Everyone seems to have a different opinion on MGS4; it's very polarizing, and for once, not due to gratuitous violence, gore or controversy that typically accompanies headline grabbing games.

When people have extreme opinions on something, and in many cases on something they haven't even experienced firsthand (not the most valid opinion), then Mission Success. Everyone feels entitled to their opinion because everyone feels they need to have an opinion since they deem it important enough to the gaming industry.

As for those who have a positive opinion of MGS4, there is a huge discrepancy regarding which Act(s) players enjoyed most and liked the least which is very interesting.

Personally, Act 1 sucked me right into the story and play mechanics, instantly hooking me.

Act 2 threw a curve ball by completely changing the stage (I thought most of the game was going to take place in the Middle East).

Act 3 changed gears completely once again with a little cloak and dagger action (that slowed things down uncomfortably to me in a frustrating manner).

Act 4 was all about nostalgia for those who played MGS1, again, completely changing the stage.

And 5 was a fitting end to the story, but was mostly story with minimal game play. At that point, the game did become an interactive movie with a very long epilogue to tie up all loose ends for about 20 years worth of storytelling.

After taking in the story, the fun really comes from mixing up how you play the game as much as the game itself changes things around from act to act, and in some cases, even within individual acts.

Yea Cliffy B has room to talk for simply creating the largest stereotype in the gaming market for a long time. He can say whatever he want but I call his Gears of War, passive developing.

I'll withhold any opinions on GoW2 until I actually play it, but given the short development time, I'm only expecting a slight evolution of the game from the original.

I'll enjoy it, but will I consider it a quantum leap in game design? Not bloody likely.

Comments like that seem to be common from developers who are self styled rockstars.

Itagaki is another developer who seems to have a tough time not badmouthing anything he didn't develop himself.

Lets see here, a developer who develops games with a story that is somewhere between shit and big pile of shit and designed to stay out of the way while you mindlessly kill things doesn't like a game that is telling a story and the game play isn't balls to the wall, kill everything that moves but stealth. Who would of guessed.

Well i don't have high hopes for Gears 2 since i thought the first one was lame, but i'm willing to try it.

Maybe there will be more than 3 guns in the second one.

Cliff's comments are very rude at best and this really shows the mind set of someone who is unprofessional, competitive, imature, and narrow minded. Metal Gears heavily story driven experience is very different than anything before it (other than say xenosaga) so saying it's on it's way out makes this even more rude. Why attack someone elses creation. Especially for something as critically acclaimed as MG4.

As for how interactive these scenes feel, depends on whether you like the story telling or not. For me, I think the cut sceens in Metal Gear are a bit too long because I'm not that impressed by the story (beautify but pretty corny imo). But for someone who loves the story, they will become more invested in the game and gameplay experiences due to watching them.

But at least Kojima is trying to advance the story telling component of the medium. Cliffs game had no story to speak of (inarticulate, testosterone filled monkey men with two word lines is not a story Cliff). IMO Gears could have used some more of that non-interactive stuff that's on the way out (so we actually care about the characters).

If I ran Epic I'd take him and Mark Rein out back and have a little talk with them about professional conduct. Either that or they shouldn't let these guys talk to the press at all.

Sony fans should just ignore him because they are obviously offended.

It goes to show that everyone is looking for something slightly different from their videogames.

As for your comments on the Acts, I pretty much agree with you. (Here comes some possible spoilers, but they will be blacked out)

Act 1 sets up the gameplay and story brilliantly

Act 2 expands upon those gameplay mechanics and arguably improves upon them.

Act 3 I think is the least liked, but mostly because of the first half of the act. That first half is all about stealth, but there are so annoying mechanics in the way you have to go about sneaking. However, the second half of the act more than makes up for it. The chase scene is just a blast. The shooting's great, and it's directed brilliantly. After that you have a classic nerve racking boss battle that took me a while to figure out.

Act 4 was more than just nostalgia. There was great classic sneaking mechanics as well as some epic boss battles. This is easily the best act in the game. Anyone who tries to say there wasn't enough gameplay here is lying off their ass.  Sneaking through Shadow Moses with those bots was not an easy nor quick task. Once you finished that, you had to fight Crying Wolf, which was easily my favorite boss battle. Then you had to sneak some more. Then fight Vamp. Then fight the gekkos. Then escape Shadow Moses via Rex. Then you had to fight Ray! Brilliant!

Act 5 had little gameplay, but what was there was fantastic (except the hallway of carpel tunnel hell).

This is a short act, and it had to wrap up the entire series so thoroughly that no one could ever ask Kojima to make another MGS. With that in mind, he had to focus on the story here.

Epic always speaks incendiary shit when they have a game coming.

When Gears was coming: "Sony says the next gen doesn't start until they say so.  I say that's bullshit."

When UTIII PS3 was coming: "UTIII looks and runs better than Gears of War did."

Now: "I'm jealous and scared that we can't top MGS4."

See?

You can always count on CliffyB to tell it like it is. There's a 45 minute cutscene in MGS4? Shame on you Kojima and shame on those trying to defend such ridiculous cutscenes.