To ruin it, there's a scene where you meet your girlfriend in the game. Nothing big, mind you. It seems like a simple task.

She asks you to sit on the couch and you watch television with her for as long as you like. Later, she is executed in front of you for your crimes against the family. Normally, you wouldn't give a shit. But that one moment on the couch and Jenny's voice acting actually makes her a real character to the player.

It's really quite poignant and brilliant given the general feel of FPS games. The rest of the game is mediocre at best but that's one of those moments where interactivity is really shown in its glory because you had to actually connect with the character on a subtle level and when she dies, you are actually invested in that moment.

It's sad how one rather annoying moment on a couch turns into one of the most powerful moments I have seen in gaming in quite some time. 

Yeah, that's where you can watch the entire movie, "To Kill a Mokingbird." That was a cool scene.

That's also similar to the date you can go on with Aeris before she dies later in the game...

I was enjoying reading all the posts here but as I get closer to the last page(half of 4th page)....



I'm completely lost about what the topic is.....

Topic? MGS is awesome.

=)

What is this? hate MGS4 day because you don't understand the back story?

I'm sorry but I have only played MGS1 and saw the movies for MGS2/3 and I still understand it perfectly. Complex? Very much so, but it needs patience...Convoluted? Only to idiots.

I'm not saying it is the best storytelling ever in the history of gaming but for some people to dismiss so many years of storytelling that gripped millions of fans because they don't understand the story is just brainless.

For me, the back story has gripped me and made perfect sense how all the elements from all the games come together to the climax that will be MGS4. I can't wait for the conclusion...

Speaking of back on topic...here here.

Maybe it's the same kind of business of the platform this game is made for.

/ ducks

This thread is awesome.  Every time I read it rocketpig is going off on something I don't like.

I have played Xenogears and I know RP. I doubt it would change his opinion. I loved Xenogears, but like most anime, its story is a bit overdone. Still a great game (except for the point where you can tell the team had their budget cut), but it is just a good story in a sea of mediocre JRPG stories (yes, JRPG stories are just like anime stories, 95% mediocre to poor with overzealous fans that try to polish brass into gold). MGS stories go from being decent to mediocre with a healthy group of fanboys that standby with polishing rags.

Some of the best efforts by a Japanese dev to make games that really use the medium of games to have the player feel emotion and have you feel characters without obnoxious lengthy dialog come from Team ICO. ICO and Shadow of the Colosus are much better works of art than most games. It does stand to reason though that many times the games that have the best story or go for the more artistic approach may not sell that well. Movies are that way and books can be also. Its great that people try to make those games, but they are not for everyone.

The reason people may get more emotional about video game storylines is that they are already involved in the game by interacting with it. People can be drawn into mediocre stories if the gameplay is decent. This doesn't mean the story is great, but it's doing it's part in the game to make you feel immersed. Take the story out of the game and you may see how laughable it really is. This doesn't make the game bad either, unless the story is so obnoxious that you sigh whenever a character speaks, but just remember to put it in proper perspective.