Kojima impresses yet again, but this time outdoes himself with excellent gameplay and story. But, non-MGS fans beware..
While MGS 2 was admittedly my least favorite of the series, Metal Gear Solid 3 comes back to show you that this epic is very much alive. Just like the original, Metal Gear Solid 3 begins with a steep learning curve that I'm sure turned enough new gamers off that it sold a mere 1.3 million in US (or something like that), which is still impressive but not the appreciation this game deserves. The motion detecting HUD is gone along with the "headlights" that reveal which enemies can see you. This creates a much more realistic feel of actually being stuck in a special ops situation where you are essentially "naked" (complete with the codename "naked snake"). Additionally, there was the integration of the camo system, making you invisible to many enemies, a heavier focus on 1st person view, and the need to eat in order to move and not give away your position with a growling stomach.
Today's video games rarely offer a complexity of this caliber and those that do never fuse it all together as well as Konami and Kojima have in MGS 3. If you can get past the first frustrating 3 hours, you'll find yourself enjoying much of this game. You'll also find the overwhelming urge to beat it, if only to fill in all the gaps of Snake's origin (as this game takes place in 1964 Russia and Snake's first mission). If you've never played the other games, you finally get a story that is compelling without requiring the originals and those that followed the whole series will love the many answers to the plot that are in this one.
Now, for those that haven't played an MGS game before, you may actually benefit from the lack of experience counting on a HUD from previous games. Kojima games aren't all that hard (like COD 2, for example), but they are more difficult and time consuming than your average "burn through" game. To enjoy this experience, you need to give yourself over to the story and development, which requires several hours of gameplay (I've heard 15 hours for the normal campaign, but it took me more like 19 hours, but hey, I explore a lot!). The cutscenes are also pretty long (not over an hour like in MGS 4, but some get darn close) and this game is FULL of boss battles. In fact, it's basically just one big attack of boss battles, but each experience is unique and rarely do they leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. Without offering spoilers, I was absolutely fed up with my boss battle with "The End" but eventually stuck with it and finished it, but for those that don't know, prepare yourselves for a boss battle that isn't particularly hard, but does take a couple of hours to complete. For those that love replay value, there are up to 5 difficulty levels (the really difficult mode is unlocked after you complete the game) and plenty of challenges like not killing a single person (it's possible). So if you fall in love, this one won't get old any time soon.
In the end, Kojima has done exactly what I expect of a sequel (especially for the third installment): he greatly improved gameplay mechanics, he created another incredible story, he offered fan service for those who've been around since the beginning, and he made me immerse myself in the universe. For non-fans of MGS or those that have never played before, it's quite a shock but an ultimately fulfilling experience (when you complete it, you really feel accomplished). If you're thinking of tackling MGS 4 and you've never played an MGS before, I'd highly recommend playing through this, if not only to get used to the control scheme that totally mimics this one. It prepares you for what you want and, sadly, may be an indication that this isn't meant for you. While I feel compelled to offer this game more of an 8.5 because it's not for everyone, I'm one of those people who can't get over the great experience that this series has always offered gamers. To not immerse yourself in at least one MGS game is like being a movie fan and having not seen a Star Wars or Godfather movie. If you must pick one, I think this is the perfect starting point.