REVIEW: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for PlayStation 4

Since E3, there have been quite a few game series I have been obsessed about. Metal Gear Solid is one of those series. I have been a huge fan since I played and beaten Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on the Nintendo GameCube. (Fun fact: I haven't beaten the original Metal Gear Solid. I need to do that.) I can remember tricking my mom into buying me Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty for the PS2. I still feel bad about that, too. As you can see, I have a history with Metal Gear Solid. There is more, but I will stop for now.

Going into Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, I knew I wasn't going to experience a six to ten hour story. I also wasn't expecting to beat the game in an hour. Taking place a few months after the events of Peace Walker, Big Boss finds himself having to rescue both Chico and Paz from an American black site on Cuba. As with any Metal Gear game, Big Boss must infiltrate the base without getting caught. Unlike recent Metal Gear games, there aren't too many cutscenes in Ground Zeroes.

The thing that bothered me the most about Ground Zeroes was how abrupt the ending was. I was expecting more gameplay during the main mission, but it comes to a sudden halt. I also felt that a lot of what you see in the cutscenes were shown at E3 2013 and in subsequent videos prior to the release of Ground Zeroes. The small amount of gameplay really makes it hard to justify its current price point on any of the consoles.

Having played MGSV on PS4 and PS3, I am really impressed by how much better the game looks on PS4. I originally bought the PS4 version of the game, but I wanted to see how different it looked, as well as played, on the PS3. Both games felt the same despite having a couple actions mapped to different buttons. The biggest difference was in the quality of the game. Ground Zeroes looks good on PS3, but it looks great on PS4. I really can't wait to get my hands on The Phantom Pain.

If you are familiar with a Metal Gear game, then you will know that the objective of the game is to avoid any confrontation with the enemy. Ground Zeroes is much like Peace Walker, as you will receive a grade after you complete a mission. In Ground Zeroes, there is the main mission known as Ground Zeroes and then there are side-ops within the mission itself. The side-ops missions are pretty fun. They also add a little diversity to the main mission of the game. Sadly, all the missions take place on the same base. Enemies will appear in different locations and the weather may be different, but other than that nothing else changes.

There are some neat features in this game, such as a Reflex feature. If Big Boss is spotted by an enemy, the game will slowdown so you can take the enemy out by any means necessary to prevent him from notifying his comrades of your location. You can also pinpoint enemies by using your binoculars. It can be really helpful when you want to know where an enemy is when you're trying to sneak around them.

Ground Zeroes is a lot of fun, but it's downfall is the length. MGSV: Ground Zeroes will cost you $19.99 on PS3 and Xbox 360; on PS4 and Xbox One, you will have to pay $29.99 for the game. It definitely is the best looking Metal Gear Solid game and I really like the new stealth mechanics thrown into the mix. I just wish there was more to Ground Zeroes than what we ended up getting. We are being constantly told that The Phantom Pain is 200 times bigger than Ground Zeroes, but I don't know how impressed I am about that considering how small Ground Zeroes is. I liked it, but my only wish is that it were a longer game. Who doesn't want more Metal Gear?

OVERALL SCORE:

7.5/10

inFAMOUS Second Son

When Sony showed off a new inFAMOUS game during their unveiling of the PlayStation 4, I nearly exploded with excitement. It wasn’t enough that they announced the PS4 to the world—another inFAMOUS game was the icing on the cake—a delicious PS4 cake. Now I want cake…

One year later, inFAMOUS Second Son is finally released for the PlayStation 4. I managed to get my copy the day it came out. With great anticipation, I loaded the game into my PS4 and waited as the game started. Being familiar with Sucker Punch games, I knew that as soon as I hit the Start button (well, in this case the Options button), something grandiose was going to happen. Much to my surprise, it wasn’t nearly as explosive as when you start the original inFAMOUS.

Needless to say, I didn’t mind the quiet beginning. I was interested to see how Delsin Rowe would fit into the picture. Delsin is very different from Cole. Before the game’s release, we were safe in assuming that Delsin loves his powers. Cole, on the other hand, was troubled with his power. I like the direction that Sucker Punch took with Delsin. If we had another Cole, then there wouldn’t have been a need for a new character period. I would have wanted to see Cole instead of someone who acts and plays like Cole, but isn’t Cole.

For the first time in an inFAMOUS game, Second Son takes place on the west coast—Seattle, Washington to be precise. The previous two games took place in Empire City and New Marais. Despite being models of real cities (Empire City being New York City and New Marais being New Orleans), Second Son is also the first to use the actual name of the city it represents. Living on the west coast myself, I will admit that I have never explored Seattle. I have driven through it, but I am not familiar with the city.

I didn’t expect inFAMOUS’ Seattle to be an exact replica of the actual city, but that didn’t stop me from being impressed. It was really cool seeing where their inspiration came from. inFAMOUS’ Seattle is beautiful. Even when there aren’t any enemies to fight, it is just nice to be able to venture around the city and be mesmerized by how detailed everything is. From Delsin’s character model to the trees and the NPCs and the buildings, everything is stunning. inFAMOUS Second Son is definitely the best looking game I have seen on the PlayStation 4.

inFAMOUS Second Son takes place seven years after the events of inFAMOUS 2. Delsin, the main character of the game, is of Native American descent and lives in the Akomish reservation. We are quickly introduced to Delsin as he is vandalizing a billboard. Delsin and his brother, Reggie, are complete opposites. Reggie, the local sheriff, arrests his brother on a regular basis because of his acts of vandalism. The beginning of inFAMOUS Second Son is no different. As Delsin attempts to evade his brother, a unbeknownst power awakens within Delsin. It is then that Delsin begins to have the time of his life. To make Delsin even more enjoyable, Troy Baker was the man chosen to bring Delsin’s character to life. Baker does a fantastic job as Delsin. He makes the character very likeable, despite the fact that Delsin can be a jerk and a punk sometimes. Travis Willingham portrays Delsin’s brother, and the two do a great job as acting as one another’s brother.

Even though I was pretty fond of Delsin and Reggie, I had a hard time with the story. inFAMOUS Second Son isn’t quite as good as inFAMOUS 2. You had a sense of urgency and despair in inFAMOUS 2. The supporting cast can also be a little forgettable. I often found myself trying to remember what Delsin’s purpose was in the game. Second Son’s shining moments are most certainly in the gameplay department. I enjoyed the story, but it falls short of the great story that was told in inFAMOUS 2. In spite of my problems with the story, inFAMOUS Second Son is a great game and I never once regretted my purchase.

As I have stated countless times, gameplay is where Second Son shines the most. And I’m not just talking about the flashy powers that Delsin gets. Second Son is a lot of fun. Some of the missions get a little repetitive (there is only so many times I want to use my DualShock 4 as a spray can), but more often than not I found myself loving Delsin’s powers. I felt that Second Son truly allows you to “enjoy your power.” From being able to shift Delsin into smoke to the agile abilities gained through neon powers, Second Son does a profound job of demonstrating how awesome each power is.

inFAMOUS Second Son also uses the DualShock 4 in a way that isn’t annoying. I never felt forced to use the touchpad and most of the controls made sense. I’m just glad that I never had to use the DualShock 4 to guide a projectile.

Being an open world game and much like its predecessors, Second Son features a karma level. You can choose to play the game as the hero or as the villain. Whenever I am given the opportunity to make choices in a game, I tend to play as the hero first. It is interesting to see how Delsin’s persona differs in the choices he makes. He may be a jerk, but I never thought he would do half of the things he would do choosing the evil karma.

I may have had some issues with the story and its characters, but inFAMOUS Second Son really is a great game. As far as gameplay is concerned, it is the best in the series. The use of multiple powers is pretty awesome and quite beautiful to behold. Second Son’s Seattle is a sight one has to see in order to believe. This game does a great job of utilizing the power of the PS4. From fluid gameplay to amazing lightning, inFAMOUS Second Son is a worthy successor to Cole’s legacy.

OVERALL SCORE:

8.8/10