Full disclosure: I’m a Metal Gear Solid devotee. The series has been my favorite in videogames since the release of the original Metal Gear Solid on PSOne, and subsequent games in the franchise have all featured terrific gameplay, gloriously over-the-top bosses, and engrossing stories. Still, I don’t own a PS3 and wasn’t sure that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, a PS3 exclusive, would warrant a purchase.

Well, I can officially say that after seeing the first MGS4 gameplay video unveiled today by creator Hideo Kojima, I’ll be buying a PS3. Solid Snake can dive, roll over and lie on his back to shoot snipers who were behind him; he can wear camouflage to blend in with any surrounding, including statues; he can frisk enemies; he can remote control a mini Metal Gear robot; the game can be played in 1st or 3rd person mode; and so much more. I haven’t even mentioned the graphics, which are groundbreaking; from the facial expressions to smoke billowing in the distance to buildings collapsing, I’ve never seen anything like this. The best way I can describe it all is to say that it looks as intense, frightening and beautiful as the finale of Children of Men, except it’s interactive.

MGS4 looks like the real next-gen leap we’ve been waiting for. All of a sudden, a $499 videogame system that can play Blu-ray and a game like this seems like a pretty good deal…

Check out these screenshots at IGN, and do yourself a favor and check out the gameplay video (i.e. the “Metal Gear Solid 4 Playable Demonstration”).

Video Games