MGS4
Over the weekend, my brother brought over the new Metal Gear Solid in the 4th and final (so we’re told) attempt to get me to appreciate the franchise. It worked. I really have not been able to enjoy any of the previous games. Something about sneaking games tends to just frustrate rather than entertain me. After a few rounds of sneak, get caught, fight, reset… I just lose it and start shooting up the place. The problem has been that it was completely impossible to make progress in many sneaking games with this method. In MGS4, you could theoretically blast your way though it all. This freedom actually makes the sneaking components much more compelling to me. So much so, in fact, that I am actually enjoying the sneaking component.
I’m at the beginning of the third act of the game now, and it’s calling to me. I really wish I had another day of weekend to just plant myself in front of the thing and complete the game. The level of polish and the pure breadth of the possibilities is totally compelling.
I can’t give the game a completely positive review, though. The online component, particularly the process involved in getting into a game, is horrid. Let me explain:
- Launch the game
- Select “Metal Gear Online”
- Wait for yet another install process
- Find out I need to install a patch to the system software
- Exit the game
- Launch system updater
- Wait for download
- Click through several pages of crap
- Wait for install process
- Wait for system reboot
- Launch the game
- Select “Metal Gear Online”
- Wait for game to update itself
- Exit the game
- Launch the game
- Select “Metal Gear Online”
- Read through horrible description of the grueling process of creating a user account
- Fill out registration form using an embedded web browser including:
- Two different usernames with different naming rules
- Two different passwords with different rules, each entered twice
- Email address (entered twice)
- Basic name, number, and address info
- Close embedded browser
- Enter username and password (don’t forget which ones)
- Suffer through “tips” on every page of the character setup process (these are necessary because you would otherwise have no fucking clue how to use this interface)
- Create your character. Don’t mess up. You can only create one without paying money.
- Recreate your friends list, as this game doesn’t use the system wide friends lists
- Dig through several menus to find your friends and find the game they’re in on the games list
- Attempt to join the game, and hope it works
- Play, if you’re not too tired
This appears to be basically par for the course on the PS3. I have to say, it’s pretty appalling, especially compared to its competitor. Most of my online play happens on my XBox 360, where the friends list is pervasive across every game and even voice chat works seamlessly across titles. One the XBox, I can accept a game invite from anywhere on the system, including other games or DVDs. The system will actually ask for the correct disc and then, upon insertion, take me directly to the game lobby where my friend is.
The experience of trying to play online severely detracts from my enjoyment of it. Once you’re in a game, it’s fun and seems to suffer little from lag. The surprising lack of polish in the online experience is bafflingly contrasting to the glossy sheen of the single player experience. Based on the merit of the single player content alone I highly recommend anyone who owns a Planet Earth player give this game a test drive. Even if you aren’t a fan of the series, you may find something to like in this game. The online component is interesting if you can get to the meat of it, but you have to really want it.