Let me start off by saying 'wow'.
I'm a huge MGS fan. I played through the first one 3 times, and consider it one of my favourite games of all time. MGS2 was great, but didnt quite live up to my expectations. After reading reviews on MGS3, I was very optimistic, but with how much I've been loving San Andreas lately, something kept telling me I was set for a disappointment.
Well, I'm not disappointed. This game is simply amazing. Visually, I look at the total package (modelling, lighting, textures, art, cinematics) and would go as far as saying that this could be the nicest looking game
this gen. The whole experience grabs you by the neck right from the beginning and sucks you into the whole MGS world.
The gameplay is solid, and insanely deep. You can do so many different things in the same situation, it's nuts. Wear the proper camo, lie down in the tall grass, and watch (in first person, no more than 6 ft. away from you) a guard walk slowly past you as if you were never there. Or find a nice little spot to lie down, and observe the guards from a distance with your goggles. Pull out the directional mic "gun" and listen in on their conversations. Pull out your silenced pistol and take one of them out and watch the hilarity ensue.
The characters are great, the boss battles are fantastic (especially the one I'm currently working on...it's like nothing you've ever played before, guarunteed) and the gameplay fits like a glove.
I'm only about 7 hours in, but it seems like I've done so much. Any game that has you silent, hoping no one will hear you as if you were in the game yourself is doing something right. The game will suck you in, and take you for a joyride. And I'm only getting started.