One of my favorite series (and no doubt my favorite action series) has just had It's third iteration announced. I was disappointed that there was no gameplay shown, but a trailer was shown depicting Kratos atop Mount Olympus. Consider me pumped.

I have been waiting for MGS4 for a long time. It's the conclusion to my favorite game series, and the ending of a saga. My expectations for this game are low - basically I will be happy with the game no matter what. Kojima knows how big this game is, and he won't screw anything significant up. That being said, I still have a few fears. Here they are:

1. Will my collectors edition be beat up and dented? I might cry if it is...
2. The voice acting in the MGS games has always been spectacular, but it has always had it's moments of weakness. It was basically flawless in MGS3, but MGS2 had some cheese-ball moments. I hope they can avoid all of that for MGS4.
3. Seriously, will the story disappoint me?
4. I hope the the ending is just as epic and powerful as Snake Eater's. It would probably seal the envelope on this being on of the greatest games I have played.
5. The scores. I really don't give a crap what the game gets on any of the major sites. I really don't. Nothing will stop me from charging into the store at the midnight launch with reckless abandon. I am worried that unless the game is highly successful score-wise that fanboys will bash the game without every touching it. I worry that it could effect game sales.

MGS has always gotten a lot of things right, and below are things I am not worried about. It's based off the released trailers and the MGO Beta.

1. The graphics will be amazing. All the previews have stated how stunning the game looked, and that it competed with the best-of-the-best. The Beta looked wonderful.
2. The sound. The MGO had incredible sound effects for everything. The game uses uncompressed audio files, and everything sounds incredibly crisp as a result.
3. The gameplay. The controls have always been tricky for the MGS games, but not anymore. They have made everything feel perfect, pulling off the CQC, shooting, and crouching all feel very natural. Now I am just as excited to play MGS as I am to find out the story!
4. The cinematics in the game will be mind blowing - what else is there to say?
5. MGO will be freaking amazing. The Beta displayed the most entertaining online I have played since Halo 2. I am very excited to get in there and start leveling my character!

After several delays and annoyances, the MGO Beta is finally here. I have put about four hours into it, and I can say one thing about it: it's damn good. I really had no hopes for MGO - I really only want MGS4. Much to my surprise and happiness, the online is excellent, and something I will dump hours and hours into after I finish up Guns of the Patriots. Below I have listed The pros and cons of the MGO Beta. Everything is opinion based.

THE PROS

• Finally - the controls feel perfect. It's fluent, fast, and feels wonderful to pull off the various CQC moves.
• This game looks great! The characters animate realistically, and the whole environment is detailed. The game has some really neat subtle touches that will delight the ones who notice them.
• Excellent audio and physics. The game sounds very crisp and the guns really sound like they pack a punch.
• The typical MGS humor is present even in the multiplayer. You can run people over by rolling in a drum can. You can distract them with a men's magazine and then pop them in the head. It's really goofy stuff, and who can forget the man cannon?
• A wealth of modes and options. I haven't seen a multiplayer game with this is many options since Halo 3.
• Excellent stat tracking! I have been inside a box for 14 minutes, you know.
• The SoP (Sons of the Patriots) System works better then I expected. Never have I ever been able to keep in a group as well as I have been able to in this game. I know who exactly needs help and where I need to be. I really form a connection with your team, staying coordinated in swift and simple, now.

THE CONS

• A steep learning curve both in terms of controls and what it takes to play. Anyone willing to put in the hour or two it can take to get a grip will be rewarded greatly. I am afraid it will scare many gamers off, however.
• There are some small things that will most likely be put into place for the final release.
• Darn it. Now something will distract me from Guns of the Patriots!