i think i voted for 3, MGS4 as the best one, MGS 1, MGS VR Missions (cause it's fun and you get to play as Gray Fox)
MGS2 Substance. If were to choose a metal Gear though it would be rex because of the epic battle against grey fox.
i actually didn't really like the 4th game. it felt too different from the previous games. it felt more like a first person shooter more than anything else, and not really enough sneaking action. and the super long cutscenes encouraged longer sittings than what i was used to.
Japanese games have longer cutscenes because they have longer paitence. So, because of that cultural aspect, there are longer cutscenes. These games are originally with the Japanese in mind. It just happens to be localized into English for us to play.
Metal Gear solid 4 was a freaking movie. Lerally. The last cutscene was over a freaking hour. Snake eater was the best.