I'd like to say i actually bought it when it first came out with my PS3. It was the first game i played on the system. I also like to add that this was the first time i play metal gear solid maybe you don't beleive me but i missed all the metal gear games.
It was first unveiled at E3 2005 that Kojima once again is at the helm of making yet another great metal gear game but this time for PS3. Later on though he decided to retire and let someone else to do it but under pressure from fans, Konami and Sony he accepted to do it again. It was at Tokyo game show same year that the famous trailer was shown that made us believe PS3 is the next generation system to buy after all. Some gameplay footage and other trailers were shown also at E3 2006 and 2007.
The sheer amount of hype and pressure on the game maybe was one of the reasons people had some disappointments regarding the game. This is the last game in the series to feature Snake as the main hero. So you can imagine how big this game should be to be able to bring all the loose ends from the past games and finish it here. In fact this is the only game to have a capacity of 50 Gb which is recorded on a dual layer blu-ray disc. Yes it is very huge. Kojima implied that even with this huge capacity at his disposal still there were extensive compression and missed features to make it into the disc.
In terms of audiovisual presentation this game actually is a piece of demonstration that what PS3 can do. The cutscenes are beautifully rendered using the game engine and it wouldnt be a metal gear game without all the brilliant direction from Kojima. The openning of this game is so thrilling that make you even more eager to play it. I just want to skip on all the graphical bliss in the game and just mention the details on the walls of the streets in the first level which made my jaw drop. Snake's own animations are also masterfully created and his sore back is only one of the little touches that kojima let us notice and enjoy another case of brilliant animation programming and design is how snake moves in barrel or cardbox or descends stairs. Audio also is fantastically done from all the detailed background noise like the bombshells to rebels die in agony. Voice work is also top-notch.
Now let's take a moment here and remember how big the game is. There is actually loads of easter eggs and secrets to various costumes. I personally loved the inclusion of iPod in the game, not very useful but it is interesting to see how imaginative kojima productions were thinking.
The gameplay is also a high point here. You can go Big Boss style not to kill anyone or raise any alarm or carzily kill anything that moves or even go anything in between. The A.I also works really good to make sure you face some challenges along the way. I can point out Gekkos for their smart behaviour. So for the game this massive you get to chose between dozens of guns and gadgets with attachments and etc.
There were some complaints about the loading times and cutscenes which Konami even restricted any early reviews to mention them. For me it was understandable for a game this size only to bring the loading screen between acts was a pleasure and to make sure we as gamers give ourselves a rest and enjoy some funny comments on the screen as Snake also taking a break from action and enjoy a cig or two. The cutscenes though they are a bit long but are interactive so the audience will not get bored just sitting and watching the motion actors playing the scenes. I personally loved the cutscenes especially the opening, Raiden vs Vamp and the ending were so epic that i even watched them several times.
In conclusion, this is the game PS3 owners were waiting for.