I personally rank MGS1/2/4 >>>>> MGS3.
Gameplayfags think hating on MGS4 makes them contrarian and cool when really it just shows how ignorant and stupid they are. For one it has the deepest gameplay in the series up to that point and this is showcased primarily by Act 2 and MGO2. And secondly the depth of gameplay and amount of playtime outside the cutscenes isn't the point. At the time MGS4 was (and still is) considered a masterpiece because in 2008 the type of game it was stood out from everything else at the time thanks to being more thoughtful and high brow compared to games like Gears, COD, Halo and all that sort of stuff at the time. Not that they're bad because they're not, but MGS4 was different from what was expected as 'good'. I suspect a lot of the hate directed towards the game is due to a deep down a resentment over the fact that it was only on the PS3. And that still continues to this day.
The criticism directed towards the story being inconsistent and retarded holds little weight when they praise other MGS games but not this. They all go against the previous game's in the series canon and rewrite stuff constantly.
If you can't appreciate the passion and soul Kojima and his people put into it and the themes of redemption, repentance and aging in the face of an era reliant on AI and machines - you're simply not white and you don't have the level of humanity to ever comprehend or understand.