I wouldn't try to review this masterpiece in a written review, because I can't do it proper justice and out of fear of leaving something behind. But in light of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta, I finally decided to quickly write up a few sentences here as a thank you note to the developers and to further augment the game's aggregate score.
The uniqueness, creativity and smoothness of the gameplay is something I've never seen before. The controls are smooth user friendly, even arcadey. Every input feels tight and precise with 0 delays.
The game offers an unsurpassed sense of freedom in how you approach each mission and any single situation can be changed on a dime.
The enemy humanoid AI is the best I have ever witnessed in a game thus far and will tear you apart remorselessly if you think you can exploit it.
Both all-guns-blazing action and stealth are so much fun that getting caught doesn't feel like a punishment, although the game encourages you to take the stealthy approach and you'll be rewarded for it.
Be warned the main story is heavy on cutscenes and dialogue, seeing as it is a Kojima game you should be expecting that anyways.
The game offers 2 multiplayer modes. A single-multiplayer mode called F. O. B.s where you infiltrate other players Forward Operating Bases and a more traditional multiplayer mode, branded Metal Gear Online which has all the archetypal Call of Duty style modes, deathmatch, capture the flag and more. Both modes offer a plethora of ranking and biweekly events/challenges that you can participate. I have spent 75% of my playtime in FOBs. They are that good (and if you abhor multiplayer you should give this one a try seriously because it's not what you think) and so long as Konami maintains its servers I'll keep on playing at least on a weekly basis.
A technical marvel for the time it was released and continues on to this date. The game engine used to develop it, the Fox Engine, is the single most optimized 3d engine I have ever experienced. If you're on an NVidia GPU there are some graphical settings you can tweak to enhance them still. Suffice to say it runs good, buttery smooth amazingly good.
There is also slight modding support which can be leveraged if you're on a not-potato PC to give an extra oomph to the otherwise top-notch gameplay. I wouldn't bother with it though unless I have completed a full run of the main story.
The sound design is immaculate. The score is great albeit a step down from the first MGS trilogy imo.
An immensely deep & replayable game from start to finish. It is as challenging as it is rewarding. A massive game of epic proportions, a game for the ages. A Hideo Kojima game.
Rating: 10-/10 - Masterpiece.
