Not being a big fan on the Metal Gear Solid series when I was younger, the only reason I played this game was because it came free with my Playstation 3; what a stroke of luck that was. It was the best looking game I had seen at the time, and the plot was like nothing I had seen before....it was genuinely good. Playings MGS4 feels literally like an interactive movie, not in the way that heavy rain does, but in a way that you are shown the entire, complete picture of an espionage mission. I have completed MGS4 four times, and here's why you should at least rent it:

-GRAPHICS- Easily the best out of 2008 and f**k, it best out of 2009 too. In fact, the incredibly detailed surroundings and shockingly good character detail rivals a lot of games being released now. The most amazing feature is OctoCamo, a smart-suit which blends into whatever texture you are pressed against; MGS doesn't p*ss around with this either, there's no 'generic blue' colour, whatever you go against your camo will change to match it perfectly. The cut-scene graphics (you'll have a long time to study them) are as good as any animated film, especially the incredible warfare scenes. I'm pretty excited to see how Rising looks.

-GAMEPLAY- A big problem with MGS3 was that you couldn't move the camera, but you didn't have a sufficient radar to compensate. This game gives you slightly better radar (although not as advanced as the one snake used nine years ago...) and of course, free camera movement. Basically, you're given the choice to play MGS4 in one of two ways: stealth or action.
Obviously I prefer stealth, sneaking around and putting people to sleep with tranqualiser darts like a serial stalker is as fun here as it ever was. The added bonus of CQC, expanded on from the last game, means it's easier to take out nearby enemies that spot you without the panicking alarm sound being triggered. The aforementioned OctoCamo makes hiding from cautioned enemies a lot more fun and of course the trusty cardboard box helps out too.
First the first time, you can actually play a MGS title almost fully as an action game. You collect a huge arsenal throughout the game, you a wider variety of weapons than in any other game I've played, including so-called 'gun porn' like Black or COD. Aiming is a huge improvement over the earlier games which was a bit like trying to shoot an enemy on coke with a powerful, backwards man-boy nudging your shoulder, ruining your aim; despite the improvement, auto aim can be a little hit and miss and with manual aiming switching between targets a little slow.

The game is separated into five acts; Act one takes place on a battlefield in the middle east which brings a whole new environment and take on the genre of stealth, such as using enemy fire or tanks as cover. Act two is largely the same, but taking place in Central America, sometimes giving it a feel of u much updated variant of Snake Eater, both these chapters have a nice variety of set-pieces, weapons, enemies and multiple pathways, but unfortunately things do go downhill upon Act Three; this entire chapter consists of a boss fight and following a single resistance member to a secret base in Eastern Europe and is actually more tedious than it sounds. This chapter could've been excellent like the others, with crouching round dark streets avoiding enemy patrols, climbing onto rooftops and general murdering guards with silenced submachine guns around the town, but instead is a huge chore on the second time play-through. The fourth chapter is enjoyable but lacks any human enemies and consists of all robots/Gekko but I now realise the return to Shadow Moses was a great idea, and all the hints and nudges to the first MGS are appreciated when you play the first game. Act 5 is just above average for MGS, it takes place aboard a gigantic boat with enemies already on caution, therefore is likely for it to turn into an action shooter on your first go, which is fine. After this a slightly more interesting boss battle takes place followed by some engaging set-pieces and amazing final fist fight. All in all, the game did take MGS and stealth to a new level, but with fewer Codec calls and easter eggs, and less inspired bosses it also left a few of the great things behind.

-STORY- Defiantly the most complex story on any console and while it'd be futile to even attempt to explain it, it is worth paying attention too. Cut scene graphics are really real and as well as hour long explain-y bits there are also some incredible action sequences. Long term fans who haven't played yet will be thoroughly satisfied.

-SOUND- Great score, mixing old and new elements (but primarily new) makes the 'HUNTER/HUNTED' variation work brilliantly. Gun shots, enemy voices, the constant ringing of explosions in Central America or chilling Gekko sounds in Shadow Moses make it enjoyable to listen too. Oh, and an in-game Ipod.