Yo the intro of this game and of this video paint suuuuuuch a bleak view of the world. Everything about this reading is great dude. Love you

Heard you talking about the intro on the podcast. MGS4 was prescient. Under current US military doctrine, there's only competition and conflict, there's no room for peace. MGS4 explores that, "What if it's just war all the time?" concept, and sort of tries to say something but... well, we've all played it.

MGS4 is absolutely ridiculous, but not as wacky as Revengance in comedic terms. But god damn if this isn’t an amazing entry in the series and a phenomenal game on its own. I really need to replay this game.

I never understood why critics said MGS4 was hateful. I find it the most positive and hopeful out of the entire series. The heroes free the world, restore democratic order, bring separated families back together, and leave behind champions to protect the next generation.

Its not nonsense, its.... NANOMACHINES, SON!

I don't get why people are giving this game such shyte. It's not nonsense if you've played the previous games. Even I am not a hardcore fan and I COMPLETELY understood it. This game DOES NOT wrap up the Metal Gear Saga it's Solid Snakes conclusion.

I did a paper about you in my junior year of High School, because I have depression, and your experience with Dark Souls was similar to mine. Thanks you for helping me out, it's been a difficult few years, and it helps to not feel alone.

To quote Super Bunnyhop, MGS4 is a train wreck but it’s a beautifully made train wreck

Mgs4 is my guilty pleasure. I cannot defend or recommend it but it's got a lot of heart behind it and definitely has its moments. And having to play solid snake as a decrepit old man, there was something weirdly beautiful about it.

Metal Gear Solid games have always terrified me in the sense of that through all the ridiculous moments and scenes, the games present a scenario that real life seems to be imitating. We now live in a world where the "true enemy" is difficult to pinpoint, and where every action lays in a moral greyness. More embodied by the spread and regurgitation of information that older MGS games tackled on, and how that control is a power that nobody could break easily. For what is to say for sure that what we know is the truth? More than ever, I think the phrase "Life imitates Art" has some weight to it, and some of the concepts that are explored in the franchise bolster that notion. Before we know it, reality and fiction would become intertwined.

I love Charlie Brookers "Wipe" shows. Wish he still did them.

MGS IV was my first MGS game and it’s what made me love the series.

"To let the world be" - Philanthropy

i first played this game when i was 12 years old and im remember my mind being blown with the reveal that the support staff from MGS3 were the original Patriots. I realize why a lot of people think that plot twist was silly or unneeded, but I still kinda like it. To me, it is a testament to how torturous this world of eternal war is the the human soul, that the most innocuous characters who had the best of intentions accidentally became supervillains who created an AI that controls the world. Its jarring and surreal, its completely out of line with their characters as we originally came to know them. But thats also why its so tragic

Yay more Hamish! Honestly dude as a game developer myself, your insights and perspective are invaluable. I hope you continue to find purpose in this crazy culture of ours, and stay happy buddy. Looking forward to becoming a Patreon at the end of the month, finally got meaningful employment again. And you are literally the person who helped me rediscover my passion for game development. So I'd say I owe you a beer or two. Best of Regards man, Keep it up you beautiful bastard!!

My favorite thing about MGS4 is that, since it's shackled to it's canon, it uses all the technological and political nonsense of previous entries to construct this awful Metal Gear world. Nanomachines have been advancing the whole time since Solid, along with robotics and wacky secret wars all over the place. The world of MGS4 is the natural conclusion to all these sinister miracle tech advances piling up without the secret cabals (which you keep wrecking) to reign them in anymore. It's a world in which the small explanations for how your video game bullshit works have transformed into actual things that fundamentally change the world. It's like how you take tissue paper and tampons for granted but cellulocotton was invented in WW1 for battlefield dressings, just like Braille was invented for secret communiques in the same war. MGS4 is what happens when you come up with a cool tech idea for a video game and then go "wait, that would change everything ", and then in the sequel it does.

When I try and explain why I like MGS4 to my friends I make this comparison: It’s like how when spiritual people play radio static, and ask it questions to get an answer (I think it’s called a spirit box) and as clear as day they hear a loud voice speak through the static and reply to them. That is In a sense how MGS4 feels. There is so much noise, of all elements. So when the voice of the game comes to the surface. It’s one of the most clear messages you have ever got from a game.

Really makes you think about how things are in 2019 are we really all that different.

Maybe I'm just a big dumb stupid moron but there were several moments in GotP where people say it's "fanservice" but I was just like "FUCK YES", every time Raiden showed up with his sword, every time an old character shows up, and ESPECIALLY when Ocelot's final moment before he dies was him being a big goofball

Now Hamish has analyzed MGS5 then MGS4 so get ready for MGS3 next people! Descending analysis order here we come!! (great video too as always)

The beginning chapter of mgs 4 was always depressing to go through. It simply lacked almost everything that previous mgs games were successful in doing. Like the build up of action during the prologue cutscenes. Previous mgs games made me wanna get right into the shoes of solid snake, raiden kinda and big boss. But it’s the complete opposite how I felt when old snakes hits the spot light of mgs 4. Also I don’t care what technology or plot excuse there is for old snake an 80 year old man cannot move like that 😂 well maybe as a cyborg.

MGS4 and a party sized pizza is a match made in heaven

I can strongly affirm, as a new MG player that completed MGS4 some days ago and started MGS1 in January 2019, that this last entry in the series is by NO means different in stylistic approach from what the other 3 games were. All critiques regarding unrealistic plot points, exaggerated cut scenes, cringy scenes, subpar gameplay are invalid. The series has always, always been like that. A strange, unnatural portrayal of war and military, with over the top characters and situations. MGS4 is a perfect ending considering what the series became with MGS2, and I can guess the biggest problem people had with this game is, as always, the main problem in art as a whole: expectations.

your site looks good goddamn "Over the years I've come to the view of some singular auteur guiding the entirety of a title's vision as a little hard to believe." also, I'd love to hear you talk about that. I'm not sure how I feel on it....

Oh man you realy want to dig up this Masterpiece ?? THANK YOU

9:15 When in doubt, Ocelot is correct.

Jesus that opening was rough. Great information man, I really appreciate connecting it to something in real life.

love the adam curtis reference

MGS4 is leagues ahead of V as an MGS game, and that's a fact.

Late to the party but I just finished Chapter I of TPP and my first thought was, "Man at least it didn't leave me feeling like MGS4." And again I played and finished Guns of the Patriots for the first time last month. So really, thank you a lot for this video. I don't need to love every MGS game there exists, but this vid has helped me see the game in a very different light. I tend to suspend my disbelief with the series and am often blindsided to its internal commentary. Who would've thought that hypernormalization was one of the series many sub themes.

I wanna see you tackle pathologic

I know your channel name is "Writing on Games" but I don't think it is said enough...damn, your writing is good.

eleven years...

I purely appreciate it as the last 'true' MGS game as the mainline titles since then (namely peace Walker and MGSV) have all been mostly storyless wank base builders. Revengence is a laugh though.

There's something compelling about opening MGS4 in 2019. *Looks at current political climate*

I feel like Kojima is not just an autuer with great visions. He's also a great leader who knows who to get for what and how. Otherwise Death Stranding wouldn't have come together with the standout cast, graphics, and story that it does. I think that deserves more praise than his storytelling ability, as everyone has had goofy, somewhat edgy and definitely memorable ideas knocking around their heads at one point. It just takes skill and proper knowledge to bring them to life.

I thougth people have forgotten about Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. It's good to know people still know about this game

Seriously deserves more views, great commentary.

i always thought that those eggs look fucking real

Never enjoyed this game, but always felt like something they were getting at is being overwhelmed with information, and how even if that info is meaningful, when you're so bombarded with it, it becomes meaningless or tedious. Which is cool, but the game is not fun to play.

I don't understand. What is it thats "nonsense" in MGS4? Is it really so hard to imagine that someone like Paramedic, who was once even expressing her fascination merely with the idea of cloning, would eventually be leading herself down a dark path? We saw her, Sigint, and Zero just at the beginning of thier paths. They didn't just wake up one day and decided to become members of the Patriots. The road to darkness is a journey, not something that you simply wake up to.

I disagree that story is nonsense. Real problem with this story is it's execution and transition. For example patriots being your mgs3 crew did not come out of nowhere.

Two things. 1. Are you disagreeing with the idea of there being significant depth to MGS2, especially the climax? It sounded like the assertion amused you. 2. I have decided you must make a video on Metal Wolf Chaos and its bizarro outsider-view politics. Please, get on it Hamish. Do it for the good of the GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

I always kinda thought that MGS4 was the best game in history. Obviously there's gonna be disagreement with that but it really seems that way to me. Even before I could afford a PS3, I downloaded the walkthroughs off of KZfaq, burned them on 8 DVDs, and watched that as a full movie, basically.

MGS4 is my favourite in the series. Don't @ me

This game is a mess but I love the portrayal of Old Snake and his deconstruction as a hero, specially with the romance between Johnny and Meryl being a really big fuck you. "Did you want Snake to get the girl like in the original MGS? Fuck you, she's marrying the guy who shits himself in every game. Instead, he's in a graveyard with a gun in his mouth".

Thank you. Someone gets it. Thanks for understanding Adam Curtis.

Snake? Snake!? Snaaaake!!!!

MGS4's intro cutscene is really just Skyrim's intro

YES

After MGSV, man it’s nice to have an ending

That's... weird. I'm pretty sure i've never seen those TV ads before? I played in the UK, are they not included in that release? With reguards to the opening though, I always figured Snake had joined up with a random militia so they could get him into the same theater as Ocelot, isn't that the idea there? That it's just another Warzone?

make moves that seems to have no purpose keep your enemy wondering why you are doing this craziness then hide your real intentions mixed in with these so they never see what you are planning to focused on trails that lead nowhere instead of whats right in front of them.

Yeah, but Phil Lamar has never looked or sounded so good.

On point reference to Putin's Russia, impressive

"Over the years I've come to the view of some singular auteur guiding the entirety of a title's vision as a little hard to believe." Have you ever played Guilty Gear, my good sir?

The only game that I will whole heartedly agree Kojima fucked up on. Reminds of Rocksteady and Batman Arkham Knight: great creators, great stories, but terrible conclusions.

Thanks for subtly shouting out LambHoot, his content is vastly underappreciated.

Still waiting for a Metal Gear Mech fight-type game.

I feel you, but man I can't stand behind the story in this game. Hideo kinda cornered himself and to me failed to get out of his own maze. Went far too anime for a series that was very anime in and of itself.

Genius Kujumbo does it again! Nostrodamus of video games! Maybe in five years we'll be talking about how MGS5 was actually secretly way ahead of its time and saying a bunch of really deep stuff that we don't understand yet.

This is the best. Nothing more.

Didn't finish yet but the briefing you want before the first mission is in the briefing menu.

History repeats itself. And years from now someone will do a video like this on death stranding. Gamers are usually men, and men are usually insecure so it's normal that when Kojima or anyone tries to change things or tell something different we get outrage or negative views. Now that the world is different, people can have a new view of those games. I still remember the outrage from raiden because he was androgenous, guys wanted to play as the hardened solid snake...

Good have watched an hour of this. Great vid. Love this game.

I'll give Kojima credit; Metal Gear Solid 4 may be the only game capable of giving players jetlag.

holy hell, the music in the background it sounds so soothing i need to know the name of the track that plays at 5:40

From where i can buy this game on pc

Don't be silly.

Still annoyed that MGS4 is the only mainline game that I need to buy a PS3 for. can play 2,3 Peace Walker and 5 on an Xbox One, only 5 on PS4 (the absolute fuck) but I can play every single one on PS3, even 5. So inconvenient when you dont have space for legacy consoles. at least I can play 1-Peace Walker on my PS Vita... I know you can stream older games on PS4 but... yuck.

I never had problems with Snake support team being main villains. After all time and state of war can change and corrupt anyone.

7:30 I think The lesson may hinge more along the lines of realizing the fact that what a person may discover for themselves as their true self/purpose, is not always “good” (As far as the morals of modern society go). “Go find your true purpose“ should not and does not always end with Rose petals and rainbows

Is it just me or is everyone talking about MGS all of a sudden for no apparent reason?

WAIT I thought of a better comment: He politic He politac But most of all He Hamish Black

Preposterous! For the algorithm.

MGS4 is honestly one of the worst sequels I've ever played. It's not an outright bad game, but pretty much every change it makes is for the worse, and the game is just such a slog to play through. Especially when compared to Snake Eater, which is easily one of the best games of all time.

God it really seems like no one actually understand the general mindset of the MGS fan population. "That could never satisfy fans who wanted those questions answered." According to who? I've watched dozens and dozens of playthroughs. I've read literally hundreds of fan written articles. The ONLY ones that i see that give it serious critique are ones that also claim this generalized "fans of the series were left unsatisfied with this installment" sentiment. And because this is a minority opinion among fans of the game and indeed of the series as a whole, and that these kinds of articles and videos are lacking in number compared to their opposite - i dont even know where they are finding this sentiment to begin with. I bought the game LITERALLY the day it came out. I disnt even have a PS3 yet because the game came out months before my birthday, and i knew if i bought the game it would force my dad's hand into getting me a PS3 for my birthday. Bought the game and the strategy guide together to get a discount - still have the strategy guide and the original 15 year old disc that has maintained a ostensibly scratchless condition. Having played all the other games in the series, it instantly became my favorite and i dont see how any of the answers to questions were unsatisfying, nor do i see any structural problems whatsoever. Maybe it's because i just know how to properly experience digital storytelling; take what is being given to you, as it is. The rest of it is you getting over yourself, and your perspectives and your wants, and your expectations and just letting it be, what it is. (When i say you i mean a collective you, of all the people who seemed to have found what i would describe as nonsensical things to take issue with with this game).

Didn't watch this because of spoilers obviously, but gameplay is important. Was MGS4 a step backwards compared to MGS3 in terms of features and content?

Ah, the game that made me retroactively dislike the entire series. What an abysmal experience.

Pretentious mess

I'm sorry, but what person is there who clicked "New Game" immediately upon starting up MGS4? That is the action of a casual MGS player, or someone new to the series. Anyone who was actually hyped for the game to, as the video puts it, conclude the MGS series, would not need any prompting to first click Intel to get the details on where the game picks up. They did the same for MGS1, did they not, by having the player priefing on just why Snake was infiltrating Shadow Moses in the main menu? Someone going into the game with the hope of finishing the series would not be blindsided by having that info there, just a few options down from New Game.

I ❤ mgs4

Narrative Mess? Nah bruh. This is the most sense MGS had ever made. If you kept up with the previous games then this makes total sense. MGS2 is the only one that made no sense for about 80% of it. The rest of the series is also pretty easy to understand if you ask me. The wacky n goofyness is just signature Kojima stuff that makes it stand out.

I fell like Kojima would get away with GoT ending

Antiglobalist game

Watch The Terminator thats the real good drama in a dangerous situation not this dogshit writing in mgs4

Interesting analysis but I’m not sure i agree with it. I don’t think we can just reappraise something for the modern era and add in contemporary themes that reflect the political/cultural climate of the time. Every story is a reflection of the time it came out in one way or another so trying to add in themes pulled from a culture several years after a stories initial release is a little silly to me.

Such an amazing game

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

I think is video is topical than ever. I mean talking about Putin...

No. MGS 4 is mess. Fan fiction made by Kojima.

I... do not view Kojima's writing abilities in a positive light. There is an infamous interview, that Kojima himself had pulled, where Agnes Kaku, one of the translators of MGS2, described him as a knock-off Tom Clancy wannabe and that his writing abilities were on par with fanfiction. And before people say he predicted the future in MGS2, Deus Ex came out a year prior and predicted the same thing and more.

Eh, Superbunnyhop retrospective nails more of the flaws, but I do agree that there's good things albeit not-so revolutionary and more alarming reminder of the world's politics today in here Also MGS4 has issues with the consistency of it's focus on tones despite in the midst of it's so-called absurdism, it's probably better to see MGS4 as the socio-technical products of KojiPro's reluctance to keep milking it (Just like opening old wounds of Silent Hills lol :'( )

It's a terrible Metal Gear Solid game, not a terrible game, just a terrible MGS

Good video / i still hate MGS4

Nah. MGS4 was bad. All the even-numbered ones were bad.

First.