I am so fucking confused bro

MGS4 is a weird game because I really liked it but also I fully understand almost every complaint I've heard. The gameplay to cutscene ratio is hilarious, the first 2 acts are great whilst the latter 3 dip bit by bit, thebosses are great but only few are as memorable as bossfights from the first and the game itself doesn't run very well. The story is impressively coherent considering what it was working with and does a good job at rounding up old loose ends while making new ideas and twists enjoyable, but it can be a bit weird at times with certain things like 'nanomachines' just becoming a deus ex machina for whatever the story needs. Also certain important stuff isn't touched upon enough and leaves you with questions more than answers, answers that are only partially available in the game with the true lore being hidden in some database app on the ps3 that is luckily archived on the internet. But most of the present-ish stuff like Snake's relationship with Liquid and Ocelot is well handled and satisfyingly concluded

Despite all these complaints there is a lot to like, plenty of new mechanics are added to polish the already enjoyable gameplay of the first 3 such as crouch-walking, more complex CQC, even better camouflage and the most intuitive MGS control scheme to date. Also the living battlefield idea was excellent and made me completely gripped by the first 2 acts of the game. The concept that stealth doesn't have to mean quiet and you can influence this dynamic moving set piece is fascinating, however it doesn't much exist in the last 3 acts. I understand why this may not appeal to certain die-hard fans who want a core MGS stealth game and I thought that would be answered in Act 4 which comes across as the most promising yet, until you discover there's no REAL enemies and the games one chance to hold some of its old DNA is squandered. There are still gems in these last few acts, I only really disliked 1 boss fight out of the games 7 proper ones and 2 of the late game ones are super cool and well made, also even in the lower parts of the game it looks great even for a 16 year old game and the level design is for the most part pretty good.

I didn't dislike MGS4 but it frustrated me how close it came to greatness sometimes only to fall at the last hurdles, I can understand why people say this is one of the weakest in the series but I still think its an absolute jam regardless and I'm probably only as harsh on it because of the standard set by 1-3.

In some regards its the best MGS game but in others its the worst. However from a climactic point this is a fantastic end of an enthralling saga.

8/10

P.S. I take major issue with how it tries to connect 3 and 4, I can believe that perhaps Zero and Big Boss became 'villains' through their disagreements and disillusion with the Boss' dream, however Sigint and Para-Medic being straight up 'evil' is poor writing. It comes across as an attempt to make the games more connected but undermines two characters that were clearly designed to be likeable and positive. I struggle heavily to believe the nice, basketball loving, weapons guy from Snake Eater turned into a corrupt, populace controlling military leader who took massive bribes for the development of world-ending technology AND the equally lovable survival and health expert turns into a deceitful mad scientist who betrayed Big Boss and immorally cloned him (she literally said she doesn't condone it) and also captured and experimented on Gray Fox for 4 years, completely mutilating his body. I think its a stupid decision that both these characters were an entire façade for the entirety of MGS3 with no hint to ulterior motives when DARPA Chief and the doctor beyond Les Enfant Terrible could've easily just been their own separate characters. They could still have both been members of the Patriots just being convinced by Zero (their CO) about its benefits for society.