AC First Look: Metal Gear Solid 4 Beta - One of the Hottest Titles on PlayStation 3

Metal Gear Solid 4 is due to launch in June - but for those who preordered the game before April, beta has just started, giving players a first glimpse at what this exciting new game is going to look like. It is no exaggeration to state that this is looking to be one of the best looking games since Call of Duty 4, and has the potential to be one of the best look on the PlayStation 3 itself.

The beta servers were initially planned to be launched on April 21, however due to the heavy strain put on the various servers due to the millions attempting to connect at once, the launch was actually pushed back to the 25th and the original close date, which was set for May 5th, was pushed back to the 11th. In order to play, players were required to download the file from the PlayStation store using a code that came with the special edition back story DVD from GameStop. Players were then required to register an ID with the Konami website, which was also experiencing trouble due to the high traffic involved.

But what everyone is no doubt interested in is: how does the game play?

First and foremost, it is an exclusively multiplayer beta, but for that said you are given a wide enough taste of the Metal Gear Solid 4 experience to understand that his game will most certainly be worth buying. It showcases several maps that allow the typical modes of gameplay, such as regular or team deathmatch and territory control.

Fans will be pleased to know that the dreadful camera angles and difficult controls that marked the original games is long gone, and instead playing Metal Gear Solid 4 is most likely playing Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, with its more classic approach to the "character follow" and over the shoulder style camera angles. The controls are very similar as well, including the return of the Close Quarters Combat (CQC) system, however there are some modest changes that bring the game more in line with modern shooters.

That being said, you feel right at home with the new controls as soon as you get used to them, using L1, as always, to aim, triangle to enter first person mode, and R1, instead of the traditional square, to shoot. There have been some overall changes that feel more like an evolution towards modern game play in some of these controls, for example, no longer does Kojima stubbornly force you to use the circle button to "select" your options on the menu screen.

The game also features, of course, several favorites from the past, including Snake's old cardboard box with which to hide yourself from enemies. However it should be noted that you are required to make your own character - and to a degree customize him - for the beta, and you will not actually be using any of the main characters from the series.

The actual gameplay itself is some of the smoothest I've seen since Call of Duty 4, as there are no clipping or framerate issues that occur despite the remarkably high polygon count and remarkable attention to detail paid by the developers.

Despite all this, one may be left asking: with Halo 3, Team Fortress 2, and Call of Duty 4, what can a multiplayer variant of Call of Duty 4 possibly bring to the table? In this case, it is important to consider the remarkable amount of things available in the Metal Gear series that aren't available elsewhere. For example, Close Quarters Combat replaces a haphazard cut with the knife using the R3 button in Call of Duty 4 - instead you have an array of options on how to deal with an enemy. You may, for instance, grab him and use him as a human shield (as happened when I tried to shoot on an enemy and found one of my team mates an unsuspecting barrier between me and him) or you can simply opt not to give away your position by cutting his throat.

You are also allowed to amass points in some games, that allow you to customize your weapons or simply unlock more, as was the case with Call of Duty 4.

But perhaps most exciting, far moreso than the incredibly fun multiplayer game, which is no doubt fast paced and intense, is that this beta more than causes a mild salivation in any gamer looking forward to the single player game itself. With the vast array of options, great camera angles, and fun gameplay, it is shaping out to be, very possibly, one of the best in the series.

No story has been revealed yet - however as an indicator of potential things to come, Groznyj Grad is one of the multiplayer levels - can we see a return here as one of the plot elements in the story?