Metal Gear Solid 4: The Flawed Masterpiece Kojima Didn't Want to Make
With Metal Gear Solid 4 finally arriving on modern consoles thanks to Master Collection Vol. 2, we take a look back at the game's legacy. Was it really just a big cutscene, or is it Kojima's masterpiece?
In a recent IGN opinion piece, Charlie Lopresto discusses Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, a game that the author believes is often overlooked as a top-tier entry in the Metal Gear series despite its commercial and critical success. Lopresto shares his personal experience with the Metal Gear franchise, expressing that the Metal Gear Solid series has come full circle, as he first encountered the series on a demo disc from Pizza Hut.
The author argues that Metal Gear Solid 4 is a flawed masterpiece, a product of its time, and an unfortunate end to the franchise. He acknowledges that Kojima didn't want to make Metal Gear Solid 4, having declared his desire to end the series as early as Metal Gear Solid 2. However, Kojima's deeds indicate that he was unable to move on from the saga.
Guns of the Patriots, the fifth mainline Metal Gear game, feels different from its predecessors. The author describes it as having a gloomy weight, like a funeral, with a raucous kind of aftermath that gathers friends, grudges, and flames. Kojima, facing death threats for his reluctance to move the story forward, delivered a feeble, decomposing relic.
Despite its flaws, Guns of the Patriots is a bombastic epic, bursting with unfiltered honesty and sincerity. The author notes that Kojima ended the series on his own terms, providing a sendoff to Snake and the series that is both impressive and honest. Despite the game's episodic structure, the author concludes that Metal Gear Solid 4 is a flawed, yet heartfelt, farewell to the beloved franchise.
Written by urgent.news from IGN's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
