Simply a landmark in game making.
The story, as all 'Metal Gear' games have shown is absolutely fantastic and ties up a lot of the loose ends left from previous games in the series, ending with an absolutely incredibly climatic last scene.
The gameplay has been noticeably tweaked in comparison to previous games in the 'Metal Gear' series, the camera work appears to be a lot more relaxed and there never appears to be any point in the game where your struggling to see certain areas on screen, which has been a noticeable problem in previous games in the series. There feels to be almost a 'Sandbox' feel to the game aswell, allowing you to attack or leave foes at will in each act of the game and even upgrade your weapons in certain ways. Every boss fight in this game feels unique and well paced and no two fights will ever feel the same.
The graphics are downright stunning, the character models stealing the show on every detailed level, the enviroments in addition to this are beautiful and truly capture the feel of the era 'Old Snake' is fighting in and create a really immersive experience.
The voice acting is some of the best I have ever experienced in gaming, it is on par if not surpassing the strong voice over talents of 'Mass Effect'.
Even the online aspect of this game is fantastic, allowing you to indulge in multiple different challenges on various maps, my only problem with this is you have to be VERY good. If your not, like me, you will get CQC'd at every oppurtunity and find it a very frustrating experience. Other than this I found the online play of 'Metal Gear Solid 4' to be as addictive and rewarding as the likes of 'Call of Duty' and 'Battlefield'.
All in all this is a must buy for all owners of a playstation 3 console and ticks all the boxes a great game should have, this is a game no-one should miss out on.