Snake's final hurrah is an otherwise great game sadly buried under an avalanche of mythology and cutscenes.
In a world where soldiers have nanomachines in their bodies to assist their combat skills and guns are ID-locked, there's bound to be someone to try to manipulate the system: enter Liquid Ocelot. Running in smooth, jaw-dropping 1080p resolution, Snake (armed with more weapons than ever, the best weapon mechanic in which to use them yet, and help from the ever-faithful Otacon) visits desert cities, South American jungles, Arctic blizzards, and more to discover both the architects of the plot, as well as just how long the plan's been brewing and all it entails. Sneaking around or guns blazing, the choice on how to proceed is yours, but time's running out, with our hero now dubbed "Old Snake" and suffering the effects of accelerated aging. Can Snake catch up with and defeat Liquid before his body's aging catches up with him?
The best to say about the game is the attention to both major gameplay elements and background minutiae. Revamping the gunplay makes firing guns the way you want more in line with other shooters, while the details of things far in the distance (to say nothing of what's in your face) makes everything feel all the more real. Complementing the weapon mechanics are more weapons than ever before, along with gunrunner Drebin, who sells guns, ammunition, and allows you a vast array of customization options like sights and grips to give your weaponry more oomph. CQC is also upgraded a bit to allow more variety, though with the better gunplay mechanics, you may use it less than ever before. The self-referential humor the series is known for is also in play, funnier and more clever than ever before, and gives a nice break to the often morose mood.
The game does have some major flaws, most notably the unconscionably-long cutscenes. When you feel the need to actually put save points in the middle of them, that should be a sign you're going the wrong direction. It's admirable they think to let you save in the middle of the multiple 40-minute sequences the game has, but it doesn't change that there's just no need for one over 10 minutes, especially since they're often filled with, well, filler, that advances nothing of the story. Part of it is trying to wrap up all the loose ends of previous games, but unless you've played them all in quick succession, you've probably forgotten half the game's backstory as it is, leading to eyes glazing over, zoning out by the 15-minute mark, and tearful pleas of, "just let me play the game, already!!!" The climactic boss fight is a gigantic letdown, as instead of being the ultimate test of all the skills you've learned during the game, they say "here, learn a totally new combat style instead." Also, like most of the boss fights, you quickly learn it's also not challenging. The online game is also a disappointment, as everything that makes the game a wonderful stealth experience makes online a dull, plodding affair where you feel you're moving through molasses. Tack on not using your PSN ID, but requiring you to get a Konami ID and Game ID (and the online registration FAQ listed in the manual generating "page does not exist" to boot) and it's all just nonsense. Compared to games like "Resistance", it just doesn't hold up to the same standard.
A saving grace is both the sound and graphics. They may both very well be the best ever in gaming so far. From lighting and weather effects, to every ripple and dimple in Snake's muscle suit, there's not a bit of detail left uncreated or sound left unrecorded for your ears. The control of the game (both camera and combat) is a series best, giving you the control over Snake you wish you could've had in "Snake Eater". Depending on your time spent looking for goodies and using Drebin's shop, you should clock in around the 20 hour mark with single-player only, nice bang for your buck. Either with or without previous MGS experience, the game's a clear recommend for purchase (I'd give it a 9.0 if the cutscene issue was resolved), you do have to be prepared to sit still for too long stretches of time between actually getting to enjoy the game.