Metal Gear Solid 4 Is Still A Glorious Mess 

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The final scene with Snake meeting Big Boss is even more special in the Japanese version of the game. Kojima got Snake's Japanese voice actor's father to play Big Boss, and this is important because Snake's Japanese VA and his father weren't on speaking terms for the longest time, and this was Kojima's way of mending their relationship. It ended up working, and Snake's VA's father passed away a few months afterwards. As someone who lost his father before getting the chance to give a proper goodbye, this trivia always makes me misty-eyed.

A minor correction: you mention that FoxDie is causing Snake to age. This isn't the case, he's actually aging because as he's a clone, they reduced his natural lifespan genetically when they created him during The Les Enfants Terrible project, so he's just aging faster because he was made that way. The other clones (Liquid, Solidus) didn't live long enough to see the effects themselves.

Quite literally remember getting this game in 2010 as a 19 year old and this game got me through some really hard times. I was working an absolute shitty job and was emotionally "going through it" and felt hopeless a lot. Played this game and cried legitimate tears of happiness when I got to return to Shadow Moses. That entire sequence was so nostalgic for me, and I couldn't imagine not having played this game. I grew up on Metal Gear Solid and FFVII and I believe that whole shadow moses/metal gear showdown was one of the best moments in video game history. I still think about this game to this day

Fighting Liquid Ocelot is the most cinematic boss fight of all time. The pay off of seeing these two brothers fist fight shirtless atop a tower, backdropped by a setting sun and amber ocean, paired with the incredible music ties everything together emotionally at the end of a 50 hour journey playing through the series. Playing It honestly felt like everything in the series had been leading up to this moment, and it was so satisfying and so right

"No place for Hideo" was a masterful foreshadowing of what would happen later between Konami and Kojima.

The funny thing about the start of the game is, they actually had to cut out another 20 minute cutscene flashback and put it in the menu under the title of "mission briefing". That's just how extra this game got with the exposition dumps

I loved this game as a kid, the cinematics were so satisfying to me. I actually enjoyed the lengthy scenes of battle, the sound of a gun ricocheting off a scary ass mech that makes cow noises, the details of snakes actions and careful movements, he checks a gun for traps after the geckos leave and he does it so well. Loved Dreben and his monkey.

The last boss battle made me cry when I first played this. I have played every single MGS game that has ever been made, and seeing a character I grew up with struggling like that was just brilliant by Kojima.

The OctoCamo suit that changed depending on the surface you were on was one of the coolest features in the series.

I've said it once I'll say it again. MGS4 has the BEST idea for a sneaking game I've ever seen. Full body camo with a suit that blends into whatever you press against. Seriously the amount of missed potential for that in this game was staggering. It's a shame too once you get the mask so you can do the whole full body camo thing the game becomes one set piece after the next with very little actual sneaking and more action set pieces. I love this game but damn man, I wanted SO much more out of the sneaking gameplay.

Man I kinda love Johnny tbh. The fact that he canonicsy has the shits because his body rejects nano machines even as a genome soldier is such a deep cut weird explanation that fits into the plot I can't help but appreciate the guy.

Finished this game last year, never played it before and was an amazing experience. More like an interactive movie, and the plot draws you in so much that you continue playing to see what happens next.

The epilogue is worth it alone for the moment when Otacon says "Snake... had a hard life"

I can understand the issues and flaws with this game, but I don't think any other game has made me feel the same way I did when the credits rolled for a minute, just to land on big boss' name, which doesn't appear in the game, only for the realization to sink over you, and the game cuts back to one last cut scene. Holy lord, complete and utter chills.

I love the part at the end of Shadow Moses where they say "fox..DIE! Think again!" and Liquid Ocelot runs away giggling to his giant ship.

I remember after completing this game, I went around sneaking wishing my entire body would change to the texture I'm leaning against. Octo-camo is so awesome.

"a trainwreck still worth seeing" might be the best MGS4 description ever. I miss Super Bunny Hop.

The long cutscenes never bothered me i was so invested in it i'd happily sit there and watch no matter how long they were i also fell in love with MGO2 one of my favourite multiplayer experiences ever

Final fight between Snake and Liquid brings tears to my eyes. I think part of the reason why this game had so much emotional impact is because it's so well-designed and so deep and personal, it feels like the whole series is one huge adventure that the player has personally been on. And all the memories, the highs and lows, and the literal years of personal investment between 1 and 4's releases finally culminate in an appropriately grandiose final confrontation, in which even the HUD and BGM make you relive the journey one final time. It invokes an 'end of an era' feeling, akin to finally ending a huge chapter of your life, and brings with it all the associated melancholy and nostalgia that one would expect from doing so.

I played MGS4 a few years after release not really knowing anything about it or having any expectations. I was blown away. Probably one of the most memorable games I’ve played.

4:59 I believe there is an Altiar costume, and there's one part where you can even do The Leap Of Faith. Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid have had a long life of Easter Eggs and Nods to one another, even in MGS3 with Snake having Fisher's Classic NVGs. And recently with Ghost Recon Wildlands and Fisher being informed of Snake's "Retirement" ("He sported a bandanna or something"). It was surreal and like the character wasn't just talking about the character of Snake, but gaming as a whole.

Kojima made some of the most in depth game mechanics when it comes to weapons, menus, systems etc it's pretty impressive. Mgs4 and 5 are great examples of that

I've completed this game a million times and NEVER knew you could reset the octocamo by shaking the controller

I’ve only played a handful of games over and over again. This was one of them. It was so good. It never got old. Finding different ways to play the same sections you played over and over. It was just fun.

damn that microwave corridor scene was like NOTHING else. cant even describe how that makes you feel after playing through the entire game

Correction: Liquid taking control of Ocelot via arm graph was only part of the reason, the main reason is Ocelot hypnotizing himself into believing he’s being controlled by Liquid. The same method used on Venom Snake in MGSV

a really fun little kojima detail is in that one trailing the guy level youre actually being trailed as well by a "man" in a trenchcoat but its actuallty just three dwarf geckos in a trenchcoat funny and cool at the same time you can see him peeking around corners behind you so often but its very VERY subtle

Metal Gear Solid 4. The games where you can eat a meal waiting for a cutscene to pass.

"A glorious mess" is the perfect way to describe this game. It's all over the place and doesn't always make sense, but damn is it incredibly satisfying. The final battle against Liquid Ocelot might just be my favorite boss fight of all time.

I remember playing this game and just being baffled by the story and weird bosses

Back when this game came out…I was like 12 years old and my brother was 13 or so….we shared a PS3 and would trade off playing this game for 1 hour at a time each before kicking one another off for “my turn”. We had watched our much older brother play through the story previously so we already knew it so…we would literally beat MGS4 over and over, week after week for months and it would only take around 5-6 hours per run because we skipped cut scenes. I remember specifically for the Raiden/Vamp fight we would watch each other play so we could fully pay attention to the cut scene of their fight while the one playing killed the Geckos 😂. It was one of like three games we had at the time and we didn’t care to ask for more. Watching this brought back so many memories since I haven’t played it in maybe 8 years at this point. Super pumped to experience 4 specifically with these re-releases coming out this next year. Whole series will hold a deep place in my heart as a gamer ❤

Small correction, snake's rapid aging had nothing to do with fox die. It was built into his genes when he was cloned. Same with his sterility

I beat this game at work, thinking "Oh, the end will be short." It was a god damn hour long cinematic, and RU-vid was in its infancy at that point, so you couldn't even watch the ending online if you wanted to.

I remember getting this game right after my college graduation and yes, I was planning and eating my dinners during those long ass cinematics. Great time.

I remembered when I was 14 I played this game over & over again after going back to school for no reason, just to re-experience the whole thing again When I found out there's a hidden reward when beating the game in big boss extreme without deaths killing etc, it really reignited my already love for the game. I spent 3 whole months playing non stop to get that big boss title, mainly stuck in the motorcycle chase with Big Mama. Cried my ass of at the final battle also. Truly a once in a lifetime gaming experience

Basically all your complaints boil down to thinking a feature is a bug.

Me and my wife played through this a few years after it launched and sure, it has its issues, but it was one hell of a memorable game. The ending fucked both of us up.

I'm actually replaying all the Metal Gear games in chronological order so this is great timing. MGS4 was actually the reason I bought a PS3, and I bought the Legacy Collection. I'm also replaying all the Hitman games in chronological order.

Am I the only one who absolutely disagrees about the Gecko's being a bad enemy design?...imo they were easily the coolest enemies both in design and especially in gameplay in the entire MGS franchise. The way you had to either avoid them at all cost or isolate one and shoot their legs to make them fall and then unload into their heads...brilliantly designed in terms of gameplay. And once you got the Railgun or Anti-Materiel Rifle you could just kill them with one well placed shot. They also look cool and unique, move around elegantly and the way they sound like cows is weirdly cool aswell especially when you hear them from a distance and they leap over the horizon towards you... I will die on this hill, MGS4 is a great game and the Gecko is an awesome enemy design

Honestly, Kojima just needs to start making movies. As long as some of the sequences are, the crazy stories and innovative approaches that he takes would make for an awesome cinematic experience.

Just a tiny little thing I want to call out cause I really love this bit that I didnt notice for until I was replaying the series back to back some time ago. The dwarf geckos in the shadow moses section are actually walking the routes the guards did in the first game. Just a neat something I wanted to share

In regards to the enemy always calling in reinforcements when you’re caught, it now makes me think of all the times in rpg’s where there’s a military faction you have to interact with but they are always short handed and spread thin. Now it makes sense. Its because they’re sending all there guys at the drop of a hat when they spot a single badass spy that’s infiltrating them.

I love your videos. Great break downs. You nail everything. Also, hearing an Aussie talk with such casual lingo and slang is perfect for me. Keep it up mate. You're doing great. Top shit. Yeah nah yeah cobber.

No one expected Solid to be the last Snake standing. He proved his worth by even surpassing Big Boss. He was inferior to the other clones but he made his own path and never gave up. A true legend. " Excellent Snake. Age hasn't slowed you down one bit."

Snake vs Ocelot at the end of MGS4 is the absolute epitome of kino. The music, the choreography, the CALLBACKS, the actual boss fight… It’s all so indescribably great. Chills no matter how many times I watch it.

I remember playing through the shadow moses part and piloting the metal gear and everything. I literally started crying from joy. It was definitely a walk down memory lane. And the final fight with ocelot. A masterpiece. I didnt even know you could buy ammo and stuff from drebbins. I never sold him anything and pretty much only used the stuff the game just gave to you.

Just finished mgs4 and man it definitely was a ride to remember. Even though at most I played mgs1 for the first time a year and a half ago, it really was cool to see some nostalgia throughout the game and the final boss was definitely one to remember even though I will say gameplay wise it wasn't the most enticing, but everything else was perfection

"How this dude's head hasn't turned into mashed potatoes at this point is anyone's guess" Nanomachines, son.

A part of how memorable that crawl through the tunnel at the end is because you had to mash the button so much. It gets ridiculous. It’s experiencing minor joint pain while your on screen counter part is cooking alive.

The boss fights in MGS4 were fantastic. I especially loved the Crying Wolf and Raging Raven fights

It's 3am, and I'm sat here watching this 45min video. Normally don't watch videos this long, especially at this time, but I was really glued to it. You reminded me how good this franchise was and how memorable the characters were in it. Keep up the good work. P.S. just wish Konami would just do a remaster of the games or do a bundle collection so we can play them again on the new console. If they did that I would definitely buy a PS5.

the most inexplicably bizarre part of this game is the second johnny took off his mask and it was revealed he was absurdly handsome he immediately became a super badass and started killing everybody. Maybe the sunglasses were obscuring his vision idk

This game was a damn good send off for Snake, it blew my mind when it came out and still have the original collectors edition. Going back to shadow moses and the ending was insane. My mount rushmore of gaming are Metal Gear Solid, Doom and Wolfenstein, it's a shame we didn't get a pc port of this masterpiece of a game.

8:00 You said the foxdie Naomi gives you accelerates his aging, but thats false. All the 3 clones had accelerated aging because that's how they were built (by the patriots/cipher).

For those who’ve actually played the game, initially it feels like a *Glorious Mess* but once you get absorbed into the game, you’ll quickly realize that the game what you presumed to be a Mess is actually the MASTERPIECE.

I can't watch the ending sequence between Snake and Big Boss and not tear up. It's physically not possible. love MGS4 and all its cutscenes

In the options menu there is a "full install" option in order to prevent loading between acts . Actually this game taxed the Cell SPUS to the limit, even if the color pallete is not that great , the game has very impressive illumination , the models are high Poly with cloth simulation , transparencies , gorgeous animations and details . The game also puts tons of particles and multiple enemies on screen .

Laughing Octopus: The Joy (The Boss) + Decoy Octopus Raging Raven: The Fury + Vulcan Raven Crying Wolf: Sniper Wolf + The End Screaming Mantis: The Fear + Psycho Mantis

Bro thx for this video! So i was starting early in the morning, but needed to call in sick cause i needed to watch the final cutscenes and fight :)

I always felt what this game needed was a mgs peace walker style structure where you could do dozens of side missions within the same environments and gameplay systems, just with different routes blocked, enemy placements, maybe weapon restrictions. The gameplay systems were really good in mgs4, we just weren't given enough stuff to do with them.

Like all things Kojima; he raises some incredible points on the nature of warfare and society that makes you think for years afterward... but carpets it in So. Much. Talking. That. You. Fall. Asleep. Listening. To. It. Case in point: Kojima predicted today's fake news and social media obsession all the way back in MGS2. Its actually outstanding how much he got right in retrospect. Its just that you had to pay attention to hours of the Colonel's lip flaps as he droned on whilst your controller turned itself off.

11:55 the way I've always thought of it is: snake is literally on the top 10 most wanted for being a "terrorist" (due to MGS2's tanker sequence), so it's not: "hey there is a strange soldier here, call in all reinforcements", it's more "Hey, we've just got positive ID on Bin Ladan, send everyone! (what do you mean everyone?) EVERYONE!." < bonus points if you get that reference.

Damn, I went my entire life never knowing that you can open the Drebin shop at any time to buy stuff. Last time I played all the way through MGS4 I was like 9 or 10 so I guess that makes sense but I remember as a kid ammo management was a huge part of boss encounters for me, and I could’ve made it trivial the whole time.

to be fair I think the soldiers in these war zones would be pretty justified calling reinforcements upon seeing Snake considering his reputation as this legendary soldier.

My mind goes back and forth on MGS4. Its pacing is dreadful, but it is also my most memorable gaming experience.

After you fight Crying Wolf, try to run away from her; it's the scariest part of the game.

men, this was my first ps3 game and my first Metal Gear, first time I heard Snake Eater, I absolutely felt in love and even though I didn't play the others games from the saga at the time I could feel the nostalgia and emotional bounds getting out everytime I replay it

My favourite MGS. Just absolutely love everything about it. Especially the soft disclosure of real technology like nanotech in humans connected to an A.I. system.

“This is good, isn’t it?” This line still gets me to this day

It was the perfect and greatest final game to a franchise. I don’t see it as a mess. It almost as if MGS4 was ahead of its time and used meme-like easter eggs to spice up the experience. A true fan service for long time fans.

dude I fucking died watching snake hurt his back jumping out of the helicopter

This game was such an insane mega-production. Experiencing it for the 1st time was something mind-blowing. All MGS games were like that to be honest.

The fact this never got a re-release on PS4 is absolutely criminal by Konami. How could they not hire Bluepoint to port it over and at least up-res it and leave the rest in tact? I still can.. not.. BELIEVE IT.

It's the classic Hideo Kojima game that has the innovative fun gameplay and also has the cringe wtf moments

The opening scene where snake talks about how war has changed is still amazing

I have fond memories of this but at the same time I haven't felt the urge to replay it since my one single playthrough on the PS3 back in the day. It's a five hour game hidden in a 10 hour movie and it's a format I ended up loathing. And it's kinda sad because the mechanics as with most MGS games are amazing. But the gameplay is just a footnote in Kojima's obsession in acting like a movie director instead of a video game one. Even more ironic that MGS5 perfected said mechanics having probably the best gameplay in the franchise on yet the game suffers because it was so rushed there's barely any story or cutscenes in it.

Played this banger for the first time today. There’s a fucked up detail in the main menu screen too. If you wait long enough, you actually witness snake putting a gun to his face while sitting at the grave. Dark shit, a dude can dig it

Waiting for this masterpiece game, coming to masterpiece PC platfroms ❤

The kicker is: Hideo just anounced he will return to Tactical Espionage Action after DS2.......and it will blur the line between movie and game.....so the title of "Best Direct To Console Film" might might not yet be decided.

My favorite thing about mission where you're following the guy through the city is there are moments where if you're attentive you can actually catch the little, circular robots following you some bit in the distance. I always found stuff like that pretty awesome.

Fun fact: Drebin has the same VA (and appearance) as Smuggler from Deus Ex and even fills a similar role in his respective game of providing weapons and upgrades to the player.

Thanks man! From a decades long metal gear fan, this was a real treat!!

9:58 That's the point, the game is about war and you have stock piles of weapons for the "easy" mode, but the game punishes for you that, for example you'll throw up and hear Liquid voice if you put too many soldiers down. The Tranquilizer is hard mode on purpose, and the game rewards you for that.

I absolutely adore the music in this game. It just has this feel to it that no other game has. It's this beautiful, serene music that elevates the game

I always loved that the BB unit were essentially combinations of past bosses. The Joy (the Boss) and Decoy Octpus making up Laughing Octopus, The Fury and Raven making up Raging Raven (and the harrier fight as you mentioned), the Sorrow and Sniper Wolf making up Crying Wolf (followed by yet another scene of Otocon losing a love of his), and the Fear and Psycho Mantis making up Screaming Mantis made for an excellent method of nostalgic gameplay without necessarily revisiting those characters except for Mantis showing up with a cameo from Hideo’s voice as “god”. One of my favorite parts of this game, honestly. 3:50 “Did we really need to see the guy battered around like this?” Yes.

I have a chronic illness & a few times we've tried therapeutics that I've had to self-inject & it always takes me out of the game world whenever Naomi violently stabs a needle in her neck with an effortful grunt, like it's a normal medical thing, & she just does it in front of whoever, whenever. Wild.

44:30 I like how snake's stress slowly increases watching her dance and sing

"No place for Hideo" was a reference to the game's announcement trailer.

It's a mess, but we still love it. I'm still amazed on how "realistic" it was during it's time. COD4 was out around the same time and just the equipment and weapons was advanced for any MGS game at the time. Not sure if you are recording on RPCS3, but it looks beautiful

one of the very few games that made me cry, at the end when Naomi speaks directly to the almost dying Snake has hit me hard ...

I’ve literally Just today Wednesday 30th august 2023 finished playing this game again over a decade since i last played it, I was cleaning up some clutter found the ps3 & this game & thought I’m gonna play me some Snake, after playing for hour I can honestly say this game still holds up today pretty well on the ps3

Kojima and his team were on a game dev GRIND for decades! It is very impressive what they managed to put out.

The game was WAY ahead of its time. The weapon customization is STILL better than most shooters out there in terms of scope and variety of kit. Also, Hideo Kojima's worldview had a massive influence on my life.

I was completely obsessed with the first metal gear when I first found it. My ringtone is still to this day the radio call tone

The cutscene to gameplay ratio and Naomi are the biggest detractors. I'm not wild about Old Snake but it's inoffensive compared to the first two reasons. With that said I'm currently replaying the game for the first time in years. To this day it's still a technical marvel and it reminds me why I played this game so much as a kid.

Mess is the definition of whole Metal Gear franchise lol, that's why I love it

Everyone hated this game when it came out. I loved it. This is the true ending to the series in my eyes. The ending ties everything up nicely and completes the story of Snake.

My favorite tidbit about this game, there's actually even MORE exposition dump in chapter 1, but it was cut and put in the Briefing main menu selection.

2:57 must return when I complete MGS4 campaign.