A groundbreaking end to a fantastic series

Warning: Spoilers

Metal Gear Solid 4 is a fantastic experience that combines the medium of game and film in a never before seen way. It tops its predecessors in audio/visual quality as well as in story telling and dialogue, making the whole experience not only more intense and captivating, but also more accessible to a broader audience. It is impossible to compare Metal Gear Solid 4 to any game out to date, and it will surely take a long, long time until anything as good as this comes along again - if it ever happens.

Even more so than the previous Metal Gear Solid games, this last installment rises above its medium, and becomes more than just a game. People have debated over the question whether games can be considered as "art", and while this is all in the eye of the beholder, Metal Gear Solid 4 comes as close to art as any game before. In my view, Metal Gear Solid 4 isn't just art, but it's also one of the finest pieces of art I've ever encountered. It's a masterpiece, a complex and layered experience that will move you on so many levels, in so many ways, and even manages to be unique, new and refreshing. And isn't that what art is all about?

Metal Gear Solid 4 has its minor issues, and surely not everyone will be happy with the directions the story takes. But it is impossible to discard all the fantastic moments this game has to offer because of these (minor) issues.

Metal Gear Solid 4 will forever mark gaming history. It's sad to see the series come to an end, but what an end it is. Thank you mister Kojima, for more than twenty years of incredible and groundbreaking entertainment.

10/10