I have MGS4, but I have never played an MGS game.

I just bought MGS 4 but I was wondering if I should play it now or if I should buy the older games and play them first. I really wanna play it now, but I don't want to play the story if I'm just going to be lost the entire time.

Isn't there an extensive MGS encyclopedia that help people fill in the story before MGS4? I remember it being mentioned in a bombcast around the game's release.
 
Perhaps you should read about the first 2 and play the last 2. MGS3 is pretty adored and may be worth patiently shelving MGS4 for.

I had the same problem as you. I just watched walkthroughs of the other MGS games on youtube. 

If you dont mind the dated graphics, I would fully recommend playing the original 3 games. It adds SOO much to MGS4 that you just cant get from reading the encyclopedia. Not even just story facts, but subtle nods to the past games will go right over your head if you dont. 

Honestly, I think you can enjoy 4 without really having any knowledge of the previous games.  Sure there are plenty of references and things that would be more powerful if you experienced them but in the end those games all go off the rails crazy with the story anyway.  I think you could just dive right in and still have plenty of enjoyment playing.  Just know that a lot of wacky things happened and a lot more continue to happen.  It's pretty hard to keep track of it all if you aren't a die hard fan of the series. 

If you don't play the other games, at least download the MGS Database off of the PSN store.  The details help fill in the gaps, and the MGS4 spoilers are blotted out until you've beaten the game.

Just play the other games. MGS1 is one of the most important games of all time, and MGS3 has one of the best stories of any game ever made. And yes, to fully appreciate MGS4 you must play at least MGS1 and 3. I would recommend also playing MGS2, but you could just read up about what happened or watch a video walkthrough.

At the very least you absolutely must play MGS3. 
 
Not knowing who Big Boss is will leave you very lost for a good portion of the story. 

Oh, man. The story won't make any sense to you. 

really all you should do is mute all the long wordy straight exposition cutscenes (the shorter cutscenes you should watch since they usually have a point to them, as in explaining) and then just play the game, because really the story in MGS4 is one of the stupidest stories I've ever seen.

In early 2010 I played MGS1, 2, 3, and 4. I am so glad I did. Previously I had never played even a second of the MGS series. I can say without a doubt now that it is my favorite video game series of all time.
@Laketown said:

" really all you should do is mute all the long wordy straight exposition cutscenes (the shorter cutscenes you should watch since they usually have a point to them, as in explaining) and then just play the game, because really the story in MGS4 is one of the stupidest stories I've ever seen. "

If you play the other 3 games, 4 will be a lot better for it.

" In early 2010 I played MGS1, 2, 3, and 4. I am so glad I did. Previously I had never played even a second of the MGS series. I can say without a doubt now that it is my favorite video game series of all time.
@Laketown said:

" really all you should do is mute all the long wordy straight exposition cutscenes (the shorter cutscenes you should watch since they usually have a point to them, as in explaining) and then just play the game, because really the story in MGS4 is one of the stupidest stories I've ever seen. "

Spoilers kinda: I have a hard time understanding how anyone couldn't find the scene at the end with Meryl to be fantastic. Or the hallway sequence. Or Raiden and Vamp fighting. The quality of the animation in that scene is just insane. "

" @inkeiren said:

" In early 2010 I played MGS1, 2, 3, and 4. I am so glad I did. Previously I had never played even a second of the MGS series. I can say without a doubt now that it is my favorite video game series of all time.

@Laketown

said:

" really all you should do is mute all the long wordy straight exposition cutscenes (the shorter cutscenes you should watch since they usually have a point to them, as in explaining) and then just play the game, because really the story in MGS4 is one of the stupidest stories I've ever seen. "

Spoilers kinda: I have a hard time understanding how anyone couldn't find the scene at the end with Meryl to be fantastic. Or the hallway sequence. Or Raiden and Vamp fighting. The quality of the animation in that scene is just insane. "

some of the setpieces are really good, but if you expect me to say that those stupid ass 20-25 minute cutscenes of straight exposition about nanomachines and that other bullshit are interesting... "

I'm playing the original games before diving into MGS4. I'm still in MGS1 at Sniper Wolf. It's gonna be a good long while before I get to MGS4.

Play them all sir they are only 8-13 hours tops.

i say buy this and hold off on MGS4. the metal gear series is very unique and well done. they have some of the most memorable boss fights i have ever played, and they have a crazy mix of japanese humor and american movie action. so long as you don't mind the long cut scenes and can get used to the controls, there is no reason you shouldn't play all these games.
 
and as others have said, MGS4 has alot of throwbacks to the older games, with a VERY complex story that would be hard to follow without playing the old games.

Playing MGS4 without playing the the previous games is like saying "I'm planning to watch Lost, I'm starting on the 5th season".

" Playing MGS4 without having played a previous MGS is like starting off the Die Hard series with Live Free or Die Hard .  

MGS1 was the best one. play 1 if you can find it ( i still have it) skip 2 and play 3