I beat this game a while back. It definately has the best control scheme of all of them, once you unlearn the controls from the first three games (which I played for the first time just before playing MGS4). The game's graphics are amazing, the story is good, and I really like taking
everything from your last run-through with you for the next. Despite all that, I still think MGS3 had a better storyline.
My first run-through, on Solid Normal, I got eagle, panther, lobster, inch-worm, and one other in 30 hours. I mostly used the M4 with a scope paired with a P90 for when things got hairy. For boss fights, I usually brought out the machine guns. I used sniper rifles a few times, but honestly usually the M4 with the scope was good enough. Halfway through Act 5, I finally bought my new best friend, the Barret light-fifty in bullpup configuration. This gun is a one shot take down or knock down (depending on where you hit the enemy) from across the map, is effective against anything that moves, fires off its 10 rounds fast enough to take down a mob of enemies before they can do much of anything, and is even effective no-scoping. Why would I need any other gun? (I should note, however, that I am constantly buying ammo for it since you won't find any on the field of battle and you can only hold 100 rounds)
I'm currently running through a second time on Big Boss Hard, looking for stuff I missed on my first run (like the chaff grenades, apparently
). Doesn't really feel much more difficult, though, once I got to the Mk. II and got all my gear back. With my M82A2, the opposition is easily dealt with. So far, I'm to the boss fight in Act 2. I
have found use for one late gun from the first run-through: the rail gun is a better way to get rid of helicopters than RPGs that can miss.