Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 560 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 375 out of 560
  2. Mixed: 118 out of 560
  3. Negative: 67 out of 560

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  1. Ansatsu83
    Mar 25, 2015
    7
    This game is worth the price if you like stealth based games, with fun game play, at a budget price. However, there are a couple of things that irk me. First the game has a very distinct lack of video options, for the pc version. On top of this, they reuse two levels, several times. One for night time missions and one for day time missions, both tropical and both use the same prefabThis game is worth the price if you like stealth based games, with fun game play, at a budget price. However, there are a couple of things that irk me. First the game has a very distinct lack of video options, for the pc version. On top of this, they reuse two levels, several times. One for night time missions and one for day time missions, both tropical and both use the same prefab structures.

    For 20 dollars, its worth the price, but I wish there was a little bit more variety in the mission locales. Then again, what do you expect for 20 dollars?    … Expand
  2. Katharsis
    Jan 1, 2015
    6
    All the good user scores for this game are mostly praising how good of a port it is. Conveniently, these 10/10 reviews overlook the fact that this is a 45 minute game for $20. The story is good, as per usual -- but it's basically meant to be a taste of things to come. This game feels like a tech demo that costs money. Showing off pretty new graphics and good optimization. It's a shameAll the good user scores for this game are mostly praising how good of a port it is. Conveniently, these 10/10 reviews overlook the fact that this is a 45 minute game for $20. The story is good, as per usual -- but it's basically meant to be a taste of things to come. This game feels like a tech demo that costs money. Showing off pretty new graphics and good optimization. It's a shame people think this is all it takes for a game to be good. I repeat, this game is $20 and less than an hour long. That's ridiculous, and nobody should stand for it.… Expand
  3. Indrigis
    Dec 20, 2014
    7
    Short, has a few technical and logical problems, but worth a playthrough. Worth paying for? Maybe.

    Firstly the good: The game runs really great, has nice graphics and is on discount right now. But... Starting the game with my Razer Sabertooth connected makes the camera constantly pitch upwards and all the gamepad buttons are messed up - triggers turn the character, select/start    Short, has a few technical and logical problems, but worth a playthrough. Worth paying for? Maybe.

    Firstly the good: The game runs really great, has nice graphics and is on discount right now.

    But...

    Starting the game with my Razer Sabertooth connected makes the camera constantly pitch upwards and all the gamepad buttons are messed up - triggers turn the character, select/start act as triggers for readying weapon/firing et c. Plugging it in after starting the game allows it to work fine. Still have to actually move the mouse pointer into a corner since it's there and does nothing.

    The controls in general are very finger-twisting, especially the tap/hold options. To interrogate someone you have to sneak up on them, hold RT (praying that you don't actually knock them out LOUDLY) then also hold LB AND choose the option with the right thumbstick, holding all that for the entire duration. Any slip-up causes the interrogation to go to hell in a handbasket...

    The game's fluidity is damaged by Snake's mobility being by far very limited. If you've played Splinter Cell Blacklist, for example, you'll certainly miss options like climbing up the scaffolding and taking an enemy out silently. While MGS has its own traditions lack of logical options really damages the game.

    ...And exfiltrating a coastal military base in a helicopter as opposed to a boat is a stupid thing to do, regardless of circumstances.    … Expand
  4. Rushrush2meyayo
    Dec 21, 2014
    7
    What I liked:
    - Gorgeous graphics even if some settings aren't set to max.
    - Gameplay improvements that makes it stand out from past iterations. - Better value for money than console counterparts - Replayability despite only having 7 missions - Story is short but definitely sweet! What I disliked: - No David Hayter - Android/IOS APP not supported! - First person view when    What I liked:
    - Gorgeous graphics even if some settings aren't set to max.
    - Gameplay improvements that makes it stand out from past iterations.
    - Better value for money than console counterparts
    - Replayability despite only having 7 missions
    - Story is short but definitely sweet!

    What I disliked:
    - No David Hayter
    - Android/IOS APP not supported!
    - First person view when sniping or using the telescope is way too sensitive even at the lowest setting.

    A paid demo, kickstarter or however people want to call it, this is something that a die hard MGS fan craving for a MGS game might be able to forgive.

    The price point may not be unreasonable compared to the console release (especially to those who got it on sale like myself), still I would rather Konami made the fans wait a little bit longer and released everything in single game, rather than throw us a small chunk of it then leave us craving for more and end up paying for more.    … Expand
  5. Skipnipper
    Sep 7, 2015
    6
    Its a reasonable game I suppose, nothing spectacular at all, nothing original either. If you have played Far cry, splinter cell et al l, then you have played this. meh.
  6. Tomle1202
    Feb 3, 2018
    6
    If Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes has anything to offer, it's conflicting feelings. Its overall presentation hints at a worthwhile experience, whilst its extremely short length says otherwise.
  7. jelikey
    Mar 14, 2017
    7
    This game is worth the price if you like stealth based games, with fun game play, at a budget price. However, there are a couple of things that irk me. First the game has a very distinct lack of video options, for the pc version. On top of this, they reuse two levels, several times. One for night time missions and one for day time missions, both tropical and both use the same prefab
  8. JuanLuisGG14
    Dec 26, 2017
    7
    It is really good whie it lasts
    It is a game made just as an introduction to the real MGS V, so don't expect a lot of content here. (main mission can be completed in 1-2 hours)
    What it is to expect is the amazing level of gameplay, cinematics and inmersion the Fox engine had to offer at the moment this game was released. Ant it is really superb, PC port is flawless! About the quality    It is really good whie it lasts
    It is a game made just as an introduction to the real MGS V, so don't expect a lot of content here. (main mission can be completed in 1-2 hours)
    What it is to expect is the amazing level of gameplay, cinematics and inmersion the Fox engine had to offer at the moment this game was released.
    Ant it is really superb, PC port is flawless!
    About the quality of this game-episode, it is just on point, solid and intuitive (unlike previous MGS games)
    I give this game a 7/10, and highly recommend it at low price    … Expand
  9. muzmuz
    May 10, 2017
    5
    Ground Zeroes is literally a boring mission with no significant content. In my honest opinion, MGSV: GZ should've just been integrated in the prologue of The Phantom Pain.
  10. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    6
    There's not a whole hell of a lot I can say about Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, especially since I played it only after a good two or three days into The Phantom Pain. I got it on the cheap, which is what you should also do if you're looking to get it still. There's two ways to look at GZ, at least from where I'm standing, and it looks like both: A paid tech demo for the FOX engine,There's not a whole hell of a lot I can say about Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, especially since I played it only after a good two or three days into The Phantom Pain. I got it on the cheap, which is what you should also do if you're looking to get it still. There's two ways to look at GZ, at least from where I'm standing, and it looks like both: A paid tech demo for the FOX engine, and the gut-wrenching prologue to TPP. Really, when TPP came out this game should have been folded into it and anyone who owned it should have gotten a discount towards it, but this is Konami we're talking about.

    Ground Zeroes plot follows directly on from Peace Walker, and if you haven't played that game or indeed any Metal Gear, you're not going to have any idea what's going on, but here's the basics: You are Big Boss, legendary former special forces operative turned mercenary leader. You are on an infiltration mission to a US military blacksite in Cuba, in search of a double agent who betrayed you, and a captured comrade who went looking for that same agent.

    Things kind of go downhill from there. GZ introduces the player to the mechanics they will be seeing in Phantom Pain, though it is noticeably rougher around the edges. Going from TPP to this game as I did was not pleasant in this regard, especially losing the Fulton system, and it is annoying to see that issues i have to deal with in the later title, such as the complete inability to use the mouse for the buttons in the iDroid, were present here and not addressed prior to the release of TPP. It is also considerably more ponderous to switch between weapons of the same category here. While both of these games represent an unprecedented step forward in the messy history of console games ported to PC, in terms of optimization, controls, and PC-specific settings, there is a long way to go yet. Still, the smooth camera control, aiming, and player movement are all here, as is the godsent "reflex mode" that allows you to enter bullet time when spotted and neutralize the spotter before they can raise an alarm, as well as a fairly forgiving checkpoint system and the removal of series-mainstay infinite enemy respawns. Gone are the days of MGS4, where I would ♥♥♥♥ up stealth just once and be forced to shoot my way through the rest of each level, hideously maiming my score and ranking. The checkpoints are actually more forgiving here then in Phantom Pain, even.

    After completing the relatively short, simple and, notably ONLY, story mission in the game, you unlock access to a series of four "Side Ops" missions, including a glorious rail-shooter level where you give a certain bespectacled game designer-slash-intelligence operative fire support from a helicopter. If you collected nine hidden "XOF" patches in the story mission, you also unlock access to two "Extra Ops" levels, one an amusing nod to the original Metal Gear Solid on PS1, the other a bizarre mix of elements from several other games, including Kojima's "Snatcher" visual novel, which was only available here in the US on the much-maligned SEGA CD. Beyond that, the anal-retentive among you may take interest in the various "trials", hard mode levels, and other increasingly minute and inane extras, though this is all to otherwise pad out the content of what is, at best, a two to three hour game. There are plot-relevant audio tapes scattered among the Side Ops that at least make them worthwhile. I would say about half of my playtime was spent listening to these tapes, and a good chunk of the rest was spent with my face in the mud, trying desperately to be good at stealth games. As this is not MGS4, I was at least partly successful.

    Nonetheless, I have heard it stated that Ground Zeroes is completely superfluous to one's enjoyment of Phantom Pain, and this is largely true. It is however, a small but key piece of the overall plot and on that basis alone, I recommend it to longtime Metal Gear fans. If for whatever reason you ignore the story in these games, then by all means skip this installment and proceed directly to Phantom Pain, which is a far greater value for the price- and now includes multiplayer, no less.    … Expand
  11. dandalis
    Nov 1, 2016
    7
    Short game, but with great replay value. Visually and mechanicly very impressive and runs with no issues on PC. Gameplay is Solid with options both to play stealthy or go guns blazing, or as i like to combine both of them which felt the best way to play for me.
  12. SolidCenturio
    Feb 15, 2017
    6
    It's no secret that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain had a narrative which doesn't reach the heights of the past entries in the series; if there's one thing to expect from a Metal Gear game, it's the engaging story and cutscenes, playing around with the ludicrous, and cramming all of the philosophical ideas and themes pertaining to technology and warfare. The entirety of MGSV could beIt's no secret that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain had a narrative which doesn't reach the heights of the past entries in the series; if there's one thing to expect from a Metal Gear game, it's the engaging story and cutscenes, playing around with the ludicrous, and cramming all of the philosophical ideas and themes pertaining to technology and warfare. The entirety of MGSV could be thought of as Hideo Kojima's way of saying thanks to the series' fans, who have kept the Metal Gear brand relevant in the gaming industry for over 30 years - a collective passion and dedication, which forms the basis of the series' finale: we, the players, carry on the title of Big Boss. Heartfelt? Sure. Corny? Well, it wouldn't be a Hideo Kojima Game if it wasn't.

    Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes takes place in Camp Omega: a U.S. naval prison facility - reported black site - located at the southernmost tip of Cuba. Big Boss received word that Paz Ortega survived the ZEKE explosion, and is now being held prisoner along with Chico at the facility. Due to Paz being the only lead that MSF has on Cipher, and the fact that Chico somehow sent out a distress call while bound in chains, Big Boss is forced to take matters into his own hands, and infiltrate the camp to rescue them both.

    Back when MGSV was first announced, Kojima promised a mature Metal Gear story, which would explore real-life issues that he normally doesn't tackle. Ground Zeroes somehow fulfilled that promise by highlighting the prisoners and their torment at the camp, rather than focusing on Big Boss himself. Right off the bat, the player is greeted by hooded prisoners on their knees, surrounded by growling guard dogs and heavily-armed soldiers; the camera focuses on a minor with a small hole on his chest, and bolts on his ankles, seemingly traumatized and out of touch with everything around him; cassette tapes bring light about the brutal and disgusting torture methods used by the officials at the camp. What's outstanding about Ground Zeroes is that it set up the intended mature tone so well, exploring the human nature and relishing the silent moments, but eventually dialed everything back for The Phantom Pain, where Kojima takes another shot at the Metal Gear tropes that he established.

    Skull Face was supposed to be the next big Metal Gear villain, with the potential to top some of the best characters in the series. He is only shown for a brief moment during Ground Zeroes' campaign, wearing an outfit similar to the Lone Ranger, and an eventual glimpse of his heavily-scarred face; even so, his power and influence can be seen throughout the camp, and his backstory - as told through cassette tapes - imply a vengeful man, who had everything taken from him, and forced to serve different masters wherever he went. Enter The Phantom Pain, where his role has been relegated to that of the typical evil mastermind, who will stop at nothing to make sure that everyone who knows the English language dies.

    The events leading up to that grand finale of The Phantom Pain had been very lackluster, and Ground Zeroes could only offer a small glimpse of how the entirety of Metal Gear Solid V could have really felt like, if more time was given for developing it.

    And there you have it.    … Expand
  13. Wrathzo
    Mar 24, 2022
    7
    Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a 2014 stealth game developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami. The story follows Snake a.k.a. "Big Boss" as he infiltrates an American black site in Cuba called Camp Omega, attempting to rescue Cipher agent Paz Ortega Andrade and former Sandinista child soldier Ricardo "Chico" Valenciano Libre. Ground Zeroes offers players new sneaking andMetal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a 2014 stealth game developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami. The story follows Snake a.k.a. "Big Boss" as he infiltrates an American black site in Cuba called Camp Omega, attempting to rescue Cipher agent Paz Ortega Andrade and former Sandinista child soldier Ricardo "Chico" Valenciano Libre. Ground Zeroes offers players new sneaking and traversal methods as well as the choice in what order the story events take place by selecting missions in any order they chose.… Expand
  14. Chubac
    May 13, 2020
    5
    A glorified tech demo. It's not bad but I can't really say it's good either. Can't really call it a game.
  15. nietzfk
    May 20, 2023
    7
    At least 'Snake' plays a gesture or two... Expensive and short. Gameplay is fun.
  16. vova22379
    Dec 18, 2021
    6
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  17. Sergofx1
    Jun 4, 2022
    7
    I love Hideo Kojima.He is very good man.This game is proof.Good music taste.I like Snake`s movement.
    I hope METAL GEAR SOLID V:PHANTOM PAIN gonna be very good in music.I am very excited.
    Kojima genius. LIKE!

Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Best PC Game of 2014
67
#67 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
6
#6 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 18, 2015
    82
    Ground Zeroes is a technically competent PC version of an entertaining, but unsatisfyingly short commercial demo level for the upcoming Phantom Pain, which leaves you wanting the whole thing. [Feb 2015]
  2. CD-Action
    Mar 4, 2015
    90
    If you’re looking for a linear, cinematic experience, it’s not a game for you, but if you value freedom in approaching the challenge and find joy in tackling it in different ways to see what happens, Ground Zeroes is a must-have for you. Especially that the PC port’s quality is superb. [02/2015, p.67]
  3. PC Games
    Jan 26, 2015
    76
    It’s more a playable Demo than a full-flavored game. Gameplay itself offers much stealth-variety and a fantastic atmosphere with great graphics and sound. The replay-value is nice and let the player try various playstyles. It’s a good appetizer for upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Menus and are not optimized for pc, gamepad is recommended.
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