The final addition to the tale of Solid Snake is just as memorizing as the first.
The series has always provided excellent story telling, and MGS4 is no different; always using in-game graphics, there's never a reason to stop and wonder "What would the game look like if it was all like the CGs!". The voice acting during these said cut scenes is also spot on; and helps to capture you in the moment of each conversation.
The storytelling itself will make this game confusing to anyone who hasn't followed the series....from day one. There are references dating as far back as the first Metal Gear on NES; and the references continue building all the way up through Snake Eater. This game works towards trying to answer all the questions left unanswered from the first MGS through Snake Eater; including the ongoing search for the patriots. (And if you catch it, you'll know why people have to say LaLeLuLeLo)
One thing that seems to have changed immensely in this edition of Metal Gear; is the codec scheme; in previous games there were long conversations via codec; where you couldn't really see the other person in the conversation, and it was basically just sitting and listening to the two characters talk; this time around, not only is the codec a video stream of the other character, but there are FAR more conversations held face to face, rather than over radio.
The visuals in the game are simply stunning; ranging from the landscapes to character emotions, I've actually yet to play the game on my HDTV, so I won't go too deep into graphics. (But come on, it's Metal Gear)
The difficulty of the game seems to changed based on how you play it; you can put it on easy mode, but if you don't know how to sneak and keep out of sight, the game can still be a challenge. The game incorporates a threat ring to let you know where enemies are based on grooves showing on the ring, this feature was implemented since at the time of production; dual shock was considered impossible. The threat ring works nice, but I personally miss the good ol heart beat sensor.
Enemies will react to foot prints, walking sounds, gunfire; moved objects, corpses, sleeping enemies, and shipping box with Snake inside. The AI isn't GENIUS, but it's smart enough to call backup and make it that much harder for you to disappear again.
Bosses in this game aren't as polarized as previous installments; which I'm not too critical about; and they're all throwbacks to the first bosses in MGS, with a cameo from the almighty Psycho Mantis.
All in all Metal Gear Solid 4 provides some closure to many chapters in the Metal Gear series thus far, and can only leave one to wonder; what is Konami planning for MGS5? And without Snake as the main character...who will buy it?