METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS

'''Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots''' (commonly abbreviated to '''MGS4''') is the forthcoming game in the popular ''Metal Gear'' series even thoguh it won't be better than the third. Directed by Hideo Kojima, Shuyo Murata and Yoji Shinkawa, ''Guns of the Patriots'' is currently being developed by Kojima Productions exclusively for the PlayStation 3.^[1] The game is being designed around the motto, "No Place to Hide!" As with previous iterations in the series, MGS4 will be the 'last' ''Metal Gear Solid'' game developed by Hideo Kojima. Also, it has been stated that this will be the last game in the series starring Solid Snake.

Contents

Development

Gameplay

Plot

Characters and voice cast

The Beauty and the Beast Unit

Soundtrack

Metal Gear Online

References

External links

Development

Initially, Hideo Kojima announced that he would be retiring as director of the ''Metal Gear'' series after '',and would leave his position open to another person for ''Metal Gear Solid 4'', as he did after ''MGS'' and ''MGS2''. As a joke, the new director was announced as "Alan Smithee", but in ''R'', a 400-page book bundled with ''Metal Gear Solid 3's Japanese "Premium Package", the director was revealed to be Shuyo Murata, co-writer of ''MGS3'' and director of ''. He has also contributed humorous easter eggs to '' and ''. However, it was announced that Kojima will be co-directing the game with Murata after substantial negative fan reaction, including death threats.^[2]

Gameplay

The player (Solid Snake) must negotiate the game world in order to progress, using stealth and cunning in addition to traditional combat. It will utilize the series' traditional third person view with full camera manipulation, but also allows the freedom to play in first-person mode, as well as an over the shoulder view which can be switched from right shoulder to left for easy corner maneuvering. The Close Quarters Combat system will also be completely revamped. The player will also be able to interrogate guards for information and supplies.
Several elements from previous titles return in modified forms. Players will also utilize a new form of camouflage called "Octocamo", which replaces the camouflage system featured in ''Metal Gear Solid 3'' and the Optical Camouflage seen in ''MGS1'' and ''MGS2''. Blue when disabled, the Octocamo suit allows the wearer to blend in with any surface within a few seconds. A new monocular device called "Solid Eye" replaces the various binoculars and image intensifiers from previous titles, and a steel drum replaces the series' traditional cardboard box disguise. It is able to deflect bullets, and can be rolled into enemy soldiers to knock them over.
Snake will also be partnered with a robotic drone, the Metal Gear Mk. II, which allows communication between characters, serving as a substitute to the CODEC radio system from previous games. It is also capable of engaging enemies using an electric shock, as well a providing excellent reconnaissance.^[3]
Due to a lack of rumble feature on the PlayStation 3, Hideo Kojima has stated that the game was designed around a new feature: a white ring that vibrates when sound is made. He also stated that if rumble were to be implemented before the game's release, then they would have to choose between the two. Feature: Talkin' Metal Gear With Hideo Kojima - Kotaku Rumble has been an important feature in the rest of the ''Metal Gear Solid'' series.
It has also been confirmed by Hideo Kojima that Snake's health will play some factor during gameplay. If Snake is injured on the battlefield, injuries such as cuts and burns remain on his skin.^[4] However Kojima and his team didn't want to put the stress of Snake's health to the players, so he wears a muscle suit. The suit will allow the players movement to be a similar fashion to previous games. However, according to the storyline Snake is shown to be old and not as sharp as he was before.^[4]

Plot

Set in 2014 (5 years after the Manhattan Incident from Metal Gear Solid 2), ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' portrays a world where the restriction of military intervention on foreign soil has eased, leading to demands on mercenaries to fight proxy battles for business purposes. This fuels the need for private military companies (PMCs), and leads to economic dependency on the conflicts they create. However, the five largest PMCs are owned by a single mother company named Outer Heaven (the name of Big Boss's mercenary company and fortified nation in the original ''Metal Gear''), operated by Liquid Ocelot, which amasses a military equivalent in manpower to the United States', and prepares to launch an armed insurrection. With the world once again in crisis, an aging and disillusioned Solid Snake is deployed into the Middle East to terminate Liquid Ocelot.

Characters and voice cast

Many of the Japanese voice cast from ''Metal Gear Solid'' and '' will be returning to reprise their roles in ''Guns of the Patriots'', with the notable exception of the late Kōji Totani, the voice of Revolver Ocelot, who died in February 2006. HIDECHAN! ラジオ　第42回 （06.04.03） Totani will be replaced by Liquid Snake's Japanese voice actor Banjō Ginga, who provided the voice of "Liquid" Ocelot in the game's official trailer. It has also been confirmed that Houko Kuwashima and Kikuko Inoue will reprise the roles of Mei Ling and Rosemary respectively for the game. HIDECHAN! ラジオ　第53回 （06.04.28） HIDECHAN! ラジオ　第29回 （06.03.03） Inoue also confirmed that she will play another character in the game whose identity has not been disclosed. Japanese film director Shinya Tsukamoto will provide the Japanese voice for Vamp, replacing original actor Ryotaro Okiayu. An elderly EVA, from '', will also appear, and her voice will be provided by singer Mari Natsuki. Live Coverage of Metal Gear's Anniversary Party news from 1UP.com Metal Gear Party: Party Talk Liveblog - Kotaku
English voice-acting work is being recorded in tandem under voice-director Kris Zimmerman.^[6] David Hayter returns as Solid Snake, with Quinton Flynn (Raiden), Paul Eiding (Roy Campbell) and Christopher Randolph (Otacon) reprising their roles from previous titles.^[7] Cam Clarke (the voice of Liquid Snake) will not do the voice of the Liquid Ocelot, the role being given to Patric Zimmerman instead (the voice of Revolver Ocelot). In an interview between Ryan Payton and Kris Zimmerman, Kris denied allegations of nepotism, and even though she thought Cam Clarke was a very talented voice actor, she explains that Kojima always intended for the character to use Ocelot's own voice. i-revo The KP Report Session 052 マイポータル

Character	Japanese	English
Solid Snake	Akio Ōtsuka	David Hayter
Raiden	Kenyū Horiuchi	Quinton Flynn
Hal "Otacon" Emmerich	Hideyuki Tanaka	Christopher Randolph
Naomi Hunter	Hiromi Tsuru	Jennifer Hale
Colonel Roy Campbell	Takeshi Aono	Paul Eiding
Liquid Ocelot	Banjō Ginga	Patric Zimmerman
Meryl Silverburgh	Kyoko Terase	Debi Mae West i-revo The KP Report Session 055 マイポータル
Vamp	Shinya Tsukamoto	Phil LaMarr
Mei Ling	Houko Kuwashima	TBA
Rosemary	Kikuko Inoue	TBA
EVA	Mari Natsuki	TBA
Screaming Mantis	TBA	Fred Tatasciore (Beast voice)
Crying Wolf	TBA	Fred Tatasciore (Beast voice)
Laughing Octopus	TBA	Fred Tatasciore (Beast voice)
Raging Raven	TBA	Fred Tatasciore (Beast voice)

The Beauty and the Beast Unit

Four new characters are also introduced: Screaming Mantis, Laughing Octopus, Raging Raven, and Crying Wolf, of The Beauty and the Beast Unit. Their animal names openly reference characters from the original ''Metal Gear Solid''. All four of them are women who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. The only way they could cope with the damage done to their minds was to become war machines. Their inner human side is referred to as "Beauty", while their outer appearance is referred to as "Beast". The character Screaming Mantis has two marionettes on two of her four robot arms; a closer inspection reveals that they are Psycho Mantis and The Sorrow. Four real life models were chosen for their in-game appearances as their "Beauty" side: Lyndall Jarvis, Scarlett Chorvat, Mieko Rye, and Yumi Kikuchi. The English voice acting for the characters is done by having the female voice actors perform the lines, while a male voice actor (Fred Tatasciore) over dubs the female performance, creating the split voices effect that the characters have.

Soundtrack

The score to ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' is being composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, his third ''Metal Gear Solid'' soundtrack, and Nobuko Toda, who provided music for ''Metal Gear Ac!d'' and ''Metal Gear Ac!d 2''.^[8][9]

Metal Gear Online

Metal Gear Online Beta Testing.

Main articles: Metal Gear Online

''Metal Gear Online'' is the online component to ''Metal Gear Solid 4''. The separate game will feature 16-player online stealth battles, encouraging players to engage heavily in teamwork. Though the method of distribution has not yet been decided by Konami, it is strongly believed that the game will be distributed separately to ''Metal Gear Solid 4'', perhaps by digital download via the PlayStation Network online service.
The game was recently in beta testing in Japan only, lasting from August 20 to September 3, 2007.^[10] Around 3,000 people joined the test sessions.

References

1. KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS: Metal Gear series
2. Sony PS3 News : MGS Creator Received Death Threats
3. Metal Gear Solid 4 TGS 2006 Trailer Impressions
4.
5.
6. i-revo The KP Report Session 034 マイポータル
7. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots: MGS4 Voice Cast Announced - Kotaku
8. TGS 06:Kojima On Metal Gear
9. Kojima Productions - M4 Show Maybe?
10. https://mgo2web.konami.com/jp/mgo2/t4176020/mgo_beta/

External links

;Official websites

★ Details from Kojima Productions

★ Hideo Kojima's blog in English

★ Metal Gear Solid 20th Anniversary party
;Official Trailers

★ Official ''MGS4'' trailer shown at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show

★ Official ''MGS4'' trailer shown at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo

★ Official ''MGS4'' trailer shown at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show

★ Official ''MGS4'' trailer shown at the 2007 Electronic Entertainment Expo

★ Official ''MGS4'' trailer shown at the 2007 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany

★ Official ''MGS4'' real time demonstration shown at the Metal Gear 20th Anniversary Party
;Gaming press

★ [1]

★ IGN Article

★ GameSpot GameSpace

★ Metal Gear Week on 1UP.com, with Hideo Kojima interview

★ Gamasutra coverage of E3 2006

★ High-definition trailers and comments on Kikizo Games

★ GamePro preview and interview with Hideo Kojima

★ Interview with Hideo Kojima
;Media

★ Gameplay Screenshots - July 24, 2007 - FileFront

★ Gameplay Trailer - July 24, 2007 - FileFront

★ Metal Gear Solid 4 Trailers