I think like some other big names he was lucky to be in the right place (the games industry) at the right time (the late 80s) and made a name for himself early and became untouchable till Death Stranding. Most of his games are awkward in every sense. I have completed only MGS3 and although it is cool in some parts, overall is a clunky mess, again in every sense of the word. When I first heard David Hayter's voice acting in MGS3, I was wtf-ing and couldn't make out if it was so bad intentionally or meant for real. In this day and age you would automatically think it was trolling.
Deus Ex (2000) - a game that pushes the boundaries of what the video game medium is capable of to a degree unmatched to this very day.