Computer Game review
Playstation 3
Release date Out now

Infiltration specialist Solid Snake is back in action, in what has been announced as his final tour of duty!

From its origin as a top-down perspective game on the original NES to this lavish high definition action spectacular, the espionage videogame genre (which also includes pretty much anything with Tom Clancy’s name on the box) is largely defined by Metal Gear Solid.

Happily the latest in the series is easily up to expectations and for the most parts it surpasses them. Much like the earlier games, the storyline is compelling and fits perfectly around the missions, leaving the player in no doubt as to what they are doing and why. The control system is wonderfully fluid and responsive, with a wide variety of moves that are surprisingly easy to master.

Perhaps uniquely for a videogame the hero, Solid Snake, has aged, and this is factored into the storyline. This is not to say that things have been slowed down in any way though, with a stunning motorbike chase proving just how high octane this game can be.

It’s not all solo gameplay. Online play provides enormous fun, and the chance to stealthily sneak up behind your paranoid friends proves to be irresistible and strangely compelling. Jonathan Wilkins

VERDICT: 10/10
A fabulous closing adventure for a durable videogame franchise that shows the pretenders how it’s done. This is solid stuff.