Community Review: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

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Metal Gear Solid V. Since it’s such a massive video game — in scope, in ambition, everything — I thought I’d give you all an extra week to familiarise yourself with it. Now that a week has passed, it’s time for the Community Review.

Before I provide my take: a confession. I am something of a Metal Gear Solid fanboy. I fell in love with the series around Metal Gear Solid 2 and have studiously played every game since. I’m one of those weird people who have a soft spot for Metal Gear Solid 4.

Yes. Metal Gear Solid 4.

I realise my credibility has just taken a severe hit. I am okay with this.

That being said: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an incredible video game. It’s a game that strips out things I dislike about the series – self-indulgent dialogue, cut-scenes – and focuses primarily on what I do like about the series. Everything else.

The sneaking, the enemy AI, the tension, the ridiculous amount of detail placed into the most pointless and important things. The craft of it. The fact that Metal Gear Solid exists in it’s own strange little bubble and the normal rules of game design don’t apply.

All this and more applies to Metal Gear Solid V.

Best of all it’s as refined a version of the game as I can remember existing. The CQC, the combat, the sneaking, the movement: it’s never been better. And it exists in a world with new rules and new mechanics that all interplay perfectly with one another.

It truly caters to a number of incredibly divergent play styles. It really does. I honestly can’t wait to watch how other players approached the missions I approached. Me? I try my very best to play like an artiste. Sneaking, interrogating, putting them to sleep, using the Fulton selectively. But in my mind I’m looking forward to a second playthrough where I just try out the most bizarre ideas possible and wreck shit.

I could go on and on about this game, but I’m keen to hear your thoughts. How are you finding Metal Gear Solid V so far?


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