I’ve never played any of the Metal Gear Solid games, but since it just so happened to come with my new Playstation 3, I thought, “What the heck, let’s give it a try!” And thus began my journey into Metal Gear Solid 4… and the consumption of a non-stop gaming weekend.

Notably I’m not the best gamer girl out there, but I give it my all when I do decide to play something. I wasn’t used to the controls or this whole ’sneaking around’ business.  But, after a very short while, I got the hang of it.  The combat controls on this game are actually very well designed and easy to learn. The interface is good but not great – there is too much ‘fiddling’ at times and the controller shaking is kicks on almost without purpose.

But really, who cares about the controls…

The selling point of Metal Gear Solid 4 is the way the game looks and feels. This truly is a cinematic experience. Yeah, some of the textures are bland (e.g. the desert) but this is one of the best looking games out there… period.  My only gripe would be the few instances when the graphics are rendered during cut scenes or if there is a bunch of action on the screen.

Still, once you get to the end of Act II, you realize that this game has it all.  Mechs, cyborgs, hot girls, ninjas and now zombies (wtf?). All the while, being littered with little inside jokes for those who have faithfully played the MGS games. They break the fourth wall (another MGS thing to do, I’ve been told) but it was a bit distracting to me. Though, I suppose that you need a bit of comic relief in a story like this. And then of course, there are the easter eggs (‘hand camo’ anyone?)… this stuff is just amazing.

Technically, there are a few glitches. Ideally, the game doesn’t offer enough creativity in getting from point A to B. Sure there are other ways to get into places, but for those that like to explore every environment in a game, this one falls short.  Fan boys, don’t hate me.

Honestly though, it would be inaccurate to rate Metal Gear Solid 4 in just ‘game’ terms. This is not just a game. It is far and away the most comprehensive entertainment experience to date. In my opinion, it tops some of my favorite novels and movies by containing not just the thought-provoking writing of great literature and the cinema tricks which help show differing perspectives, but by allowing the ‘user’ to take a semi-active part in the narrative.

It was during Act III that I stopped referring to this experience as a ‘game’, even in my own mind. I controlled the combat but more than half of the depth to this drama/tragedy is in the other players (NPCs). I stopped feeling like I had control over events and started feeling as if I were nothing more than a vehicle to provide Snake a path to his own destiny/end. The story was so strong and compelling that I simply could not stop and when it felt like I wouldn’t be able to get Snake through that final crucible, I got angry and upset that I might fail in my part of this tale. But I… Snake… we made it to the end. The final ending movie made me cry, not just a tear but full on weeping… something that has never happened to me with a game before.

I’m rating Metal Gear Solid 4 a 9.8/9.9 out of 10.  Still fantastic, but not perfect. I’ve always believed that to truly get all that is in the game you have to play it multiple times. Right now, I’m playing it a second time through for fun. I’m skipping 99% of the cut scenes because this time around I’m focusing on playing around with the ‘game’ aspect. I know that I will fire it up again in the near future, just to take it all in once more. Metal Gear Solid 4 isn’t just a game. It is something that transcends media classifications. It is an epic story, movie, game, virtual reality experience, world-changing-big-banging-universe-ending… thing. It has exactly as much depth and purpose as you choose to give it, and I suggest that you try and give it everything you got. You won’t be disappointed.