It's really awesome guide; although I've just played once MSG2 it makes me feel that I've played the entire series. It's a comprehensive game guide for who wants to play and master MGS4.

Very detailed layout of maps & sectors. Walk-throughs percise & to the point. Does not play the game for you,but lets the player use their own imagination.

This game guide is very helpful as like the other MGS series. This guide will help you successfully beat the game in your way or the other way. The guide will show you where all the good stuff is at, but be warned, the end of the book may ruin your fun.

First of all, if you're not interested in the additional features of the Collector's Edition (MGS4: Limited Edition Collector's Guide), then save yourself the money and get this standard edition. It's significantly cheaper, and is exactly the same with the following exceptions:

- The Collector's Edition is hardcover.
- Collector's Edition includes an additional chapter detailing some of the great Metal Gear artwork.
- Collector's Edition includes a numbered lithograph by Yoji Shinkawa.

Either product will be worth the money to anyone that wants to get the most out of the game. I purchased this guide after I had completed the game once already, and I'd recommend this to anyone interested in the guide. Don't use the guide on your first time through, or it may inadvertently ruin some of the surprises and fun bits that pop up throughout.

The thought that the maps are too hard to read, as mentioned in another review, seems ridiculous to me. The maps have been of great help when determining shortest routes, or finding items that you may need. Granted, it may sometimes take a minute of staring at the map to determine your current position, but I don't think they could have done much better than they did.

You will get a TON of advice every step of the way. It will tell you the best way to get through the each map normally, as well as how that strategy must change if you're trying a no-kill playthrough. It will also give you adjustments that you may need to make based on the difficulty setting that you're playing on.

The guide includes a listing of every weapon in the game, along with a description, how to attain it, and its characteristics. There is a similar listing for items available in the game. There's a full listing of available Face Camo and how to attain them, and another for iPod tunes.

There's a full listing of available emblems that you can earn upon completion of the game. There are also strategies on how to get as many of these emblems as possible in the shortest number of playthroughs.

And of course, one of my favorite parts of the guide, is the summary of the entire MGS story, from beginning to end.

Overall, the guide is fantastic. If you don't care about the 3 differences stated above, then I'd recommend the standard edition guide. Either way, you're getting a LOT of guide for your money, and you're getting a LOT of extra value out of your game purchase as well. For example, I doubt that I would have played through this game more than 2 or 3 times without the guide. But with all the information presented in the guide, I'm currently finishing up my 6th run, and I already have plans for my 7th.

I have played all previous Metal Gear games, so I am a big fan.
This last MGS4 is of course the best game Konami has made.
The official Game guide is very useful because there are so many secrets to discover. Also it gives you a lot of advices regarding the gameplay and how to kill the bosses.
If you need to know more about Metal Gear story, this guide will gives you all the informations you want.
I must say the game cannot be purchased WITHOUT the guide !! It is essential to read this guide if you want to get in Metal Gear world.

I just received this book from Amazon two days ago, and I've only had perhaps 30 minutes or so to look through the book.

A book like this for less than $14??? Finely printed, and chock full of help and background information on characters, tactics, weapons, etc. I'll purchase another copy to keep as a collector's item. Yes, this paperback book is that good!...and definately worth the money! If you have MGS4 for your Playstation, this is a MUST have.

This game guide was perfect. It's easy to understand the game. This game guide was describing well. You can't miss anything. I like this game guide.

I typically do not buy video game guides. My previous experience with Brady guides for Unreal Tournament and GTA IV, left much to be desired and are collecting dust on a shelf. My iternet research indicated this guide was different because it was published by Piggyback and was drafted in-house by Konami. After reading and using the guide, I agree. The writing is interesting, the inforamtion is helpful and the illustrations are great. I would highly recommend getting this guide. FYI, unless you are a MSG fanatic, I would avoide the deluxe hardback edition, the paperback has all of the same game information which is what I was looking for. Good luck to all the Snakes out there.

The short story: If you're new to MG, BUY THIS BOOK. If you want to completely* understand this game, BUY THIS BOOK. If you want to have a book that you can be glad you spent every penny for, BUY THIS BOOK. :D


MGS4 is my first experience with the entire Metal Gear 'saga.' Since MG has such a complicated storyline, my first playthrough involved a whole lot of listening to the cut scenes.

However, despite all that, I was still a bit lost.

Not only does this guide cover 99%* of the game, but it also contains a very readable synopsis of the entire story. (WARNING: Be careful if you read it before you've finished MGS4. You can get away with reading a lot, but ...) This is what really made this book worth it, to me.

Of course, the rest of the book helped a great deal as well, and is what I'll be consulting during my future runs through the game (one of which started the day after I completed MGS4).


*: This guide doesn't cover the passwords that Konami hasn't released yet. Oh well.

Don't get me wrong. This guide is awesome. So why only 3 stars? Well, I have to be blatantly honest. The maps are somewhat very difficult to read at times. When playing the game, you press start to get a view of the map when you start to feel a little lost, or just want to know where you might be. When you do this, you get a choice of viewing it in two different ways. One is a flat, un-detailed map, while the other is a 3-d map that can be rotated. That's where the problem comes in. The maps in this book are very detailed and pretty much don't look exactly like what you might be looking at on your tv screen map. Also the way that the map is shown in the book is often shown in a different angle then what you see on your tv, making it difficult to even tell where you are.
I am sure that somebody can figure alot of this stuff out with some time, but why would you? I want to play the game, not read a book all of the time while I play. I really just want to see some readable maps, and then I'll decide to read the other stuff maybe later. I have got lost numerous times, thinking that the map in the book I was looking at, was not the one I was playing on. Well usually it was, but I had a real hard time figuring it out. They should have done the maps in this book, like they did in the Metal Gear3 Snake Eater book. There you got a clear example of great maps.
Other than that rant, I do have to recommend this book to all Metal Gear fans because all of the content is truly awesome. It has some real cool pics of the characters and does give some decent advice. You can't go wrong getting this guide, but really don't expect an easy time looking at the maps.

Piggyback Interactive doesn't release a lot of guides within the United States, but when they do, it's a treat. Their guides are far more detailed and organized than BradyGAMES or Prima. In the past I've described Piggyback Interactive guides as being a companion rather than just another guidebook. The same is true of the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Strategy Guide. Developed on site at Konami studios, this is easily the best Metal Gear Solid 4 resource you can find, and it ensures the game is still fun to play.

The guide begins with a heartfelt foreward from Kojima himself, ensuring that the guide will help any gamer to understand the game better and to make sure the gamer enjoys the game for himself. The collaborative effort you get in the end shows that Kojima and Piggyback Interactive, kept their word.

After the foreward there's an exhaustive "How to Play" section which will showcase some of the tactics you can perform. Not only that, but it gives you a complete overhaul of the game basics. Complete with clear screenshots, diagrams and some fantastic explanations. Whether you're a Metal Gear Solid veteran or a newcomer, this guide will help you adjust to Metal Gear Solid 4.

After that, the guide wastes no time jumping into the walkthrough and this is where the guide becomes your best friend. It's very well organized and easy to use. The walkthrough is divided into the five acts of the game. When you dive in there's a distinct format used for the guide. On the even pages (the left handed pages) you'll see the map with call outs and captions. This is all the basic stuff that's needed for those who want to go through the game with as little interruption as possible. This doesn't hold your hand, but it's also meant to be used with the lower difficulty setting. On the odd numbered pages (the right hand side), however, is a step by step process of everything you need to do, but much more in depth. The odd numbered pages are meant to be used on higher difficulty levels, as it details how to go through the game without killing anyone and will even give you strategies for bosses that will help you get the best rankings. You can, of course, use the odd pages if you decide those strategies will work better for you.

The odd numbered pages also utilize the "A, B, C" method found in a few other guides. That is to say that you look on the map for the letter "A" and then find section "A" in the text and see what you have to do there. It makes for a well organized guide that lets you consult it when you need it rather than page flipping and trying to find your place all the time. Another great aspect about the guide is that it doesn't just cover one difficulty level. It covers ALL of them.

The maps are also very detailed. Showing the traps, where your enemies will hang out and just how severe the population of an area is. Another good aspect of the walkthrough is how detailed and crystal clear the screenshots are. But there are also other goodies found within the walkthrough such as alternative strategies where they are needed. Mission briefings that spoil absolutely nothing, as well as flashback moments that will remind you of the significance of other games in the series. Again, while it may seem like it, there are no spoilers. The Flashbacks just serve as a helpful reminder. After all, Metal Gear Solid 4 has a lot to swallow. All this is done without spoiling any of the game. Any spoilers found within the walkthrough are things that have already been touched upon in previous games in the series

After the walkthrough we get into the Inventory. This is where the guide begins to warn you of possible spoilers. While there's nothing big spoiled here, there are a few surprises that may end up being not so surprising to curious eyes. There's a lot of detail here just as well.

Metal Gear Online is also a very good section. Just as detailed. Giving you tips for all the different types of matches and for whether you're playing single or multiplayer. While most guides usually just have a mention of what you get from an online mode, Piggyback really digs into Metal Gear Online. No stone is left unturned.

Once we get into the extras this is where that SPOILER warning comes in handy, and yes, Piggyback warns you. Several times. The only thing I will mention here for anyone who wants to know is that it'll tell you all you need to do the obtain all the different rankings (with subsequent tips for The Boss Extreme mode). I'll mention nothing more to those still trumping through Metal Gear Solid 4. I'll only tell you its an exhaustive section that spans more than fifty pages.

Lastly, and this is a big spoiler, but a nice little bonus that the guide showcases. In past Metal Gear Solid guides, Piggyback has always summed up the story and helped the player understand it better if they feel a little confused. It's never anything the player has the view and here they even warn you that you are NOT to read this section before you complete Metal Gear Solid 4. So if you do read it, you were warned. Not once. Not twice. But three times. And just like other Metal Gear Solid guides produced by piggyback, they give their own interpretation. Once you complete Metal Gear Solid 4 the first time, you might want to check out this little extra as it opens the door for discussion over Metal Gear Solid 4's incredible story.

The last tidbit is simple. With so much detailed packed into one book, there's bound to be a lot of page flipping right? Wrong. The very last page is an index that helps you pin-point whatever it is you need. And for the fourth time, the guide warns you of any possible spoilers.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is amazing game and it's given an amazing guide! Everything you ever wanted to learn about Metal Gear Solid 4 is here. Not just everything you wanted to learn about Metal Gear Solid 4 is here, but also everything you ever wanted to know about the Metal Gear Solid series. It not only gets you through the game, but will help you understand the story better if need be. This is the perfect example of a perfect guide.