Sunny is Olga's baby. In MGS2 it was revealed that Olga had a baby, and that she would only live as long as Raiden did. The Patriots were holding the baby captive and told Olga that she would only live as long as Raiden's nanomachines were kept running. However, given Raiden's condition Sunny probably should have died. Raiden's only remaining body parts are his head and spine, suggesting that he was in a major accident or battle in which his head was severed from the rest of his body. This would most likely lead to his nanomachines shutting down, which means that Sunny would have been killed. So how did she live? Did she escape? Was she rescued before Raiden's accident? Not much is known at this point.
Eva. Eva returns in the game. It is unclear what her motives and loyalties are, though. She appears to be in her 70s. The end of MGS3 confirmed that she had disappeared, but now she seems to have returned
In Game vs Artwork
This section compares the differences between the artwork first shown from the game and the in game versions of the characters. All comparisions are based off the pictures I posted above only
Snake. In the artwork, Snake looks almost the same as he does in MGS2. He looks a lot older, with longer hair an a beard, but is identifiable as Snake. The in game renders of Old Snake look much different the artwork. There's no beard, and Snake looks much older. This could be a sign that Old Snake isn't Solid Snake, but Kojima has confirmed he is. The role of Young Snake is still unknown
Otacon. Otacon looks pretty much the same in both the artwork and in game. He's easily identifiable as the Otacon since MGS1, and there doesn't seem to be any major changes other than a bit of aging.
Meryl. Like Otacon, easily identifiable as the character from MGS1, just a bit older. Again, doesn't seem to be any surprises on the level of the Old Snake appearance.
Ocelot. Looks older, but a bit different than the artwork. The artwork doesn't show his glasses and in game, his moustache is shorter and looks similar to Snake's
Raiden. Maybe the only other character whose artwork hid a big change. The artwork looks very similar to the MGS2 Raiden. In MGS4, though, he looks much different. A new exoskeleton keeps his head and spine alive, he's become a master of CQC and sword combat, and he has a new role - to protect Snake.
Naomi. Looks almost exactly the same in both artwork and in game. Even her clothes are the same, except in game, she isn't wearing the hood in the shot above.
Vamp. Vamp looks very similar, with the only major difference being shorter hair
Gameplay Details The game is confirmed to take place in the Middle East, South America and 3 other locations throughout the world. Since the trailers have only been in desert areas so far, it seems say to say that there are other locations then that have not been revealed. However, one trailer shows Metal Gear Rex on a snowy island that appears to be Shadow Moses from MGS1. Gameplay will probably remain similar thematically to past games, with sneaking and stealth playing vital roles. But the next gen allows for gameplay itself to be greatly expanded on- now Snake has an “Octocam” suit that allows him to blend into his surrounding by matching any textures he touches. If disabled, the Octocam will be black. Snake will also have a mask to further help him blend in. The game takes place in the middle of a war between numerous sides and countries. Snake can choose who to align with in order to get into certain territory. However, aligning with a certain faction will make their enemy your enemy
The game itself will use a mixture of the traditional top down MGS camera and the new 3D one found in Subsistence. Aiming can be done either over the shoulder, like in Resident Evil 4, or more like in Subsistence. You can switch between these two styles using the square button. CQC (close quarters combat) will return. Based off of the trailers, it appears that Snake can now perform CQC with machine guns as well. Snake can hold up enemies like in past games and take ammo from them. The robot that lets Snake and Otacon communicate will take the place of the old Codec. It also appears that it will be able to attack enemies. The newest TGS trailer also shows the robot blending into the environment, similar to the Octocam. However, the MK II looks like it will be able to move and stay camoflagued based on the trailer; Snake needs to remain still for his suit to blend in. Newer trailers show the MK II being able to stun enemies and scout ahead. Snake controls it using a DualShock 3 controller. Past Metal Gear Solid games have followed themes that tie into the acronym “MGS”. For example, the main theme of MGS3 was “scene,” as the Cold War setting played a major role in the plot. The main themes of MGS4 include “No Place To Hide”, a reference to destructible environments and dynamically changing battlefield. “Sense” is also a major theme Kojima said psychology of the soldier on the battlefield is very important. Enemies will react differently based on the situation. For example, they should react with fear if you are attacking from an unknown position. Snake can also manipulate or change sides on the battlefield to achieve a means. If he has to get into enemy A territory but is currently aligned with enemy B, he could change alliances by guarding a tank from enemy A going into enemy B territory, for example. The new Metal Gears are called Gekko. As shown in trailers, they are partially organic and appear to bleed. They are also very agile and able to rotate their legs 180 degrees. As in MGS2, and even moreso than in that, there are many Metal Gears. This breaks with the older tradition of having just the Metal Gear as the last boss. Trailers have shown the Metal Gears being a very central part of the varying countries' armies, and being a constant threat and presence to Snake. The Metal Gears are also much more advanced, with the ability to use sensors to scan for life and climb up buildings
The guns in the game will be largely customizable, as first revealed in the first TGS trailer. Snake picks up a grenade launcher and attaches it to his gun. Other weapons seen in trailers include machine guns (M4s and AKs possibly), pistols, knives, RPGs, sniper rifles, grenades, and attachments like grenade launchers. Aiming weapons as seen in recent trailer can be done in a first person view or a third person view The Solid Eye System is a patch on Snake's eye. It will take the place of night vision and thermal goggles and possibly radar as well Innocent NPCs are also in the game Kojima said in an interview with Gamepro that he is not interested in 1080p. Therefore, it is not know at what resolution the game will run at, but presumably it won't be 1080p
June 6th Update
This is a pretty big update, so I'm giving it it's own section  A new MGS4 trailer has been released. The trailer is a remastered version of the E3 06 trailer. The actual footage is largely the same, but the trailer has new lighting, particle effects, and a steadier framerate. Link here and in the second post where all the trailers are.
That trailer is the same as the old one. Konami has not released a new trailer According to Gamers-Creed, a special edition of MGS4 may be considered. Apparently, in Kojima's radio, he said that fans are welcome to email him and suggest a limited edition of the game. Presumably, this limited edition would still only be one disc because of the size of Blu Ray, but any potential contents of the disc are unknown. It's worth noting that MGS games had special editions in the past that were only released in Japan. Not directly MGS4 related, but in Japan Konami is releasing special 20th anniversary editions of past MGS games. Details can be found on the site (may need to be translated) here
Online and Release Date Hint?:
The announcement that online for Subsistence would be shut down also included this image:  A new online in 2007? Sounds like MGS4 will be out this year- with online- after all. The game has since been delayed, so this poster is likely no longer accurate
Has the game been delayed? No. Gamestop changed the shipping day, and Gamestop is hardly a reliable source. The only thing that has been confirmed is "2007". Until/unless Kojima or Kojima Productions publicly announces that they have changed the release date, the game will be out this year. Not to mention, the picture about online above strongly suggests that MGS4 will be out this year.
The game was confirmed to have been delayed to Early 2008 in the E3 2007 trailer Beta Details
Anyone who preorders the game starting in April will be given a code to play the beta. According to the official Playstation blog, if you preordered before this date then you will have to check with your retailer on whether or not you will be eligible for the beta. The beta will begin on April 21 and last for 2 weeks.
KP Report 40
Report 40:
Strongly hints towards both a demo at the end of the year( ) and a delay ( )
Many fear that MGS will go multiplat, but that seems to have been shot down
Multiplayer is apparently up and running, and it is original and "feels good"
"Document of MGS4" is possible. It was voted on at TGS and got the most votes. It might be included in a SE, possibly
Looking into putting American voice overs on Japanese version, as well as the Japanese voice overs. Blu Ray would allow for this
E3 2007 Updates
A new trailer was unvieled this past E3. To watch it, click here
The new trailer confirms a delay of the game until early 2008. That's not much of a delay, considering the game was due out late this year, but it has been pushed back by a couple of months. Konami recently stated that the latest the game would be out is March of 08. Exclusitivity was reconfirmed once again
Kojima also stated that this is the final game in the series, and the final game he will make. All the loose ends and story details will be wrapped up in this game, presumably so that no future game can be made.
The trailer also gives many new gameplay details. It was the first trailer so far to feature english voice overs, with both Snake and the Colonel sounding older. The game is confirmed via the trailer to take place 9 years after MGS1.
Snake is on this mission to kill Liquid, as a favor to the Colonel. This is not a government backed mission. It seems more like a favor. Snake is weary to take on this mission; he claims that he is not a hero, and is tired of war and of fighting. Meryl is also seen, seemingly either in command of or part of a group of soldiers called SOP- possible the Foxhound that was hinted at in the last trailer. Liquid is able to control Nanomachines, now in the third generation, and seems to affect everyone except one man, who has his face veiled. Snake tries to assassinate Liquid but falls. The other soldiers fall as well, some even foaming at the mouth. Liquid takes over the nanomachines and thus takes over the soldiers.
Finally, the trailer ends with an amazing duel between Vamp and Raiden. Both seem to not fear death (Vamp can't die), as Raiden willingly stabs himself in order to harm Vamp. Vamp questions if Raiden will be the one to finally kill him
Playstation Premiere Event Update- 7/18 Kojima showed off a real time demo of the game. Gamespot has a great write up of it, and to save me a ton of space retyping it, check it out here No video of the demo is available yet, unfortunately, but I will be looking for it. If anyone finds it, please PM me so I can add it to this thread The demo showed that the interface and camera were similar to past games. However, it does not specify whether the camera was the tranditional bird's eye view or the new Subsistence camera. The whole game can be played in first person view, as well. Snake will be: - able to pick up weapons from dead soldiers
- able to disarm soldiers using CQC
- able to disarm while holding up
- taking ammo from soldier by frisking them instead of making them shake
- able to access more than one camo pattern (besides octo-cam)
- control the MKII remotely using a controller that looks ike the Sixaxis
July Update Gameplay from the game was shown for the first time this past week. You can view it here; it is also available to download on the PS Store, as well The gameplay revealed many new things. The default camera is similar to the one in Subsistence. There is an over the sholder view for shooting, and the game can also be played through in a first person mode Enemies appear to be much smarter. They move cautiously and travel in groups. When asleep and knocked out, the game retains the traditional "ZZZ" and stars, respectively. New flying enemies were shown in the demo. It isn't clear if these are machines, animals, or something else.The two sides fighting in the demo were a civilian rebel group and PMCs. Kojima decided to help the civilians, and after killing the PMCs, the rebels showed thier thanks by giving Snake a thumbs up. The psychological warfare was also showed off- one rebel in particular appeared frightened and was shaking during the fight The environment appears to be very interactive. Shots fired kicked up dust and debris. Explosions rain down even more debris and clouds of smoke. Snake can lean over broken floors and attack enemies in that position. Guns and ammo no longer float, as well. When Snake holds up an enemy, their gun falls to the floor and is accessible to the player. Snake searches the guards while he holds them up, and drop rations on the floor as well Many of Snake's weapons and gadgets were also displayed.The MK II is completely controllable by Snake. It has a battery and distance limit, however, and is limited to stunning enemies. The Solid Eye system allows Snake to use thermal, night, and zoom vision. The Mosin Nagant returns with a similar scope interface. Kojima also used the tranquilizer, an RPG, and AK, amongst others. The more Snake moves while shooting, the less accurate the shots become, and the interface reticule becomes more erratic. Snake is able to throw grenades behind him while he is lying down, as shown in the TGS trailer The game has a new, streamlined menu system. From the menu, the octocam, face masks, and other camoflauges can be equipped and used. The on-screen display uses the traditional interface, with the bottom left and right corners displaying weapons and items. Snake suffers from back pain Eva was revealed to be in the game, as well. For more on her, see the character section A Metal Gear Online game was also announced. It is a separate game and not part of MGS4, however
Leipzig Conference
A new trailer was shown at this conference. It unvieled 4 of the game's new bosses. All four of them appear to be robotic. Together, they make up the "Beauty and the Beast Unit", much like how the bosses in MGS2 were part of Dead Cell, for example. The bosses are humans that have been changed through battle. They are all woman, as well. The first was Crying Wolf. She is a massive robotic panther of sorts and is enormously powerful and fast
The second is Laughing Octopus. She has tentacles coming out of her head which she used to strangle soldiers.
The third was Raging Raven, who has massive wings that enable her to fly
The final is Screaming Mantis. She seems to have telekenetic powers, as she is able to fly/levitate, and she has many arms that she uses to kill her foes. She seems to be in charge of the Unit. She is also holding dolls of Psycho Mantis and The Sorrow from past games.
All of the enemies seemed to be named after past MGS bosses, but with an emotion as the first part of thier name.
The following was also talked about: - It's a PS3 exclusive
- MGO has been confirmed to be in MGS4. A so called "Starter Pack" will be included. Presumably, a basic form of the game will be available to you if you buy MGS4, with DLC avilable for download that includes addition stages/characters
- Weather will play a part in the game
- Not all uses of the Sixaxis have been revealed
No rumble at this point. Rumble has since been confirmed- The game is harder in difficulty than past games
- In IGN's write up of the conference, Kojima seems to hint at custom soundtracks: "There'll be a lot of music. "I almost slipped" Kojima says. "There will be a special feature where MAYBE you can play your favorite tune.""
TGS 2007 Update TGS revealed more about already announced features in MGS4 The Alert Mode is different as it no longer has Caution and Evasive Modes. Now when Enemy Soldiers are alerted, they will call for reinforcements and will check the area, before going back into Normal mode. Metal Gear Solid 4 uses a Threat Ring, which spikes wildly when around a soldier, turns red when shot at it also displays where you the enemies position from where they are shooting. Metal Gear Solid 4 uses three gauges that affect Snake's condition. The first being the standard Health gauge, which displays Snake's health. The second is a Phyche gauge, which is based on studies on soldiers, so the lower Snake's Phyche gauge gets the harder it gets for him to perform normal attack in combat, such as aiming accurately. Snake's third guage is the Stress Guage. Depending on the situation that Snake is in, the level of stress that Snake has adjusts accordingly. If his Stress level spikes, Snake will enter a high combat state, where he perform exceedingly well in battle. However once the effect wears off, Snake will be mentally broken as it will completely drain the Phyche gauge and he must then recover using a women's magazine. Snake will not be able to look at one page and recover- you will have to flip through the pages to recover.
CQC methods are now supported for 2 handed weapons. You can customize your weapon set up to get different effect and set up different types of strategies.
The Solid Eye system provides 3 viewing types which perform functions that allow you to pick out enemies and display dropped weapons and items.
Metal Gear Online announced to be packaged with Metal Gear Solid 4
E For All/October News An enhanced demo from TGS was shown off. It now has English voice acting and the enemy A.I. is much more harder than the TGS Demo. T demo is based on the first few minutes of the game, where players have to learn the new advanced techniques available in Metal Gear Solid 4 Laying down or pressing Snake's body up against the wall allows Snake's Camo to adapt to the terrain and camouflages Snake, so that he won't be seen. The highest rating possible in open space is 95% camouflaged, and 100% if completely hidden. Controls: R1 is used to shoot, L1 is used to aim, R2 & L2 uses the drop down box commonly associated with the Metal Gear Solid Franchise, Circle is used to Reload, Square is used to switch between the different aim modes, and finally X is used to determine the position Snake is in, and those choices are Prone, Standing, Crouching.
The game uses an "Over the Shoulder" view similar to Resident Evil 4's camera settings. Along with this camera view is the option of using an auto aim feature or manual aim feature Metal Gear Solid 4 has been delayed until Q2 2008
CES/January News Rumble technology has reached full capacity with Metal Gear Solid 4. This means that Kojima Productions has implemented it as much as they would like to in the game. The Graphics are very detailed. There is still no word on if the game runs at 60 fps and in 1080p; however the graphics are said to be very crisp. Metal Gear Solid 4 is on its last push until release, still no release date yet however. The game is currently under going extensive bug testing, to rid the game of all glitches. Metal Gear Solid 4 is on IGN's 2008 Most Anticipated Game Preview List.
Destination Playstation/February News Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 Bundle announced. This includes an 80GB PS3, a Dualshock 3 controller, and a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4 for $499.99 USD June 12 2008 is the official worldwide launch date for the game. A Metal Gear Online beta announced. Access to the beta is given when one pre-orders the game in April. Pre-ordering also comes with another bonus, the MGS Saga 2 DVD that has extra content inside including character profiles, trailers, and the beta information. However, both the Saga DVD and beta are on a first come first serve basis starting in April and will end when supplies run out. And a Metal Gear Solid 4 teaser site has been launched. Available now is the launch timer countdown, Metal Gear Online site, and a new official wallpaper of Snake. The site can be found here
Credits: IGN
demayor for new info on the Premiere demo event
GameSage for the awesome banner at the top
Cerberus_Hunter for spellchecking
PSPMan07 for writing up all the info that I missed.
Wikipedia
I spent a lot of hard work on this Guide and it’s nowhere near finished yet. I tried to make it easy to read and follow, and tried to make it different from other info threads. I didn’t want just links or pictures-those are in the second post- but actual information that would be easy to read and follow. The format will probably have to change over time as more details about gameplay are known, but since few are known now I’ll leave it as it is. If there are any mistakes or if you have any suggestions, feel free to post them. This will be regularly updated as more information is released Thanks, JDplasma11
Message Edited by JDplasma11 on 02-29-2008 11:19 AM
Message Edited by JDplasma11 on 02-29-2008 11:19 AM
Message Edited by JDplasma11 on 02-29-2008 08:35 PM
Message Edited by JDplasma11 on 02-29-2008 08:36 PMMessage Edited by JDplasma11 on 09-09-2008 10:35 PM
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