Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
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10/10
Michael McCloskey |
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DEV: Kojima Productions
PUB: Konami
RELEASE DATE: 01/09/2015
FORMAT: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox360 & XboxOne
Before I dive into this mammoth sized review (it’s probably almost as long as the script for the final mgs4 cut scene) I just want to make it clear that it will be as spoiler free as I can make it because a huge part of the sheer joy of playing The Phantom Pain lies in soaking up all it has to offer for yourself and never quite knowing what’s around the next chopper ride from mother base. Therefore I shall not be delving into any hardcore story or character stuff as Metal Gear solid 5 much like its predecessors when it comes to story is simply a game that you have to experience for yourself. I will focus on gameplay environments atmosphere sound and overall design in this review.
I also feel it’s best if I stick to my experiences in the Afghanistan section of the game to draw upon for my review. Whilst I’m desperate to talk about the stunning opening which might be my favorite in the history of games I will have to hold myself back from spilling the beans on the koj-tastic mind effery that happens at the start of the game. I’ve chosen to concentrate on the afghan map for a few reasons.
This section has been shown quite a lot in trailers and gameplay videos and people should be familiar with it at this stage. I feel this would be the best way to avoid spoiling other areas in the game. I will talk in detail about my first 3hours in the afghan map and hopefully give a well rounded impression of this colossal title.(also please note this is very much a work in progress review as this game is really big and I’m savoring every moment so it might be weeks even months before I’m totally finished)
Now that that’s out of the way let’s get into it.
PUB: Konami
RELEASE DATE: 01/09/2015
FORMAT: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox360 & XboxOne
Before I dive into this mammoth sized review (it’s probably almost as long as the script for the final mgs4 cut scene) I just want to make it clear that it will be as spoiler free as I can make it because a huge part of the sheer joy of playing The Phantom Pain lies in soaking up all it has to offer for yourself and never quite knowing what’s around the next chopper ride from mother base. Therefore I shall not be delving into any hardcore story or character stuff as Metal Gear solid 5 much like its predecessors when it comes to story is simply a game that you have to experience for yourself. I will focus on gameplay environments atmosphere sound and overall design in this review.
I also feel it’s best if I stick to my experiences in the Afghanistan section of the game to draw upon for my review. Whilst I’m desperate to talk about the stunning opening which might be my favorite in the history of games I will have to hold myself back from spilling the beans on the koj-tastic mind effery that happens at the start of the game. I’ve chosen to concentrate on the afghan map for a few reasons.
This section has been shown quite a lot in trailers and gameplay videos and people should be familiar with it at this stage. I feel this would be the best way to avoid spoiling other areas in the game. I will talk in detail about my first 3hours in the afghan map and hopefully give a well rounded impression of this colossal title.(also please note this is very much a work in progress review as this game is really big and I’m savoring every moment so it might be weeks even months before I’m totally finished)
Now that that’s out of the way let’s get into it.
After the release of MGS4 I remember hearing Hideo Kojima mastermind behind the revered and much acclaimed metal gear series had reportedly said he’d wanted to deliver a 10 but he felt that ultimately they had produced a 1. I was taken aback by this having finished it around 7 times by that stage and having loved every moment of it (even the wedding and the god awful AC inspired tailing sequence at the time). I eventfully settled on the notion that this comment was a sign kojima like many other developers at the time had vastly over estimated the capabilities of the playstation 3 era of technology. This had left him feeling disappointed that his true vision couldn’t be brought to life at that moment in time.
If you look back at MGS4 you can see the beginnings of the open world level design that MGSV has currently managed to achieve and to great success I would add (more on that later). MGS4 had a compact level design with branching paths and different routes you could take which would all eventually lead to the same end goal (even mgs3 had similar but less extensive branching paths).
Whilst very new and exciting for the series in 2008 these days it feels a tad dated. Playing again recently I felt myself noticing that some areas felt like they had originally been a lot larger and more open. The Middle Eastern section in particular stood out for that reason. I came across a number of walls that seemed to have just been placed in the players path not for any aesthetic reason but simply just to cut off a section of the map that may have once been playable, the camera could be moved into a position to show that behind the wall was a very finely crafted street that surely couldn’t just exist in such a perfect detailed state just to be locked away and never be seen.
I got the impression that the open world level design that is at the very core of MGSV was originally planned but ultimately scrapped for MGS4. The main reason was probably that the then engine for metal gear just couldn’t get it to work with the new and the well documented hard to design for ps3 architecture.
However In the 7 years since MGS4’s release technology and games themselves for that matter have moved on a great deal and I believe this leap in technology coupled with Kojima productions creation of the groundbreaking fox engine have allowed them to deliver not just a 10 but one of the finest most expansive blockbusters of the modern gaming era .
If you look back at MGS4 you can see the beginnings of the open world level design that MGSV has currently managed to achieve and to great success I would add (more on that later). MGS4 had a compact level design with branching paths and different routes you could take which would all eventually lead to the same end goal (even mgs3 had similar but less extensive branching paths).
Whilst very new and exciting for the series in 2008 these days it feels a tad dated. Playing again recently I felt myself noticing that some areas felt like they had originally been a lot larger and more open. The Middle Eastern section in particular stood out for that reason. I came across a number of walls that seemed to have just been placed in the players path not for any aesthetic reason but simply just to cut off a section of the map that may have once been playable, the camera could be moved into a position to show that behind the wall was a very finely crafted street that surely couldn’t just exist in such a perfect detailed state just to be locked away and never be seen.
I got the impression that the open world level design that is at the very core of MGSV was originally planned but ultimately scrapped for MGS4. The main reason was probably that the then engine for metal gear just couldn’t get it to work with the new and the well documented hard to design for ps3 architecture.
However In the 7 years since MGS4’s release technology and games themselves for that matter have moved on a great deal and I believe this leap in technology coupled with Kojima productions creation of the groundbreaking fox engine have allowed them to deliver not just a 10 but one of the finest most expansive blockbusters of the modern gaming era .
The levels in the phantom pain are so vast and open they immediately dwarf every other game in the series. For those unfamiliar with open world games and perhaps more keen on the older more linear Metal Gear level design it could be very daunting and somewhat over whelming but for someone like myself who loves a well crafted open world like Rockstars Read Dead Redemption or Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series I was very close to, if not actually in open world nirvana.
After a quick chat with double triple quadruple agent, Big Boss worshiping, gun slinging torturer extraordinaire Ocelot I’m off on horseback dashing into the Afghanistan desert. In a mad rush of excitement I ride and I ride no clue where I’m even intending to go. All I can think as a race towards the horizon is simply ‘this is amazing’. It’s what I’d been waiting for since the initial phantom pain revel at the Spike TV Video Game Awards back in December 2012. The graphics sound design the vastness of the world for a moment I’m seven years old again and feel like I did the first time I played mgs1 no other game fills me with this kind of joy.
I slow down my trusty horse as I realize I’ve gone in completely the wrong direction from the mission marker, the metal gear fan in me wants to immediately rush over there and get on with the story but the gamer in me has other plans. Plans involving tranquilizing and Fulton recovering a few wolves back to mother base serving no purpose other than to amuse myself and hopefully have a fairly entertaining anecdote for my first few hours in the game to post online. (Little did I know I hadn’t even unlocked the Fulton yet).
An operation of this magnitude will take some preparation I tell myself as I hop off my gallant stead and leave it at the bottom of a small hill where it seems content to just stand in the shade. I take this time to reacquaint myself with the controls making sure I know how to run, crawl, crouch, aim and dive for cover if necessary. The core gameplay elements are largely unchanged from Ground zeroes and still just
as fluid and streamlined the animations of going from walking to crouching then crawling are exceptionally well done the way you moves feels very authentic . The mop cap sessions have quite clearly been a resounding success this level of detail is great to see and really draws me into the world.
Slick animations aren’t the only things that add to the experience the sound design is equally impressive. All I’m doing is standing still half way up a tiny hill and the environment just feels so alive in no large part thanks to the sound. In the distance I can hear a truck an enemy patrol perhaps, there is a bird nearby chirping, the sound of hooves from nearby sheep can also be heard there is also a slight wind echoing around the hill too it seems as usual Kojima Productions have paid attention to every little detail.
After a quick chat with double triple quadruple agent, Big Boss worshiping, gun slinging torturer extraordinaire Ocelot I’m off on horseback dashing into the Afghanistan desert. In a mad rush of excitement I ride and I ride no clue where I’m even intending to go. All I can think as a race towards the horizon is simply ‘this is amazing’. It’s what I’d been waiting for since the initial phantom pain revel at the Spike TV Video Game Awards back in December 2012. The graphics sound design the vastness of the world for a moment I’m seven years old again and feel like I did the first time I played mgs1 no other game fills me with this kind of joy.
I slow down my trusty horse as I realize I’ve gone in completely the wrong direction from the mission marker, the metal gear fan in me wants to immediately rush over there and get on with the story but the gamer in me has other plans. Plans involving tranquilizing and Fulton recovering a few wolves back to mother base serving no purpose other than to amuse myself and hopefully have a fairly entertaining anecdote for my first few hours in the game to post online. (Little did I know I hadn’t even unlocked the Fulton yet).
An operation of this magnitude will take some preparation I tell myself as I hop off my gallant stead and leave it at the bottom of a small hill where it seems content to just stand in the shade. I take this time to reacquaint myself with the controls making sure I know how to run, crawl, crouch, aim and dive for cover if necessary. The core gameplay elements are largely unchanged from Ground zeroes and still just
as fluid and streamlined the animations of going from walking to crouching then crawling are exceptionally well done the way you moves feels very authentic . The mop cap sessions have quite clearly been a resounding success this level of detail is great to see and really draws me into the world.
Slick animations aren’t the only things that add to the experience the sound design is equally impressive. All I’m doing is standing still half way up a tiny hill and the environment just feels so alive in no large part thanks to the sound. In the distance I can hear a truck an enemy patrol perhaps, there is a bird nearby chirping, the sound of hooves from nearby sheep can also be heard there is also a slight wind echoing around the hill too it seems as usual Kojima Productions have paid attention to every little detail.
Having had my fill of listening to ambient world sounds, I decide to get on with my journey and head up the hill to carry out a recon of the area. I make my way to the top of the hill and bring out my binoculars there is a small village to the north west it seems lightly guarded however I feel that there will be a distinct lack of wolves in that area so decide to leave it alone.
I turn my gaze a little further to the west and I’m greeted with miles and miles of rough mountains and harsh desert the wolves could be anywhere, I decide that I’ll go for a quick ride around the outskirts of the mission zone and see if I encounter any wolves whilst keeping an eye out for enemy patrols. I head back down the hill and mount up. Perhaps 20 minutes of aimless wandering later in what had so far been a relaxing if not very fruitful wolf hunting trip I suddenly got a worrying update from my idroid. A sandstorm was heading straight for me.
When it hit it was visually stunning but also sort of worrying. Of course I knew the worst that could happen is that I would get maybe slightly lost but thanks to the iDroid map I’d surely be able to find my way back to civilization in no time at all. However at that moment I was so into the game I wasn’t thinking like a gamer I was thinking like legendary war hero Big Boss and he wasn’t about to ride around lost in a sandstorm because that was just madness.
So instead I turn my horse around and head towards the small village I’d seen earlier in search of shelter. The sounds of the storm with headphones plugged in and the volume jacked up at this moment is amazing. I’ve never been in a real sandstorm thankfully but I’d imagine this is as close to reality as it can get. I find a small building and leave my horse behind it where it will hopefully be able to withstand the harsh conditions and I head for a nearby enemy truck and crawl under it to seek some reprieve from the storm. Sure I could’ve easily just whipped out the phantom cigar and fast forwarded through the storm but where’s the fun in that?
At that moment I’m more immersed than I’ve ever been in any game before hiding under an enemy truck waiting in real time for a sand storm to pass whilst watching enemy guards struggle to continue along their patrol routes. One guard approaches the truck and hops inside I fear he’s about to drive off
leaving me exposed to not only the storm but the rest of his soviet comrades as well. I draw my silenced tranq gun already taking aim at the closest guard who will likely be the first one to spot me should the truck move. Seconds pass agonizingly as I wait for the truck to move off at any moment. However it doesn’t and the storm soon passes having lasted maybe 2-3 minutes real time.
The guard who had hopped in the truck had yet to take off I thought it was best to get out from under it and head back to my horse. Once I was out however I foolishly decided to take a look in the back for any useful weapons or equipment, I was in luck finding smoke grenades not all that useful at the time but you never know what can come in handy down the line in a Metal Gear game. Cardboard boxes cigarettes, even red sauce came in handy on one occasion in the previous entries in the series.
I’m about to jump back out of the truck but suddenly a guard looks in my direction and I have to go prone to avoid his line of sight almost getting caught. Whilst I’m waiting for him to turn around the driver finally starts up the truck and takes off I can’t jump out at the risk of being spotted and shot to bits so I reluctantly stay down and decided to wait and see where this truck goes.
I turn my gaze a little further to the west and I’m greeted with miles and miles of rough mountains and harsh desert the wolves could be anywhere, I decide that I’ll go for a quick ride around the outskirts of the mission zone and see if I encounter any wolves whilst keeping an eye out for enemy patrols. I head back down the hill and mount up. Perhaps 20 minutes of aimless wandering later in what had so far been a relaxing if not very fruitful wolf hunting trip I suddenly got a worrying update from my idroid. A sandstorm was heading straight for me.
When it hit it was visually stunning but also sort of worrying. Of course I knew the worst that could happen is that I would get maybe slightly lost but thanks to the iDroid map I’d surely be able to find my way back to civilization in no time at all. However at that moment I was so into the game I wasn’t thinking like a gamer I was thinking like legendary war hero Big Boss and he wasn’t about to ride around lost in a sandstorm because that was just madness.
So instead I turn my horse around and head towards the small village I’d seen earlier in search of shelter. The sounds of the storm with headphones plugged in and the volume jacked up at this moment is amazing. I’ve never been in a real sandstorm thankfully but I’d imagine this is as close to reality as it can get. I find a small building and leave my horse behind it where it will hopefully be able to withstand the harsh conditions and I head for a nearby enemy truck and crawl under it to seek some reprieve from the storm. Sure I could’ve easily just whipped out the phantom cigar and fast forwarded through the storm but where’s the fun in that?
At that moment I’m more immersed than I’ve ever been in any game before hiding under an enemy truck waiting in real time for a sand storm to pass whilst watching enemy guards struggle to continue along their patrol routes. One guard approaches the truck and hops inside I fear he’s about to drive off
leaving me exposed to not only the storm but the rest of his soviet comrades as well. I draw my silenced tranq gun already taking aim at the closest guard who will likely be the first one to spot me should the truck move. Seconds pass agonizingly as I wait for the truck to move off at any moment. However it doesn’t and the storm soon passes having lasted maybe 2-3 minutes real time.
The guard who had hopped in the truck had yet to take off I thought it was best to get out from under it and head back to my horse. Once I was out however I foolishly decided to take a look in the back for any useful weapons or equipment, I was in luck finding smoke grenades not all that useful at the time but you never know what can come in handy down the line in a Metal Gear game. Cardboard boxes cigarettes, even red sauce came in handy on one occasion in the previous entries in the series.
I’m about to jump back out of the truck but suddenly a guard looks in my direction and I have to go prone to avoid his line of sight almost getting caught. Whilst I’m waiting for him to turn around the driver finally starts up the truck and takes off I can’t jump out at the risk of being spotted and shot to bits so I reluctantly stay down and decided to wait and see where this truck goes.
To pass the time I start listening to some interesting cassette tapes through the idroid I won’t go into further details to avoid spoilers. As I listen the brilliant day night cycle another immersive and excellently realised feature means that the sun has started to set, this is good I tell myself it will provide more cover once I get where ever this truck is going. I’m suddenly interrupted by ocelot over the radio who says “you’re approaching the area with intel on Millers where abouts now Boss” or something similar to that.
Without meaning to I’d actually made my way to the mission objective by a complete accident and for that very reason is why MGSV is so captivating unique and special from a gameplay perspective. In my considerable time with the game so far i‘ve had many different miss adventures and little encounters that felt totally unique to me and my play style, things that no one else will likely encounter in the same way or that I will probably never make happen again.
That is the truly amazing thing about The Phantom pain there is no right or wrong way to go about things you can do everything your way the freedom, scale and ambition of this game is honestly off the charts. Every corner of the locations I’ve been to so far is insanely polished and detailed. The environments are just beautiful to exist in and wonder around and get lost in.
The fox engine is definitely a great piece of tech and I tip my hat to everyone who had a hand in bringing the game to life. The man hours that must’ve went into this are probably sky high. (no wonder it took 5 and a half years to make) Moving on from gameplay, environments, sound design and missions I feel I should discuss the elephant in the room a question that’s been hanging over this review in most people’s mind since the first paragraph “Is Sutherland good?”
Firstly I would say yes and secondly I would also say, in my opinion. Now I’m not here to fight this corner or that corner I’m just going quickly say why I think Sutherland’s voice work and facial animation really adds to the feel of the game and why I understand the necessity for Big Boss to have a new voice actor. (in the western release that is, ive never really listened to the Japanese version so can’t really speak on or judge those actors)
With as few spoilers as possible I would like to say that your character in this game is cold, the loss of his comrades and his mother base has hit hard, he has suffered betrayal after betrayal he is not the relatively upbeat one liner dropping agent of MGS3 which Hayter expertly portrayed with his iconic Clint Eastwood-esque voice. As such I feel it is fundamental that the voice, the entire attitude and personality of Big Boss had to change to reflect this.
You fall slowly into darkness in The Phantom Pain making it hard to believe you were ever the same agent that undertook operation snake eater. As he himself states at one point “I’m already a demon.”
At times I felt myself wondering what this line or that line would sound like if Hayter delivered it one such line was “when the time comes I’ll pull the trigger myself”. I found myself grimacing at the thought of the gravelly warm voice of Hayter delivering the line it would’ve been so out of place. As an almost lifelong player of the metal gear games I have a huge fondness and affection for Hayters cartoony over the top all American bad ass delivery but in the context of the themes and drastic shift in tone of the Phantom pain I can honestly say for me it just wouldn’t work.
Without meaning to I’d actually made my way to the mission objective by a complete accident and for that very reason is why MGSV is so captivating unique and special from a gameplay perspective. In my considerable time with the game so far i‘ve had many different miss adventures and little encounters that felt totally unique to me and my play style, things that no one else will likely encounter in the same way or that I will probably never make happen again.
That is the truly amazing thing about The Phantom pain there is no right or wrong way to go about things you can do everything your way the freedom, scale and ambition of this game is honestly off the charts. Every corner of the locations I’ve been to so far is insanely polished and detailed. The environments are just beautiful to exist in and wonder around and get lost in.
The fox engine is definitely a great piece of tech and I tip my hat to everyone who had a hand in bringing the game to life. The man hours that must’ve went into this are probably sky high. (no wonder it took 5 and a half years to make) Moving on from gameplay, environments, sound design and missions I feel I should discuss the elephant in the room a question that’s been hanging over this review in most people’s mind since the first paragraph “Is Sutherland good?”
Firstly I would say yes and secondly I would also say, in my opinion. Now I’m not here to fight this corner or that corner I’m just going quickly say why I think Sutherland’s voice work and facial animation really adds to the feel of the game and why I understand the necessity for Big Boss to have a new voice actor. (in the western release that is, ive never really listened to the Japanese version so can’t really speak on or judge those actors)
With as few spoilers as possible I would like to say that your character in this game is cold, the loss of his comrades and his mother base has hit hard, he has suffered betrayal after betrayal he is not the relatively upbeat one liner dropping agent of MGS3 which Hayter expertly portrayed with his iconic Clint Eastwood-esque voice. As such I feel it is fundamental that the voice, the entire attitude and personality of Big Boss had to change to reflect this.
You fall slowly into darkness in The Phantom Pain making it hard to believe you were ever the same agent that undertook operation snake eater. As he himself states at one point “I’m already a demon.”
At times I felt myself wondering what this line or that line would sound like if Hayter delivered it one such line was “when the time comes I’ll pull the trigger myself”. I found myself grimacing at the thought of the gravelly warm voice of Hayter delivering the line it would’ve been so out of place. As an almost lifelong player of the metal gear games I have a huge fondness and affection for Hayters cartoony over the top all American bad ass delivery but in the context of the themes and drastic shift in tone of the Phantom pain I can honestly say for me it just wouldn’t work.
Now I’m not saying I never want him back I’d love him to be back of course I would but as solid snake facing off against Sutherland as Big Boss the ultimate show down. However Big Boss needed a change in this game I just cant imagine it working any other way. It didn’t have to be Sutherland either of course but I feel he was a good and worthwhile choice for Big Boss who is largely silent in this game. Sutherland’s performance nails the icy coldness of man who has lost everything, his tone has a certain subdued fury he often sounds distant lost in thoughts of all he has lost, there’s another worldly somewhat unsettling calmness around his voice. His performance gives off the impression of man who will go to any limits, cross any boundary to achieve victory. Something that was never really present in Hayters portrayal his Big Boss had places he wouldn’t go taboos he wouldn’t break. There was warmness to him and his delivery a sort’ve fatherly quality. He came off as an idealist who wanted to change the world yes but not at the cost of his own soul, he had suffered loss but it hadn’t broken him not like future losses would. I can however totally buy Sutherlands Big Boss as a sinister dark character. So my final word on this matter is that over the course of the game I began to truly appreciate Sutherlands work but I will always enjoy and remember the work of Hayter and his unending support of the series.
So with that now dealt with I think we can move on to my final thoughts.
In this massive now 3000 word plus review I feel that there is so much more to say and that I’ve barely even begun to take the packaging off the surface of this game so that it might be scratched. I’ve not even mentioned online(which could basically have a 3000 word review by itself) the base building, boss battles, cut scenes, characters, music story and a host of other spoiler heavy stuff that I don’t want to get into because I’d honestly hate myself for ruining it for anyone.
So I’ll end with this, Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain has many big ideas most’ve which are pulled off and fit really well. It gives you a set of tools kicks you off into the wild and says “have fun see you in a few hours with the next mission”. It lets you play your way whilst telling a complex but refined (and surprisingly for kojima restrained) thought provoking emotional, multilayered many themed and detailed story. It goes darker than the series has gone before but is sometimes clumsy and misjudged but its heart is always in the right place so I could ultimately forgive its short comings. It’s a game which continues to build, unlock and reward you with new stuff constantly once you think you’ve seen it all there’s suddenly a whole new level of things to explore and get to grips with after that.
So many great mechanics, Kojima’s brand of zany offbeat humor, unique storytelling, compelling gameplay, cinematic flare and the work of a very talented team all combine to make one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had to date, maybe even the best. Its hard to really say that yet as I’ve not completely finished it. I’m currently at 54% complete after 70+ hours.(NOT YET SNAKE, ITS NOT OVER YET!)
All that coupled with a story that’s taken me on dark sometimes harrowing and often confusing journey with characters some of whom I’ve lived with, thought about, got to know and grown up with since I was 7 and barely able to tell the difference between a chaff grenade and a stun grenade all come together to create something that is only ever rarely achieved. A masterwork of game design that speaks to me on levels only the best books and films can equal. As far as games go though nothing comes close to this, titles like MGSV are quite simply why I play games.
So with that now dealt with I think we can move on to my final thoughts.
In this massive now 3000 word plus review I feel that there is so much more to say and that I’ve barely even begun to take the packaging off the surface of this game so that it might be scratched. I’ve not even mentioned online(which could basically have a 3000 word review by itself) the base building, boss battles, cut scenes, characters, music story and a host of other spoiler heavy stuff that I don’t want to get into because I’d honestly hate myself for ruining it for anyone.
So I’ll end with this, Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain has many big ideas most’ve which are pulled off and fit really well. It gives you a set of tools kicks you off into the wild and says “have fun see you in a few hours with the next mission”. It lets you play your way whilst telling a complex but refined (and surprisingly for kojima restrained) thought provoking emotional, multilayered many themed and detailed story. It goes darker than the series has gone before but is sometimes clumsy and misjudged but its heart is always in the right place so I could ultimately forgive its short comings. It’s a game which continues to build, unlock and reward you with new stuff constantly once you think you’ve seen it all there’s suddenly a whole new level of things to explore and get to grips with after that.
So many great mechanics, Kojima’s brand of zany offbeat humor, unique storytelling, compelling gameplay, cinematic flare and the work of a very talented team all combine to make one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had to date, maybe even the best. Its hard to really say that yet as I’ve not completely finished it. I’m currently at 54% complete after 70+ hours.(NOT YET SNAKE, ITS NOT OVER YET!)
All that coupled with a story that’s taken me on dark sometimes harrowing and often confusing journey with characters some of whom I’ve lived with, thought about, got to know and grown up with since I was 7 and barely able to tell the difference between a chaff grenade and a stun grenade all come together to create something that is only ever rarely achieved. A masterwork of game design that speaks to me on levels only the best books and films can equal. As far as games go though nothing comes close to this, titles like MGSV are quite simply why I play games.
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POSITIVES
+ Phenomenal, modernized improvements to the Metal Gear franchise +Expansive insanely detailed open worlds + Unique Boss Fights that can be tackled in many different ways +Looks beautiful and runs smoothly on ps4 (goes for ps3 too what I’ve played of that version so far at least) +Excellent atmosphere and great sense of time and place +Can tackle missions in an order that suits you +Accommodates a huge Varity of play styles +Unparalleled levels of customisation +Slick and polished gameplay +Series patented humor is still present but unobtrusive +Tackles and addresses themes and taboos you won’t find in any other game +Uncompromising sometimes brutal yet poignant heartfelt all be it quite clumsy story +Tons of throw backs and references to older games that will please just about every fan +Amazing Sound design and soundtrack +Unique unforgettable characters +Have a pet wolf/dog with an eye patch +Cardboard boxes |
NEGATIVES
- Heavy themes may put some people off -Sizeable learning curve for new comers and old hands to the series alike -I found myself missing the codec - Some dialogue feels out of place (poorly translated maybe?) -Scale can be overwhelming at first -Some players may miss the hour long cut scenes they were used to -Driving is fairly rubbish (or perhaps military vehicles really handle that poorly) -Replaying missions on harder difficulty to progress late in the game is somewhat unfair for casual players -Sometimes Fulton recovery Buddies and other gadgets can make the game feel less challenging -Quiets lack of clothes whist it does have a reason is crass and unnecessary tainting an otherwise badass strong character (thankfully you can develop clothes for her later on but comes a bit late to matter) -Opening credits before each main mission were annoying but thankfully short -Cut content may have better helped to explain some elements of the game -Online has micro transactions -Probably Kojima’s last giant, triple A game and the last real Metal Gear game. (over whelming sense of loss may be felt after final mission for lifelong fans ) |