GAME REVIEW: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – This Game Is Nuclear

The Metal Gear Solid franchise had always been known to have a lot of references to works of art and public figures, but one of the most intimate of these references is David Bowie, most recently with The Phantom Pain, but also in Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater. It’s with great sadness to say that he passed away on January 10, 2016 at age 69. As a tribute, we’ve put together a review for the game that had the most notable references to The Man Who Sold The World.

After more than two decades, the Metal Gear Solid franchise is down to it’s final entry with Hideo Kojima at the helm. It seeks to break all the boundaries the franchise have set. Shaping itself to be the best in the series.

S T O R Y

In the aftermath of the events in Ground Zeroes, Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF) is destroyed and Big Boss falls into a coma. He eventually wakes up nine years later but is immediately ambushed. With the help of a mysterious bandaged man, he successfully escapes and goes on to lead a new mercenary group called Diamond Dogs along side Ocelot and Kazuhira Miller, deathly determined to exact vengeance for their fallen comrades.

The Metal Gear Solid franchise had always been infamously known for it’s lengthy cutscenes and dialogue. In MGSV:TPP, not only are the cutscenes too short, they are also few and far in between. Like Peace Walker, there are cassette tapes you can find across the game that can help expand the story, but this feature seems to work best on handhelds and not so much for the bigger platforms.

Though many of us would agree that the plot for most of the MGS games are heavy and convoluted, MGSV:TPP was just plain short. What’s worse is that the plot itself is quite disappointing, considering all the hype it generated and fan theories it ignited – some of which are arguably better than what ended up being the actual plot.

G A M E P L A Y

You are now in more control of Snake than you’ve ever been before. Peace Walker was praised for it’s controls and gameplay features, and MGSV:TPP aims to be the better version of the portable success. That said, It’s disappointing to not have co-op, one of the best feature to come out of Peace Walker. Instead, you get to bring along one out of only four possible companions to aid with your mission, each with their unique functions and abilities.

Aside from the missions and operations you conduct on the ground, the game is also riddled with metagame content. Using your iDroid, you can develop weapons, request support, oversee Diamond Dogs operations across the globe, and even develop a nuclear deterrent. There were several occasions where I boot the game and end up just fiddling around with the iDroid without ever setting foot on the ground for hours. Most of these metagame content are huge time sinks but are also not entirely necessary to enjoy the core game.

Perhaps the most exciting feature of the game is Metal Gear Online (MGO). It’s a competitive multiplayer mode where you create your own operative from three class types and rank him or her up to unlock new perks and earn points to purchase new gear and equipment. Among the usual game modes for 3rd person shooters, there are also modes that emphasize the tactical aspect of MGS. Then we have FOB missions, where you infiltrate other players’ bases to steal their resources and vice versa, building defenses and even intercepting an ongoing infiltration, similar in concept with invasions in Dark Souls.

V I S U A L S  &  P E R F O R M A N C E

The Phantom Pain is a visually stunning game, not that there was ever any doubt considering how well Ground Zeroes looked. The developers paid a lot of attention to detail. The game also ran at a high frame rate despite the level of detail in lighting, shadows, and motion blur, all adding to the overall photo-realistic look the game aims to achieve. Too bad there weren’t many locations that took advantage of the engine, with just Afghanistan, South Africa, and Mother Base to explore. Overall TPP has solid visuals and is by far it’s most powerful feature. The game is also backed by what is arguably the best soundtrack for any Metal Gear Solid title, next to Peace Walker and Snake Eater. Apart from the extensive list of great original compositions are some of the greatest hits of 80’s pop music you can unlock and play to your heart’s content.

V E R D I C T

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is masterful game, but it’s story – what most fans anticipated the most – is it’s weakest feature. From a gameplay standpoint, it had expanded and improved from everything the franchise had done, with just it’s repetitiveness and lack of co-op keeping it from sealing the deal. Much like Snake’s bionic arm, MGSV:TPP is an upgraded version with all the fancy features, but it just doesn’t feel the same. , nor will it ever be.