3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots
Cut-scenes, on top of cut-scenes, on top of cut-scenes. That's what people who hate on this game will complain about. My response to the complaint is simply this: what did you expect!? Did you really think that Kojima, master storyteller and cut-scene aficionado, would tie up the story of Solid Snake without an insane amount of them? There was just so much ground to cover and stories to tell that there was really no other way for MGS4 to turn out. This is definitely a game that seems to have soured in people's eyes over the years, which is evidenced by IGN not even including it in its latest
Top 25 PS3 Games post. Not to mention that IGN is the same website that rated MGS4 a perfect
10/10 when it was released 5 years ago. I love IGN, and the work that they do, but to leave MGS4 off of a list of the best PS3 games is just asinine if you ask me. Another complaint was that the game was nothing but fan service, with so many loose ends being tied up, and so many nostalgic moments peppered throughout. How is this a bad thing? Kojima brought back essentially every character from the series that was still alive, turned Raiden from an effeminate whiny pawn into the new Cyborg Ninja, and gave us what is quite possibly my favorite moment in the history of gaming; the return to Shadow Moses in Act 4. By the time I finally got my hands on the game (I had been visiting my parents out of state the week it came out), I had gotten wind of the surprise that awaited me after the carnage on the Volta river. Even knowing what was in store, it didn't take away any luster from the actual reveal of Shadow Moses. I will never forget the feeling I had when I had evaded the Gekko, and fought through the snow storm to finally see an HD representation of Shadow Moses. With as big a fan as I am of the series, it quite literally took my breath away. When the flashback dialog started to play over certain sections of the map, it just took it to another level. The ending, which does last well over an hour, also serves as a point of controversy for many people. I, for one, was happy that Kojima changed his mind and allowed Snake to come out of the series alive. The ending sequence of forgiveness between he and Big Boss, as well as the revelation that FOXDIE was no longer turning him into a walking nuclear weapon was as perfect an ending to Snake's story as I could have hoped for. Obviously Snake is not a real person, but to know may favorite video game character is able to live out the rest of his life in peace makes me happy. Ending his life with a .45 in his mouth was not something befitting a legendary hero in my book. As much as I love this game, I couldn't place it any higher on my list than #3...