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Posted June 19, 2014 by Yuri Mangahas in Gaming
 
 

GAME PREVIEW: METAL GEAR SOLID V – The Phantom Pain!

Hours earlier, Konami and Hideo Kojima did a live video cast via the Kojima Station channel on YouTube to showcase the gameplay demo for the anticipated stealth-epic Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

Joined by developers Sean Eyestone and Jackie Tan, they broke down the ins and outs of the game, including its new features. We followed the broadcast intently, and we must say, it left us a pretty good impression. Let us give you a quick walkthrough with the demo and what it has to offer, shall we? Jump on:

The demo begins with Ocelot and Big Boss(now called Punished Snake) riding with their horses across the wilderness, while the former briefs Snake about his mission. The visuals here are vivid and well crafted, not to mention, moving smoothly, thanks to Kojima’s choice of utilizing a 60FPS rate on a 1080p resolution.

Your task is simple: You will need to venture into enemy territory and snag whatever hints there is regarding the location of Kazuhira Miller. Easy? Well, not really, as the area is guarded in every perimeter. To make things convenient, the player can now mark certain spots and people on a map and use them as waypoints and reference. Not only that, it will also allow more room for planning and strategy.

Unlike previous entries, you can now ride whatever transports you can get in this game – including horses. There’s also a new moveset which gives Snake the ability to hide at the side of the horse and snipe enemies afar.

You can also switch between running, walking, and moving stealthily. Spinning, crouching, and ducking are possible as well. Refinements are noticeable too, which makes it more easy for the player to take advantage of.

The CQC feature’s been enhanced, and new moves were added in Punished Snake’s repertoire, in an effort to mirror the character’s experience in the field after Ground Zeroes.

Having difficulty hiding? Fret no more: The trademark cardboard box is back! You can ask for a dropoff of the said item from the Mother Base in exchange for a small amount of GMP. The same can be done for other items too. You can also choose whichever location the item drops. Amusingly, you may also ask for an empty crate to fall beneath your targets if you’re lazy enough to fire your gun or inch closer.

The Fulton feature returns, and is more useful than before. Apart from sending downed targets and extracting hostages to the Mother Base through this function, you can now send other items and useful resources too in an effort to expand your own inventory. Vehicles, animals and large crates can be sent as well. Yes, we did say animals.

Sniping has been improved too, and Instinct Mode is activated whenever a surprise enemy appears near you. It enables you to react quickly in bullet time and assail the target properly.

You can also scan documents and items to obtain hints useful for your mission. That includes suspicious boxes, dossiers, crates, etc.

Perhaps its most notable inclusion would be the new Mother Base feature. The Mother Base will serve as your return point after each mission. Its appearance and structure will vary per player, dependent on how well you work with your resources. Everything you send using your Fultons wind up here, and you’ll find them as you walk along its perimeter. It will also be open to attacks in some segments of the game, so be careful.

IMPRESSIONS: It was a pretty solid one to say the least. The lush, vivid and detailed visuals are a feast to the eyes, and the gameplay’s convenient given its learning curve. Patience is still a requirement though as with previous MGS entries. and that brings up the thrill further. Kojima scored a budding classic with The Phantom Pain.

PREVIEW VERDICT: 10 Carboard Boxes Out Of 10!

In case you missed the demo, you can check it right here. Just a quick FYI – a huge chunk of the video’s in Japanese, so if you’re not used with the language, feel free to hit marker 50:00 and go straight to the demo.


Yuri Mangahas

 
Yuri is magnanimously juggling between two managerial jobs: A technical manager position for an advertising/copy-writing company, and an associate editorial position for a fashion and lifestyle magazine. Nevertheless, he still finds time taking photos and seeking for geek nirvana.