Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain is the penultimate journey in Hideo Kojima's classic saga; even though it's a prequel there is a good deal of surprises to be found in the story. The gameplay is nothing short of phenomenal and there's so much attention to detail graphically and narratively speaking.

The Phantom Pain is a gaming experience to be remembered for generations to come. Its immersion for the players is unsurpassed, its atmosphere phenomenal, its story a bit sparse yet massive in scope and ambition. Hideo Kojima has made the 2001: A Space Odyssey of video games right here. There's endless subtexts throughout, visually and script-based, and that's excluding the ridiculously tense and terrifying start of the game, where you're at a hospital in Cyprus, trying to escape certain death.

If you haven't played the game yet, please do so, and play the 'Day One Edition' on the PS4: the definitive version of this modern masterpiece.

I wouldn't try to review this masterpiece in a written review, because I can't do it proper justice and out of fear of leaving something behind. But in light of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta, I finally decided to quickly write up a few sentences here as a thank you note to the developers and to further augment the game's aggregate score.

The uniqueness, creativity and smoothness of the gameplay is something I've never seen before. The controls are smooth user friendly, even arcadey. Every input feels tight and precise with 0 delays.

The game offers an unsurpassed sense of freedom in how you approach each mission and any single situation can be changed on a dime.

The enemy humanoid AI is the best I have ever witnessed in a game thus far and will tear you apart remorselessly if you think you can exploit it.

Both all-guns-blazing action and stealth are so much fun that getting caught doesn't feel like a punishment, although the game encourages you to take the stealthy approach and you'll be rewarded for it.

Be warned the main story is heavy on cutscenes and dialogue, seeing as it is a Kojima game you should be expecting that anyways.

The game offers 2 multiplayer modes. A single-multiplayer mode called F. O. B.s where you infiltrate other players Forward Operating Bases and a more traditional multiplayer mode, branded Metal Gear Online which has all the archetypal Call of Duty style modes, deathmatch, capture the flag and more. Both modes offer a plethora of ranking and biweekly events/challenges that you can participate. I have spent 75% of my playtime in FOBs. They are that good (and if you abhor multiplayer you should give this one a try seriously because it's not what you think) and so long as Konami maintains its servers I'll keep on playing at least on a weekly basis.

A technical marvel for the time it was released and continues on to this date. The game engine used to develop it, the Fox Engine, is the single most optimized 3d engine I have ever experienced. If you're on an NVidia GPU there are some graphical settings you can tweak to enhance them still. Suffice to say it runs good, buttery smooth amazingly good.

There is also slight modding support which can be leveraged if you're on a not-potato PC to give an extra oomph to the otherwise top-notch gameplay. I wouldn't bother with it though unless I have completed a full run of the main story.

The sound design is immaculate. The score is great albeit a step down from the first MGS trilogy imo.

An immensely deep & replayable game from start to finish. It is as challenging as it is rewarding. A massive game of epic proportions, a game for the ages. A Hideo Kojima game.

Rating: 10-/10 - Masterpiece.

First things first, if you're looking for a game with a polished, well-rounded story, run away. MGSV:TPP is not that kind of game. Yes, there is a plot; but it becomes clear very early on in the game that the story of the game is not the main focus.

However, if you're looking for an extremely realistic, sophisticated, and immersive combat system, you'll find it nearly impossible to find a game with better combat than The Phantom Pain.

TPP places you in missions where you have objectives to complete. However, how you complete the objective is entirely up to you. There is not a single scripted event in most of the missions; the game leaves it entirely up to you to complete your objectives. Need to destroy communications equipment in order to cripple the enemies' defenses? Discreetly place and detonate some remote bombs on the equipment and get the heck out of there before the enemy finds you. Or you could blow everything up with a rocket launcher and call it a day. Or perhaps trucking in there with a tank and exploding anything that moves more your style.

What if you need to eliminate a dangerous arms dealer? You could snipe him from a distance and that would be perfectly acceptable. But you could also take him out with a tranquilizer gun and take him back to base to join your team.

Hey, that was the perfect segue to the next amazing thing about metal gear: the mother base system.

You'll be hard pressed to find any other game with a more in depth base building system. Starting out with a mere single platform, by completing objectives, capturing soldiers and collecting resources in the battlefield, you will quickly be able to improve and extend mother base until it becomes an unrivaled private army.

Sounds like a piece of cake? Think again. MGSV:TPP is a very difficult experience. Enemy AI is highly intelligent. Pray to God that you don't get spotted; it's never been so easy and quick to go from smoothly completing a mission without detection by the enemy to desperately searching for cover while they rain down hellfire on you. TPP, In that department, is a very unforgiving game. If you want to get the highest possible score (S rank) on a mission, you'll be forced to carefully plan out your moves and time your movement carefully, because merely being spotted is sometimes enough to obliterate any hopes you had of achieving an S rank. Does it sound fun to be sprinting out of a mission area, having executed every one of your moves perfectly after spending so much time carefully planning your plan of action, only to be spotted by a soldier and being forced to start over? That's happened to me.. I've never been so frustrated in my life.

But there is no feeling quite like that of achieving an S rank. It's so amazing bro. You'll be flying high for the rest of your day because YOU EARNED IT!

Sorry about that rant.

Pros:

• Great diverse Gameplay
• Useful companions
• Great graphics, voice acting, animation
• Tons of customisation
• Interesting plot twist (that makes sense)

Cons:

• Tons of padding in campaign
• Open world is kinda lifeless
• Limited variation in missions
• Boring main villain
• Most boss fights aren't that great
• Lack of MGS quirkiness and heart
• Online is an afterthought

Verdict: Tons and tons of reviews give this a 10/10, greatest game of all time. Overrated IMO thou still an enjoyable game, but with just allot of unnecessary padding and lack of key elements that made the other MGS games great.

7.5/10

Metal Gear Solid is my all-time favorite game series. I've been a fan since the original Metal Gear Solid on PS1, and it holds a special place in my heart. The series is a wild mix of serious themes and wackiness, but it always delivered richly detailed narratives and stellar graphics for its time.

Metal Gear Solid V marks a significant evolution for the franchise, fully embracing the open-world format. Unlike earlier games that were more linear, this installment nails the open-world concept, standing out from other titles in the genre. I feel like it's like a band changing its style; while the gameplay has evolved, you can still hear that signature Metal Gear charm.

The game kicks off in the mid-eighties, with you playing as Big Boss, the original Snake. The prologue takes place in a hospital where your character wakes up from a long coma. I found this segment tense and well-paced, serving as an effective introduction to the plot and characters. I haven't understood the critique this prologue received-it's gripping, even if it is more linear.

Once you're thrown into the open world-set in either Afghanistan or Angola-you're free to tackle missions however you like. Want to go in guns blazing? Go for it. Prefer to be stealthy? That's an option too. There's a breadth of options from utilizing vehicles to setting traps or even kidnapping enemies to bring back to your base. I leaned heavily towards stealth, creeping around enemy camps and absorbing the satisfying thrill of being unseen.

One of the things that set Metal Gear games apart is their memorable characters. I noticed that MGS V has fewer characters compared to previous entries, which resulted in a more streamlined cast. I actually didn't mind this shift; the characters that remain are compelling. Quiet, in particular, grew on me even though she doesn't speak. The focus of the narrative revolves around themes of national identity and belonging, giving it depth beyond just action and stealth.

Speaking of voice acting, I was initially apprehensive about Kiefer Sutherland replacing David Hayter as Snake; it was hard to imagine anyone else in that role. Thankfully, Sutherland does not disappoint. His performance, though somewhat limited in dialogue, shines, especially in emotional scenes. The rest of the cast also brings their characters to life wonderfully.

Visually, the game is stunning-even nearly ten years later, it looks fantastic, running smoothly even on PS4. The graphics engine is a loss to see retired, given its impressive detail. The sound design and music are top-notch, adding to the cinematic quality that the series is known for.

Metal Gear Solid V offers a mix of main missions and side content, some of which adds depth to the game's overall plot. While I enjoyed diving into side missions, I noticed that they sometimes overlap with main mission areas, which slightly dulled the anticipation. And I found the repeat Konami credits jarring whenever I began a new mission-oddly distracting.

The story itself, while strong, showcases signs of the well-documented turmoil during development due to Hideo Kojima's departure from Konami. This left me feeling a bit off-kilter by the end, especially since the game closes after about 60 hours of play.

While it didn't achieve the commercial heights Konami had hoped for, Metal Gear Solid V is still a remarkable game, with millions of copies sold. Here's hoping the upcoming Metal Gear 3 remake breathes new life into the series; a new MGS title would be the cherry on top.

Overall, I give Metal Gear Solid V a 9/10. It's a unique experience that successfully balances innovation and the essence of what made Metal Gear Solid great to begin with.