10 Video Games So Great They Ruined The Series
8. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Moving on from the sterile, metallic bases of the first two games to the clammy jungles of Tselinoyarsk was an inspired move for the series, as was putting Solid Snake's more emotive father Big Boss in the driving seat.
As a fusion of gameplay and engaging story, MGS 3: Snake Eater had the perfect balance, and Konami's decision to refine it with a new camera mode and a disc full of irreverent challenges and missions in the 'Subsistence' version of the game made it the ultimate outing for any Snake.
There's no disputing that its successors were technically astonishing, but MGS 4 was too littered with cutscenes forcing you to take part in a not-so-engaging story. Phantom Pain, on the other hand, is an excellent sandbox adventure, but void of narrative and interesting boss encounters; The Man of Fire and Quiet are just no match for the Cobra Unit.
At the risk of sounding like the start of a trailer for a goofy comedy, Subsistence 'had it all', while its successors always had something missing.