METAL GEAR SOLID 4: Guns of the Patriots - Master Collection Version

I wanted to sit with this "Remaster" for a moment before writing a review. But it's now been a little while and I feel ready to talk about it. Metal Gear Solid 4 was my very first ever experience with the series. I watched my dad play it when i was a little kid, and once i turned 5 or 6 I got to play the game for the first time. Obviously my brain didn't understand a single thing happening but one thing was for sure. I loved it. Fast forward 13 years after my first playthrough and I'm about as big of a metal gear fan you can be(I'm sure there are still people who hold it in even higher regard than myself though.) I've played every single game in the Solid series now with the release of Peace walker alongside this game. for the last 5 years I have made it a point to replay MGS4 at least once a year. It's become tradition for me, and had this remaster not been coming I would've done that playthrough much sooner. This game transcends all the other metal gear games for me, That's not to say those games are bad or anything. This series is undoubtedly my favorite of all time. But this one in particular means something to me. Metal Gear Solid 4 follows the story of Solid Snake once again after playing as big boss during Snake Eater. Snake appears as an old and decrepit man, full of regrets, but still has one more mission to do, that is to stop his brother Liquid Snake 9 years after the shadow moses incident. I don't wanna spoil anything this game has to offer so I'll stop it there. But if you've played the other solid games be ready for Nostalgia done in the most absolutely perfect way imaginable. Snake eater was the first game to introduce the Camo index, where you would collect camos and match them to the environment. This game took the camo Index and basically Automated that process. It features a new camo system called "Octocamo" how this new system works is essentially Snake's suit will automatically blend into the environment if you either 1. Crouch up against a wall or 2. Go prone and lay still for a few seconds. I've always been a huge fan of this system as it takes the good parts from the camo index and simplifies it without completely trivializing the experience. Another big gameplay feature in this particular entry is the ability to help fight a war, and doing so actively benefits you! if you decide to help the Rebel troops they'll help you fight and in very specific cases will allow you to unlock special things. Of course I am admittedly quite biased toward this game due to growing up on it. But I also truly believe I would've found just as much love for this game no matter when I could've discovered it. Due to this review being spoiler free there were tons of things I wanted to share that I just couldn't about this absolute masterpiece. Metal Gear Solid 4 is and likely always will be my personal favorite video game ever made. Going for the big boss rank now and I'm pretty excited to start that process! 10/10 G.O.A.T