GC: MGS4 bosses unveiled

By Tom Bramwell Published 23 August, 2007

Mantis, Octopus, Raven, Wolf.

Hideo Kojima unveiled four of the Metal Gear Solid 4 bosses during a packed press conference in Leipzig this morning, saying he wanted to top the bosses in all the previous Metal Gear games.

His answer to that appears to be a line-up of animalistic former soldiers whose post-traumatic stress disorders have warped them into savage killers in beastly forms. They're all black and robotic, as we saw in a new trailer.

The first we saw, holding up a bulldozer in a street while soldiers looked around confusedly, was a panther-like creature of supreme strength and speed with a big slashing tail. Called Crying Wolf, he did for plenty of the soldiers before someone shouted "Beast!" and everyone started to scarper.

Unfortunately for them cat-man was supported by a woman with big tentacles coming out of her head, which she used to crush one soldier like a python would asphyxiate its prey, cackling madly the whole time. Laughing Octopus, she's called.

Helping her out was a boss called Raven with a rocket-propelled set of massive wings for swooping around, but the one with the most savage impact was seemingly some sort of multi-armed hovering enemy with telekinetic abilities - enough to have one soldier spray his comrades with bullets and then snap his own arms behind his back. Screaming Mantis, kids, and Snake wasn't too chuffed at the link to his past.

Not that we saw much of our old pal, as he was skulking around in the dust trying to avoid being seen while flying man zoomed over him screeching "Show your rage!"

The trailer closed by reiterating the promise of a simultaneous worldwide release, after which we had to slip out to go and talk to Sony about PlayStations and that. Kojima seemed on good form though, holding his arms aloft at the start and delivering his introductory comments in fairly good English.

Look out for that GC Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer soon.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (59) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Carlo #1 5 years ago

    Same old same old :D

  • Kazzahdrane #2 5 years ago

    Connecting 2nd sixaxis pad ftw when fighting Screaming Mantis?

  • Steroyd #3 5 years ago

    tell me about it, you just have to change one word around and I swear it's the first metal gear solid foxhound roster line-up.

    Damn Kojima and his recycling of ideas. :D

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #4 5 years ago

    Panthro!

  • Kryon #5 5 years ago

    Cool! so the same bosses I've already killed 3 times , so inventive! I can't wait for the 5 hours of cut scenes either!

    PS3lol.

  • Twincoil #6 5 years ago

    "Cool! so the same bosses I've already killed 3 times , so inventive! I can't wait for the 5 hours of cut scenes either!

    PS3lol."

    And you've already invested so much time on the PS1 and PS2. Odd.

  • The_Inquisitor #7 5 years ago

    @Steroyd

    "tell me about it, you just have to change one word around and I swear it's the first metal gear solid foxhound roster line-up.

    Damn Kojima and his recycling of ideas. :D"

    But that's what the fans what.

  • Kryon #8 5 years ago

    "And you've already invested so much time on the PS1 and PS2. Odd."

    Hey, the PS1 & 2 were/are great but that doesn't change the fact that the PS3 is lol does it ;)

  • penhalion #9 5 years ago

    We all saw his coming sadly. I'm finding it increasingly unlikely I'll ever buy this game. I guess it's "Con a friend into purchase" time isn't it.

  • miiiguel #10 5 years ago

    Sounds promising, it won't be no Bioshock, that's for sure, but it should be nice.

  • Cloudane #11 5 years ago

    If they are as good as the bosses in MGS3 then I'm not complaining.

  • Artemis_Matsas #12 5 years ago

    "PS3 is lol"

    Yeah... great argument. Go back to your hole little troll.

  • miiiguel #13 5 years ago

    trolling != lieing, though.

  • Kryon #14 5 years ago

    Yes Arty, you're right and you manged to rhyme that post almost as well as Vanilla Ice, well done :)

  • Twincoil #15 5 years ago

    People who can't afford more than just an Xbox is lol

  • the_tellurian #16 5 years ago

    Given that the bosses probably have been created / recruited by Liquid Ocelot, it's no big surprise that they bear the same code names his sidekicks did on Shadow Moses.
    The old man (arm) is just a bit uncreative. ;)

    Seriously, I think it's cool. But then again... MGS fanboism will do that to you.

  • miiiguel #17 5 years ago

    oooooooh!, bank account measuring time!

    I like it! I just "spanked the monkey" after I read the ATM receipt this morning, I think I'll do good!

  • menage #18 5 years ago

    I think they look great. Sadly the Boss battles in MGS have always been a drag. The guy one skates in 2 was irriatting as hell, and the aim view was fucked beyond belief.

  • Sebo #19 5 years ago

    No more sniper bosses though!!! God, that almost killed the third game for me.

  • Kryon #20 5 years ago

    I don't think it's right to lol at poor people just for the sake of it :( .It's more fun to lol at people who spend £425 on a console that has no decent games ... lol

  • AcidSnake #21 5 years ago

    @sebo:
    That was one of the highlights for me!

  • Kryon #22 5 years ago

    MGS4Substancefor360inawhile lol, not that I want itlol.

  • Steroyd #23 5 years ago

    No more sniper bosses though!!! God, that almost killed the third game for me.

    Well if you suck at tracking and sniping you could always wait a week and turn the game back on again.

  • CitizenGeek #24 5 years ago

    Wow, I want this trailer now! :D

  • Daryoon #25 5 years ago

    Cool! so the same bosses I've already killed 3 times

    Really, where? Can't say I remember...

    Eh, and people realise the naming is intentional? You know, mixing those from MGS1 and MGS3 so as to bring everything together thematically for the final game?

  • Scurrminator #26 5 years ago

    or just put the ps3 clock forward a week ;)

  • Dizzy #27 5 years ago

    >People who can't afford more than just an Xbox is lol

    You get rich by not spending your money on stuff you don't need.

  • miiiguel #28 5 years ago

    let's be fair 360 needs mgs as much as PS3 needs flow 2, or something. 360 has too many games coming at the same time, imo.

  • lambtron #29 5 years ago

    "Eh, and people realise the naming is intentional? You know, mixing those from MGS1 and MGS3 so as to bring everything together thematically for the final game?"

    hmmmmmmmm.

  • lambtron #30 5 years ago

    "i wonder if all this scorn from xbox360 owners towards mgs4 would still exist if this title were multi-platform"

    That's a rhetorical question right? Of courses it wouldn't ;).

    To be fair this works both ways with (as an example) that rubbish Wipeout clone from Koei going from BEST LAUNCH TITLE EVAH to - oh we don't care that its now practically a 360 exclusive from the PS3 massive.

  • Chris Gardiner #31 5 years ago

    "Laughing Octopus" - Excellent. :)


    Fave moment from MGS1:-

    Revolver Ocelot: "Let me show you why they call me...Revolver."

    My chum: "No. Show us why they call you Ocelot."

  • GuitarWolf #32 5 years ago

    More spoilers ='(

  • The-Bodybuilder #33 5 years ago

    You're all a bunch of whinging losers.
    Honestly, you would whinge about anything, just to look cool.

    I didn't care for MGS after 2, but the more I hear about this, the more interested I become.
    Edited by The-Bodybuilder at 23/08/07 @ 12:57

  • konstantinos #34 5 years ago

    as a PS3 owner I can say that I l-o-o-o-v-e Bioshock (and really look forward to the day when I'll play the definitive version - hello, RE4 - on my console), Halo 3 ( for which I'll probably get a core 360 at some point...), etc...

    no hard feelings towards anyone (what for, just to "feel better" for myself...?)...

    oh, and MGS4 will most definitely be a thing of beauty (and multi-faceted gameplay)... and the fact that it does not take itself too seriously is a plus... we need more idiosyncratic humor in videogames...

    cheers...
    Edited by konstantinos at 23/08/07 @ 13:28

  • Duke_Red #35 5 years ago

    He hasn't exactly recycled them, they just got the same names... and maybe new powers. Will be interesting to now how they got like this and why. But some people are not interested in asking those questions I guess...

    (By the way I dont have a PS3 yet and will be buying it for this)

  • aabyssx #36 5 years ago

    I hate spoilers.

  • Artemus #37 5 years ago

    Is there a decent quality copy of the new trailer about?

  • Twincoil #38 5 years ago

    "I don't think it's right to lol at poor people just for the sake of it"

    Right. People who buy a 360 and loads of games, own a PC and pay for broadband are 'poor'. Let them eat fucking cake.
    Edited by Twincoil at 23/08/07 @ 14:01

  • miiiguel #39 5 years ago

    not owning PS3 != poor
    not owning PS3 ~ wise

    Continuing on the honesty streak, there's no pragmatic reason to own a PS3 as of now, there isn't. The only reason is that "ooooh! it's a Sony!", and that's hardly reasoning.

    A games console is as good as the games it delivers, that's a fact, imo.

  • Tomo #40 5 years ago

    Exactly?! What's with putting spoilers blasted across the front page :/

  • Sebo #41 5 years ago

    True, curse Euroegamers spoilers.

    I did finish the sniper dude by the way, what was his name, The Age, or something, it just took forever to do. And then I bloody found out about that cheat afterwards......

    MGS3 was otherwise a total work of art and I can't wait for this new one

  • smoothn00dle #42 5 years ago

    cooo! MGS always has good bosses. Foxbound...Cobra.. Now the Breasts! Remind me of Terminator.. Robots will be the best warriors in the future.

  • miiiguel #43 5 years ago

    you'd be surprised... :)

  • Twincoil #44 5 years ago

    "Continuing on the honesty streak, there's no pragmatic reason to own a PS3 as of now"

    Right. So the dozens of hours I've spent playing Resistance, Sigma, Motorstorm and F1 were a waste of time? And my Bluray collection, I suppose that's a waste of time too? How about ICO and SOTColosus seing as I never had a PS2? How about being able to write this from the comfort of my couch?

  • space_ace #45 5 years ago

    the sniper was where i stopped mgs3

    it was very zen though

  • Sebo #46 5 years ago

    @twincoil

    If that floats your boat fair enuf, but I think the majority of gamers find the Xbox 360 and Wii offering a better gaming experience just now.

  • Kenshin001 #47 5 years ago

    Trailer looks positively awesome, that psychic boss with the dangling dolls (?) was creepy as fuck. Have added this to Most Wanted list and can hardly wait til it comes out. It's going to be massive.

  • Sebo #48 5 years ago

    The Vampire chap from 2 is in this one as well isn't he? God I really can not wait to be playing this game, even though the run through from the creator boy was a bit drab

  • Salato #49 5 years ago

    I really like Metal Gear, but I do worry about the state of Kojima's mind. I'll be surprised if any of the boss battles this time manage to be better than the Mantis battle in the original or the End sniper battle in MGS3.

  • AcidSnake #50 5 years ago

    The sniper battle was ace!...
    It is one of the best boss battles ever...
    Finding him by his lensflare in particular...

    There was another way of killing him by the way, besides the "waiting a week" tactic...
    You could plug him as soon as you arrived at the docks where he sits asleep in his wheelchair...You have a 6 second window before they roll him back inside though...
    One shot to the head and he explodes shouting "the end"...
    His area will then be filled with ocelot troops...

  • ArtOfLife #51 5 years ago

    Cannot wait for this game ^_^

    I loved the first three so something of that level of quality again will suit me fine, although you just know Kojima's going to go all out on this one and make it the absolute pinnacle of the series. He hasn't disappointed me so far with any of the other MGS games and I'm willing to bet this one will be more than worth the wait.
    Edited by ArtOfLife at 23/08/07 @ 18:41

  • Bongo #52 5 years ago

    Indeed, this is the only reason I actually need a PS3 at some stage.
    I'll probably sell it afterwards, unless the Ico/SOTC team have announced something by then.

  • a.d.venturer #53 5 years ago

    Anyone simply comparing the bosses between the bosses in MGS1 and MGS4 based on the similarity of their names should well do to read the following formal analysis of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, particularly the analysis of the boss fights here. [link url=http://www.deltaheadtranslation.com/MGS2/DOTM8.htm
    ]http://www.deltaheadtranslation.com/MGS2...[/link]

    Pay attention to the fact that Hideo Kojima likes to mess with your expectation of boss fights, and has done so since the original MGS1 fights.

    I've also written up a wildly speculative table of comparisons at http://roguelikedeveloper.blogspot.com/2... if anyone is interested.

  • imperial_seal #54 5 years ago

    Mantis, Octopus, Raven, Wolf. Where is the "Boss" ?

  • SuperBas #55 5 years ago

    I'll bet the black one is the wolf.

  • smoothn00dle #56 5 years ago

    @imperial_seal

    The boss is liquid.. Add Vamp that is the whole team.

  • threefortrouble #57 5 years ago

    Hi-res screenshots :)

    [link url=http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20070824/mgs4.htm
    ]http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs...[/link]

  • miiiguel #58 5 years ago

    Twincoil: to each its own, but I usually buy a console to play games, and every game I play takes me > 12 hours (some > 100, one > 200), and I have 49, so just do the math.
    Edited by miiiguel at 24/08/07 @ 11:17

  • Gl3n #59 5 years ago

    "Unfortunately for them cat-man was supported by a woman with big tentacles coming out of her head"

    I read testicles.