Exactly what it says it'll be. A brilliant combination of stealth and a shooter.
From the gameplay to the long cutscenes- every part of this game has been expertly crafted and customised.
I won't lie, much of this game has been made for the fans of the entire series. The storyline for example, most find it confusing. But don't ever let people tell you that they've taken away good gameplay. Because they couldn't be more wrong.
The storyline and gameplay are delicately woven together. The old overhead camera view is now fully adjustable, and there's less of an emphasis on stealth- you can get an alert, but this time, there isn't a near guarantee of your death, this time Snake is more than capable of fighting his way out of a battalion of PMCs.
And stealth combat works together wonderfully, seeing as it means you can play the game the way you want to. If you want to play the game as a subtle character who is never seen, you can. If you want to play as a one-man killing machine, you can.
The weapons are extremely diverse. You can find yourself using either a silenced tranquiliser to a shotgun, or from a submachine gun to a railgun. Weapons can also be customised, and thanks to the addition of a weapons seller, you'll never be in a situation where your weapons don't suit you.
Another thing about the stealth gameplay is Snake's camouflage. In the previous Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the player had to manually change their camo by constantly going to the menu and changing, and also had to always keep exploring to find more camouflage suits. Not anymore, Snake's new Octocamo suit means in any situation, his suit will adjust to the same colour and texture of the enviroment in a matter of seconds. As well as that, Snake's got all the other things- rolling, crawling, wall pressing, and even something new- crouch walking, a more...stealthy way of walking.
As well as that, the old CQC first introduced in MGS3 has been changed as well. From CQC throws, to even body searches, Snake's no doubt prepared for the trials ahead.
I haven't said much of the storyline- that's for the game to show you, as the gameplay. Instead, I'll introduce you to the new Act system.
Unlike previous games, where Snake was more or less the same area- and certainly the same country- you'd expect the same, wouldn't you? Nope, now Snake has a multitude of areas to visit, including the Middle East, South America and Eastern Europe. It is strange however, all these people you'll see can all speak perfect English.
Make no mistake, if you're a fan of the series, you're bound to love this game.
And as well as that, there are even some special things. Snake can actually pilot a Metal Gear in this game, the same Rex from MGS1, if you played it. There's a couple of vehicle chases, and not to mention the great little final boss fight- which I found more fun than any fighting game.
True, the cutscenes do slow down the game- and sometimes you'll find yourself skipping them. But the gameplay's still worth it, not to mention the replay value, the downloadable content, and not to mention Metal Gear Online.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots...it can't even be considered a game. It's just incredibly awesome. Even if a person doesn't like the cutscenes, even they- even an Xbox360 fanboy can find themselves hard pressed to deny the brilliant gameplay.
Every PS3 owner should have a copy of this game.