Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS is purportedly the final adventure for the tactical espionage action series' eponymous hero, Solid Snake. Though it takes place not long after the events of previous games, our grizzled, philosophical poet-warrior appears much older, due to an unidentified affliction causing him to age rapidly. His final mission sees him tracking down his old nemesis, Liquid Ocelot, while coming to terms with an unfamiliar world in which private military companies wage wars on behalf of corporations and nanotechnology augments the abilities of its soldiers. Between the lengthy and numerous cut scenes, players engage in the sort of third-person action for which the series is famous as they sneak about trying accomplish mission objectives and take part in the occasional all-out gun battle.

The Metal Gear Solid games have always been about good storytelling, and, unsurprisingly, the same is true about the series' fourth entry. Players will find they spend just as much time watching the game as they do playing it. Lengthy cut scenes that either show off Hollywood-style action choreography or feature characters elaborating upon the intricate MGS4 mythos pop up every few minutes throughout the game, making it feel, like its predecessors, more akin to an interactive movie than a typical shooter or stealth game. But that's no reason to avoid it. In fact, it could be viewed as the primary reason to play. The game's characters -- primarily our disillusioned hero -- have a depth rarely seen in video games. What's more, the game's story, unlike those of other popular shooters and stealth games, has a smart and important message about the evils of war and the difficulties involved in bringing about peace. It stops short of making any particularly shocking observations -- it feels less like Syriana and more like Political Science 101--but it's still quite satisfying to play a big budget game that attempts to tackle such complex and socially relevant issues.