Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots [PS3]

Of course, while Kojima made a concerted effort to sneak around and avoid battle, he had to show off combat. Not only did he show how you acquire weapons on the battlefield and the Drebin system, but he used environmental weapons as well, such as mortars that are placed in specific locations to shell PMC troops. Doing so helped Snake befriend the militia soldiers around him, and Kojima pointed out that Snake can increase his standing in their eyes by fighting alongside them as well as giving them items like rations. Occasionally, they'll give Snake new items in return, so there's an advantage to making sure you pick a side and work with them. At times you'll need all the help you can get, particularly when the PMCs take up sniper positions or start firing rockets at your position.

Kojima took these opportunities to customize his weapons, highlighting how adjustable the weapon system is by manipulating the M4 custom with a grenade launcher, laser scope and a flashlight. In fact, he made sure to point out that the flashlight is particularly effective in dazing soldiers by flashing the light in their eyes, stunning them for a few seconds so Snake can take them out. For brute force, however, you can always fire the grenade launcher attachment and blast them through the air. There was a downside to that attachment in that it wasn't particularly precise. To that end, Kojima showed off the XM25 grenade launcher, which is the most precise launcher in the world right now. It calculates the distance to a target, so a player can aim a bit high and allow the trajectory of the grenade to hit its target every time. For instance, he aimed at a soldier that was taking cover behind a balcony. The XM25 calculated the distance to the balcony, Kojima aimed a little higher, and the grenade took out the soldier comfortably.

However, sometimes you need a little extra firepower in battle. While we have all become accustomed to the RPGs or Stingers from previous titles, Kojima showed of a special weapon that is sold within the Drebin Store: the Tanegashima. The weapon looks unassuming – it's a flintlock lead ball rifle, so many players might dismiss it at first glance. However, its price tag is somewhat astounding, since it costs one million Drebin Points to purchase. Kojima pointed out that players would need to play through the game at least three or four times to gather the number of points needed for the gun, but once this was done, you had a legendary weapon at your disposal. He then proceeded to show off just why. While you can fire the lead ball bullet at an enemy and kill them, the trade off comes in the reload time – it takes more than fifteen seconds to reload the shot. The true power of the weapon comes with its alt-fire, which unleashes a Kamikaze cyclone across the playing field, scooping all enemies and loose items in its wake. When it blows out, the items carried by the killed soldiers are dropped to the ground, allowing players to collect the spoils of war. Clearly, even though it's been played at multiple events by now, there's tons of secrets to be uncovered with the final title, which will be on store shelves on June 12th.

To wrap up the demonstration, Konami pointed out that the Limited Edition MGS4 PS3 bundle will be available only through Konami.com. Pre-orders for the bundle will be available on May 19th, and will feature a 40 gig PS3 and DualShock 3 in the Gunmetal color, as well as the Limited Edition version of MGS4.

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