Following up on it's story driven predecessors, Metal Gear Solid 4 improves on it's ideas and doesn't disappoint.
The gameplay of Metal Gear 4 has completely redesigned the Metal Gear formula, and perfects it. Sneaking around has never been easier with Snake's new tricks. One of the most notable additions is Snake's ability to play dead. When lying down on Snake's back, press and hold the triangle button and Snake will halt all movements, and unless they enemies are searching for you, they will walk right past you without a glance back.
The graphics in this game are nothing short of amazing. Watching the cut scenes have me believing that this is a movie at times. (This is not only because of the graphics, but partly due to the awe-inspiring story.) These scenes, as I mentioned in the introduction, are rendered completely using in-game graphics. So not only was I amazed at how good this game looked, but at how amazing these scenes looked while using the same graphics that I was seeing while controlling Snake on the battlefield.
The sound in Metal Gear 4 never ceases to amaze me. Between the sound of explosions and the voices of characters conversing, this is Kojima's strong suit. He casted perfect voice-actors, especially David Hayter as Snake. The supporting characters are believable, which is more than you can ask of a lot of games that are being made anymore. The sounds in this game really keep you on edge throughout the game. From the 'mooing' of Gekko, to the constant firing and explosions on the battlefield, Kojima shows his mastery of sound quality.
Overall, this game is worth every penny of the $60 price. The cut scenes, although very, very long, keep the story going and keep plot twists coming throughout the game. Through this entire game, there was not one point where I found myself frustrated without fault of my own. This game is Sony's killer app and has more than enough gameplay to keep even the most avid gamer satisfied, and the story can satisfy any person looking for a great story. This game is a must-own for all PS3 owners, and probably has already sold quite a few PS3's itself. For those of you who complain about the length of the cut scenes, leave the Metal Gear forum and go play your games that don't require any thought.