Easily one of the most impressive experiences this generation.
As someone who was extremely disappointed with MGS2 and MGS: Portable Ops, I went into MGS4 with some trepidation. I've seen the good reviews of this series before. I've seen the rabid fan adulation before. And I've seen the basic MGS game mechanics before, which were always creative and interesting but ultimately a little clunky and awkward, especially compared to pure action games.
As a pre-cursor to playing MGS4, I finally got around to playing MGS3: Subsistence a few weeks prior. I wasn't expecting much this time around either, but wanted to at least experience the plot points so I wasn't totally lost in MGS4. That said, Snake Eater completely blew away my expectations. The characters finally had room to breathe, felt three-dimensional and gave you reason to become attached to them. The storyline started slow, but gradually built up with a real-world resonance that eventually climaxed with one of the most dramatic, thrilling and emotional finales I've ever seen in a video game. And the action and boss battles were absolutely a joy to play. MGS3 is one of the most memorable PS2 games I'd ever played and raised my expectations tenfold for MGS4.
After playing through MGS4, it's safe to say it not only met those expectations and met all the hype carried with its release, but exceeds that hype and those expectations many times over. This is an epic story-driven stealth-action masterpiece with so many memorable moments I'm still thinking of, days after finishing the game. Environmental setpieces take you across the globe. You'll be sneaking and shooting your way through a wartorn Middle East city, South American mountains, frozen Alaskan island, and the expected military compounds, on land and sea. Combat is enjoyable throughout, whether you choose to go pure stealth or full-on shoot-the-hell-out-of-anything-that-moves. It's hard to strictly go stealth because the game allows you to use dozens of realistic (and not-so-realistic) firearms and explosives. Boss battles don't quite meet the high mark set by MGS3, but are still creative and fun to figure out. The storyline carries you throughout, intensifying the drama surrounding your actions and immersing you in this ridiculously awesome world.
That's not to say the game is perfect. There is some cringeworthy dialogue, some awkward side-plots and melodramatic sequences that will cue a gag reflex. Story exposition is fully drawn out, leaving you sometimes wishing Kojima would allow himself an editor at times. But the vast majority of the game reaches such dizzying heights, these minor complaints are insignificant in the big picture.
As a gamer, I have to give thanks to Kojima and his team for crafting the most epic series and storyline I've ever experienced in my 20+ years of gaming. Absolutely mind-blowing. Well done.
