Machinarium Review

Machinarium is a flash-based, point-and-click adventure game developed by Amanita Design, the creators of the excellent Samorost series.

The game took an amazing 3 years to create and the end result is something spectacular. The art style is all hand drawn and touched up on the PC and definitely gives the game a unique style that really captures your imagination about the world you are walking in. Speaking of the world, the game features some fantastic animation that brings the characters to life and makes you think "Wow".

I really fell in love with the "thought bubbles" which appear when you don't press anything for a short duration. They show off some of the back-story between the protagonist and his robot girlfriend and generally make you laugh hysterically.


'The art style is really beautiful.'

The game features some of the best collection of songs I have heard in a game this year and I believe that Tomas Dvorak has really captured the feeling of each area that you are playing in. One of my favourite songs is Mr Handagote and you can hear it below:



The puzzles are solved by clicking on objects of interest and either combining them with other objects or using them on the environment to progress. However the overall impression given was that the game featured lots of environmental puzzles but instead I felt that the game had too many logical puzzles and mini-games such as the second arcade machine where you move blocks in a certain order to get to the exit or the brain mini-game where you shoot viruses.

I believe they included a "Space Invaders" mini-game because they wanted to remind the younger gamers about a time when computer games were simple. Unfortunately I feel that they were also used to prolong the life of the game and it worked because the game took me a staggering 8 hours to complete.


'The game features an inventory.'

Now if you are like me and you are not always good at solving puzzles then you can either keep on trying or look up a guide and thankfully, Amanita have supplied an in-game book that unlocks once you pass a little test. You control a little key and have to avoid spiders by shooting them. At the end, the player reaches the key-hole and the book opens up revealing fantastic drawings of what you have to do to solve the puzzle. The only issue I have with this mechanic is that to sway you off doing it again, you have to repeat the mini-game even if you have unlocked it already.

Of course no game is perfect and there are a few issues that have come up during my play-through such as minor glitches where the robot "zaps" to certain places when clicking on objects. I also noticed that certain items could be used on places where they should not have, causing the game to break and forcing the player to restart if they saved it.

I also found that one particular puzzle kept disappearing if you took too long to click and that was especially irritating for my mother who does not play games and was trying to understand the mechanics.


'I love the little references to Samorost. (Make sure to click the robot)'

You may also be surprised to hear that the game was made using Adobe Flash and it is amazing how it compares to professional games which use more complex programming such as C++. I noticed a lot of reviewers complained about the right click function which brings up the Adobe menu and that can't be avoided however the game never specifies to use it which is why I can't understand why they complain about it.

Lastly, I felt that the ending was a little short and without spoiling it I will say this:

If you have seen "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" then think back to the lift scene near the end. Imagine watching it take off and then suddenly it cuts off as the lift smashes through the glass. That's the best way to describe it in my opinion and I really wish they had just added one last scene like in Samorost 2 where the protagonist dances with the space taxi driver.

Overall Machinarium is a fantastic adventure with a beautiful soundtrack and has many thrilling puzzles that even your parents would enjoy solving.

I know mine do...

Play the demo here and please buy it if you enjoyed it because it helps the team develop new games in the future: http://machinarium.net/demo/

(They slowed it down a little in order to make it last longer and in my opinion, the game looks a lot better when playing the full version as it supports fullscreen.)

P.S. I would like to add that the game won the Excellence in Visual Art award at the 12th Annual Independent Games Festival.

Machinarium by Amanita Design

If you've never heard of the Samorost series then you seriously need to open your ears because it is by far one of the most immersive games you'll probably ever play. Go now! Play them for free!

http://amanita-design.net/samorost-1/

http://amanita-design.net/samorost-2/

Now back to the topic, Machinarium. The game is similar to the Samorost series in that it is an artistic, immersive point and click adventure game. The attention to detail is amazing in terms of story and the art that makes up the environment.



Now the game isn't out until the 16th October 2009 but you can grab the demo on Steam and I've heard of a rumoured hidden version with an extra puzzle although you might as well wait till the full game comes out.

One of the best elements in Amanita's games is the music by Tomas Dvorak. I would go as far as to say that it makes the games what they are. Tomas has a real talent for making ambience that really reflects the area that you're in. Very powerful.

Overall there will always be some people who won't enjoy it and in a way I pity them because I just feel it's one of those spiritual games where you really feel part of the world, similar to Shadow of the Colossus.

Pre-order it now! Support the indie developers as it's very difficult to gamble and develop such an adventurous game only for it to not sell well!

(Source Image: http://machinarium.net/gallery.html - Date Accessed: 10 October 2009)

Monster Hunter 3 IS coming to UK!

I can happily announce that Capcom have announced plans to bring Monster Hunter 3 (Tri) to the Western market in early 2010! I've waited almost 3 years for a new Monster Hunter after they closed the first game in 2007 and I refuse to invest in a PSP when the screen is so small.

Here is the source of the news for those that do not believe these words:

Click Here

I leave you with what I believe is their last trailer!



"Excited" doesn't even describe the feelings right now!



(Source Images: Capcom Press Release)

EA's Battlefield 1943 Review

Before I begin my review I would like to thank Yasir Alani for inviting me to the launch event for EA's Battlefield 1943 videogame. It was an honour to be invited to the launch and it was great meeting other people in the games industry.

Battlefield 1943 is technically the child of Battlefield 1942 as it takes all the good bits of the father and improves them ten times over. Visuals, gameplay and sound effects are all improved and make the playing experience much more enjoyable. However, just because it has been improved does not mean that it is without a few flaws and I will be addressing these later on. The version I tested was on the Xbox 360 which made the overall experience different since I have become more of a PC gamer over the years, especially when it comes to First Person Shooter games, although I will not let that affect the review.

The game is obviously set in 1943 (WW2), hence the name, and features two sides fighting against each other: United States Marine Corps and the Imperial Japanese Army. The aim of the game is to capture flags or rather territory and dominate the opposition until they have nowhere else to go. Both teams are aided with useful vehicles such as planes, tanks, boats and trucks to travel faster or to cause major damage to the scenery. I say this because the game runs on the Frostbite engine which has allowed the developers to make almost everything destructible such as buildings, trees and vehicles.

Players are no longer safe inside the once indestructible buildings of the "old games" and it is this twist that enhances the gameplay. One example was when I hid behind a tree after being discovered by an enemy tank and waited until they went away. This tactic failed as the tree fell over from the shower of tank bullets and I ended up being exposed. You can guess the rest and it goes to show that it's little features like this that can change the way people strategise in the game. Unfortunately there are a few structures that can't be destroyed and this takes away the feeling of freedom and can cause the player to die as they wasted their shot.



The game seems to relate to the number "three" quite often because there are "three" classes: Rifleman, Infantry and Scout although I think Sniper would have been a better name since that's really what the scout is. There are also "three" levels plus a bonus one called "Coral Sea" which is unlocked once the entire community rakes up a massive "forty three" million kills. Why that particular number? Who knows, but whatever the reason, it's an ingenious idea since it brings the community together, attracts more players and creates an aim that drives people to play for longer hours. If it were up to me then I'd have made the achievement even more interesting by only allowing the first console to reach that number to unlock it, essentially creating a competitive console race. Although the level would eventually be shared with the losing console otherwise it would lose sales. As I write this, the leading console with the most kills is the Xbox 360.

In relation to numbers, did you know that the game is only £9.99? (1200 Xbox Points) That's amazingly cheap for a game of this quality and it's all because it's distributed online instead of on a CD. The way of the future no less and it is something that I think a lot of games companies will adopt in the near future. I think the price is perfect since you are only getting three levels (+ bonus map) and the classes are simplified to allow all sorts of players to quickly jump in and have a great time. It's the type of game that can be played for an hour and is good for those of you with little free time to play games.

During my playtest I got a chance to try each class and I have to say that my favourite is the Rifleman as he appears to be the "middle man" that most people can quickly master. I managed to gather up an "amazing three" kills with that class, although you can blame my terrible skills as I am mainly used to playing on the PC! The next class, infantry, is more like the machine gun guy who works best in close quarters and lastly is the scout class which I believe is the hardest to master as he requires greater accuracy. It takes a fair amount of skill to kill an enemy who is jumping up and down and running about.

The gameplay handles like any other first person shooter game and does not throw anything new into the formula although it doesn't need to as the game does what it was made to do and that is to simulate a WW2 game. As you play more and more of the game you earn new ranks which are only used for bragging and showing that the player has experience. It would have been nice if the ranks gave the player slight advantages over others such as a slight damage increase.



The controls aren't confusing although I did have trouble getting into vehicles as there was a delay after pressing the B button. This kept causing me to press it again essentially making me get in and out over and over. Other than that, there are plenty of control options which you can change to suit your needs such as reversing which analog stick aims and which one moves the character around. Flying the plane is also difficult and I can guarantee that you will crash at least five times before taking off but don't let that make it sound like a fault because once you master it; you can dominate the scoreboards and gain a huge advantage.

Regarding sound, it was unfortunate that the volume was considerably lowered during testing however from what I did hear, it sounded like I was participating in a real war as far as I am aware. (Who here has fought in a real war?)

For a game that's distributed online, it's amazing how high the graphic standards have improved over the years and when I first played the game I almost felt like I was playing EA's Crysis. The lighting ranges from tropical daytime in two of the three maps and a warm afternoon in the other. It would have been nice if Guadalcanal and Wake Island had different distinguishing features however this is not the case and it's disappointing since there are only three levels. They are so similar in fact that I can't even tell which one I tested at the event.

One thing that bothers me is the fact that the game only supports a maximum of 24 players, which is impressive for a downloadable game, however the levels were partly adopted from the older game and it feels as though they are still too big for the maximum amount of players. Funnily enough the FAQ on their website acknowledges this and claims that testing has shown it works, but I disagree. I just hope that the PC version can support 64 players as that's almost a standard number for most online PC games these days.

Speaking of the PC version, I haven't been able to play it yet because it is not out until autumn 2009. I would like to see the ability for users to create user made levels as I believe it is vital for the industry to support modders as they can greatly improve a game and raise sales. An example I can think of is that the modders could add blood to the game since it seems to lack it for reasons unknown.

Overall the game is very polished with no glitches that I am aware of although there are rumours of a "falling through the ground" glitch after death but this can be easily overlooked for such a cheaply priced game with brilliant visuals and easy to use controls. In regards to the glitch comment, I stand corrected as I just found this YouTube video that reveals a rather humorous glitch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_d4vRDbUM4 - Thanks r34perpwnz

If my experience with the console version was good then there is no doubt that the PC version will be even better! Let's pray that they include a software development kit for all the modders out there.

I would like to end the review with a quote by Daemon Hatfield (2009) on IGN because I think this best describes the feeling of the game: "One of my favorite moments is when I spawn on an aircraft carrier and have to take a ride back to the island on a boat. Tension builds as I see explosions and gunfire erupting everywhere I look until I finally hit the beachhead and rejoin the fight. Great stuff."

For more information on the videogame visit: http://www.battlefield1943.com/

(Image Sources: EA Press ZIP sent by E-mail)

Project Trico - A Team ICO Game

Team ICO, the creators of both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus have released a new trailer for their new project: Trico.



Amazing isn't it? When I see it, I am reminded of both ICO and SoC which is a good thing. It's like the two best games had a newborn child. Apparently this trailer was shown at last year's E3 behind closed doors. A few VG journalists have already confirmed it.

I'll admit that when I first saw the eyes in the darkness I pulled a "wtf" face because I was expecting the typical black smoke monsters that are present in both games.

I don't understand how anyone can dislike Team ICO's games; they're like the "Studio Ghibli" of the video games industry. People are entitled to their opinion but I can't understand how they can say that after playing the unique and epic game. They should read the "Making of SoC" and see how much work was put into it because it was a lot. Games take us to places and let us do things we wouldn't be able to do in real life which is why I love SoC because it's so creative, has a brilliant score and is all together a great game.

So I hope those who disliked SoC may learn to like Trico!

(Source Image and Video: PlayStationLifeStyle - Date Accessed: 20th May 2009)

Mass Effect on the PC

During my Christmas break I managed to get my hands on Mass Effect after finding out it was also released on PC. I also heard it was a really good game from lots of people and I knew it would be as it was made by one of my favourite developers, Bioware.

The reason I enjoyed it so much was the story. Developers, take note as Bioware are the best when it comes to in-depth stories and they are doing it right. When I first loaded the game, I was shot back by the large amounts of information being thrown at me. For a little while, it was overwhelming but you soon sink into it all and you start to learn names of aliens and the history of it all. I can never forget the two enemies that made me jump all the time, Husks and Thorns.

Think of them as the zombies of the game except they run, they suicide in your face and they like to play dead until you're close by...Especially the Thorns, sitting down all the time as if to say "Hey, come over here, we're drinking tea!"

The game is flawless in my opinion; I had NO issues with it except one tonight where my character got stuck on a bad collision model. It's really polished and so in depth at times that I could just fall deep into the story and never come out. I reallyloved the interactivity in the cutscenes because it gives you choice and you get to see what happens because of your choice. In fact, one of my favourite characters died because I chose to rescue the other from certain death. It's very powerful at making you feel for the characters.

The gameplay was quite interesting, it had the "KOTOR" (Knights of the Old Republic) style but it evolved and became Gears of War meets Star Wars. You can take cover and pause the game to plan strategies and so on. You're also given the choice of class when you first start and for once, I chose the soldier as I'm normally the super weak mage in other class based games. I can tell you, being the soldier kicked ass. You become pretty much invincible as you can use all the weapons and all armours. Overall I liked the game mechanics as they worked well on a keyboard and mouse and it satisfied me enough. Oh however, the driving sections were a little annoying as the planet surfaces were so bumpy and the car was a little over sensitive.

On to the sound, I loved it. The music scores were effective at conveying where you were. From the mighty Citadel to the cold peaks on a certain planet I can't remember because there were so many and the names do slip. As I said earlier, the game has scary monsters and what better way to convey the horror aspect than by having a creepy tune. The tune can be heard here:

http://www.habboi.co.uk/mus_area_peak15_2_jack.mp3

(I had to rip it from the game as it wasn't shipped with the OST)

Here's another of my favourite songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINefilcmZw&feature

These are my favourites because they were really nicely constructed and fit the themes well. The horror song consisted of ringing bell type noises that made you edgy as they used the song in places that seemed empty but were not. The song above, I heard tonight and it's used in a really peaceful sanctuary where you have a discussion with a really old Prothean AI. I would class it as the "relaxing" song of the game.

Back to the story, I won't spoil it but I must say that there are a lot of twists and turns and that's what makes it so interesting. There's so many questions and each one gets answered as you progress so I feel like I'm being rewarded for playing for a certain amount of hours. They ended it in a way that it guarantees a sequel so I will be looking forward to it.

I would really give the game a go as I'm holding it as one of my favourite modern games. If you love story and in-depth history and so on then you'll love it.

(In fact, one of the planets, the snow one, inspired me to make a level on Source involving a scrolling tram. I ended up spending a week modelling the train and texturing it and exporting it in the game. Good stuff.)

P.S. If you want to see the so called "Sex Scene" that Fox News caused a stir about then make sure to save the women and talk to them a lot ;)

(Source Image: http://pix3lnati0n.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/masseffect.jpg - Date Accessed - 09 February 2009)

Are Games a Chore?

There are times when I'm playing a videogame for a few hours and I think to myself:

"I feel like I've done this already..."

What I mean is, when I play a game that lasts for many hours, I start to notice levels that may have been copy / pasted to extend the length. Another example is that there are also games that actually get you to do the same thing over and over. An example would be Assassin's Creed where you have to assassinate important people in the same way each time.

You have to ride your horse to the city, you then investigate, survey the area and rescue peasants. When you have enough information, you are allowed to assassinate the leader after watching a small in-game clip that pushes the story onwards.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Assassins Creed despite the fact you do the same thing over and over. In fact a lot of reviewers and players agree that the game does get boring after a long period. This is a problem actually because games are expected to last at least 8 hours nowadays but the problem is that as games have progressed, so has the consumers requirements and demands.

Players expect top graphics combined with unique gameplay that satisfies them and makes them feel good. Others like myself prefer story over graphics and sometimes gameplay.

I think this has to do with open world games that give the player choice. Let's look at the new Prince of Persia as an example. Unlike the older games, the new Prince of Persia lets the player choose where they want to go however this means they could go along one side and then go back and finish the other. The problem with this is, unless the programmers coded a mechanic that detects what areas have been done and what scenes have been watched, they have to keep the scenes pretty dry so that the characters don't mention something that has already happened and so on.

The old Prince of Persia games, I'm thinking of PoP2, felt more interesting because each area had a unique theme, the story progressed in a linear fashion and was generally exciting to find out what happens next.

Now I do enjoy some open world games such as Mass Effect which I've been playing for a good 20 hours so far. The great thing about it is, the game is filled with so much story and closes up a lot of loose holes that would take me out of the story. I really feel part of the games universe because of the deep story narrative and interactive talking.

If developers can find a way to speed up game development then there would be a lot more open world games that are unique and have tasks that don't repeat. Technology such as motion capture is slowly rising and being used a lot more in game studios because of the speed and ease of use. Look at the insane moves used in Devil may Cry 3 for example. I'd hate to animate all that by hand. Of course I'd have to learn the human anatomy first ;)

One more game that comes to mind is Mirror's Edge. I just finished it for the PC and felt it ended on a good length. Some of the levels were a little similar but that's fine since the city looks the same generally. However the team did a good job making each level unique. You jump on trains in one, climb a huge work site, slide down sewers etc. The music was really powerful as well. Made you feel pumped for action. The game is unique because it's the only game I can think of that lets you run across roof tops and do amazing jumping moves in first person. I heard they are making a trilogy and I will buy them if it is true but mainly for the story. No doubt the gameplay will be the same which is fine but they need to think of new locations and create new ideas that make the new games stand out. Otherwise it will feel like a chore.

Lastly, I've noticed that games are a lot more fun if you pace yourself instead of completing them in one day. It's something worth looking forward to the next day and extends the life of the game. Give it a try! I'm looking at you Nikki. (I doubt you'll read this.)

Winter Madness!

(Photoshop'd LAWL)

ARGH I hate it! I love Winter, the snow we rarely see and the cold...Well to a certain degree, not a fan of the hot sun either, just in-between :)

But the thing I hate the most about Winter is the large amount of exposure to the cold leads to illness.

That's right, the cold. As far as I'm aware everyone gets it because it spreads like wildfire. But then it's like Christmas comes as a way of saying sorry.

Christmas: "Here's your Christmas Jumper! Yay!"

This post came to me while I was in the shower and I suddenly *ahem* spit some mucus out to find it had blood in it. Yummy...But I swear I get this every year...There must be a way to avoid it @_@

In other news I have been watching Angry Video Game Nerd videos to pass the nights before uni. They can be so funny sometimes, especially this one:

http://www.screwattack.com/AVGN/2007/AtariPorn

To think, there were actual adult games, yes XXX games. Oh boy...Worth a watch! :D

I also found this video which I found funny:

http://screwattack.com/PBC/LMG/Dating

Little Miss Gamer basically talks about the different types of male gamer boyfriends she supposedly dated. They are so true but I think she missed a few, I'm not hardcore or a pro gamer nor am I casual, I'm in between.

The Average Gamer if you will.

Lastly since Christmas is coming up, that means there are a lot of good games coming out and so far my list of top games to get are:

Little Big Planet

Fallout 3

Mirror's Edge (I was told it was delayed till January because they think it will stop piracy...Yeah because people will spend all their money in Christmas and then pirate it in Jan...)

L4D

Prince of Persia (HD Version)

Oh and Lastly Lastly I have to sadly say one of my cats, Tia, was put to sleep because she caught a virus called Feline Infectious Peritonitus. There's two versions, her version made her kidneys expand because they were filling up with protein or calcium or something...

I'm sad yeah even if we only had her for 3 months but I'm glad she died painlessly. I thought that when Little Big Planet comes out I'll dedicate a level to her by recreating her into a giant fire breathing cat that chases the players.

Yeah...I can imagine the top levels charts now ^_^

Male Gamers Playing as Female Game Characters

I've been meaning to write about this for a while because while playing a mod called 'Killing Floor' for Unreal Tournament 2004 I decided to play as a female character for a change. Among all the other players I was the only female character.

I joined the only server that came up because the mod had obviously lost interest and half way through amongst all the French someone asked me why I was playing as a female character and then rudely remarked "it was kinda gay".

First of all what led this person to assume I was a guy playing as a female and second of all what makes it gay? I mean I am a male, yes but I guess he hasn't seen many females play games.

I didn't really say much to him because I just thought what a stupid thing to say. So I just asked what makes it gay and he never replied...

But this goes back to my topic...Is it wrong to play as a female character?

It started a while back when I installed Elder Scrolls Oblivion for the thirteenth time and decided for a change to play as a female. It certainly made the game different because of the fact the NPC's addressed me as ma'm or miss and the new sounds when I attacked were refreshing. Although my mother came in and watched me play for a while so I explained to her what it was about etc and when I switched to third person I recall her saying..."You're a girl? That's kinda weird." (Thanks mum)

So ever since I've been playing as female character because it's refreshing and because there aren't enough of them in games.

This is partly why I am looking forward to Mirror's Edge which follows the role of Faith, a female character.

I suppose this topic is kind of steering towards Feminism which is a topic I'm not too knowledgeable about. I even have a friend who has a female avatar in Guild Wars and I remember saying it was kind of weird (this was before I tried playing as a female character)...So perhaps before people say it's weird, they should try it themselves.

But yeah, is it geeky for a male player to select a female avatar or do you think it's perfectly fine? I'm interested in what you have to say if you're reading this.

*While surfing for a picture to post at the top I found this interesting topic which is similar to mine:

http://news.filefront.com/chinese-mmo-bans-males-from-playing-female-characters/

Do give it a read.

*I thought I'd add that just now I completed the Shivering Isles expansion for Oblivion using my female character and I realised how playing as a female helped me make decisions. For example I was pleased to see they added choices to the game and there is a point where you are forced to kill either the duke or the duchess. Playing as the female I chose to kill the duchess and take her role. Therefore if given the choice to be male or female, it does alter the experience from what I've seen. I could even replay it and see the different bits I missed not playing as a male for example...* (Yes I did install it the same day I completed it...It's short! only took like 5-6+ hours I think...)

(Content used: http://www.sexysprite.com/images/UUWOVAIBBMHK.jpg - 05 September 2008)

E3 - New Mirror's Edge Gameplay Footage

(This would make a great title screen)

A couple of days ago a new trailer was released on GameTrailers.com continuing on where the last trailer ended.



The visuals still remain amazing in my eyes with the variety of colours and the high resolution textures. I also love the fact we're playing as a female for a change because lately I have noticed game characters are all mostly men aka Assassin's Creed or Alone in the Dark...

It will be refreshing to hear Faith huffing and puffing rather than a big male who grunts and groans...(I am sure you get the picture)



All the moves shown so far look like a lot of fun! I especially love this sliding water scene because it looks fun to pull off and I love the water refracting as Faith slides down.





The combat is interesting although I still feel like there is more to show. It almost looks too easy to grab an enemy and steal their weapon and then knock them over with a few stylish moves. It also looks slow paced which may frustrate some players because the free running looks fast paced. I can't say until I've tried the game myself but that won't be until they release a demo or ask me personally to test it for them. (I would love too!)

In an interview with Nick Channon (Producer) he mentioned that you can complete the game without using any combat and stated it is even an achievement. I think the gun fights are going to be limited and it will instead concentrate more on the free running aspect.



The lighting and mood really pull me into this game. I think it is the lighting that makes the game look unique compared to most games this year.



This last bit interests me because you can clearly see a man in the helicopter is recording Faith's running as she jumps for the legs.

They could be allies helping her escape or they might be a news crew in this fictional world trying to get a new story.

Lastly the trailer uses a remix or perhaps a continuation of the song played in the first trailer. The song has attracted many fans to this game and many have searched for a download.

It's a confusing subject because I have read that this song was made after the trailer version and that EA asked the creators to remove the link on their site. Either way the song will most likely not be out until the game is...

But if you must know it's called Shine by Alcorus.

I look forward to more footage!

*Edit*

I just found this video showing some new gameplay and one of the levels seen in the trailers.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36349.html

Enjoy!

(Source of Trailer: GameTrailers.com and Source of Song: inferiuz - Date Accessed 18th July 2008)

Metal Gear Solid 4 Out Today! My Quick Thoughts...

I received MGS4 this morning and I've been playing it since 11am to 2pm and so far I am hugely impressed with the presentation and the quality of the game.

I am also a little shaky because I felt like I was really in the warzone!

I just did the part where you fight the FROGS (crazy women in suits with ninja jumping skills) and I'm about to approach Liquid...

Gameplay has been improved and I actually smiled when the intro music played because I had a feeling they'd use that particular song. It's a deep game and I have found it easy to follow so far!
If you have a PS3 then it is a must buy!

*Spoiler Theory*

When you meet the gun launderer he injects you with suppressor nano machines to let you use the ID guns. If I recall in a trailer Snake and the soldiers around him struggle to move etc and my bet is these new nano machines are also going to suppress Snake...

I'll find out after lunch :>

*Edit*

Yup I was right ^^

HUGE EDIT:

I just finished the game...19 hours and 30 mins :) Didn't rush it and I thoroughly enjoyed it! So many things revealed and an amazing ending! If you really want to know the main points of the game then look below:

*SPOILERS* (forgive me if I make error as there is a lot that I have forgotten or didn't fully understand)

1. As you know Snake is old now and we later find out that he is aging not because of FOXDIE but because of the way he was designed as a clone. His reproductive ability was removed and his age limited so that if he were captured by the enemy...He couldn't be used against the US.

2. We also find out that the FOXDIE in Snake mutated to survive in his ever so fast aging body and in doing so started to slowly lose its sense...In other words it was becoming a kind of virus and according to Naomi who created FOXDIE, the virus would become an epidemic therefore Snake has to die to stop the mutated FOXDIE from floating in the air and infecting the public.

3. It turns out that Liquid Ocelot was trying to destroy 'The Patriot's' who we find out are no longer human...The Patriot's were AI split into four networks controlling their own sections aka one controlled weapons, military vehicles etc.

4. In MGS2... Emma created the worm that destroyed Arsenal Gear's AI but it turns out the code only broke the contents into pieces. These pieces when put together formed one of the AI networks that controlled America...Liquid gained control of the network and planned to use it to control everything but before he could do that he needed to destroy the main Patriot AI which was in control of everything...SO in other words he needed to destroy the higher up so that the powers would be passed to him.

5. But in order to get control he needed Big Boss' corpse to access the system...The system being the thing that controls everything...

6. Along the way you meet Big Mama who turns out to be EVA from MGS3. She reveals that she is Snake's mother...Or rather his Surrogate mother who gave birth to Liquid and Solid. She managed to find Big Boss' corpse and you had to help her get it to safety however Liquid manages to get it and access the system. When he is surrounded by the military with nowhere to go...He makes his hand go in the shape of a gun and simply says bang as he points at the above helicopters. They turn off and crash...Next all the guns stop working and this is because Liquid has control of the weapons which are all ID tagged. Before all this EVA sadly gets stabbed by a sharp metal rod as she crashes off her bike with Snake on the back...This is almost the same way she almost died in MGS3 and is shown with flashbacks. In fact the whole game lets you see millisecond image flashes of the past with X when it comes up in the corner right of the screen.

7. EVA dies, Liquid escapes and Snake is burnt on the side of his face trying to rescue EVA who was trying to save the Big Boss corpse which Liquid threw in a fire because he no longer needed it. The corpse by the way was alive...Big Boss was kept alive but he was brain dead and had no flesh...

8. My chronological order is bad but before all this EVA tells you that The Patriot's was formed by a man named Zero and the members that joined were Para-Medic, Sergate, EVA, Ocelot, Big Boss. Zero needed an icon so he used Big Boss as the figure head. But as time went by Zero and Big Boss grew apart and Big Boss left and formed his only little militia...Zero who was angered by this, captured him and had him kept alive...brain dead but alive...

9. As for the 4 deadly beasts seen in the old trailers...They were all beautiful women scarred by war...The octopus lived in a town where she was forced by soldiers to torture and kill her family and laugh at the same time...That is why she laughs because of the guilt...After you defeat her she comes out of her suit and her body is all slimy however it forms into a similar texture to Snake's camo...Anyway after leaving her suit she acts kind of crazy and slowly walks toward Snake...You are forced to shoot her and back away...I don't know what happens if they get you but Konami sure made it creepy...Like a possessed woman trying to kill you...In the end you free her and the same goes for the others...Raven...I can't remember her story but Wolf cried all the time because she escaped a bunch of soldiers as a kid with her little brother...But her brother started crying and he was going to give away their hiding place so she held tightly on his mouth to stop the noise and after the soldiers left she realised she suffocated him. That is why she cries. You fight her at Shadow Moses which has been left untouched for 9 years because all those that knew about it were arrested or killed. As for the last one...Psycho Mantis...That was a good fight because if you try to do the switch controller ports trick, Octacon makes a joke about it etc...But you end up freeing her and finding out that even she was a puppet to the 'real' Psycho Mantis from MGS1. His spirit tries to read your memory card but again it is a joke as the PS3 doesn't have any. Then he tries to make your controller move but it doesn't have rumble :)

10. Raiden has gone all ninja on us and left Rosemary from MGS2. He saves snake many times and almost dies about 3 times @_@ It turns out he is almost completely a machine...His blood was replaced with an old military 'White Blood' to make him better at combat I think...Rosemary ended up marrying Campbell who is twice her age but right at the end we find out that he only married her to protect her and her 'son' from The Patriot's. Her son is Raiden's son and simply put they get back together and I can only assume they live a happy life as a family.

11. Vamp returned and did damage to Raiden in that battle we saw in the trailers...Later on we find out he isn't immortal but he has Nanomachines which increase his healing ability. Naomi feels guilty, calls him her sin. Snake fights him and injects him with suppressor nano's to make him mortal and basically Raiden kills him. THEN Naomi reveals she shouldn't even be alive because she has cancer...The Nanomachines inside her kept it at bay but she decided to let it kill her and ended her life in front of a sad Octacon who loved her.

12. Sunny, Olga's daughter was taken by The patriot's when she was born but she was rescued by Raiden thanks to EVA. She then spends her whole life on Octacon's plane in front of the computer and is a child genius. Before Naomi died...She gave Sunny a code she wrote that would infect a part of the Patriot system however it wasn't finished so Sunny used part of Emma's code to finish it. It later turns out that the virus was made to destroy ALL of the Patriot system. The code was changed by Sunny so that it destroyed the Patriots but the economic system remained intact. Octacon thinks this was Sunny’s way of getting revenge for Olga.

13. Also in the game you meet Drebin who says his real name is Drebin 983. He is a weapons launderer who helps you out when you needed weapons. He injected Nano machines in Snake to bypass the ID guns however the Nano machines were also spying on Snake. It is later revealed that Drebin was working for The Patriot's and he was ordered to help Snake and his gang stop Liquid from destroying the Patriot system. However the system never thought Snake would end up destroying them... Drebin also reveals that Rat Patrol Team Alpha 01 aka Meryl and her gang unknowingly were following The Patriot's orders because if you mix the Rat Patrol 01 around you get Patr1ot...

14. Meryl ends up marrying Johnny...the guy who has diarrhoea problems in the trailer and forgives her father, Campbell for all that he did in the past.

15. Anyway at the end you wake up on top of the sub that you infiltrated earlier with Liquid by your side. You end up duelling and each time you win a round the health bar switched from the old MGS1 bar to the second and to the third...Each time a theme song from each game played...This fight was exactly the same from MGS1 when you fight Liquid with QCQ however they made it really cool with a beautiful view of a sunset and killer moves that were just awesome!!! Oh also before this you escape Shadow Moses island in Metal Gear Rex and end up fighting Ocelot who is in Ray. It was pretty cool!

Oh I forgot but at the end of each Beast fight you got an item from them. From Octo you got a mask which made you even more camouflaged, Raven gave you a grenade launcher, Wolf gave you a rail gun and Psycho gives you her two dolls which let you control enemies with Nano machines inside them.

16. At the end you kill Liquid, destroy the system and free mankind but 10% suffer from withdrawal symptoms...Kind of like shell shock. So yeah Raiden is made kind of more human again, Meryl gets married and Snake approaches The Boss' grave.

17. He has one last smoke and puts a gun in his mouth...The camera flies off screen and we hear a bang. Later on after the credits it states a voice actor who we haven't heard yet...Big Boss...Suddenly a scene plays and we see Snake is not dead, Big Boss approaches him...He shouldn't be alive but the Patriot's kept him alive but in a kind of coma. The corpse that Liquid used to gain access to the system was in fact a clone...a perfect clone...Solidus from MGS2.

18. After a lengthy chat Big Boss reveals Zero who is old and in a wheel chair. It turns out that he created the AI that would continue running The patriot's because he didn't trust the future generation after what Big Boss did to him. Anyway the system ended up evolving and used War Economy to keep the world running. Zero doesn't realise he created a system that caused so much misery because he is old and is hooked up to a machine. Big Boss points out that a Zero becomes a one and then a one hundred...The cycle repeats itself so Big Boss cuts off his life support and Zero dies. A flashback reveals that Zero was the man Big Boss shook hands with in MGS3 at the end.

19. This part I don't fully understand but Big Boss then breaks into a sweat and says the damn Patriot's did this...I think Snake's FOXDIE started killing Big Boss because they were near each other...After a lengthy speech with Snake he tells Snake that the new FOXDIE that mutated is destroying the old FOXDIE therefore Snake doesn't have to die however he will still age rapidly because that is the way he was created.

20. Big Boss dies in front of The Boss' grave stone and ends with "Isn't this nice..." with a silent snake staring. Big Boss realises what his teacher, The Boss was all about...He understood her and left this world happily.

21. After more credits the logo appears...Octacon talks to Snake and basically Snake decides to live the remainder of his life peacefully and Octacon decides to be his witness so that he can spread the story of Solid Snake...Octacon gets the last say and it ends there.

I think I've said the main points...There is so much more and it really is worth playing! I think I'll play it again with a friend so that they can enjoy the story!

(Source Image: http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9321/mgs40an.jpg)