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.

Now listen, I personally really like Kojima. I admire his creativity and the way he forms his ideas on what concerns the story. However his games are simply not my type. Death stranding for example, is a walking simulator for 25 hours out of 40. Even though the concept is awfully interesting and the story is amazing the game robs you of any sense that you are playing a video game. Yes, I know it gets good but as I previously said if a game takes 40 hours to beat on average and you spend 20 or 25 forcing yourself to do something objectively boring just because it gets better is simply not my style. Metal Gear Solid, in a way, does the complete opposite to DS. It is a strictly gameplay focused game that however has a story that you need to watch recaps upon recaps and articles upon articles to somehow understand if you haven't played the previous games. And I personally am not such a fan of games that do not pay much attention to their story. And that's cuz to me, the most important aspect of a game is the story. Then comes the gameplay. But in order for me to like a game there has to be some sort of balance between the two. And DS along with MGSV are two perfect examples of how to have complete imbalance between the two even though they are objectively very nice games, especially Death Stranding. I have heard and seen that DS2 is more gameplay focused and more balanced and I am really looking forward to Metal Gear Solid D. I'm really hoping these two games will interest me so much that I will give another chance to DS and MGSV and actually love them. I WISH so.

-Awesome Story -Superb Graphics and Controls ( According to the time of release) -Great characters -Loved the chemistry of Big Boss and Quite.

3 years after its long-awaited release, it's strange to say that The Phantom Pain still haunts me without any doubts for obvious reasons that could be controversial for some people.

In fact, Metal Gear Solid V's gaming experience is the most memorable and unique one I experienced since my passion for video games began. This powerful arty blockbuster offered me way more than I expected from it by immersing me into a genre-bending weird interactive adventure that intelligently associates complex hard science-fiction, dark psychological drama, disturbing war depiction, mind-blowing philosophy, terrifying surreal horror, grotesque sense of humor and good historical transcription.

But aside from its artistic madness, The Phantom Pain is also inevitably a remarkable game design achievement that knows how to mix a rich sandbox emergent gameplay system with a captivating, intense storytelling. As the hours go by, the player freely writes its own story, building its base and choosing how to approach objectives thanks to a vast, well designed open world and a whole panel of gadgets and weapons. Hopefully, that's not all as acclaimed director Hideo Kojima, in addition to these modern elements, introduces into the game's structure everything we want from a Metal Gear Solid game: challenging bosses, beautifully executed cutscenes, jaw-dropping moments, fourth wall breakings and a dense, fluid narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final twist drops.

But of course, the famous game designer isn't the only one to provide great genius, indeed, what would be Metal Gear Solid V without Kojima Productions' talent, experience and mastery of the gaming medium? Because thanks to them and surprisingly high production values, The Phantom Pain also delivers outstanding visuals, phenomenal soundtrack/sound design, perfect technical presentation, excellent controls and some incredible performances from the cast.

Everything combined logically creates an unforgettable and visceral gaming masterpiece that transcends its own medium in original ways. Brilliant, innovative, violent, funny and emotionally powerful, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a pure art work for the ages that will clearly be remembered by History.

After 7 years, clearing it again, it is without a doubt that this open-world stealth game represents the highest level in the genre. Even today, the graphics quality enhanced by the Fox Engine never goes out of style. While one can still count the polygons when looking at circular objects such as tires, the overall feel of sneaking and combat is excellent, surpassing even that of Ghost Recon: Wildlands. The Mother Base and fulton system create a perfect positive feedback loop. Kojima's selection of 80s classic songs, along with his reflections on war and language, provide new insights and discoveries upon revisiting the game.