While the Metal Gear Solid series is known for it’s diabolical, brain strangulating plot, over-the-top, memorable characters and long cut-scenes, the final installment of the series to be directed by Hideo Kojima is set to break a few records and perhaps your patience with 90 minute cut-scenes.

Yes cut-scenes. In plural. As in more than one.

According to CVG:

  The news comes from PSW magazine, who’s been and finished MGS4, and then promptly whispered in our ears about the shocking 90-minute cut-scenes. The latest issue hits newsstands today, by the way.

We were expecting long story sequences (MGS2 approached the 45 minute mark in one) but an hour and a half of cinematics was unexpected.

The good news is that you can now skip or pause the scenes. Hands up though, how many of you are actually going to sit through the full 90 minutes?

“MGS4’s story is massive. The videogame equivalent of all three Godfather movies on one disc,” says the mag.

“As you’d expect, you’ll spend a lot of time watching cut-scenes, so if you found previous games’ story exposition laborious, then you’d better find yourself a nice cushion and plenty of teabags in readiness for MGS4’s.

“They can be skipped, but you’ll be missing out on some of the finely crafted examples of FMV footage anywhere in gaming,” the article boldly proclaims.

Well if the story is as well-crafted as the rest of the games, it isn’t a problem. This is the PS3’s ace in the hole this year after all. Though the 4.64GB installation might be an issue for some (pro-tip: delete the pr0n from your PS3 HDD), for the rest of us, a loading-screen free experience awaits.