In extremely interesting patterns

Jul 8, 2008 17:56 GMT  ·  By

What extra stuff can you add to a game like Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots? The game ends a saga, kills off the main character, Solid Snake, and it also wraps up most of the loose threads left by the previous editions. So when Konami initially announced that extra stuff would be made available for the game to keep gamers interested, most of us really had to think hard to see anything that the game might benefit from (more cutscenes being the first thought to cross our minds).

But, apparently, Konami thought it would be nice to offer more camouflage patterns for the Octo Camo suit that Solid Snake gets in the game. Called "Laughing Camo" and "Raging Camo", the patterns, even though they seem related to the various boss battles you get to play in the game, have an obvious effect once you equip them and get nearer to a group of enemy soldiers.

In glorious disrespect to the very concept of camouflage patterns and stealth action, the new Octo Camo patterns help you, as the player, get close to the enemies so that you can make them either laugh their bellies off or go into uncontrollable tantrums of fury. You can also use them to stun your enemies so that you can take them out easily, so at least the new offerings are not completely useless in the in-game world.

The mind of Kojima is clearly hard at work trying to come up with more ways to mess with your mind. Trying to play with the new patterns from the beginning of the game is unusual but it breaks the flow of Metal Gear Solid. They are, as Konami indicated, interesting for those who have completed the game at least once and are interested in experiencing something exciting as they fire up the game again.