Thanks a lot for this.

Just wanted to say this is a great post. I was looking for exactly this kind of information and you summed everything up very nicely. Thanks for the info!

Achievements are like gold mines in the eyes of a recruiter. It is a clear proof of how well you can do in the future organization that you’re joining.

The Importance of Flow (Software Nation Articles)

Anyway, I had to agree fully on how well M.G.S. 4 utilised a variety of effects. I believe above everything else, it was the cinematography and animation that really delivered.

Another thing that deservees repeated mention, is the very smooth transitions from cut-scene to real-time gaming. We already know that the cut-scenes, in most games, exhibit a higher render quality because they are mostly scripted and allow for more system resources to be used. I’ve often found that when games move from real-time cut-scenes back into gameplay, once can notice a drastic difference in visual quality and fidelity. However, with M.G.S. 4 this is virtually stamped out – smooth as butter.

Anothing minor effect that really intrigued me was the use of procedural textures. People have been harping on about this with regards to Killzone 2 and other games with PS3 potential, but I still find the whole ’snow field’ level from M.G.S. 4 to be really interesting. One can actually see the frost and snow gradually start to build-up on Snake’s suit, if left in one position, and this effect is executed in quite a realistic fashion. Now there’s very few games that employ such an effect, and even fewer that execute the effect at such a level.

All in all, I think this game has done something that not even the almighty Crysis or Killzone 2 have managed. I think at the end, it really does come down to the overall package and the cinematography.

Again, nice article.