Ok, so I just started playing Metal Gear Solid 4. Please don't laugh; it's really not my fault. I let my girlfriend talk me into "saving money" so we can "get our own apartment" instead of buying games. I can't complain all that much, though, because waiting all this time gave me a chance to see the game after hearing what my peers thought.

Another thing that made this experience a little different for me is that fact that previous to MGS4, I had never touched a Metal Gear game. Yeah, seriously. Stealth-action games have always been foreign to me; in truth, Assassin's Creed was the first one I ever gave a real chance, and it's decidedly Western when compared to MGS4.

The Japanese have their own formula for creating puzzles, which usually consists of making challenges that are easy to see but challenging to accomplish, and to many Western gamers, the idea of a puzzle where the solution is given to you, sometimes without any mention of the rules and tools at your disposal, can be oddly frustrating.

I'm used to Japanese games, having played all but the earliest Final Fantasy games on the Gameboy, and so the whole package is a familiar one. The cut-scenes are a great deal longer than I'm used to, longer even than Western scenes, and they drew a great deal of criticism from reviewers. I've found that Kojima and Co.'s focus on storytelling makes the gameplay secondary to the game's effect on the player; frankly, it's refreshing to be urged to complete a section of gameplay to get more of the plot, as opposed to skipping the cutscene so I can play some more.

MGS4 also does a great job of keeping players new to the series privvy to the important details of the game, instead of convoluting the plot with back references. Not only has it kept my frustrations with the story to a minimum, but it's also given me reason to play the previous games in the series; if only Grand Theft Auto 4 had given me that same inclination.

I'm only in Act 3 at this point, so I don't think I've gotten the whole picture of the game's military-industrial complex and what Kojima calls the "war economy," but what little I've gotten paints it as a dark-yet-necessary reality. That's some disturbing social commentary that unfortunately seems fairly accurate, and I'm interested to see what else is said.

Plot aside, the game offers a strange mix of linear gameplay and choose-your-own-adventure customization. Each stage takes you from point A to point B, with very few options as to which path to take, but there's nothing forcing you to sneak your way through the entire game; pull out an SMG and squeeze out a few rounds, your back won't be as sore. I try to sneak as much as possible, since I enjoy the excitement, but should I fail, I'm more than proficient with shooters.

It really is the best experience in video games I've had since... well, Ocarina of Time, and even that pales in comparison to my tastes nowadays. More to come as I play more.