Whenever buying games I will always see an "Official Guide" for any new release, most of the time I will ignore these as I feel most of the fun of playing a game is in the element of surprise and investigation. However in some games, such as MGS4, there is just so much to uncover that I am happy to bend the rules for a little help.
Now most of us have that evil little voice in our heads telling us to have a peek at the book for a little bit of help, on this game you really should not need any assistance the first time around. This book is really for the purists who want to unlock everything. In fact, completing MGS4 the first time around will hardly unlock anything. In this game it is the repeat plays that you will gain you more easter eggs and extras than you possibly have imagined.
The book weighs in at over 200 pages and is brought to you by piggyback who worked in close collaboration with Kojima Productions, so if you do consider purchasing this official guide, you can at least be assured that this is a quality title and covers everything you need to know about MGS4.
The layout is very easy to follow, it is split into 5 sections, How to play, Walkthrough, Inventory, Metal Gear Online and Extras. Each section is then split into subsections, to make navigation through the book easy. Thankfully all of the pages are also very colourful with helpful screenshots to clearly explain an area or requirement.
The first section, “How to play” covers the basic controls and also explains in more detail the CQC and other moves that you will come across during the game. The Walkthrough section is split into each of the 5 acts, each game area has a detailed map with a easy to follow keys and important locations, it explains how to play through and also alternative strategies, flashback points, boss battles, weapons in the area and also non lethal strategies for those of you looking for the best rank in the game. The Inventory explains all items you can collect, a very detailed list of weaponry and their pros and cons, custom parts and camo. The chapter on Metal Gear Online again offers basic and expert advice on how to play, with detailed maps and tips for each mode and level. The Extras area explains how to gain emblems, special equipment and all of the games secrets like the ipod tunes locations and also how to locate and exorcise ghosts. It offers a screen by screen checklist for each secret, so you can tick them off as you collect them. The back of the book also has a very detailed history of the Metal Gear story, hand for anyone who is not entirely familiar with it.
As every with book of this nature, please be aware of spoilers, the book sensibly marks these out every time, but a word of advice, you really don’t need to use this book until you have played through the game for the first time as the majority of the items you unlock are not available until the second play though anyway.
Overall this title is definitely worth the money if you want to unlock everything in the game, it matches the games style and is so in depth, there are items in this game that I was not even aware of, making this guide a good read and a invaluable source for the all the collectors out there.
