I really enjoyed MGS4. I never really understood the hate for it. The only part I didn't like was walking around the city looking for Big Mama. Other than that I had a blast. The cut scenes didn't bother me because I expected it. It was the last game for Solid Snake so I knew Kojima was going to over do it. You could tell he had a very hard time letting that character go.
Considering some of the very same people shytting on mgs4,wanted explanations for every damn thing in mgs2. I get annoyed when ppl shyt on mgs4 and it's over abundance of cutscenes.
Like how the hell did you expect him to wrap up mgs1/2/3 and include all the favortie characters yall wanted to see. While dealing with the main plot. It was pretty much a reunion special.
MGS 1/2/3 worked so well because they treated the prior games like ex girl friends. They spoke well of them, but never tried to connect with them directly. You got loose references and allusions to the other games, but they never tried to pick up the slack for them and explain them. It left the in the past.
My only legit complaint about the game is I feel that kojima gave solid the boot way to soon, as a way of trying to close the chapter and move on from the series. I honestly think he thought it would be his last MGS game(while he was making it).