I was conflicted about this game. Because in my first time I outright hated it. I had a plan to replay again and this week I did it. As you can see my score changed. But still I don't agree this is the best mgs game, at least for me.

Expectations change everything, they change a meh game to be a good one, or good game to be a disappointing one. My first expectation about a mgs game is it's convoluted mystery thriller with it's human drama. But mgs3 is a j-bond movie first mystery drama second. Also on gameplay additions I felt extremely mixed too.

Gameplay
This time as a gameplay additions we have camouflages, backpack, a complex healing system, renewing stamina with environmental creatures system, limited gun suppressors, shittier radar system, enemies having longer vision also stronger hearing, new expanded pressure sensitive cqc system and I hated every single one of them(except the new camera).

In my mgs2 review I talked about forcing you to do fps aiming slows the game down. In this one, everything designed to slow the game down. You go to a new place, bum! You need to change camo from menu to not get seen immediately because of longer vision of enemies(add this), you found a new weapon? Bum! You need the equip it you doofus from the backpack menu!(add this too), you can't see the enemies? Bum! Enjoy keep fiddling with radars and eye googles again and again to be able to barely spot the enemy(best way to do is night vision but I say enjoy your eyes burning from looking at extremely light colors), you get damaged? Bum! You need to fiddle with the damn survival menu to heal yourself(add this too), you keep running constantly? Bum! Low stamina so keep eating from the food menu(add this too), you mistakenly pressed cqc button too hard and you killed the enemy? Bum! Unnecessary kill count!

Yeah. I hated it.

But also I loved the expanded level types in this game. In one level, you disguise as a scientist to infiltrate to a base, in one level you need to find a specific soldier to steal his equipment to be able to enter commander areas, in one level you are trying to find the exit from a dark cave with a torch etc. And they are extremely fun and engaging.

That's why I said I am mixed on the gameplay part. New additions hecking slow the game down but new expanded level types holds the game fresh.

Story
It starts as a political thriller where usa and russia at ends to strangle each other because of a betrayal and some stolen nukes. I was engaged but then the main part started and everything become a bond parody.

A man with lots of gadgets, a hot woman spy, cliche evil bad commander, another spy rival and a betrayal from trusted.

Yeah ending is full on human drama that I enjoy I get that(also gives you enough answers about big boss's past really well too) but majority of the game is just a bond parody and I am not sure how to feel about that. At first completion I hated it, but replaying now with knowing what to expect, I warmed up to it a bit. But I can't say this for half of the characters.

Boss is really good and great subversion of solidus snake. Eva and Snake's banter was fun. Ocelot was entertaining as well(not on mgs2 level ofc but still fun) and others... Not so much.

I said in mgs2 that I disliked how bosses felt not much depthful and this problem is bigger here. They didn't even try. The cobra unit is just goddamn jokeys and parody one offs. It feels like not even Snake himself take them seriously and when he beats them, they explode and he just shrugs it off and continue like nothing happened. These bosses are just msx metal gear 2 levels of empty.

For example there is a boss called Fury and he is extremely similar to the mgs1 boss Vulcan Raven(with how they obsessed people, also have similar boss fights as well). But unlike Raven, I don't think I will remember Fury any second.

Also our support team wasn't engaging for me that much, they are not Rosa levels of infuriating but they are not memorable like mgs1 cast either. That's because most of the codex talk is optional and even if you trigger them willingly all they talk about 80s movies constantly. You don't get into discussions or arguments. Most of the talks are fluff or giving new orders. That's it.

My thoughts are this unfortunately. Don't get me wrong this is a still a nice game with unbelievable amounts of variety. But also at times even more flawed and clunky then the mgs2 for me and saying that breaks my heart.