A satisfying conclusion to a beloved series
In Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, fans will find everything they have come to expect from a Metal Gear game. Long and beautiful cutscenes, deep and interesting NPCs, bizarre bosses, and enough plot twists to give you a headache. For all these reaons, MGS4 gives returning fans everything they could have wanted from this final installment of the stories series, with beautiful graphics and an ending that (more or less) manages to weave the tangled web of the game's universe together into one, coherent piece.
However, what makes the game so good to some is exactly what will make it undesirable to others. It is a game that, in truth, involves more watching of cinemas than actual gameplay. And while this is by far the most modern and open of any Metal Gear game to date, it's story stretches over multiple games, ensuring that the game is not extremely newbie-friendly. One plus for new players, however, is the ability to play the game "correctly" as a stealth game, or as a straight up shooter, thanks to the new Drebin Market.
Beneath the actual gameplay itself, one who is looking for more meaning in the experience is bound to notice the constant harping upon of things like PMCs, war, the war economy, covert military ops and genetic manipulation. Some might say that Kojima beats the player over the head with these concepts, but again, this is nothing new to fans of the series.
In short, MGS4 is a great experience for both new and old players alike. It offers a large amount of replayability with the ability to unlock new weapons and items, and emblems, which rank a players skill after every playthrough. The not perfect, but solid Metal Gear Online being included in the package is just icing on the cake.