Customer Reviews

PlayStation 3 80GB Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Bundle

5 star:		(158)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

First of all, this is my second PS3 console. I already own the original Sony 60GB PS3 version and for a long time, I have wanted a second one to have in my bedroom as a Blu-ray player and to play certain games I can't play with my newborn around the house (i.e. Metal Gear Solid 4).

I love this console so much. As a media center, it does almost everything. It is the only gaming console to be fully Divx certified. And obviously, it plays back Blu-ray movies. In fact, it is probably still the best Blu-ray player you can purchase today. The gaming library has improved quite a bit since the original launch of the console.

I've been looking forward to Metal Gear Solid 4 for quite a long time. It was well worth the wait. I didn't think I would be a fan of the Dual Shock 3 controller as I usually could care less for rumble but it actually works well with Metal Gear Solid 4 and it weighs more than the original Sixaxis controller. For me, it is the perfect weight, better than the Sixaxis which I always though was too lite.

I would have hoped they would have fixed a couple of annoyances by now. First of all, the USB cable is too short. You won't be able to really play a game while charging your controller unless you don't mind standing right in front of the tv. They should really make the USB cable longer. Why in 2008 is Sony still shipping the PS3 with composite cables? They could have at least shipped it with component video cables. It could be my imagination but it seems as if my 80GB PS3 is slightler less noisier than the 60GB I own. I don't know if this means the 80GB uses the smaller cooler cell processor but it would be great if it did.

The 80GB hard drive can really fill up fast but fortunately, Sony was kind enough to allow a user to easily swap the hard drive out for any notebook sized SATA hard drive. I upgraded my Macbook Pro hard drive to a 320GB hard drive and transferred the old Macbook Pro hard drive to my 60GB Sony PS3. I may upgrade the hard drive on this 80GB PS3 soon as well.

Some people do not like the fact that the PS3 uses Bluetooth for it's remote contol. For me, this is better since it allows me to hide the PS3 out of sight where it doesn't clutter up space and also makes the console sound less audible while watching movies or playing games.

In summary, you can't go wrong with the Sony PS3, especially when you order from Amazon. I also own a Nintendo Wii (sold my Xbox 360 because of the RRoD). I think it really compliments the Nintendo Wii a lot and fills in where the Nintendo Wii lacks. Aside from the gripes I made earlier, I also would have preferred if Sony would have upgraded the wireless controller to N instead of G. This would allow me to stream HD content wirelessly. But it's not that big of deal because a lot of times, I just copy content to my PS3 hard drive. Oh yes, I have a large collection of PS2 games and so far, they seem to be working although I have not had a chance to try all of them.

I have never actually owned a Playstation of any kind before purchasing the MGS4 80GB bundle. I have owned an Xbox console since they first came out, but have never had the money or the interest to take the PS plunge. Now that I'm finally in Sony's boat, I can say I regret not making the move sooner. While I still don't think it's as user-friendly as the 360, this IS an amazing system. Everything looks and sounds great. I'd say this is well worth the $500. The console itself seriously puts the 360 to shame. It looks slick and futuristic while the 360 looks positively archaic next to it. As a lot of people have pointed out, it is inexcusable that Sony only includes composite cables. That really isn't a knock on this system, just a general failure by Sony. This package is well worth the price and is a great entertainment investment for anyone.

I've been backlogged with the 360 game library for a while and now that I have the entire PS3 game library to catch up on......ugh. I have so much gaming goodness ahead, I don't know what to do with myself.

Amazing bundle and a great way to get into Playstation 3. MGS4 is a must have game - I just beat it yesterday and the story is simply phenomenal, and the gameplay is fantastic. I have since been playing the online component of the game - Metal Gear Online. It is an excellent multiplayer game that is well developed and not just put in as an afterthought.

I just tried my library of 20 PS2 games (mostly final fantasy, gran turismo, metal gear, and god of war) and they all work fine. so backward compatibility is not an issue.

setting everything up was so easy - connected to my wireless network with no problem and easily picked up my home media server so i can watch the videos on my computer hard drive on my TV. also connected via HDMI to my onkyo 605 surround receiver and it is confirmed to send 7.1 DTS-HD MA to my receiver with the newest PS3 update which took a few minutes to download.

all in all a fantastic system. if you can find this bundle somewhere GET IT. i was lucky and got in on the deal from amazon. you cannot go wrong with this bundle.

As the title suggests, I own a 360. I have read and studied graphic comparisons, reviews and more between the two systems as long as they have been out. Until this game came out (MGS4) I was not planning on getting a Ps3 anytime soon. As someone that uses every feature my 360 has, this is my views and my impression on the Ps3 system as well as the game itself.

::=:: THE PS3 SYSTEM::=::

First I want to start with the ps3. I always heard good things about the system itself but that was never enough to make me go out and get one. The game selection for the 360 always attracted me, but now, especially with the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, it's a great time to pick one up. I use my laptop's Windows Media Center with my 360 to stream a huge amount of videos I have to my TV, which I honestly never expected the ps3 to be able to do, but it does. This was an awesome surprise. Not only does it detect my laptop, but also it sees the 5 other computers on my network that are sharing content and I can access them all! Not only that, I can access them from my ps3 remotely with my PSP through any WIFI connection. It's a weird feeling to be able to stream videos from your Laptop that is wirelessly connected to your Ps3 at home, while you are miles away on a handheld. The HDMI connection displaying everything at 1080P is breathtaking and blue ray movies truly do look stunning. The game menu is actually rather simple as well, but in a good way. It lays out everything in front of you but though it does that, it doesn't clutter you with content. You don't feel overwhelmed at all with the menus.

The games on the system look stunning. I have read countless reviews for games that go cross platform and I will admit; games like Call of Duty 4, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and other cross platform titles do have better texture quality on the 360 but games that are literally designed for the Ps3 are amazing. I currently have Heavenly Sword and MGS4 (duh) and I have not seen graphics and draw distances like these on the 360. The power of this system seems limitless right now, and the games made specifically for it show it. The system also has Bluetooth built in, which lets me take my Bluetooth headset and merely hook it up to my system to use in games like Metal Gear Solid 4's online multiplayer. The backwards compatibility on the system works without a hitch, though I have had some lag with Metal Gear Solid 3. Apparently these new Ps3 systems merely emulate the Ps2 instead of how it worked with the old systems which actually had the real Ps2 emotion chip built in. This is why MGS3 lags on this system when it wouldn't lag on the original Ps3 systems.

Overall for the system this is an amazing deal. You get the 80 gig system which use to be $600 for $100 less but it also comes with a new release (and likely the best game the system has seen yet), and a duel shock 3 controller. That's nuts! I wouldn't suggest just buying the system by itself, but this deal is worth it. Now that I have the system I am finding more titles I wouldn't mind owning, so if you're a 360 fan, this system IS actually for you.

::=:: Metal Gear Solid 4 - Son's of the Patriots::=::

To date, as a person that is actually heavily into game development, I have not seen nor played a game that looks better, is more polished, and more innovative as this one. This game shouldn't even be referred to as a game, as it should merely be addressed to the public as an "Experience." Anyone that grew up with Snake and his adventures will get an experience out of this game that cannot be missed and expressed in words.

:~::GRAPHICS::~:

What can I say about the graphics that hasn't already been said? The two words that come to mind are: ABSOLUTLY GORGEOUS. Every "cinema" isn't even a video it's merely in game play being shown through cameras set at different angles. The Environments, player models, weapons, lighting is all top notch!

SCORE: 10/10

:~::STORY::~:

Every inch of this story is great and it ties up every loose end the series has. The story is told so that every cinema is well worth watching and no matter what you think you know, there are always new events that change EVERYTHING even until the last credit rolls (and afterward so watch on past the credits). Each character is built up well and has a lot of back-story to them. Since the story is so serious, there are a ton of Easter eggs to look forward to that not only make you laugh but make you enjoy the experience even more.

SCORE: 10/10

:~::GAMEPLAY::~:

As I sit here and write this, I am actually smirking because as someone who has beat the game and then has to describe the gameplay...well, there's no way to really do it without sounding like a gitty school girl. The polish and fine-tuning was immense. The stealth, camo, guns, customization, levels/environments, voice acting, story; everything involved in gameplay deserves more than a 10. You never get bored, and though the levels are a bit linier, you can beat through this game dozens of times and still have some extra to shoot for while having unique experiences each time.

SCORE: 10/10

:~::SOUND::~:

The voice acting was done by some serious talent and it shows. David Hayter (Solid Snake) does a beautiful job. This was definitely a step up from the first Metal Gear Solid. You have Phil La Marr (Vamp) who does the voice of Hermes in Futurama. The list goes on. Anyhow, the music, sound FX and voices are just outstanding and really help the game flow.
SCORE: 10/10


OVERALL: 10/10

If you are looking to buy a ps3, this is an amazing deal. If you are looking to buy Metal Gear Solid 4, it's an amazing game. If you don't have either of these items, get this bundle right now!

I was happy when Sony lowered the price on their Playstation 3 40GB, but it took until they released this PlayStation 3 80 GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Pack for me to pull the trigger. Not only do you get the PS3 with all the cool stuff that's included with it and an 80 GB hard drive, but you also get latest in a great game franchise with Metal Gear Solid 4.

For starters, setup was pretty straight forward. If you look at the technical details and product details you will see plenty of inputs and outputs and built-in hardware features including wireless. It only took me just over an hour to get it all hooked up with my home entertainment center and home network.

Obviously, most people get the PS3 for pure gaming. Even though there are still not as many games as for the Xbox360, many of the games that are out there are awesome. For now, you don't have to worry about the cost of Xbox Live when it comes to online play. Most XBox Live people get yearly subscriptions that bring down that monthly cost, especially if you pick them up on sale. Still, I like Sony's model better, though I've heard they are thinking of going to a subscription model in the near future. I hope they don't, but we'll see.

It's also no secret you can play BluRay disks on this guy. With BluRay players like the Sony BDP-S301 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player BD/DVD/CD Playback with Bonus HDMI Cable going for just under what the PS3 will cost you, it's no wonder some people buy this as their BR player. The cost will hopefully come down eventually, but now that HD DVD is gone it probably won't come down fast enough.

Being able to use this guy as a media player and collect music and video files on it is also a nice plus. The XBox 360 does this too, and I personally like those functions on that guy better. But that's mainly because I am a heavy Windows Media Center user and like being able to integrate the 360. Still, the amount of stuff you can do with this guy is too much to count.

I can't comment on reliability first hand yet, since this bundle is pretty new to me. I have definitely heard more complaints about the 360 in terms of durability.

While the PS3 does cost a little more for the games and hardware than the 360 or Wii, it does give you more built-in hardware features out of the box. Once you buy the Xbox 360 Elite Bundle and all the extras you need to give it similar features, the cost is about the same or higher.

I'm definitely glad I got this. If you can get this bundle, it's probably a better value than the base unit.

Enjoy!

PS3 Pros
-On the PS3 online gaming is Free. They are not charging you 50 bucks a year so you can play online. Should be free in the first place.
-Bluray Player included
-Upconverting to 1080P assuming you have a Full HD TV and use HDMI
-7.1
-No advertising all over the dashboard like MS does
-No Overheating
Now most of the games that are coming out on the xbox360 are coming on the PS3
-You can upgrade your drive (you must use a SATA laptop hard drive. 5400 RPM is recommended as the firmware sets the read write access speed)
-It is Quiet
-Don't have to buy a wireless adapter it comes with it. almost 100 bucks for the xbox 360
-The unit can read xvid and divx.
-Controller Rumbles. Just make sure you have patched your games. (without the patch the controller doesn't rumble if you play Resistance).
-The graphics are as good as the one's on thexbox360 (if not better). As matter of fact I'm not a convert I'm just going with what is better for my wallet and gives me more. With the latest firware the PS3 really delivers. IT is only going to get better.
AND THE BEST FOR THE LAST
It comes with Folding@home. Love that feature

Cons: My PS3 does about everything but doesn't wash my dishes. Sigh

I sold my 360 because that piece of junk died on me after 6 months. Had to ship it back to ms and was without a console for a month. Bought a second one and that one died too.
I'm so done with the 360. I had some great moment on the xbox dont get me wrong but it is time to move on.
Too much advertising on the dashboard...anoying.
For the people paying the 50 bucks it should be advertising free.

I am an XBOX360 owner. However, I have been wanting to get a PS3 for some time. The backwards compatibility (BC) was not as big a concern to me as getting a Dual Shock Controller. When I purchased this unit with the BC, Dual Shock 3 controller and MGS4, I fell in love. The quality of this unit is by far, one of the best consoles I ever had. The 1080P picture it produces is beautiful. The Blu-ray movies are very nice. I do not know about others, but the one thing I notice most was the amount of noise between my 360 and the PS3. The PS3 even on high fan is far less noise than my 360. I am not sure how I have never noticed it during gaming and movies, but with both being present, what a difference. I recently have upgraded my PS3 to a 320-gig disk for $99. I think MS is crazy to ask the price they do for their disk. Now I have both and may, just may, switch completely over to the PS3. Great system, great games... You will love it.

I've had a PS3 since launch and this value is great. You get MGS4, which is being touted as being one of the best games ever by many reviewers, a DualShock 3 controller, and an 80-GB PS3.

Great gaming system. Here are the main features:

- 80 GB of HDD storage. Easy to upgrade, and doesn't void the warranty. Sony actually has the directions in the manual.
- Free online play on dedicated servers. Resistance/Warhawk are one of the best experiences online.
- Built-in wireless card. I play online wirelessly with no lag.
- Blu-ray disc playback. 25 GB per layer... and many games coming out this year will be on 50-GB discs (Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, etc.).
- PSP/PS3 connectivity. You can access your PS3 media from anywhere in the world using the PSP. Other features too.
- Motion-sensing controllers with rumble.
- Built-in multi-card reader.
- The CELL BE. 4.5x more powerful than even the new quad-core processors from Intel. Great for physics, AI, lighting, etc. in games.
- Bluetooth connectivity. Great for headsets and keyboards/mice.
- Upscales DVDs to 1080p via HDMI. (SCE engineers have said they will even improve that by 40% when it's all said and done.)
- Upscales PS1 and PS2 games to up to 1080p resolution.
- Rechargeable controllers right out of the box (Li-ion batteries already included). No need for extra devices or battery-purchasing.
- HDMI 1.3 support.
- Web browser built-in.
- DivX Certified.
- Stream media content from your PC through the TV wirlessly.
- RELIABLE. Less than 1% (Some have said 0.2%) defect rate. It's not loud whatsoever.
- Open online system. User-generated content in upcoming games open and free to download. (e.g. Unreal Tournament III and LittleBigPlanet)
- Great support from Sony. Weekly content updates on the PS Store, and constant firmware updates to add features and improve system performance.


IT'S 500 DOLLARS (In response to a previous review). It doesn't come out until the 12th of June. Amazon will sell it new for 500.

I must admit, I didn't buy this bundle game system because of Metal Gear Solid 4. I purchased it, because of three other factors:

1. Its more cost effective than purchasing the 40 gig PS3. You get a dual shock controller with vibration, 40 more gig hard drive, ability to play 70% of PS2 games and of course a free game, all for $499. If you purchased the 40 gig PS3 at $399, you'll still have to buy a game at $60, which is $459. So, for an extra $40 bucks, you get all the extra bells and whistles. Anybody that has any common sense knows this is a better deal.

2. When I purchased this bundle, I got no payments or finance charges for 18 months. So in essences, I'm paying less than $30 a month, which is a sweet deal. I'll pay it off before the 18 months is over. That's the only way I would have paid over $500 for a game.

3. God of War 3 is coming out next year and by the time its out, I would have paid off my PS3. Don't get me wrong, from what I heard, the Metal Gear Solid series, including number 4 is a great series. And I have Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3. I just haven't played them yet, so before I start playing MGS4, I'll play 2 & 3.

For right now, the system works great. I have no complaints. I placed mine in my entertainment stand. The PS3 does get very warm. So, I cut a hole in the back of the shelve, where the PS3 sits and brought a very small, but powerful fan from Wal-mart and placed it outside the back of the shelve, where the PS3 sits, and the fan pull all of the warm air out through the back of my stand. Kind-of-like a homemade ventilation system and it works great! I had considered buying these attachable "cooling" fans for my PS3, however, I heard so many conflicting information about them, that I decided to make my own. Which I'm happy I did. The fan from Wal-mart only cost me $5 bucks. The other "cooling" devices cost as much as $30 bucks, so I saved even more money. Thank God! With high gas prices I can stand to save every dime I get.

I only play my PS3 about 3-4 hours a week, and I'm still playing my first PS3 game (Medal of Honor Airborne, I purchased it with my bundle). I like to master a game before moving on to the next game. But for any person the want something to do during some down time or a serious gamer, I would recommend this system to you.

The well demanded 80 gig is back, with a vengeance: Metal Gear Solid 4.

Let's start on SKU differences:

So maybe you're on the fence about buying a cheaper 400 dollar 40 gig SKU or a 500 dollar 80 gig bundle? Well, for PS2 owners wanting to upgrade: the 40 gig SKU has ZERO PS2 game compatability, while the 80 gig has PS2 game compatability using the emulation engine. Although the emulation engine isn't as good as the 60 gig's emotion engine, it has compatibility with most titles.
On Sony's site, you can check to see what games will work on it:
http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/CompatibleStatus

Blu ray capabilities -

As you probably know, Blu ray has won the hi def war, so it's pretty much future proof in hi def movie department. How is it different from DVD? Incredible pristine picture quality up to 1080p (top of the line in picture resolution) compared to 480p from DVDs, clearer and crisper sound, more content including DLC via BD LIVE, scratch resistance, and more ways to show off to your friends about your top of the line lifestyle.

Blu ray features: Dual layer blu rays can hold 50 gigs worth of data (compared to 9 gigs from a standard DVD). What this means for games? Potentiality for a longer game, better sound, bigger maps, and better textures. Also, not to mention that being more scratch resistant helps a lot, especially when renting games. I hate it when I had to rent PS2 and Xbox 360 games and have to exchange it to the store because of awful scratches. Well, with PS3 games, this will be a another great convenience to you, not having to deal with any of that. Apparently, Metal Gear Solid 4 is using every single one of these 50 gigs of space on the disc, and is the first one to do so. Past games like Ratchet and Uncharted only used the single layer BR which held 25 gigs.

Online gaming:

Free and sweet! Although of course, DLC and games you have to pay for, but online works as good as you'd expect. Some games even have dedicated servers like Resistance which can hold 40 players and have ZERO lag. Currently, you can't message people in game, but it will be up in the next update, which will be very soon!

Although the store is already slick and great looking as it is, much more stuff is promised to us - Playstation home coming out later this year, and a movie download service is coming soon. And best of all, unlike Xbox Live, these updates and additions are absolutely free! You really have to appreciate two things here: FREE and Sony for keeping it updated and free.

Games:
With tons of great titles already here and tons more coming along the way, the ps3 will definitely keep you enjoying yourself nonstop while looking forward to new and more exciting titles as well.

Games that I recommend are - Resistance: Fall of Man, Folklore, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Warhawk, Heavenly Sword, Grand theft auto 4, Devil May Cry 4, MotorStorm, Fight Night round 3, Madden 08.

Games coming up to look forward to - Metal Gear Solid 4 (Heck! The reason I and most others bought a PS3!), Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Motorstorm 2, LittleBigPlanet, Bioshock, Silent Hill 5, Valkyria Chronicles, inFAMOUS, LA Noire, White Knight Chrnoicles and a whole lot to look forward to.

Final thoughts:

So should you get it or not? Well, if you're a fan of games, and/or hi def movies - the PS3 is the one to get.
Reasons why you should get this bundle:

8. It's currently one of the cheapest blu ray players available.
7. Free online
6. Plenty of great games and more great games to come
5. Reliable console - No major hardware failure issue like the RROD of the Xbox 360
4. Motorized sliding front panel and touch pad are cool
3. Strong, scratch resistant blu ray discs
2. Backwards compatibility with most PS2 titles.
AND #1. Metal Gear Freakin' Solid 4 is included for free! What MORE can you ask for!!?? Many people bought the PS3 at 599 when it first came out just for this game alone!