Comments on: Metal Gear needs better writing, not graphics

Metal Gear Solid Rising is promising better graphics than Metal Gear Solid 4. But is better graphics really what the Metal Gear series needs?

[kingrah1]

WHAT!!! Speak for yourself Don Reisinger, I am a very picky gamer and The Metal Gear series is one of a few games that meets my standards, I am very picky about graphics, why spend so much on a console and TV if you are going to get Nintendo grade graphics. And for the story, it is much better than most I have played, and mostly i like the style of it, it has a futuristic but realistic gameplay, I dont like ones that take place in the past or ones that are non stop action, yes MGS4 did have a bit many video scenes but thats what makes it interesting.

[tmt345]

Ditto, Don always hates everything PS3, I was looking at this article from another site and I was just thinking "Don must have wrote this", and I come here and what do you know! I don't buy anything from Microsh*t because everything they make is always flooded with problems. All Windows OS's, RROD, etc. They are very shady too, even the US government hates them, they steal other company's money/innovations all the time the most recent one happened in South Korea where they stole $50 million dollars!

[Chebwa]

@tmt345

"they steal other company's money/innovations all the time the most recent one happened in South Korea where they stole $50 million dollars!"

You must be kidding me. I sure hope Microsoft wore stockings on their heads when they invaded South Korea and robbed that 50 million! You do realize that 50 million is a TINY DROP in the buckets of money that Microsoft brings in, right? I hope you're just some misguided 11 year old Linux kid, because if you aren't, I weep for humanity.

[fmusignac]

I LOVED MSG4, although youre right it got long at times. My girldfriend thought I was watching a movie a few times when she'd walk into the living room and I would be playing it!

[duperstar]

I think I am one of the few who didn't see the glory of MGS4. The production values were as high as I've ever seen though.

[bigpetis]

Having just played the original MGS and MGS: Sons of Liberty. I thought the original had the best story. It was easy to understand. And the Codec sequences weren't as long as I remembered. But what I liked the most was that the story was very frank and not as convoluted as the Patriots in MGS 2 and the whole SOP and GW idea in MGS 4. I think what makes a Metal Gear game different from any other game is that you have to put aside at least an hour (if not two) to ensure you are actually playing for a decent amount of time.

[Januss331]

Sorry, this is probably the first time I disagree with you Don. I really enjoyed the story of all the MGS' and especially 4. While I don't know how they could make the graphics better (I suppose there is always room for improvement), I think that solely trying to work on a story would be terrible. It's not too often that you get a video game, much less a whole series, that is actually engrossing. The last "epic" game I played like this was FF7. Sure, there have been other great games here and there, but nothing strikes a chord quite like MGS or FF7.

On a side note, if you REALLY want to see what a horrendously long cutscene is, go play Xenosaga. I couldn't get past the first one because I got bored watching their long cutscenes.

[kayoc]

Did you play MGS Portable Ops on the PSP? That had a great story. I enjoyed playing the game in the dark with the amazing graphic novel style cut-scenes. I even remember feeling very sad when a favorite character bit the dust. The fact that the story was retro was great too.

I think we are talking about quality and quantity as if they are the same. Quantity in MGS4 was excessive. Quality was, I thought, decent. As far as rebuilding the game engine - this is exactly why game companies are having trouble making money right now (aside from Nintendo) - companies should stop selling the farm to make incremental graphics improvements. MGS4 had an incredible engine. Use it a few times. Then the next upgrade will be more noticeable.

[chrkeller]

I am a huge gamer, I own all systems with over 500 games in my 24 years of playing. While I own all the MGS games and enjoy them, I do find the length of codec scenes and cut scenes to be hard to endure. When I want to watch, I pop in a movie. When I want to play I pop in a game. The series is very good, but could use some reworking, at least in my opinion.

[gefitz]

Well said, chrkeller: "When I want to watch, I pop in a movie. When I want to play I pop in a game."

When game companies don't get it, they end up with sales numbers like PS3 has. When game companies DO get it, they end up with numbers like Nintendo.

It is a game. Not a movie. The sales numbers tell you that people want to play, not ooh and ahh at neeto graphics. That's what people go see action flicks in the theater for!

[kingrah1]

nintendo only sells that well because they are cheap. I personally hate the wii because of the inaccurate controls, the standard definition graphics, and the childish games. SONY has acctually been losing money on the PS3 by selling it for less than the actual cost to make it, they are doing this to stay in the gamming industry but they also make up the money from game companies paying them to make games on their system.

[tmt345]

If you say PS3 sales numbers are bad then what are Xbox 360 sales numbers? The PS3 is selling at a faster rate than than the 360 by 2.5 million units. And its not fair to compare 360 sales numbers because Microsoft only reports shipped numbers not sold, and you don't know how many of the 360's numbers are people who didn't want to wait to fix their E74/RROD/Disk read error and just bought a new one OR are out of their 3 year warrenty. People always seem to forget that the PS3 came out a year later...

[Jawknee1]

Also the xbox has been on the market for a whole year longer. it cracks be up when people claim the xbox is selling better.

three things to consider.

1. the 360 launched on Nov 2005. the Ps3 Nov 2006. 360 had a year head start. its completely idiodic to claim some one the victor if they got a head start. Especially before the race is over.

2. As the person stated above. MS doesnt use the actual numbers sold to tally their sales. They use the number shipped. So they are counting the units still sitting on store shelves as numbers sold.

3. how many of those 30 millions 360s are rebuys by idiots who cant get a clue that the PleaseFixMe is a piece and its never going to work correctly no matter how many times they send it back or buy new ones to replace one MS wont service anymore. Just about everyone i know who owns a 360 has at least bought two. Either because they want one to have on hand while the other is getting fixed or because they some how think if they buy a brand new one it wont break like their previous(9 times out of 10 it does).

With that said, MS has sold 30 million(keep in mind the facts i listed above) in 3.5 years, Sony is at 23 million in two years. on averege MS is doing about 937,000 world wide a month while Sony is selling on average world wide 958,000. Sony is selling units faster then MS. Time will prove Sony is once again the kings of the gamining inudustry. the 360 is already maxed out. Games arent going to get any bigger or better for the 360 then they are right now. Only games one the Sony platform will continue to excel and grow as time goes on. Just as every PlayStation before it. the PS3 will dominate the market in due time.

[dvelez]

@tmt345,
The PS3 still behind in sales if you the month by month reports.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174748
"Microsoft only reports shipped numbers, not sold" Care to explain how is this different from Sony?

[Henzapper]

While I agree about the long cutscenes, I REALLY DISAGREE with your comments about the story. I didn't grow up being a Metal Gear fanboy or anything. I didn't even take notice of it until two years ago. But I have to say that the Metal Gear series has the best storyline of any game I've ever played (that probably didn't help my "not a fanboy" claim).

I admit that the story's not for everyone. Newcomers to the game will be extremely confused. But when you get it, you really GET IT. Like, someone who keeps up with the storyline would be amazed by all the things Kojima managed to do in the writing.

[cpopken]

I agree with the length of the cutscenes. MGS4 is not a game you can just pop in and play, you need to set aside a pretty big chunk of time to get into it. Some parts can be more than an hour long, so at least they let us pause them. They really need to limit the length of cutscenes to no more than 15 minutes.

As far as the story goes, I thought it had a great story. It could get a little convoluted in places, but there was a MGS encyclopedia available on PSN for free for people who may not have played the previous games, or just needed a refresher. MGS4 plot elements were locked out until you completed the game.

It is true that great graphics do not make a game, but neither does a great story with subpar visuals. A great game is the whole package: story, graphics, sound, characters, gameplay, and control. When everything comes together you get a great game, which is what MGS4 was.

[WWII]

Don Reisinger must be on crack... The Metal Gear writing is one of the best in gaming history. I think if it's anything it needs better editing but not writing otherwise you're better off sticking to Pokemon games.

[tmt345]

He just loves everything Microsoft, and hates everything PS3. Just look at his previous articles...

[LordDhampire]

Thought I loved MGS4, it was a masterpiece...It did have alot of cutscenes Ill give you that, but talking crap on MGS3? One of the best games of last gen what had a perfect balance of Gameplay/cutscenes.....and perfect gameplay....thats to far, I think this is much more than just opinion its just bias blind ranting

[Jawknee1]

its just goes to show the 360 kids are into mindless games were you just run n shoot. No story makes it better for them. they dont like to think. it makes their brain hurt. Turning Americas youth into a bunch of mindless MS zombies! mission accompished.

[itchy18]

hahahahahaa! everyone is laughing at this article on n4g.com. what a shame. tsk!

[Jawknee1]

because its stupid and makes no sense. They guy obviously doesnt like to think while playing games.

[OPerkelO]

uhh seriously get some pills, i just don't get it why people complain about cutscens that are masterpiece !

are you retarded that you not have a patience to watch ? .People who complain about cutscenes in MGS4 are people who don't want to learn about MGS world and they just want to shoot already.

MGS isn't a shooter people look somewhere else if you want shooter. MGS is for fans of good storyline and Espionage.

[CanadianKat]

MGS without cutscenes just isn't MGS. I was annoyed that there weren't more CODEC moments in MGS4. Could they have better writing? Sure, I don't think any game could say it couldn't have better writing. But MGS's stories are well suited to fans, I think. I enjoy the "convoluted" plot, and don't tend to find it particularly difficult to understand (really, man, you couldn't understand it? Were you one of the people who walked out of Sixth Sense going "I don't get it" too? Sorry, but come on.) I mean, better writing, sure, and I think they chickened out at the end, but it wasn't hard to understand if you are, as you said, a fan... if you didn't get the in-jokes and references, yeah, but if you're a fan, it should have made perfect sense.

Then again, I don't understand how you can call yourself a fan if you didn't like MGS3.

[VforVintage]

Geeze louizee!

You don't like MGS3 ? That totally invalidates anything you could ever say about the MGS franchise. Whether good or bad.
Now, don't get me wrong, the writing of MGS4 is pretty damn crappy [ I say this in the most loving fashion]. And there were ocassions where I just laughed out loud. But it's mainly due to the difference in Japanese story telling. It's like RPGs they're too convulted and there's too much going on at the same time.

But, MGS4 was one of the greatest single player experiences to hit gaming, EVER. The MGS series dominates this. MGS3 was undoubtebly the best MGS game out there [ some tie it with MGS1].
Also, I hate to **** your wishes, but Kojima isn't writing or designing MG:Rising. Neither is Shinkawa involved. This could either be good for you, or very bad.

Get over it, MGS4 isn't coming out on the 360, ever,ever,ever,ever,ever,ever,ever,....

I say this, because despite the fact that you have obviously both consoles, you seem to have in mind that MG: Rising is going to be of the same quality or get the same effort of creation as MGS4 [ an official Canonical game & the final chapter of Solid Snake] Costing at least 60 Million to make.

MG; Rising will surely be awesome. But it's a game pushed by Konami [ which is why MGS4 team isn't working on it] to get some sweet monies in and cash of the success of MGS4.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading this. Keep it up. You're one of the few honest reporters left. :]

[VforVintage]

The last line was obviously sarcasm.

[Jetless]

The real, and most interesting question to all of this blog. Yes, this is a BLOG not news.

The question is.....

"Who the hell are you?" lol Some nobody guy, sponsoring hate in the system.

If you think MGS4 could of been done better, then why didn't you do it?

Have you heard of (quotations) "Facebook"?

Your blog would be better there. You would be able to direct it towards your family since your evidently a mama's boy. And I'm sure your mama would be all ears. "Ohhhh mama! Those big mean game developers made a good game again :(" "Don't worry baby, everything will be ok, mama's gonna buy you a lollipop. Now don't you worry about those bad guys anymore, ok?"

Ohhh and btw, you look like a mama's boy too.

[CYBER-SNAKE]

**** you, you retard, mgs has the best storyline in a game, maybe you cant understand it coz ur 2 dumb.