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A 70-Year-Old's Take on Metal Gear Solid 4
Posted by Brian Crecente at 1:00 AM on June 21, 2008
It was Grand Theft Auto IV that drew my father to the Playstation 3 and it was to that same game that he withdrew to after hitting a frustrating bottle neck in Metal Gear Solid 4.
"I needed to just play a game for a little while, " he told me during a late night call earlier this week. "I got stuck in Metal Gear Solid and it was so frustrating playing it over and over again".
At 70, my dad isn't probably the typical Metal Gear Solid gamer, probably not even the typical gamer. But after watching me play through chunks of Grand Theft Auto shortly after its release he vowed to pick up the Playstation 3. Why the PS3? Because the original Xbox, now a magnet for dust in his house, got a chance and it was the Playstation's turn, he told me.
So on launch day my dad made his way to the only GameStop in Moultrie, Georgia, a town of pecan trees, tobacco warehouses and business-stopping high school football games. He got there before opening and stood in a line of one just to pick up the PS3 Metal Gear bundle.
After the set-up, the tweaking, the firmware updates, he settled down to play some Metal Gear Solid 4, his first experience with the franchise. I didn't hear from him for days. I imagined him sitting, cocooned in the self-exile of a tiny town in a tiny county, playing unshaven, the last great moments of Snake.
After a few days I called him up to check in, make sure he hadn't gone down the rabbit hole of virtual unreality. I asked him what he thought of the game.
"I think", he said slowly, "that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie".
Had he given up, I asked. No, he hadn't done that, instead he had buckled down and muscled forward, enjoying a lot of what he had experienced.
I told him I had suggested the game because I thought he would like the themes of military and espionage, and that unlike the shooters he was so used to playing, he didn't have to worry so much about his slowing reflexes?
You can take your time, and let the action and the story unwind slowly, like a good book, I said.
Oh, he replied, I play it like a shooter. I don't sneak around really. I just die a lot.
But despite what has to be the frustrations inherent in tackling a stealth game with guns blazing, my dad was showing signs of getting into it, digging it. He had one night after dinner, for instance, "accidentally" played the game well into the morning hours, going to bed not much before the sun rose.
But his brief love affair with hardcore gaming came to a crashing halt Thursday night when Snake met Vamp and the mounting deaths finally sapped his will to game.
"I don't understand why they have to force me to beat Vamp", he said. "I mean it's completely stopped me from playing the game. I can't go do anything else. I just want to have fun, but I can't".
I hooked him up with some help, tips, a walk-through on how to deal with his Vamp problem, but I think, perhaps, it might be too late. Straddling the line between hardcore and easy entry games, my dad just got stun-knifed out of the game.
Old Man and the GTA [Kotaku]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Wolf_Dog
Posted 1:55 AM 21/6/08
@His_Shadow7: @NexusSIX:
SPOILERS
I "killed" Vamp about 15 times, I blew him up, I shot at him, I tranqualized him 3 times in a row, I CQC'ed him to the ground, I slit his throagth 5 times in a row, I choked him on the floor...I called Otacon...I realised I'm a idiot.
Wolf_Dog
creid
Posted 1:53 AM 21/6/08
Tell him to use the Codec!
creid
Mav
Posted 1:53 AM 21/6/08
SPOILER
OTACON IS AN ALIEN IN DISGUISE
/SPOILER
Mav
lonesn1per
Posted 1:52 AM 21/6/08
not there yet!~ thanks crecente for not adding SPOILER on the title....i totally didnt know i was gonna fight VAMP...
:(
lonesn1per
depward
Posted 1:52 AM 21/6/08
I figured it out after I pinged Otacon and he told me about the nanomachines... then I thought, "OOOOOH I have this syringe!"
depward
stargateheaven
Posted 1:51 AM 21/6/08
If he isn't sneaking, no wonder he's dying. MGS is not a shooter :( put him right!
As for vamp.. I don't want to reveal spoilers (Anyone who hasnt beat the game yet, where have you been?) but the fight is really not hard once you know what to do (I had trouble for a while too).. i guess he'll hate mantis too then.
stargateheaven
superapplekid
Posted 1:50 AM 21/6/08
@keyrat: Yeah! me too!
I never got used to CQC in this one because the mechanics seemed weird to me in the beginning (maybe the 2nd time around I will), and found when I had to use it for Vamp that Snake would just kinda stand there or fall down when Vamp moved. Infinitely annoying.
superapplekid
His_Shadow7
Posted 1:49 AM 21/6/08
@NexusSIX: Agreed. =)
His_Shadow7
HepCat
Posted 1:49 AM 21/6/08
Hmm, I would if it would have turned out the same way had he been playing MGS3 and gotten to the Sorrow fight.
HepCat
Candlejack
Posted 1:47 AM 21/6/08
@NexusSIX: Ahoy that...I shot him down with a few precise headshots, ran over, did the...thing and bang. Took like 2 minutes.
Candlejack
ali_g_84uk
Posted 1:47 AM 21/6/08
Yeah mgs4 really isnt the game to get anyone into gaming...its too convoluted and tricky for many experienced players. I imagine burnout would be a good game for trying to encourage people to play games...its fast, flashy and when they screw up spectacular so they dont feel like theyre being punished.
ali_g_84uk
SG79
Posted 1:47 AM 21/6/08
@eunoia:
It's not quite hyped up on story alone. The gameplay engine is extremely well done, and fixes many of the problems that the series had in the past. Core gameplay comparison is due, and one of those games are nearly as polished.
Stealth is emphasized for one thing, and camo isn't broken like MGS3. Despite that, the cutscenes' length did get to me by the end. It's much more enjoyable the 2nd time around as I skip through them and explore alternate routes.
SG79
number9
Posted 1:46 AM 21/6/08
My father is 65 and has finally got into gaming with the nintendo. It's funny, I tried to get him to play FPS games for years (as he loves guns and WWII) yet only when he got the Wii did he discover the COD series.
Crecente, I'd like to shake your dad's hand, as he's expressed a frustration I've had for many years: the concept that you HAVE to do a certain thing in a game, and if you don't/can't, you won't continue, and are stuck. It drives me nuts, and I wish every single dev would read your father's comments. To pay $50 or $60 for a game, only to get stuck at a certain point, and unable to enjoy the rest of it is a real pain in the ass - and like he says, "fun" goes right out the window.
Also, how about a weekly or monthly column about gaming from the 60 year+ perspective? I really enjoy these, and I think it's great a whole new generation is getting into gaming.
number9
Captain Wrong
Posted 1:46 AM 21/6/08
"I think," he said slowly, "that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie."
And the entire MGS series is summed up in one sentence.
PS- all the people whining about spoliers, umm, maybe don't read the comments if you're that worried. People have played through and want to discuss the game by now. If it's that big a deal, use some self-control and don't scroll down.
Captain Wrong
NexusSIX
Posted 1:45 AM 21/6/08
@His_Shadow7: it took 2 for me to realize. The first time I thought I beat him, and then he went hulkamania on me all of a sudden. The second time I realized, something is wrong here, and I'm not doing something right or I'm missing something. All in all though, as far as the battle goes, Vamp is THE easiest boss after you know what to do.
NexusSIX
Al3xandr0s
Posted 1:43 AM 21/6/08
Might sound a bit assy above but it's like 40C here and I couldn't come up with better wording for what i wanted to say, sorry...
Al3xandr0s
futurebiblehero
Posted 1:42 AM 21/6/08
@mva5580: I'm not excusing people liberally throwing spoilers around, but I'd honestly recommend abstaining from these kinds of topics altogether until you're finished. I had the biggest spoiler in the game dropped on me elsewhere, and it was in a topic that was talking about downloadable camo patterns. I was livid and spent the entire game trying to lie to myself and "unremember" what I had learnt.
futurebiblehero
NexusSIX
Posted 1:41 AM 21/6/08
@omegasc: Everyone who has done the Vamp battle, knows why he is having trouble and gave up. Doesn't matter if it was on easy or hard. Don't want to say why, as it is an ultra spoiler.
NexusSIX
Al3xandr0s
Posted 1:40 AM 21/6/08
Think you should educate your dad a bit more in modern gaming.
I'm no fanboy and currently only own a Wii as far as current gen consoles go because I find my PC sufficient for the rest of my gaming needs but, if he's going to stick to some brand, he might as well do it for games that are only available on it...
It sounds like all he's playing is GTA IV which is also available on the 360 if I'm not mistaken (I don't know, never cared much for this series) so he had no reason not to get that in the first place, right?
But then he'll probably enjoy current generation decently enough to want to try next gen (hope he's still around then, no offence) and then also go for Sony again since "the ps3 got its chance, and I had fun, so now it's ps' turn again" which would also be the wrong reason if the games he's been enjoying are multi platform like GTA IV...
Of course, I guess it doesn't really matter if you're just happy to see your dad happy with games again. I can relate to that, though I hope when I'm 70 I can still judge things as clearly and open mindedly as I can now...
Maybe you (with his other sons/daughters I guess) could buy a 360 and Wii for him so he can sample everything out there at the moment. Could have been a father's day present, what did ya get for him instead? :P
Al3xandr0s
Zaos
Posted 1:39 AM 21/6/08
Crecente, if he does decide to pick it up again make sure you tell him about
spoilers
screaming mantis and how to beat her with the whole syringe thing then not kill meryl etc, me and my friend (i never played mgs1) were trying to figure out how to beat her doing the memory card controller stuff then i started trying all my items and came to the syringe (i even tried throwing ammo...)
anyway
/spoilers
just so he doesn't give up again because if he liked it so far and didn't mind the movie aspect of it, he'll love the final part of the game.
Zaos
Reetesh
Posted 1:38 AM 21/6/08
Its awesome that your dad got so far in the game.
I hope he completes the game! please do let us know once (if) he continues and completes it :D
Reetesh
eunoia
Posted 1:38 AM 21/6/08
wow, he explained many of the problems with mgs4, and not once did he even mention the story leaving any sort of impression... kinda sad for a game that's hyped on it's "story" which is extremely shallow, more so then halo or cod4 or half-life.
eunoia
SunScramble
Posted 1:38 AM 21/6/08
You know he's feeling the pain now, but as we're all very well aware, the flipside to every game-stopping moment of frustration is a moment of achievement and victory.
It's those little moments that I think back on most fondly when reminiscing over old gaming conquests. *brushes single tear from eye*
SunScramble
EloquentZen
Posted 1:38 AM 21/6/08
Funny thing is, wouldn't Snake have done the same with his "old" age? Give up, lose heart after getting "stuck"? :P
EloquentZen
mva5580
Posted 1:37 AM 21/6/08
For one thing, you guys who are talking about the game should preface your remarks with spoilers. I know Vamp is in the game, but you guys are talking a little too much into specifics. I'm only in Act 2!!
Anyway, it's great to see someone in this age bracket who is eager to play something that isn't on the Wii. Hopefully we're all as forward looking when we hit that age.
And I can DEFINITELY understand his frustration in MGS 4, hell I was getting extremely frustrated with just the first part of Act 2! Of course I try to go through without being seen, so slightly different strategies lol. But to each his own, that's why both options are there.
mva5580
His_Shadow7
Posted 1:37 AM 21/6/08
It makes me laugh when people say, "It took me forever to realize what I had to do."
For me it was just the opposite. It only took one regeneration of his health bar for me to realize that, Hey, I need to look in my inventory for some way to defeat Vamp. After reading the item description on the syringe that little proverbial light-bulb appeared above my head. From there it was cheesecake with little slices of strawberry's layering the top as my fork slides into it, down to the crust pausing just before the *clank* of the stainless steel against the plate. MMMMM delicious.
What the hell was I just talking about? o_0
His_Shadow7
futurebiblehero
Posted 1:35 AM 21/6/08
Jesus. Vamp is a bad guy. Chances are you may fight him at some point through the course of the game. He didn't say "Snake's final battle with Vamp, you know, right before you take his corpse to the crematorium... because he dies in that fight".
Furthermore, I did my damndest to avoid spoilers before entering MGS4 and still knew Vamp was still around. Big deal.
futurebiblehero
SudiptiEquestridomus
Posted 1:35 AM 21/6/08
Figuring out what to do in MGS was never hard. Help is always just a codec call away.
SudiptiEquestridomus
Maudite
Posted 1:34 AM 21/6/08
@Salen:
Oh I know... at least your dad got to enjoy the kajillion guns snake picks up. Morals made me go the "Tranq 'em" route when ever I could...
Maudite
Kanik
Posted 1:34 AM 21/6/08
@Brian Crecente: For some, ya. A month ago I was playing through MGS2 when my brother opened up Game Informer only to have a giant photo of him there "Look who returns!". Then I turned to the game and said "oh, guess I don't kill him..."
I then whipped my back fiercely until I could forget what I had seen.
Kanik
hamandcheeseUK
Posted 1:33 AM 21/6/08
I only figured it out because I read the game manual on the toilet the day the game was released and remembered reading something that told you the tactic for beating him.
hamandcheeseUK
Gray665
Posted 1:33 AM 21/6/08
Your dad rules Crecente.
Gray665
zanzibarlegend
Posted 1:33 AM 21/6/08
Thanks guys!!!!! Doh!
zanzibarlegend
hotdamn
Posted 1:32 AM 21/6/08
@zanzibarlegend: [kotaku.com]
btw I think the best advice in mgs4 is, if you are stuck, keep calling otacon until he comes up with something.
hotdamn
Salen
Posted 1:31 AM 21/6/08
Well, that was an entertaining read. Interesting to hear about your dad's experience with MGS4. And I find it funny that he treats it mostly like an FPS. Hah.
Salen
Rovient
Posted 1:30 AM 21/6/08
@Brian Crecente: Afraid so! Working pretty long hours at the moment so haven't had time to play too much (despite loving it so far). Didn't even know vamp was in it! No matter. I'm sure it's a minor plot thing.
Rovient
jaiitup
Posted 1:30 AM 21/6/08
the vamp fight was retarded easy. Kill him once, then grab him with the syringe equipped then slit his throat.
jaiitup
MehGinla
Posted 1:29 AM 21/6/08
After fanboy kerfuffles, reading about your dad's venture into gaming is probably my favourite thing to read here. I'd love to see a Crecente's Dad column / section / tab /somthing.
MehGinla
Voteforme2020
Posted 1:28 AM 21/6/08
I killed him 8-10x (I think) before I figured out what to do. Legendary.
Voteforme2020
Candlejack
Posted 1:27 AM 21/6/08
@zanzibarlegend: [kotaku.com]
Candlejack
EmeraldDragon
Posted 1:27 AM 21/6/08
Go him for trying. I think if he takes a break for a week, then come back with walk-thru in hand, he'll probably do just fine.
If not, there are plenty of other games he mights still enjoy for the PS3, if not now, then in the furture.
EmeraldDragon
Drake Lake
Posted 1:27 AM 21/6/08
@zanzibarlegend: Been posted, pal. [kotaku.com]
Drake Lake
Garo
Posted 1:27 AM 21/6/08
@Shiryu:
Others said it before...
Garo
Maudite
Posted 1:26 AM 21/6/08
there should definitely be a spoiler alert for the comments...
if people are on a "media blackout" they should have followed their own rules and not clicked on a pseudo review of the game.
But the comments certainly spoil.
Maudite
zanzibarlegend
Posted 1:25 AM 21/6/08
so Crecente,
where is this soon to be infamous Kotaku review of MGS4?
zanzibarlegend
Drake Lake
Posted 1:24 AM 21/6/08
@semiconscious: There was a trailer that clearly showed him fighting Raiden, though.
Drake Lake
goldwings
Posted 1:24 AM 21/6/08
Ah the Vamp battle. Yah I refused to read any walkthrough and it wasn't until after numerous deaths that I actually looked at my inventory carefully. I just laughed when I found the answer (tears were there too).
goldwings
argh
Posted 1:24 AM 21/6/08
No way I would've figured out that vamp fight on my own. I had to resort to GameFaqs. /failure
argh
semiconscious
Posted 1:22 AM 21/6/08
'Impressive that it took that battle to knock him out of things.'
that was my first thought...
&, yeah, i agree - it's a spoiler (maybe i'm just dumb, but i was surprised when it happened)...
semiconscious
keyrat
Posted 1:21 AM 21/6/08
I almost killed myself during the Vamp fight. In old MGS games I'd have to wait for Otacon's help, but in this one I figured exactly what the trick would be as soon as I saw Vamp. Either way, I couldn't get it for the life of me; like the mechanics weren't working.
It's the only time I've been frustrated in MGS4, and it had me cursing the screen.
keyrat
omegasc
Posted 1:19 AM 21/6/08
was he playing on easy mode? (is there a way to put the game on easy mode? I don't have the game yet)
the way I see it, people who play MGS on easy mode just want to play and see how the story unfolds, so if I were Kojima, I would make sure the bosses are easy to beat. Maybe he thought about that, but did not pick the right testers to give the "OK".
omegasc
Eville1
Posted 1:19 AM 21/6/08
My dad's favorite game was..No joke here..Star Wars Pod Racer.
UGH.
He also liked Eragorn. Oh well, at least he kind of understands me a bit better. Even if he takes the worst examples of what I love to heart.
Eville1
jsf49
Posted 1:18 AM 21/6/08
Damn, some of you guys are posting spoilers...
jsf49
excaliburps
Posted 1:18 AM 21/6/08
@Dakobah: Nice analogy for videogames that one...
@Rovient: Kotaku had pictures and embedded videos I think of Vamp fighting ***** (not sure if that's also a spoiler for you too). I think that's one of the few "not so secrets" that Konami whittled. Vamp didn't die in the last game right? =)
@Brian Crecente: Hmm maybe you should finish that part for him! Can't you send your saved data file to him?
I like reading about Brian's dad going to the videogame scene again. I don't know why...Maybe it validates the point that not every old codger hates shiny graphics? Or that videogames are really really bridging entertainment mediums.
excaliburps
jsf49
Posted 1:18 AM 21/6/08
Maybe get him the Metal Gear Solid PS2 Pack. I hear it's tough to drop a Metal Gear noob into MGS4 and expect them to know what's going on. If he had played the other Metal Gears first, he might appreciate the storyline and cinematics more. But yeah, Metal Gear Solid games always have boss battles, and bosses tend to be tougher and have better A.I. than the usual grunts. Buy him Uncharted instead. That ought to be an easier experience for him.
jsf49
Rorschach2112
Posted 1:18 AM 21/6/08
"I think," he said slowly, "that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie."
Your father should have reviewed MGS4.
Rorschach2112
the_answer
Posted 1:17 AM 21/6/08
that's mgs for you, old man.. i remember getting stuck in mgs3 twice. first, unable to get out of the jail cell. then, unable to figure out how to beat the sorrow guy.. thanks to the internetz walkthroughs, less frustration.. however, mgs4 is actually the easiest one to beat.. i finished it before the walkthroughs were available online
the_answer
Eltigro
Posted 1:16 AM 21/6/08
I have games like that. I get to this one part that I try over and over to get past and just can't. I give up on the game and it sits there collecting dust.
Eltigro
3inst3in
Posted 1:16 AM 21/6/08
my dad used to kick me off of my snes so he could play F-zero. I hooked him up with a 360 and Ace Combat for christmas (he's a pilot). he kept trying to fly it like a real plane, and not a video game and crashed a lot. funny.
3inst3in
ビッグ ボス
Posted 1:16 AM 21/6/08
Make sure that you tell your dad that plenty of gamers much younger than him got stuck on that fight. He's not alone!
I had to consult my strategy guide for the first time in the game (initial playthroughs I always go through without using one, if possible). Of course, I didn't both asking Otakon or anyone on my codec, but maybe they'd have given a hint too.
ビッグ ボス
Candlejack
Posted 1:16 AM 21/6/08
@Brian Crecente: To be perfectly correct, none of the public trailers released by Konami/KojimaProductions showed or hinted at *you* fighting Vamp. It may have been obvious to most including me, but all we were supposed to know was that Raiden fights him, not you yourself.
Candlejack
Tyber_Zann
Posted 1:15 AM 21/6/08
Your dad made it all the way to Vamp? That's hardcore.
I can totally see myself doing this at 70. Hopefully I'll still know what I'm doing by then. There would be nothing worse than to have Alzheimer's and then try to enjoy the latest installment of GTA. I'd never get any missons done, because I'd find myself lost on the other side of the island.
Tyber_Zann
Ryuujin1024
Posted 1:15 AM 21/6/08
I must admit the boss battles in this game are annoying, you know full well how to beat the guy - thanks to the codec on some occasions. Then its just tedious as hell trying to do it, it does always find a way to repay you some joke or something, but its still tedious getting it to work.
Their should have been more in game CQC tutorials or something not a big part of course but maybe just point it out.
Ryuujin1024
Jeremy
Posted 1:15 AM 21/6/08
Still, a 70 year old getting all the way to nearly the end of act4 is impressive.
Jeremy
Candlejack
Posted 1:14 AM 21/6/08
@Dakobah: Best analogy possible.
Candlejack
lilaliendog
Posted 1:14 AM 21/6/08
yeah the vamp battle is a little too hardcore since they don't explain that the syringe is the weapon to use. The only reason I passed it is cus I started messing around with cqc cus I ran out of shotgun ammo.
lilaliendog
fusilero
Posted 1:13 AM 21/6/08
Meh, vamp was easy. Just stick the needle into him.
fusilero
greeble
Posted 1:12 AM 21/6/08
@Brian Crecente: Yeah for some people. I like many was on a media blackout for this game, so I didn't know Vamp was still alive. It is more fun to go into the game not knowing this stuff.
greeble
rzac30
Posted 1:11 AM 21/6/08
*SPOILER
Yeah Vamp was getting hella annoying even with the f*ing rail gun had knocked him off a thousandth time. Then I remember Naomi saying something about nanomachines and truth behold the syringe was in my inventory just yelling "dumb @ss" at me...
rzac30
Brian Crecente
Posted 1:11 AM 21/6/08
@Rovient: The fact that there is a battle with Vamp is a spoiler?
Brian Crecente
greeble
Posted 1:10 AM 21/6/08
Thats funny Vamp was probably the easiest boss fight for me. Of course this is only after you realize there is a trick to beating him. I suppose if you didn't get "the trick" it would be extremely frustrating. Also since he doesn't have any experience with the preview Metal Gear games, he probably doesn't realize that you can call for advice (tips) on your codec whenever you want. I do this for every boss fight.
greeble
Hobb3z
Posted 1:08 AM 21/6/08
While I was growing up and got the nes and snes my dad would once in a while stay up late and play through Zelda or Mario but now he hates games. He now says they are too deep and no longer "Fun".
Hobb3z
Shiryu
Posted 1:08 AM 21/6/08
"I think (...)that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie."
I tought no one would ever have the courage to say that outload o Kojima! Your father is just saying what were all (well...most of us, anyway) thinking.
Your dad is AWESOME, Crecente! \o/
Shiryu
dazyluz
Posted 1:08 AM 21/6/08
Your dad rocks!
But you should have made him star with a wii, Super Mario Galaxy, Zack and Wik, maybe even Zelda.
dazyluz
Rovient
Posted 1:08 AM 21/6/08
I really REALLY wish i haddn't read this. Kotaku usually slap SPOILER all over their articles, so i was expecting this to be spoiler free. Ah well... :(
Rovient
mike
Posted 1:07 AM 21/6/08
i finally finished gears of war a year-and-half later, even thought i didn't like the game much as i was continually stifled by oppressive computer ai and lackluster team ai.
he'll be back at it, i hope.
mike
futurebiblehero
Posted 1:07 AM 21/6/08
That Vamp battle can be pretty rough if you're not thinking about it. I didn't even put 2 & 2 together until Otacon started rambling about nanomachines on my codec.
Impressive that it took that battle to knock him out of things.
futurebiblehero
ianp622
Posted 1:06 AM 21/6/08
You should also tell him not to play if he's not having fun. Come to think about it, we wouldn't have as many WoW addicts around if everybody followed that advice. Also, the Codec sometimes helps with boss fights, even if you have to be a little persistent. I'm not sure if I got any hints from the Codec during the Vamp fight, it was more just an idea that I had that turned out to work.
ianp622
Ashurahori
Posted 1:05 AM 21/6/08
SPOILER WALKTHROUGH:
You gotta stab him with the syringe by using CQC...
END SPOILER WALKTHROUGH.
Ashurahori
Marikir
Posted 1:05 AM 21/6/08
Interesting that he was able to find himself drawn in by the game. That's a nice endorsement.
However, I do see his point. Boss battles sometimes are a little tricky. I remember in MGS1 having to redo several of those boss battles time and time again, especially MG Rex. MGS2/3, I found easier on me.
I have yet to run into any boss battles yet in MGS4 (Act II only, going slow), so I can't compare them.
Marikir
Balmung576
Posted 1:05 AM 21/6/08
I also had trouble with that battle, it took me a while to actually figure out what to do. I totally understand his frustration, it was tough.
Balmung576
khronos27
Posted 1:05 AM 21/6/08
It's awesome that your dad can play games at his age, my dad is 50 and he still thinks they're just stuff for kids.
Anyways, good luck to your dad, hope he beats it.
khronos27
Dakobah
Posted 1:05 AM 21/6/08
think he went to the deep end of the pool before learning to swim.
baby steps.
Dakobah
futurebiblehero
Posted 2:29 AM 21/6/08
@Chilly Hollow: I respectfully disagree. That kind of handholding just isn't for every game. The NES was wildly popular and what, around 5% of us knew what the hell we were doing in Castlevania 2? How many players knew exactly what to do in Zelda without a guide? That was once half the fun, and you didn't have to be a hardcore gamer to enjoy it.
Not to sound like a luddite, but we're in a generation where everything is "owed to us". If we can't easily finish a game, it's now somehow the game's fault for not making it as easy as possible on us. It's a shame when that kind of design begins to blanket everything, especially games that have roots in being relatively difficult games of yesteryear.
A 70 year old non-gamer making it pretty damned far in a game like Metal Gear is awesome. We all had trouble with the Vamp battle. He's not alone in that, and with that said that should be the argument that developers shouldn't patronize everyone as often as they sometimes do.
futurebiblehero
Enimor
Posted 2:23 AM 21/6/08
"I think," he said slowly, "that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie."
I like your dad, Crecente. The man knows what he's talking about.
Enimor
semiconscious
Posted 2:22 AM 21/6/08
@Drake Lake:
did i know he was in the game? - yes... did i know i'd be facing off with him? - no (partly because of what i'd seen - it made it look to be something between him & another character)...
semiconscious
American_N_Japan
Posted 2:21 AM 21/6/08
Your dad is the MAN for trying any game at his age! My hats off to him! My dad is in his 60s and he wouldn't give any game the time of day. Shame...
I'm sure in time your dad will give it a go again, but to help speed up his return, hook him up with YouTube videos showing him what to do! There are a tone of MGS4 boss fights up on YouTube, showing gamers step by step methods. Like many said here, Vamp is a bitch! ...so is Screaming Mantis--I didn't know what to do with her as well, and had to resort to the Net for help.
YouTube is the way to go about, but be sure to give him the links only to the boss fights and not the story!
You should also tell your dad that the ending is more than rewarding! And if that fails, tell him that their are More BB Corp womenz for him to gander at;)
American_N_Japan
Freakizoid
Posted 2:20 AM 21/6/08
I had to Google how to beat vamp because I'm apparently stupid and didn't realize that to grab someone you actually HOLD down R1 and THEN press Triangle. SO i just kept punching him in the back and getting my butt raped. I'm also a hardcore gamer, although not a MGS follower. So I totally concur with your father. The rest of the game was easy, so I'd tell your dad how to beat him and push on.
Freakizoid
vinchbr
Posted 2:19 AM 21/6/08
your dad rocks!
vinchbr
ShaggE
Posted 2:17 AM 21/6/08
That's a shame. I hope he gives gaming another go.
ShaggE
Frank
Posted 2:17 AM 21/6/08
He's just envious that Solid Snake's butt didn't wrinkle at that "age" (relatively speaking given Snake's condition).
Speaking of dads and MGS, my Dad actually completed the first StarFox back on SNES. o__O And he even found this old soldier figure from the 60s whose uniform had been eaten away and actually created Snake's MGS1 uniform for it.
Frank
Candlejack
Posted 2:15 AM 21/6/08
@His_Shadow7: lol I think I can rightfully say "PWNED" in this case.
Candlejack
somarix
Posted 2:13 AM 21/6/08
@Wolf_Dog: same here, but even after realizing what to do, I continued to happily kill him and buy more ammo from Drebin - it was fun, without Alert status, and better than the VR training :D. Funny thing is that just when I equipped the syringe, the codec reminded me of the nanomachines.
somarix
His_Shadow7
Posted 2:09 AM 21/6/08
@Chilly Hollow:
It's called a codec (Metal Gear Solid)
His_Shadow7
His_Shadow7
Posted 2:09 AM 21/6/08
@Wolf_Dog: lol don't you just love those [face_palm] moments of gaming =P
His_Shadow7
Chilly Hollow
Posted 2:06 AM 21/6/08
Game developers need to figure out a way to help folks who are stuck in a game. Some do hints, but most seem to rely on the walk throughs posted on the Internet, which isn't much help if you are playing the game at launch. Problems you can't solve grind the game to a halt if you are stuck and it is really frustrating. There should be a mechanism for allowing players to move to an easier mode if the game notices them playing the same thing over and over and continually failing.
Folks who aren't hard core gamers are going to get stuck and stop gaming, then badmouth how hard video games are to everyone they know. How does this help the industry?
Chilly Hollow
hotdamn
Posted 2:04 AM 21/6/08
@eunoia: kinda sad for a game that's hyped on it's "story" which is extremely shallow, more so then halo or cod4 or half-life.
wow. wow.
just, wow.
hotdamn
Al3xandr0s
Posted 2:03 AM 21/6/08
Meh, get your mother in law off there, have her stay with you & the mrs =(
Al3xandr0s
Oso
Posted 2:02 AM 21/6/08
... and I was just in a retirement home visitig my mother in law last week. They have cards, and shuffle board... maybe a pool table. When we're in a home it will be decked out with the best gaming rigs and consoles! Hell even the old gen consoles would be better than than shuffle-board...
Oso
kiigan
Posted 2:01 AM 21/6/08
Vamp is actually really easy, if you pay attention to the advice your given. But I can see how someone might struggle with it. They do give you plenty of clues, but to understand them you'd have to have paid attention to the narrative throughout the game.
So many games suffer from the whole "boss as a brick wall" lack of progression issue and it can really frustrate - take Ninja Gaiden 2 for instance. Had immense fun with it, loved the combat system, loved slashing my way through it and then got totally stuck on a boss which I repeated for days before giving up and trading the game in for something else. I really admire the brave structure used in the new Alone in the Dark game - you can skip chapters if you get stuck, and it gives you a summary of what happened previously. Brilliant! Pity the game itself isn't supposed to be amazing, but hey. Let's hope that one feature proves influential.
kiigan
Oso
Posted 2:00 AM 21/6/08
Dude, I'm 40 and I'll be playing till I'm 90 (if the sendintary lifestyle of gamer doesn't kill me at 50!)
Oso
gloveofpower
Posted 1:56 AM 21/6/08
How does he feel about the protagonist, old snake? I'd be very interested in hearing his take on the end of this great franchise and snake as a character in his twilight years. Maybe you need to help him along and defeat a boss for him to keep the game moving. I remember helping a quite-capable friend of mine through that annoying RC baron mission with Zero in GTA San Andreas... we've all got our pitfalls!
gloveofpower
heretrix
Posted 1:56 AM 21/6/08
Hey man, getting to the end of Act 4 after never had played a MGS game and wading through the long Kojima cutscenes, I'd have to say, your dad's pretty hardcore.
Props to your pops, Brian.
heretrix
Gospel X
Posted 3:09 AM 21/6/08
@Shiryu: I've been saying that ever since I played the first MGS. Didn't stop me from playing the other games and loving them immensely, but the series is seriously bordering on game and non-game.
@greeble: That's kind of whiney. Information revealed publicly before the game's release (and this was well before the game's release) is fair game in public forums. Plus, this is very, very minor. If it the post said something like, "Then my dad reacted poorly to the part where Ocelot shot Snake point blank in the face, immediately killing the poor bastard. I won't even go into what he said about Liquid Snake bursting from Ocelot's chest, fully grown - but dad didn't like the idea of having to control Raiden for the final act of the game," then there'd be cause for complaint. Just thank me for making up inforamtion instead of pulling the ultimate dick move and revealing some really startling information.
(Note: On io9 there was a discussion about what constitutes a spoiler for a TV series and what doesn't, which led to people posting the obvious "Vader is Luke's father" and whatnot. Someone actually dropped the major revelation at the end of MGS4. THIS is a spoiler not worth any whining.)
Oh, and my dad still games every now and then. Ever since I was a kid, he'd play every Zelda game that ever pops up in our house, and he'd gladly play any and all shooters. Yes, my papa played Ikaruga and Gradius 5 for hours on end. When I moved away, I left him with a PS2 and some Ace Combat games. Yeah, I just ended up pissing off my mom by doing that...
Gospel X
Al3xandr0s
Posted 3:07 AM 21/6/08
Yeah, we all applaud you guys so much for being able to beat a boss that a 70 year old newcomer to a non conventional series couldn't in his first attempts and then going all "huh, it was piss easy" or whatever else.
Also for being able to use stuff other than guns to solve problems and stuff. That's so 1337 and stuff.
Give the guy a break, we know that all the modern gaming he's gotten before this is GTA IV, it will take time to figure out the quirks of Metal Gear and Kojima's genious, including the way the game gives you hints and stuff... Time he may not be willing to give out when he can just have instant fun with other games, and that's quite alright, ya know?
Al3xandr0s
Jabbertrack
Posted 2:59 AM 21/6/08
He's going to need some help then with more of the game if all he's doing is shooting everything in sight.
Honestly MGS is not a game he should be playing... at all... if he doesn't want to solve problems with stuff other than guns.
Jabbertrack
artofwar420
Posted 2:57 AM 21/6/08
SPOILERS BRIAN! NO GARLIC!!!!!
At any rate I hope your dad comes back.
artofwar420
Rammy
Posted 2:54 AM 21/6/08
Your dad must be the only MGS player who can truly relate to Old Snake. :)
Rammy
Ultima08
Posted 2:51 AM 21/6/08
Huh...the Vamp vs. Snake battle is cake.
Ultima08
DONAR
Posted 2:49 AM 21/6/08
So Brian, what's the secret? My Dad is sixty and I can still hear him bitch about how games "have no honor" after I was mowing down some civilians in Vice City once.
My Mum on the other hand is a wizard on Wii Sports.
DONAR
el_rezzo
Posted 2:37 AM 21/6/08
@semiconscious: The article is a discussion between Crecente and his dad on MGS4 and what he thinks of it, kinda like a hands-on/review. Always going to be spoilers in something like this. My advice is not not look after the jump, the paragraph that was shown on the front page has his dad talking about how he got stuck so I assumed Crecente was going to discuss how and why he got stuck.
el_rezzo
Channing
Posted 2:35 AM 21/6/08
Wow, mad props. When I'm 70 I doubt I'll even try eating solid foods.
Channing
Nexus-6
Posted 2:35 AM 21/6/08
I think," he said slowly, "that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie.
Now, this is the best summary of MGS games I've ever read.
Nexus-6
worsethannormal
Posted 2:35 AM 21/6/08
Please, please, please continue postings like this. It's interesting to hear what someone whose not a 20-nothing or 30-something feels about these games.
worsethannormal
el_rezzo
Posted 2:34 AM 21/6/08
@Salen: Yeah I've got a housemate who tries to play EVERY game like an FPS. Frustrating to watch him play Uncharted and GTAIV
el_rezzo
gentlejones
Posted 3:38 AM 21/6/08
if you don't want spoilers, don't read anything on the internet about the game you are playing. period.
gentlejones
Talleh
Posted 3:34 AM 21/6/08
Neat, they just need more games that look compelling, and less "casual" games now. Less bejeweled and more AAA games like MGS4.
Talleh
TC
Posted 3:30 AM 21/6/08
@Shiryu: I shared his exactly civil sentiment and was crucified, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it. I still find the only way to enjoy the gameplay is to play it on its hardest difficulty so that it forces you to use the games mechanics - now the gameplay time equals the convoluted cutscene time as before I felt like I was playing for a few minutes in between each lengthy CS.
TC
cowondinosaur
Posted 3:29 AM 21/6/08
The vamp fight is probably unintuitive for the uninitiated of the video game logic world.
Screaming Mantis might be too, but then again there's a good chance he'll just stumble upon the solution accidentally through spray and pray.
cowondinosaur
Mune
Posted 3:25 AM 21/6/08
I'll be honest... I was at a complete loss against Vamp, too. It took me twenty minutes of playing against him to realize the syringe would do the job
Mune
lurkaku
Posted 3:21 AM 21/6/08
Dammit, this whole fucking thread a giant spoiler
lurkaku
jmonthedude
Posted 4:17 AM 21/6/08
"I think," he said slowly, "that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie."
-My thoughts exactly.
Why not just tell your dad to stick vamp in the neck with the syringe?
jmonthedude
Salen
Posted 4:15 AM 21/6/08
@el_rezzo: Yeah, I had that same sort of philosophy, up until I bought Rainbow Six Vegas 2, and hit the big wall of getting wasted quick. I've gotten better though. Not that RSV2 is a 'stealth' game, but it relies a lot more on being a lot more tactical and using stuff like smoke grenades to get a heads up on the badguys.
Salen
~xoaks~
Posted 4:11 AM 21/6/08
@greeble: Wow to you and everyone else going "Vamp is alive?! ZOMG SPOILAR!!"
Plox to play MGS2 again and pay a little more attention to the ending.
Here I'll help you out:
+ Watch video
ZOMG MGS2 ENDING SPOILAR!
~xoaks~
garytek
Posted 4:07 AM 21/6/08
@Ashurahori: Goddamnit why did you have to make the spoiler alert so short!!! I was about to borrow my cousin's PS3 and play MGS4 the whole week but you ruined it!!! Fuck!
"I think," he said slowly, "that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie."
I laughed. I count myself lucky for being one of those who plain didn't give a shit how long the cutscenes were ever since I played MGS1. But now that people mentioned it, the cutscenes did bother me a bit when I played MGS3. I wish I could erase my memory so that I could enjoy the game more without some annoying brat bitching about the cutscene length.
P.S
To the guy I cursed at, you know I didn't mean that. Please, just please, hit the enter button like 3 dozen times if you do a spoiler alert next time, alright?
garytek
MaxChallie
Posted 4:06 AM 21/6/08
This is the best read I've had on Kotaku in a long time. I'm reading through the GTA post now. Thanks, Brian!
MaxChallie
stevesan
Posted 3:49 AM 21/6/08
dude... SPOILER ALERT NEED!
stevesan
warf0x0r
Posted 4:51 AM 21/6/08
I HAD to know how it ends. Not knowing would have killed me... more to the point... I love games with good story lines so much I'm worried I'll die in a car accident before an expac or a sequel is released. So I'll never find out what happens.
warf0x0r
theblade
Posted 4:35 AM 21/6/08
Well i agree the vamp fight an boss fights in metal gear have always been incredibly tough, so for someone onlder i can understand the frustration.
As for the * is it a game or a movie* comment if anyone has played a kojima game you know the guys got a big eye for cinamatic movie type game experiences metal gear since its 3d incarnation has pushed that envelope.
Anyone who has played zoe 2 could tell you the same thing, both his franchise always have long cinamatics an story telling, an for some thats annoying.. but for me.. frankly i love being drawn into a game thats more then just a game cause i love deep story helps make me care more about the chars im playing, but thats me.
theblade
JimmyHACK
Posted 4:22 AM 21/6/08
i'm surprised he got to Vamp
and i'm surprised yet another person not paying attention to the story to find out how easy he is
SYRINGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JimmyHACK
M
Posted 4:20 AM 21/6/08
Since a lot of time is spent watching cutscenes, I've encouraged a friend not to play MGS4 until he plays MGS2 and MGS3. That way he'll have a greater appreciation for the game.
M
ly000001
Posted 5:16 AM 21/6/08
@Crecente: OT, but when are we going to see a Photoshop of your dad's face on Old Snake?
Wait, something's a little odd about this article's picture...
Crecente Sr? Crecente Sr?! CRECENTE SR!!!!!!!!!!!
ly000001
Akmed
Posted 5:03 AM 21/6/08
i'm sure he'll LOOOOVE the ending though. that's for sure. once he gets there. good luck on act V. he'll need it that's for sure. i needed it lol.
Akmed
fenderfuel08
Posted 4:56 AM 21/6/08
Yeah, its not really a spoiler saying that there is a boss fight with Vamp. How could you NOT expect a boss fight with Vamp?
This is Metal Gear Solid. Vamp as a boss is a given.
fenderfuel08
joemoemino
Posted 5:49 AM 21/6/08
My dad would want to play a racing game, but the steering wheel we have for the pc is garbage and the one for the 360 is a few dollars more than I want to spend on it.
joemoemino
adragonfang18
Posted 5:48 AM 21/6/08
WHat happened to fortune?
adragonfang18
adragonfang18
Posted 5:37 AM 21/6/08
Its a hybrid interactive movie.
adragonfang18
adragonfang18
Posted 5:36 AM 21/6/08
Well if he's not happy with vamp, then he will definitely will not like the long hall way to GW. (That requires a LOT of tapping.)
adragonfang18
Agent X
Posted 5:31 AM 21/6/08
I think that's soooooo dope. When my pop's was a live and well the only games I could get him to play were mostly racing game (oh and Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 because he liked the games television ads).
Agent X
pandafresh
Posted 5:25 AM 21/6/08
i dunno, why are people complaining about the cutscenes in th is game? its effing metal gear for christs sake, thats the point. its cool yer dad is playing this game, but this is the wrong game for him to start. i mean, you wont appreciate the game fully without playing the others.
for those saying the plot is shallow, lt pay attention ;)
pandafresh
AJMarra
Posted 5:23 AM 21/6/08
Aw man, that's a shame. I hope he gives the game another shot.
AJMarra
griffinrider
Posted 6:15 AM 21/6/08
I really respect that! I'm 30 and I've never played a MGS game. The reviews alone make it sound too frustrating for my taste.
The right progress in challenge level is one of the toughest balances to strike.
griffinrider
y2kenjination
Posted 6:10 AM 21/6/08
Wow so he made it to act 4? Still impressive. My dad is about 66 years old, and I think he would have given up in the first 5 mins of act 1.
y2kenjination
okrangerbob
Posted 6:09 AM 21/6/08
Haha is it weird that i've recently found MGS2 and i've decided to replay though it seeing as I wont be playing MGS4 ever. Unless Konami port it to the 360. I really hope that happens.
okrangerbob
Shalashaska
Posted 6:07 AM 21/6/08
Argh, it might be me, but I'm guessing half of you didn't know what to do to Vamp because you weren't watching the cutscenes. The INSTANT Naomi spilled the beans, I knew that special item I got was hardly ever for me. That fight for me was 15 seconds long. Pull out a grenade launcher and use stun grenade shells and blast away, 10 seconds, run up, equip necessary item, done deal. With all of the Beauties, you do the same thing: a stun grenade instantly takes out their stamina meter. No kill and the reward that goes with it. Sure it's easy, to some might not be "fun", but it gets the job done. All of the boss fights in the game were incredibly easy, albeit fun. Maybe I'll change my mind on my Big Boss run through...
Shalashaska
screamingslave
Posted 6:51 AM 21/6/08
Well, he wouldn't know this, but every Metal Gear boss battle has a "trick". I figured out the Vamp trick after the first time I "killed" him. It's like the battle with the Sorrow, one of those "why didn't I think of that sooner?!" moments. You "hooked him up with help, tips, and a walkthrough"? The solution is three words long :P Really, this sounds more like a failure on your part than his. :)
screamingslave
adragonfang18
Posted 6:30 AM 21/6/08
Why do hell does Mteal Gear Mk II does not have any night vision and IR sensors at least???
adragonfang18
afrosheen
Posted 7:33 AM 21/6/08
**spoiler alert**
If he got stuck on the Vamp battle, wait until he gets to the hallway of doom. Make sure he's full up on arthritis meds.
afrosheen
Volgin
Posted 7:29 AM 21/6/08
Ah, I too have had many experiences where I "accidentally" forget that I'm still playing my PS3 at 2 in the morning...
Volgin
SpearXXI
Posted 7:27 AM 21/6/08
Crecente, I would seriously recommend you have him read the official Metal Gear Solid books. I'm currently reading the new one by Raymond Benson, which in the book I just got to Basement 1 in the story, but it is a nice easy read. I've only played up to the Psychomantis battle from the Twin Snakes remake a long time ago, but it does a good job relating to the game. I think of the book more like Benson's play through the game, and not my own, because SPOILERS Snake kills people. dun dun dun. Anyways, I think your father might get a better kick out of the story of Metal Gear Solid, and not just the games, because there are some frustrating parts that eventually get rewarded with killer, awesome, and memorable parts that need to be experienced.
SpearXXI
MetaKz
Posted 7:10 AM 21/6/08
I'm one of the people who knew what to do against Vamp but kept getting owned by the mechanics. I just kept smashing his face on the floor instead of what I wanted to do :(
As for people suffering from spoilers... that sucks. I suggest staying away from EVERYTHING related to the game if you don't want to be spoiled. Had to do that myself so I wouldn't be spoiled on MGS4.
MetaKz
formerlurker
Posted 7:04 AM 21/6/08
@Crecente
Are you sure he didn't stop playing because of all the old age jokes in the game. Is Hideo having a midlife crisis or what?
formerlurker
gblock
Posted 7:52 AM 21/6/08
DAD FTW.
gblock
excel_excel
Posted 8:10 AM 21/6/08
"I think," he said slowly, "that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie."
I loled at that one, so true!
excel_excel
WPack911
Posted 8:44 AM 21/6/08
You should have told him to play on easy, I am sure he could get past it if it was on easy. I mean it was not that hard for me on solid normal and easy is 2 levels lower. Then again I what I would consider a hardcore gamer.
WPack911
adragonfang18
Posted 9:28 AM 21/6/08
Why doesnt Drebbin sell Chaff grenades????
adragonfang18
Foxdie
Posted 9:49 AM 21/6/08
NOOB!
Couldn't help it... he should give it a shot again. OR RATHER, GIVE VAMP A SHOT, HINT HINT.
Foxdie
Null-Python
Posted 9:43 AM 21/6/08
@Ashurahori:
ermm, thanks for ruining the experience for those whom haven't finished the game.
Null-Python
Pickens
Posted 10:52 AM 21/6/08
Yeah, if he's just gunning through it like that then he was just going to have a hard time when he'd be assaulting the ship at the end anyway. I had a hard time believing anyone could make their way through it like that until my friend randomly did it. It was pretty amazing.
Pickens
DELICIOUS BUNNY
Posted 11:49 AM 21/6/08
That's pretty kick ass to get quite far into the game, even on the easiest difficulty (I'm assuming) for his age, considering this is his first MGS game and all, I take. MGS certainly isn't for everyone. Yeah I would have been pretty ticked off as well at that stage.
DELICIOUS BUNNY
japFA
Posted 12:25 PM 21/6/08
This was a great note. I saw it shortly after it was posted. But I was shocked to see it 12 hours later on Digg's front page.
Not at all stalker-like or creepy. Not. At. All.
japFA
dollhead
Posted 12:14 PM 21/6/08
vamp was a shit solution, the only fight i had to look up for help.
i ignored the syringe when i got it, "ya ya ya ya, i've got enough weapons as it is."
dollhead
Mongoosekun
Posted 1:30 PM 21/6/08
Use traq gun and it's a one shot boss battle after the CQC + special item. ;)
Mongoosekun
agustin2489
Posted 1:16 PM 21/6/08
I respect your dad, mate. That's pretty amazing, how he basically really enjoyed the game. Good luck for your old man.
agustin2489
Cathaoir
Posted 8:11 PM 21/6/08
@Candlejack: I just used the grenade launcher with the stun grenade ammo. Much faster.
Cathaoir
JudgeNutmeg
Posted 10:33 PM 21/6/08
My Dad's 72 now, I gave him my copy of MGS2 when Substance came out, and he never got past the Tanker Chapter, I think the fight with Olga Gurlukovic with the blinding spotlight was his sticking point. He sticks to occasional blasts on Gran Turismo 3 and Everybody's Golf 3.
I got frustrated with Vamp for around 20 minutes, knocking him down again and again, and running through everything in my inventory trying to work out what might keep him down. He did keep shouting a clue at me, but I thought maybe the Rail gun or a Chaff grenade would do the trick. The answer came to me while I was eating my dinner, and I came back to the game and it worked, but I can imagine a lot of people got stuck there. I like that I had to think, and I had to stretch my brain for the last Beauty and the Beast fight too, very satisfying to work it out though.
JudgeNutmeg
sigma006
Posted 4:23 PM 21/6/08
"I think," he said slowly, "that they need to decide if they want to make a game or make a movie."
I believe Hideo intended for both, and it worked quite beautifully I thought, Flawless transitions from cutscenes to game play were awsome, which had the feel that you were solid snake... Although ,I think there at one point in time which they were actually thinking of making a MGS movie... But big props to your pops, I think I'd still be playing even when I hit 100.. One more comment, Game of the year!
sigma006
KenwayThisbe
Posted 3:49 AM 21/6/08
Hehe I love all these people that, despite Vamp saying "As long as these nanomachines work, I will never die" (or something along those lines), never realise what to do! I only shot down vamp about 3 times before I realised.
KenwayThisbe
kyot
Posted 3:20 AM 21/6/08
You can tell your dad it's cool, lotsa people were stumped with vamp. Because all previous bosses could be beaten normally, While vamp only had one specific way to beat, by that time.
And on the other hand, it might even feel better to take him down for good after killing him unsuccessfully for hours. hehe~
kyot
majormauser
Posted 9:49 PM 22/6/08
He has to learn to turn to other sources for info on how to fight a Boss.
If he got all the way to Vamp Bravo! I had to consult my little faq on that fight.
I'm not sure how he enjoyed GTA because most of the missions in that (Race) are impossible for me to complete. But I guess you don't have to finnish any of them thats why he liked it.
majormauser
HunterToOkie
Posted 11:57 PM 23/6/08
what an awesome dad man, true legend.
HunterToOkie
Thomaticus
Posted 2:48 AM 25/6/08
Don't give up, if you can make it to VAMP you owe it to yourself to finigh the game. Everyone can attest that its worth it to finish the game out!
You can do it!!
Thomaticus