The above description sets the stage for Metal Gear Solid 4, but it doesn't even begin to describe the whole story. Indeed, much of what transpires ties directly into every Metal Gear game previously created. Older games in the series, while part of a contiguous story and unique continuum, typically had mostly new characters; by contrast to those games, Metal Gear Solid 4 revisits practically every significant character left alive in the Metal Gear universe, giving the game an epic scope. It also helps the game wrap up two decades of plotlines and offer some sense of closure for Snake in his so-called final mission.

Complementing Metal Gear Solid 4's blockbuster story is its high production values. The most noticeable example of the resources put into MGS4, of course, are its graphics, particularly the character models. The game's highly detailed world looks gorgeous in the numerous cut-scenes and look spectacular when examined closely during gameplay as well. The game's sound doesn't fall flat either, with an epic movie-caliber score from Harry Gregson-Williams and a team of voice acting professionals led by David Hayter as Old Snake.

Despite (or perhaps because of) the ambitions of Metal Gear Solid 4 on a narrative level, the game still has a number of detractors. Opinions varied wildly about the game's story, with some calling it dazzling and spectacular and others calling it confusing, obtuse and poorly edited. Metal Gear Solid 4, like its predecessors, makes extensive use of cut-scenes and radio dialog sequences, and this heavy use of exposition inherently takes most of the controls out of the player's hands and isn't going to appeal to everyone. Additionally, other critics said the mechanics behind Metal Gear Solid 4 hadn't evolved enough compared to the competition and still others took issue with the roundabout nature of the game's online components.

Certain criticisms aside, Metal Gear Solid 4 still averages a 92 percent on GameRankings.com. The game received over a dozen perfect scores along with nearly as many 8-out-of-10 reviews, the latter of which is seemingly the gaming industry equivalent of tacit disapproval. One such 8-out-of-10 review came from GameDaily's own Chris Buffa.

"With five difficulty levels, enjoyable stealth based play and plenty of over the top action, Metal Gear Solid 4 is one of the best PlayStation 3 games. That said, its features, acceptable 10 years ago, seem foolish given the better playing games on the market," reads the review. "Snake's epic, final act just isn't the triple-A extravaganza we expected, and it's clear that if Konami intends to continue this franchise or spin off into something new, it needs to study its competition and evolve, delivering shorter cut-scenes and superior shooting. But for now, this is one of the most important games in history and you'll dig its cool boss battles, at times witty dialogue and unrivaled sneaking mechanics. Just be sure to keep a magazine handy when those cut-scenes get ridiculous."

Is the age of Snake over?
As one of the biggest releases of the year, Metal Gear Solid 4 received huge promotional support from Konami. From the game's epic trailers, the pre-order bonuses, limited edition releases, bundle packages, the simultaneous release in all territories and Kojima's worldwide tour, there was a lot of visibility for Metal Gear Solid 4. To find out more about the promotional campaign for the game, please read GameDaily BIZ's Ad Watch.

While MGS4 has famously been trumped up as the last adventure of Snake, this will not mean the end to the series. Whatever the future holds, Kojima will be taking on a less hands-on approach, even though many fans hope he will renege on that vow like he has in the past. Still, we think that a new face on the franchise might help it appeal to a wider range of fans (the sheer size of the mythos behind Metal Gear Solid 4 can be very intimidating to newcomers) and maybe Xbox 360 owners will get in on the act the next time around too.