'Metal Gear Solid 4' delivers intense, cinematic adventure

— -- Metal Gear Solid fans anxiously awaiting the fourth installment in the mega-popular franchise — and the first to debut on a high-definition console — won't be disappointed in Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, a gorgeous stealth action game starring Solid Snake in his final mission.

Everyone else, however — especially those not used to this franchise's many noninteractive cinematic sequences, confusing storylines and campy dialogue — might not enjoy the ride as much.

Created by legendary game developer, Hideo Kojima, Guns of the Patriots sends Snake around the globe in pursuit of his old nemesis, Liquid Ocelot, who reigns over the world's five largest private military companies and plans to use them to take over the world. You will notice in this sequel Snake has aged prematurely, which is part of the story. The game also reintroduces other familiar characters from previous adventures including his sidekick, Otacon (Dr. Hal Emmerich), who aides him on his missions remotely.

After waiting between eight and 10 minutes for part of the disc to load onto the Sony PlayStation 3's hard drive — an annoying new trend among PS3 games — you are dropped into a Middle Eastern war zone to learn how to control the covert Snake on his first of many stealth missions. The left stick on the controller maneuvers Snake's body and the right stick adjusts the camera. Tapping the X button crouches Snake, while holding it down drops him to the ground, stomach-first, allowing him to crawl under vehicles or creep toward the shadows. Other moves include pressing Snake against a wall for cover, hanging from a ledge, using weapons to take down enemies and dragging a dead or unconscious victim to avoid being seen.

As with past games in the series, Snake will have access to a few high-tech gadgets such an OctoCamo suit to blend into the environment; a robotic drone, dubbed the Metal Gear Mk. II, that can scout locations, collect items and deliver an electric shock to unsuspecting enemies; and a monocular device called a Solid Eye that can give Snake a variety of data including map info, enemy status or what goodies lie in a nearby box (such as a food ration).

You can choose between the default third-person perspective and a first-person view. Snake can also engage in a close-combat takedown by sneaking up behind an enemy and knocking him out, cutting his throat or using him as a shield while aiming the weapon at other baddies. Tougher boss battles also add to the fun, as do the vehicles you can ride such as a motorcycle and giant robot.

And there are multiplayer options, too, including online support for up to 16 players in various Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes (where the player, or team, who defeats the most opponents, wins). The auto-matching lobby is a breeze to find other players that match your skill level.

Visually speaking, Guns of the Patriots is probably one of the best-looking video games to date. The lifelike characters and realistic environments (including jungles, desert towns and a snowy island) offer attractive eye-candy, not to mention special effects such as Snake's camouflage suit adapting to its surroundings in real-time. Sound effects and music are also top-notch, which helps with the game's suspension of disbelief.

Because of its intense stealth and combat game play, Guns of the Patriots brings a lot more to the table than just a slick presentation. True, some of the story elements and dialogue can be convoluted (perhaps as the Japanese-made game was translated to English), plus there are many cinematic minimovies that might frustrate those who just want to play, but if it's a mature, stealthy adventure you're after, this PlayStation 3 game was well worth the wait.

Contact Saltzman at gnstech@gns.gannett.com.