MGS3 has a smaller, more personal and more self-contained story than any other Metal Gear Solid game that still has likable and imaginative characters, lofty philosophical themes, and a unique mixture of japanese and western sensibilities. The stealth system is the most complicated and satisfying the series has ever had, with many different possibilities, and plenty of room for experimentation and mastery. The End is the best boss battle I've ever fought, requiring a great deal of strategy and patience as you engage in a duel of wits with a legendary sniper. It's the only MGS game I would recommend playing on it's own aside from (maybe) the first one, and with good reason, because it's a damn fine game.