The Fan in Me

I should have bought Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence when it first came out. I didn't, probably mostly because of lack of money, maybe just a little because I didn't feel MGS3 was quite as awesome as MGS2 had been, and I already owned the basic version of the game.

Well, playing MGS4 before Christmas, I caught the Metal Gear Solid bug again, and having read about the cool features in Subsistence, I decided I had to own it. I looked for it in lots of stores selling used (and new) games, and came up with nothing. Last weekend I took a look at the Finnish auction website, Huuto.net. Someone was selling a copy. For 80 euros. (Direct sale, no bidding.) Having just received the pay for my last translation job, I was in a position to actually consider it. Still, it was probably more than the game would have cost when new (even if, as a 3 disc set, it'd probably have been more than the regular price for a PS2 game).

It looked, however, like this was the only conveniently available copy I could locate just now, so I didn't really have a choice. I'm sure there must be copies going around for less, but finding one would've required a bit of luck, and patience has never been one of my virtues. So I bought it, and it arrived today. The discs were luckily in pretty good condition. Worth the price? I'd say so, even just to own it, if I never played it (though I probably will). Most people probably wouldn't agree, but that's what being a fan is all about.

What Have I Forgotten This Time?

Tomorrow I'm off to the country, to my grandfather's place, where I've spent every Christmas, and New Year (except for one), for as long as I can remember. Packing is pretty much done, so I can relax tonight, and I've got time for a totally pointless random blog post. Compulsive blogger, or just time to kill? Not really sure.

I'm not looking forward to Metal Gear Solid withdrawal. I actually started replaying MGS4, which isn't something I often do after beating a game. (I don't remember ever completing a game twice in a row, and I don't really expect to this time.) I keep humming the song "Here's to You" constantly, and it almost brings tears to my eyes.

(The earlier instalments are due a replay too, really. I was playing the first MGS a year or two back, but got sidetracked by something halfway through. MGS3 I remember least well of the lot, but I'd really like to get the Subsistence version before I play it again. MGS2 I've played most of all, but not for a while, and it really is an amazing game.)

I'm not planning to play much games over the holiday. For one thing, pads take up a lot of space in my already full bag. (And there are few games I enjoy that can be played without a pad.) I'd love to just take it easy and read something, for a change. Apart from comics, I've read hardly any fiction in ages. I blame the modern lifestyle with its broadband Internet and mp3 players. Just too many distractions and too few opportunities.

Metal Gear Solid 4

Update: Review of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

I finished MGS4 last night. It meant another late night, but there was no way I could stop before it ended. The review is now online. It's a real fanboy review, nothing but praise upon praise, really. But I can't help it. It's simply the best game I've played in years. It made me remember how much I loved this series. And that's an end to it.

I'm not sure what I'll do now. I was playing Folklore before I got MGS4, but going back to it right after such brilliance might be bit of a letdown. It's a fun game, but no masterpiece. In any case, I'll be going to the country for Christmas soon, so I won't have time to beat an entire game anyway.

4am and No Longer First Impressions

Last night I realised I'd played MGS4 until 4 am. If I ever had any doubts about the game, I guess this should prove them wrong.

Once I got used to the slight differences in controls, I've only been falling more and more in love with this game. It's a true Metal Gear Solid, that's for sure. All the classic elements are there. But it also manages to be fresh at the same time, and there's a lot of variety that keeps you going. If I have one complaint, it's that the boss team this time lacks a little in personality. But I'm not gonna get into this too deep right now. I'll write the review once I've completed it, as usual.

I think I must say, though, that it's the best new game I've played in years. Since, well, MGS3 came out, I guess (and I think it surpasses that). Looking back, there really haven't been many truly amazing games in the last half of the decade. There have been a few rather fun games (Lego Star Wars or Dirge of Cerberos to name a couple), but no really huge favourites, the likes of Silent Hill 2 and 3, Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, or Guilty Gear X2. And practically no great RPGs since the PSOne era.

MGS4 First Impressions

A couple of sessions of Metal Gear Solid 4 later. First impressions: Nice graphics. Classic characters. Typically quirky Kojima humour and inside jokes. The beginnings of a really epic story (although very little has happened yet). So, all the makings of a typically awesome MGS title.

But what's this? The controls have changed? You aim with L1 instead of R1, which is now used for firing. And most importantly, the camera is now free-moving, which means you'll have to be adjusting the angle constantly. That takes a little getting used to, and makes for some orientation problems when switching to aiming view. There are a lot of configuration options though, which can make play feel a little more like MGS2/3. Why Select isn't used for Codec by default is beyond me.

I think the controls in MGS2 were more intuitive. But once you get past that, all the classic MGS elements are there, and the feel is quite familiar. So, we'll just have to see how the game progresses.

Guns for the Patriots

In America an ergonomic "Palm Pistol", apparently targeted towards the elderly, has been listed as a "Class I Medical Device". Which means that in the future doctors may be able to prescribe it as a "Daily Activity Assist Device", and patients may seek reimbursement through health insurance.

All I can say is there's something very sick and perverted about American society. Activities for the elderly are important, but, really, prescription guns? There can be no justification for private gun ownership in the modern world, except for maybe hunting weapons. The very idea that more guns would make the world safer is ludicrous.

In other news, I finally bought Metal Gear Solid 4 today. Can't wait to try it. I've enjoyed the previous titles very much. In a time when I was playing almost exclusively RPGs, MGS2 was the game that made me realise action games can be really cool as well, and a valuable medium for storytelling to boot.

Is there irony in commenting against gun ownership and praising a war game in the same post? There shouldn't be. To anyone with any sense it should be obvious that violence in the real world and in fiction have nothing to do with each other. Real violence is never acceptable. Violence in fiction, like video games, however, can even be healthy. We need those aggressive, adrenaline-filled moments to relieve stress.

On the other hand, you can use violence to deliver a statement against violence, even while entertaining and creating those "wow" moments that only really cool action can create at the same time. Metal Gear Solid has always been very story-oriented, and it's message has definitely been against war, and other forms of oppression (such as censorship in MGS2).

First but Not Last Blood

Can you believe I only recently saw the Rambo movies for the first time? Yeah, I couldn't either.

For long I wasn't all that interested in them, as I thought they had a reputation as kind of macho, brainless action flicks. Well, I was wrong. Ok, the sequels, Rambo III in particular, are more straightforward action movies, but they're still relatively well made and entertaining in they're own way. (I haven't seen the new one yet, so can't say anything about that.) Undoubtedly the original is the best, though.

If I were to hear someone now connecting the name Rambo to cliched, macho action heroes, I'd have to object. Rambo is a true anti-hero, a tragic character who knows nothing but war and is forgotten and abused by the very people he went to war for.

I enjoyed the movies also as a video gamer, as it was immediately obvious that the Metal Gear series, which I'm a huge fan of, has taken lots of influence from these movies. The colonel, parachute drop, even the electric shock torture in Rambo II, and lots of other stylistic things seemed very familiar...

Next up: comics.