Solid Snake once stated “I’m no hero. Never was. Never will be. I’m just an old killer, hired to do some wetwork.” Nobody knows Solid Snake better than Solid Snake himself, and he is 100 % correct in his assessment. He is not and will never be just a hero; he is a video game icon. Not only does Metal Gear Solid 4 live up to the hype, but it exceeds all expectations.

The storyline entails Solid Snake reprising his role as the protagonist. After two sequels that had the main character in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater not being Solid Snake, it is safe to say that the legend is back. He takes the lead role, and outperforms his duties.

The plot transpires approximately five years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and it deals with multiple underlying themes. With that being said, the most conspicuous topic revolves around war. The tyranny of war has led to the exponential growth of private military companies, and these private military companies are composed of mercenaries for hire. Regrettably, these same private military companies exacerbate the situation. Meanwhile, there is a technology that is known as nanotechnology that is fairly prevalent. The nanotechnology is being used to embed nanomachines into the private military companies. Nanomachines work like a stimulant that bolsters a person’s attributes.

The antagonist is none other than the merciless Liquid Ocelot, and he has complete control over a nefarious faction known as Beauty and the Beast. With the assistance of the Beauty and the Beast organization, his goal is to acquire all of the nanomachines for his own personal agenda. This is where the wily mature veteran Solid Snake enters the picture. Snake has been called into action by his old comrade Colonel Roy Campbell for his final battle. Seeing no other alternative, the only hope is Solid Snake. All Metal Gear games have an astonishing narrative, and this game emulates that same trend. It is engrossing all the way to the climax. Players will also see characters from the previous Metal Gear titles such as the astute Eva, naïve Meryl, precocious Otacon, and the always attractive Naomi Hunter.

The gameplay in Metal Gear Solid 4 is nearly flawless. There is such a brilliant amount of content that gamers will never see everything during their first time playing. The visionary producer Hideo Kojima has done it yet again. Players will be flabbergasted with the variety. For example, it is plausible to play the entire game from a first or third person perspective. You can conceal yourself in a barrel or remain in the shadows. If you want to be clandestine, then you can still accomplish that feat. However, you can also complete the game with a more commando rush approach.

At a particular point, Snake will encounter an ongoing battle between the militia and the private military companies (PMC). Snake will have the option to assist the militia, PMC, or not get entangled in the scuffle. The wide assortment of weapons is exemplary. There are handguns, machine guns, grenades, knives, shotguns, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, rocket propelled grenades, and others. The caveat to that is the utilization of weapons. Since the nanotechnology only allows the rightful owner of that firearm to shoot that weapon, the weapons have to be unlocked before they can be fired. Here is where a man who calls himself Drebin makes an appearance. Think of Drebin as the equivalent of the creepy weapons merchant from Resident Evil 4. In other words, Drebin can sell and unlock weapons to Snake. You can also purchase ammunition from him.