Metal Gear Solid 4
Ah, MGS4 released today and I have my copy. So far, it's weird, even for Metal Gear. I think one of the most common misconceptions people have about the series is that it's some first-person shooter Tom Clancy crap. Sure, it deals with war and there's plenty of shooting (if you're not into sneaking), but the feel is more... how do I put this? It almost feels like an anime at times. The stories bounce back and forth between deep, philosophical musings on patriotism, and over-the-top battles with stylish, and sometimes even paranormally bizarre villains.
I'm still very early in the game, but it seems to throw you into the action much faster than before. I'm used to long briefings and a big support team on the codec right off the bat. Maybe things will become more familiar the farther I progress.
Is it wrong that I'm highly amused, sometimes even impressed, with the product placement? You can equip an iPod and use it to listen to downloaded music, although the game starts you off with a fairly nice mix of interesting songs and tracks from previous games. The "magazine" item from previous games has been replaced with a real issue of Playboy, and there might just be some obscure soft drinks floating around. Most of it's purely optional stuff, or instances where the product in question seems to fit naturally. And if you're going to do product placement in anything, you might as well do it correctly (which is to say, unobtrusively).
Well, that's my first impressions. This might be a long game, so I'll keep at it and see how it goes.
I'm still very early in the game, but it seems to throw you into the action much faster than before. I'm used to long briefings and a big support team on the codec right off the bat. Maybe things will become more familiar the farther I progress.
Is it wrong that I'm highly amused, sometimes even impressed, with the product placement? You can equip an iPod and use it to listen to downloaded music, although the game starts you off with a fairly nice mix of interesting songs and tracks from previous games. The "magazine" item from previous games has been replaced with a real issue of Playboy, and there might just be some obscure soft drinks floating around. Most of it's purely optional stuff, or instances where the product in question seems to fit naturally. And if you're going to do product placement in anything, you might as well do it correctly (which is to say, unobtrusively).
Well, that's my first impressions. This might be a long game, so I'll keep at it and see how it goes.