definitely very impressive. i do agree w/ the guy who said snake needs an improved skillset. i sorely missed rappelling down trees and high places in mgs3. also the context sesitive controls are always a pain in the ass, for me. i just dont like them, they are never perfect. these are too much button combinations get get certain actions done. snake's movement definitely has to be more fluid. so yeah, i agree the gameplay in this series is dated.
having said that, damn, sneaking up to 'the end', crawling towards him...seeing the reflection off of his scope and sighting him...then zooming in on his head, and blowing him away...was one of the best gaming experiences of my life. it's these set pieces that make mgs. thats the strength.