METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
What is it?
The latest epic installment in the greatest stealth series of all time. Only this time creator Hideo Kojima is sending hero Solid Snake into an unstable, uncertain and unpredictable battlefield future where the traditionally held idea of stealth gaming will be reinvented.
Why should you care?
For all its endless exposition and movie-length cut-scenes, Metal Gear Solid games are always painstakingly crafted, providing incredible gaming experiences few other games are capable of. Guns of the Patriots will be the most ambitious of all, with Solid Snake's insertion into war ravaged environments fundamentally changing the way MGS works.
The footage and screenshots we've seen so far are amazing, promising a more aggressive bent than previous episodes. And the smaller, but no less deadly Metal Gear cyborg-things are truly terrifying, hinting at a survivalist edge to Snake's sneaking.
You'll be supported by the Octocam cloaking device, rendering you effectively invisible, and you'll need it in a world where, as Kojima stresses, there's no place to hide. We don't really know what to expect, but you can guarantee MGS4 will be an eye-opening and exhilarating adventure.
When can you play it?
Excited fans are clinging to rumors suggesting an October 2007 release date. But we'll be enjoying a cold beer on Satan's patio before Kojima releases a game he's not 100%satisfied with. A 2008 appearance seems more certain, though we're not sure we can wait that long.
