Countdown to MGS4

[Bobtheduck]

Man, the top of line difficulty is crazy. Those soldiers can hear a rock drop from the other side of the map and you lose like 1/4 of your health per bullet you take. I have managed to progress somewhat... However, this is hard.

I started on Naked Normal... I'm moving on to Solid Normal next. I'll move up to Boss Extreme eventually, but a few of these fights already proved very difficult for me.

Just finished the game about an hour or so ago... Of all the games to get described with the cliché "epic" this is one that truly deserves it... This game is so massive and so well designed and such high production values and such a perfect ending to this series...

[spoiler]Among the many emotions I felt, I was sort of disappointed at first I wasn't going to face the real ocelot, since Liquid had taken him over, but... I guess that wasn't the case after all, was it... It was weird to see him regress to the teen ocelot in the end.

I was cheering through the whole Meryl / Johnny Scene on the ship... "Will you marry me?" "No" "Then how about we move in together?" "No way" "But why?" "Because I'm going to do things my way... Will you Marry me?" I know there are going to be people that hate this, but I loved it... I've always loved Johnny's character, and when he finally took his mask off and every single time he moved to protect Meryl, I loved it... Anyone else notice how much he looked like Snake?

The reveals in Chapter 3 in particular through me for a loop. From the Moment you get to the church, that whole section was just shock after shock... I can't believe sweet Paramedic is the same Dr. Clark who experimented on and tortured Frank Jaeger. And that Zero was the big bad guy for the whole series (and not Ocelot, though he was still a non-caa-appropriate word)

As I thought it would be, this game is much weirder than MGS3, but not quite as much as MGS2. I bet once the Hype dies down that people are going to look back on it and say it sucked because of how weird it was, but not as bad as they did with MGS2, obviously... Me, on the other hand, I thought it was brilliant... It's replaced MGS3 as my favorite game of all time... One I'll be playing many times to come. [/spoiler]

[Jingo Jaden]

I can't wait to get a silencer. I really, really, really, really, really, really need one as things stands now. XD

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Buy one from Drebin's shop, lol.

And what is the difference between Naked Normal and Solid Normal?

[spoiler]Some people speculate that Johnny looked a bit like Snake because he was a Genome Soldier back on Shadow Moses. I also loved the entire proposal scene as well. It felt very "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"-ish. XD[/spoiler]

[Jingo Jaden]

Gee I never thought of that. I am not there yet, I still need to sneak past a few people. Yeah, running and gunning is no longer an option. I am not looking forward to act II on this. >.>

[Bobtheduck]

Buy one from Drebin's shop, lol.

And what is the difference between Naked Normal and Solid Normal?

Well, it's more like Liquid Easy is Very easy mode. Naked Normal is Easy Mode. Solid Normal is Normal mode, Big Boss Hard is Hard Mode. Boss Extreme is Extreme mode... Guess they didn't want any mode labeled "Very Easy" so they changed the naming system.

[Raiden no Kishi]

I'm watching someone else play through the game on YouTube to sate my MGS4 jones (hey, it's my only option), and I noticed something.

[spoiler] I'm at the part right after the Laughing Octopus fight, where Snake's tracking Naomi. Is it just me, or does Jack sound a little like Willem Dafoe over the Codec? I think it's partially that his voice is deeper/throatier and partially because it has a slight nasal quality to it. Anyway, irrelevant, but I found it interesting.[/spoiler]

.rai//

[Nate]

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Yeah, well theres no way that GTA IV deserves an overall higher rating than this game. XD

[Kkun]

Final stats...

Difficulty: Solid Normal
Total time: 16:23:48
Continues: 4
Alert Phases: 47
Kills: 236
Recovery Items Used: 42
Weapons Types Procured: 40
Flashbacks Watched: 125

Confer the title of..."Eagle" as well as "Pig," "Hyena," "Inchworm," and "Scorpion."

[ShiroiHikari]

I just finished watching the ending...oh man, it was amazing. I cried like crazy when

[spoiler]Snake put the gun in his mouth, and then the camera pans up and you hear a gunshot.[/spoiler]

[Mr. SmartyPants]

D'aaaaaaaaawwwwwwww! =3

[spoiler]BUT THEN BIG BOSS APPEARS AND TALKS WITH SNAKE AND YOU'RE LIKE "OMGWT*BBQ?"![/spoiler]

[Solid Ronin]

Final stats...

Difficulty: Solid Normal
Total time: 16:23:48
Continues: 4
Alert Phases: 47
Kills: 236
Recovery Items Used: 42
Weapons Types Procured: 40
Flashbacks Watched: 125

Confer the title of..."Eagle" as well as "Pig," "Hyena," "Inchworm," and "Scorpion."

4 continues. Cruse you for your MGS talent! I had about 16...I'm only good at the games I don't care about.

[Gabriel 9.0]

This is torture..... I wonder how long MGS 4 is.

[Bobtheduck]

I'm going through the game now with nothing but tranqs and no alerts (I hope the scarabs don't count, because I have no clue how I'll avoid those, but at least I know the gekkos don't count) It took me 3 play periods to finish the first chapter that way, on Solid Normal... You'd be surprised how many ways the game comes up with to get you caught... I'm not looking forward to the [spoiler]"zombie" PMCs[/spoiler] in chapter 2... Guess it'll be CQC for me, and hope I don't kill any accidentally when I go for the Gekkos.

Chapter 3 will be the easiest to get by with no alerts, but deaths are another thing... Nothing but tranqs is always hardest in the chase scenes...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I'm going through the game now with nothing but tranqs and no alerts (I hope the scarabs don't count, because I have no clue how I'll avoid those, but at least I know the gekkos don't count)

Chaff Grenades. Lots and lots of Chaff Grenades.

And Bob, if you need long-distance tranquilizing, buy the Mosin Nagant. The only problem is that you can't add a suppressor to it.

[Kkun]

I'm playing through the game on Big Boss Hard and going for no kills/continues and I was going to TRY for no alerts and no recovery items but somehow, I got 3 alerts and I KNOW where I used 1 ration (it was in the fight down the Advent Plaza Hotel...that thing is a PAIN IN THE BUTT with only using tranq weapons. The best one to use, by the way, is definitely the Mk. 2.). Oh well. I'm just going to go for as few as possible. I just finished up Act 1 on Big Boss Hard in 5 hours with 3 Alerts, no continues, no kills, and 1 ration. I think that's PRETTY good. I can't wait to fight Laughing Octopus. :3

Also, the Mosin-Nagant is INVALUABLE for a no kills game. Long distance tranqing is the best. I wish I'd bought the thing for half off at the end but I was stupid and bought everything else but it and the most expensive stuff.

The best thing to do for No Kills, also, if you're FORCED to fight is to buy a shotgun and load it with V-Ring ammo. Amazing stuff.

[Bobtheduck]

So... I just realized something

[spoiler]Meryl reconciles with Campbell at the end. Snake Reconciles with Big Boss. Raiden takes responsibility as the father of his child. This game was released a few short days before Father's day... Coincidence? I don't think so... The message of fathers screwing up, and fathers passing down to the future and fathers and children reconciling is so strong in this game... That was essentially the note the game ended on (unless you count the scene of Otacon and Snake talking over the black)[/spoiler]

Oh, and I played through chapter 5 for probably the 5th time, and man
[spoiler] The Microwave Tunnel... Is the best scene in any game ever... Or anything period... I've never seen anything that emotionally intense...[/spoiler]

Oh, and I have a new favorite Character... I don't think I actually HAD a favorite before (just dressed like otacon because people kept saying I looked like him) except maybe big boss because he was fleshed out more in MGS3 than Snake was in the 4 games before it, but my new favorite Character is Johnny...

[ShiroiHikari]

Dude, Johnny is fricking awesome.

[spoiler]I was gonna be REALLY **** if he and Meryl died at the end. And you're right, that microwave corridor part...holy crap. Fricking intense![/spoiler]

[Stephen]

I just had to share something. While doing the sneaking in Europe, my informant is sneaking along....I am tagging back sneaking along...when the scout Hummer you have to avoid....cuts a corner and runs him over. Otacon got mad at me! It was hilarious. "Snake! We need them!" I think the game was messing with me, cause after that I did it again and things worked out fine.

[Bobtheduck]

I just had to share something. While doing the sneaking in Europe, my informant is sneaking along....I am tagging back sneaking along...when the scout Hummer you have to avoid....cuts a corner and runs him over. Otacon got mad at me! It was hilarious. "Snake! We need them!" I think the game was messing with me, cause after that I did it again and things worked out fine.

Oh, yeah... That scene is totally random. When I played it the first time, my guy got freaked out by the barrels in the park, then proceeds to BLOW THEM UP and set the alarms off... I wasn't too happy about that. That didn't happen the second time.

[Solid Ronin]

[spoiler]Could anyone please tell me why Snake had to keep injecting himself? I've played it twice and never remember. He was never under S.O.P. but he kept having breakdown...was it just cause of his body is breaking down? [/spoiler]

[Mr. SmartyPants]

[spoiler]Could anyone please tell me why Snake had to keep injecting himself? I've played it twice and never remember. He was never under S.O.P. but he kept having breakdown...was it just cause of his body is breaking down? [/spoiler]

Naomi explains this to you. All the nanomachines that every soldier has was basically built off of the FOXDIE that was injected in you. (FOXDIE being first generation, and the soldiers having third generation ones)

Because of that, SOP's effects also tend to affect Snake as well.

And for me, I can't decide which character is my favorite. It's either The Boss, Naked Snake/Big Boss, or Young GRU Ocelot.

[Solid Ronin]

Naomi explains this to you. All the nanomachines that every soldier has was basically built off of the FOXDIE that was injected in you. (FOXDIE being first generation, and the soldiers having third generation ones)

Because of that, SOP's effects also tend to affect Snake as well.

And for me, I can't decide which character is my favorite. It's either The Boss, Naked Snake/Big Boss, or Young GRU Ocelot.

Thats right! Yeah, alright, Thank you. I skipped over that part the second time. I only remembered her explaining his aging, the nanos flew right over my head. Thanks again.

Side Note: I think Johnney Sasaki should be the main character of the next game. ... yyeeaahh...

[Solid Ronin]

[spoiler] Um...Did anyone else notice in the credits it says "Voice of God - Hideo Kojima"?[/spoiler]

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I noticed that too.

Confused the heck out of me.

On, and Ronin.
[spoiler]Remember that Drebin injected Snake with a new strain of FOXDIE since Drebin was under orders of the Patriots. His targets were Big Boss, Eva, and Ocelot.[/spoiler]

[Stephen]

Wow. Finished it at 6am this morning. I am playing through again, (Got Eagle rank on this as many others seem to have) I don't know if I like it more then Snake Eater or not. The Boss is still my fav MG char. But this game ties everything up so nicely. And yes, as I did in Snake Eater...the ending did make me tear up a bit. (Don't get why movies never do this but MG games do lol)

[SPOILER]The Microwave scene was so heavy. The fact they make you button mash till your arm goes numb helps lol. The Meryl scene was nice too. I really liked her character so I was glad she ended up with a happy ending. The Big Boss thing was...different. But I was happy how things ended. And the cigar falling ending...wow. It rivaled the final scenes of Snake Eater.[/SPOILER]

I may end up liking 4 more...I just need to go through again and give it time to sink in. I am so glad I got my PS3 MGS4 bundle though lol.

[Bobtheduck]

[spoiler] Um...Did anyone else notice in the credits it says "Voice of God - Hideo Kojima"?[/spoiler]

That was pointed out to me on another forum. Before I saw the end credits...

Wow. Finished it at 6am this morning. I am playing through again, (Got Eagle rank on this as many others seem to have) I don't know if I like it more then Snake Eater or not. The Boss is still my fav MG char. But this game ties everything up so nicely. And yes, as I did in Snake Eater...the ending did make me tear up a bit. (Don't get why movies never do this but MG games do lol)

[SPOILER]The Microwave scene was so heavy. The fact they make you button mash till your arm goes numb helps lol. The Meryl scene was nice too. I really liked her character so I was glad she ended up with a happy ending. The Big Boss thing was...different. But I was happy how things ended. And the cigar falling ending...wow. It rivaled the final scenes of Snake Eater.[/SPOILER]

I may end up liking 4 more...I just need to go through again and give it time to sink in. I am so glad I got my PS3 MGS4 bundle though lol.

I think the spoilerized scene you mentioned (the heavy one) is gonna go down in gaming history... Many people have said that scene is what really shows games are art, and an artform that couldn't be expressed any other way... Imagine how diminished that scene would be if it were simply in a movie (or a pure cutscene or traditional QTE even)

[Stephen]

I still think Major was really abducted by aliens.

[Kkun]

[spoiler]When Snake went to put the gun in his mouth, I yelled at the screen. Anyone else?[/spoiler]

[Bobtheduck]

[spoiler]When Snake went to put the gun in his mouth, I yelled at the screen. Anyone else?[/spoiler]

No... I was just a bit surprised because I had been spoiled about a certain something that happens after that, and I was wondering how that could happen if the other thing happened. Yes, I'm too lazy to use spoiler tags. The scene after still surprised me, because I actually thought it was something else too...