Kyros on 26 June 2008
whereas in MGS4 we have dozens of main characters each with their own backstory and sub plots and individual points of view
Eh yes this is true, but I would argue that telling a story with dozens of main characters with their own subplots is the basic PROBLEM of MGS4. If the only possible way to tell the story of a game is to have 6 hours of dialogue perhaps the story should be pruned
. And I like multiple parties, viewpoints and even subplots Lord of a Ring was a good example of the feeling of a whole breathing world you can create with a complex setting like that. That doesn't change the fact that an Action game with a third cutscenes has a problem as a game.
And I don't want to discredit the production values of MGS4 it looks amazing, the technology looks cool (the walkers are great), the atmosphere is amazing etc. pp. But I think Japanese story telling has some problems. Look at Baldur's Gate2 or Planetscape Torment for a good story progression in an RPG without hours of cutscenes (Yes you talk a lot in these games but you have some control and its never longer than a couple of minutes)
