Does anyone actually play Metal Gear Solid?

Nothing says "evil" like striking a pose.

I had a dream last night that I finally decided to bite the bullet and finish Metal Gear Solid 4. In the dream-world, I had earlier (in dream-memory) started the game and stopped playing when I realized it was so bloated that I didn't even know what the gameplay was. So I was gonna tough it out because I had to know how the game actually played, even if it meant drowning in a sea of cut-scenes. When I sat down to play it, as soon as I started the credits rolled and the game was over, and I was like, man, so the series doesn't even play like anything?!

That was absolutely a dream and not a metaphor, because I have stupid dreams that I can't shut up about (like everyone else). But it seems very true to me, especially because the setup, having abandoned the game because you don't get what it is, is what happened to me with MGS3, the only series entry I ever approached. I kinda turned on the game, said holy shit there are a lot of menus, got bit by an alligator, and put it back on the shelf. So I think I'm gonna let my memory get a little hazy and this dream can have been the conclusion to the story of Me and Metal Gear. 

Serious thought though, does anyone play MGS for anything but story? And if the answer to that is, as I assume, no, is there any way to enjoy the series without having played from the beginning? It seems overwhelmingly insular, especially since even fans complain about how mind-bending things get. Video games tend to be a medium in which you never have to have played the precursors to 'get' a sequel, but MGS seems to serve as an exception to the rule.

I had another dream just recently about people who were half-animal, half-skateboard taking over an elementary school and having to fight them off with the aid of a 2x4 and the lunch lady. Bruce Lee was definitely involved, but it was unclear which side he was on, as post-transformation I couldn't identify the evil animal/skateboard people. This particular dream inspired exactly zero thoughts on video games and it's actually a little scary that my brain had the budget to pull it off.