Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2905 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,071 out of 2905
  2. Mixed: 461 out of 2905
  3. Negative: 373 out of 2905

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  1. timhunt412
    Oct 14, 2015
    6
    after 60+ hours of metal gear, i feel lost. konami raped this franchise and kojima let it happen. therefor metal gear is in a coma for me until something fixes the franchise.
    please don't keep me waiting.
  2. Gnomio84
    Aug 15, 2017
    3
    So this is it? omg, please say no.
    Graphic: 7
    Controls: 5 Story: for MGS community 8, for another 3 Fun: 5 Hideo Kodzima: 0 I really dont understand Japs, it must be a crazy nation. There is a plenty better games because this MGS its like an android game with big PR. Everything seems same, all villages, all missions, all dialogs. There isnt open world, only sandboxes! Really bad    So this is it? omg, please say no.
    Graphic: 7
    Controls: 5
    Story: for MGS community 8, for another 3
    Fun: 5
    Hideo Kodzima: 0
    I really dont understand Japs, it must be a crazy nation. There is a plenty better games because this MGS its like an android game with big PR. Everything seems same, all villages, all missions, all dialogs. There isnt open world, only sandboxes! Really bad story and horrible control. Sorry not for me I hope (and know) that somebody like it :-)    … Expand
  3. DatPett
    Oct 18, 2015
    6
    This was a game there was tremendous hype for and while i was certain it couldn't live up to the hype it got certainly wasn't expecting this, Anyway i'll start by telling you what this game did right.

    + Great gameplay: gameplay is probably the best in the series but i feel like a few things are lacking, such as a cover button and silently disabling devices such as cameras and antennas.    This was a game there was tremendous hype for and while i was certain it couldn't live up to the hype it got certainly wasn't expecting this, Anyway i'll start by telling you what this game did right.

    + Great gameplay: gameplay is probably the best in the series but i feel like a few things are lacking, such as a cover button and silently disabling devices such as cameras and antennas.
    + Weapon variety: There's a **** of weapons and custimizations for those weapons, now while i mostly stick to a select few the fact that the choice is there is really good.
    + Graphics optimization: I was always at a stable 60 fps and it looked amazing, the fox engine sure is one of the best optimized engines out there
    + Fluent and fun combat: The shooting feels good and (most) of the sights are good in first person.
    + Cutscenes (part 1): The cutscenes are really beutiful and impressive, however (see part 2)
    And here are some neutral things that i'll let you decide if they're good or bad.
    + Non-lethal: the choice of non-lethal is far more than "more score" and "better karma", because of the fulton extraction system that lets you basicly steal enemy soldiers and use them to improve is a great feature.

    ¤ Motherbase: some might find micromanaging annoying in a stealth game.
    ¤ Bland empty world: The world has basicly zero secrets and fun stuff/fun areas, some might apreciate teh sandbox feel though.

    And now for the negatives... (There are alot)

    - Boring story:In the MAIN story of Metal gear solid this has teh **** plot. And while thats understandable to some degree with chapter 2 because it was rushed, chapter 1 was finished completely and still sucked storywise.
    - Boring characters: Kinda goes in par with boring story but i feel this "deserves" it's own minus.
    - Cutscenes (part 2): There was a suprising lack of cutscenes which is one of the things MGS is famous for, i can understand decreasing cutscene amount/length by a bit but the lack of cutscenes is just horrid.
    - Repetetive missions: The first mission and maybe like 5 scattered missions are fun but the rest are horrible, boring and repetetive.
    - Trailers: The trailers are amazing and gave away practically portions of every cutscene in the game and just flat out lied about "Not shying away from controversy" and "Dealing with controversial issues".
    - Venom Snake (protagonist): He's boring and unlikable and doesn't talk much at all, compare him to Naked snake or any other snake really in MGS.
    - Lack of orchestral soundtrack: They usually have some form of the iconic MGS theme or boss music, hey atleast we got some sweet 70's/80's hits.
    - Controls optimization: menus are the worst part but generally control wise, this is a bad port.
    - Taboo subjects: This game lacked them even though promising them, even ground zeroes was more taboo with listening to Paz being raped to look for background clues.
    - Quiet: While MGS has had sexy and skimpy-clad characters like EVA Quiet feels different in a bad way somehow (not her costume, her general character) and was pure fan service or trying to spark controversy to increase sales.
    - Bland mission enviroments: generally sucky and lack of inside enviroments.
    - Side ops: These are so bad they should be removed good god.

    The pacing is horrible and so are alot of other stuff but the gameplay and tiny details are so greatly done, and thats why i give it a 6/10.    … Expand
  4. Wiebe
    Feb 27, 2020
    4
    Boring strange story, un-interesting open world, weird mechanics, playing felt meaningless
  5. DKR
    Sep 26, 2018
    7
    FROM THE COMPANY - THAT'S RIDING ITS LAST DECENT FRANCHISE TO THE GROUND - COMES A SLIGHTLY-ABOVE-MEDIOCRE OPEN WORLD GAME that totally p**ed off moral-authoritarian celibates, married men with buyer's remorse, and feminists.

    It's just boobs, guys. Try going to the beach. METAL GEAR 5: THE PHANTOM PAIN. EMBARK ON AN UNEXCITING JOURNEY WITH Boss...uh Big Boss? Snake? Who doesn't    FROM THE COMPANY - THAT'S RIDING ITS LAST DECENT FRANCHISE TO THE GROUND - COMES A SLIGHTLY-ABOVE-MEDIOCRE OPEN WORLD GAME that totally p**ed off moral-authoritarian celibates, married men with buyer's remorse, and feminists.

    It's just boobs, guys. Try going to the beach.

    METAL GEAR 5: THE PHANTOM PAIN.

    EMBARK ON AN UNEXCITING JOURNEY WITH Boss...uh Big Boss? Snake? Who doesn't have a whole lot to say this time around; maybe for the better. "Card Keys? Metal Gear? Psycho Mantis?"....and is joined by some other cardboard quest dispensers with familiar names.

    BE IMMERSED IN BAD KOJIMA FAN-FICTION, WHERE THE PLOT'S ONLY ELEMENTS ARE BEATEN TO DEATH MORE THAN A MAN FALSELY ACCUSED OF HARASSMENT. Something something, NINE YEARS AGO. Something something, MOTHERBASE. Something something, CIPHER...SKULL FACE. Kojima must have wrote the first half of the plot in a Tweet.

    ARM YOURSELF TO THE TEETH WITH BOSSBIGBOSSNAKE'S MASSIVE INVENTORY OF SADISTIC TOYS TO TOTALLY F*** WITH THE MINDS OF YOUR 1 ENEMY: CLUELESS GUARDS. Ha! I never was a hot-chick taped to a cardboard box! RESEARCH AN IMPRESSIVE ARSENAL OF GUNS, ROCKETS, ROCKET ROBO ARMS, to massacre waves of defensless NPC's. We've done that to death since GTA1 in '97; aren't we bored of that by now? OR SUPER BALLOONS THAT CAN LIFT ANYTHING OFF THE GROUND WITH ENOUGH UPGRADES. Did I seriously just pick up a TANK? FREAKIN' AWESOME!

    TRY TO HAVE FUN AS YOU FIGHT THE GAME'S TOUGHEST BOSS: THE CONTROLS; GIVING YOU PROBLEMS LIKE: GETTING STUCK ON COVER, CAN'T TAKE COVER, DOING A FULL 360 BY PRESSING "up", FAILING TO CRAWL OVER A ROCK MAKING YOU STAND UP AND RUIN YOUR MISSION, SLIGHT INCLINES THAT YOU CAN NEITHER RUN OVER NOR SCALE, AUTO AIM THAT PREVENTS HEAD-SHOTS, VEHICLES WITH 2 SPEEDS THAT CRASH INTO EVERYTHING, AND COVER. THAT DOESN'T COVER YOU. Oh, come on! What'd he spot, my ponytail??

    STRUGGLE IN FUTILITY AS YOU TRY TO DECRYPT THE MISSION RANKING SYSTEM AS YOU TRY TO NOT GET SPOTTED, TO BE QUIET, NON-LETHAL, AND SPEEDY, only see some d*** bag on youtube ride the horse right into enemies and gun them down with unsilenced weapons and set off 4 alarms all in 6 minutes AND STILL GET S! WTF?? THAT TOOK ME HALF AN HOUR FOR A C!!

    SO STRAP ON YOUR EYE PATCH, CHOMP ON YOUR TIME-TRAVELING CIGAR, and get ready to crawl on your stomach for 700 meters, rescue some guy, run back out, something something CIPHER....9 YEARS AGO....SKULL FACE.... ad infinitum in Kojima's worst story telling yet, but then you can to do side missions without rules! Hehehe, hands up!...now stay still...I'm...aiming this...mortar....BOOM! HA SUCKER!

    STARRING:

    MIDGET MANTIS
    FIREY STOMACH ACHES
    REVOLVES HIS PERSONALITY-A-LOT
    9 YEARS AGO....CIPHER...SKULL FACE....You destroyed their anti-air radar?
    Quiet-ly showing her boooooooobs
    POORLY NAMED BAD GUY (for real, Kojima, stop describing your characters in one word names. THE PAIN. THE SORROW. THE END. QUIET. SKULL FACE. What's next, The Protagonist?)
    THIS IS THE TUTORIAL THAT NEVERRR EEEEEEENDS......
    Thanks for getting me out of the hospital, Cut-scene Man! See you in the next console shooter!
    COM-LINK STORY TELLING...and....
    THE PROTAGONIST

    METAL GEAR VEEEE: THE PHANTOM GAME

    A dev for Halo called Quiet "disgusting". Bold move from the team that made Cortana.    … Expand
  6. muzmuz
    May 10, 2017
    6
    Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a open-world third-person stealth shooter with lots of action and various RPG elements. It has a good number of gameplay mechanics and also sports a commendable amount of content, but many a times feels too much. On top of its usual cringeworthy cinematics, MGSV:TPP presents its bad and repetitive game design in an annoying fashion.
  7. liveAndLetLive
    Feb 28, 2016
    0
    You need about 30 minutes to play the game for 15 minutes. When you load it you're prompted with a software log about every update. When you select a mission the credits roll, then you fly in the helo for 1 min while it loads the game you felt like playing earlier that day. It's an awful presentation. Many times I had an open shot at the enemy but my character would roll instead ofYou need about 30 minutes to play the game for 15 minutes. When you load it you're prompted with a software log about every update. When you select a mission the credits roll, then you fly in the helo for 1 min while it loads the game you felt like playing earlier that day. It's an awful presentation. Many times I had an open shot at the enemy but my character would roll instead of standing up. Pulls out the wrong weapon and gets detected and killed. The controls are so robotic it sucks the fun out.… Expand
  8. x6po6go6x
    Nov 11, 2015
    3
    The first 2 hours of this game are great. I was so excited to keep playing and then the rest of the game happened, boring as hell. Same locations, same few objectives (kill this guy, rescue this guy, destroy this object) over and over again. And the story is scarce. It is a large empty world. After playing TW3 this just felt like a waste of money. Trust me, wait for the Steam summer saleThe first 2 hours of this game are great. I was so excited to keep playing and then the rest of the game happened, boring as hell. Same locations, same few objectives (kill this guy, rescue this guy, destroy this object) over and over again. And the story is scarce. It is a large empty world. After playing TW3 this just felt like a waste of money. Trust me, wait for the Steam summer sale on this one.… Expand
  9. mikemaza9
    Jan 10, 2016
    7
    First of all, it wasn't a complete game. Having said that, I have to say that the first 20 hours of this games were very fun but after the First Chapter, the game starts to fall apart. To sum up, a decent and fun game in the beginning and after that, just an insult to the buyers.
  10. GameDead
    Nov 20, 2015
    3
    This is a poor console to PC port.
    They tried so hard to make a visually splendid game and they got the visuals right.
    But, they forgot the basics and that's movement. Movement in this game is buggy, your player gets stuck on things, the 'e' button climbing option sometimes takes time to light up. This poor movement and interaction with the environment completely ruins game play as you    This is a poor console to PC port.
    They tried so hard to make a visually splendid game and they got the visuals right.
    But, they forgot the basics and that's movement.
    Movement in this game is buggy, your player gets stuck on things, the 'e' button climbing option sometimes takes time to light up.
    This poor movement and interaction with the environment completely ruins game play as you are trying to be stealthy and then you are seen by the enemy simply because your player is 'stuck' on a small rock, trying to get through an opening in a wall or trying to climb something.

    And, the equipment menus are a pain, the instructions and manual were thought out by a lazy 5 year old, so often I had to google just how to play the game.

    So this game wants you to play stealthy, but its so poorly ported that its glitches and bugs get you seen by the enemy far too often turning the game into a first person shooter, and this game is Not a good shooter.

    Trying to shoot over a ledge in the prone position is next to impossible, I have fallen over/off ledges trying to move forward enough so your first person gun sights are enabled when prone. Iit's just stupid frustrating.

    The developers should have got the basics right before making it look so pretty.
    After 5 missions and 6 side ops I obtained a refund !
    Far Cry and Dying Light play far more fluidly than this piece of clunky junk.    … Expand
  11. ablock
    Dec 1, 2015
    7
    Game play wise, it's beautiful and plays well. Eventually it gets repetitive with the same old "save this prisoner," and "kill this unit" missions, but that's not the big flaw with the game.

    This does not feel like a Metal Gear Solid game. The music is forgettable and the story is the weakest in the franchise. The plot is almost nonexistent and does not develop the character of big Boss    Game play wise, it's beautiful and plays well. Eventually it gets repetitive with the same old "save this prisoner," and "kill this unit" missions, but that's not the big flaw with the game.

    This does not feel like a Metal Gear Solid game. The music is forgettable and the story is the weakest in the franchise. The plot is almost nonexistent and does not develop the character of big Boss in any significant way that the saga has demanded. Hardcore MGS fans will not like this.    … Expand
  12. crazyeyecarl
    Jan 8, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To start....I have LOVED MGS since I originally played Metal Gear Solid for the PS1, played all of them including the handhelds before they were in all these HD remakes. That being said, The Phantom Pain IS NOT a Metal Gear Solid game. In my opinion it's closer to a Far Cry sequel than anything else. Act 1 is AMAZING, the 2nd and final Act should not have been included into the game at all. The game is FAR from complete. Act 2 was just a bunch of rehashed stuff from Act 1. "Tactical Espionage Action" has nothing to do with it either. Like I said, it's Far Cry, only you have a sneaking suit. The game is set in War-zones, yet....they arent War Zones. You Rarely run into ANYONE out in the world unless they're at a camp/base. No civilians, no resistance fighters, hardly anything. You'll come across a truck every once in a while, or 2 guys walking down a road, but those aren't patrols. Those are 2 dudes out on a nature walk. This game ruined the franchise, and I'm happy Kojima isn't making them anymore, because I'd hate to see the next embarrassing installment of what was once a great series.… Expand
  13. RIsky4Heart
    Feb 3, 2016
    6
    Hello!. This is my + and - of MGS V.
    I'm a fan of old MGS1/2/3 .
    + very good gameplay ( the Best in the series). + good music. + Hideo Kojima direction cutscene. - very bad boss development ( in MGS is one of the important things). - story is very dissapoint. - not have codec (cassete is not so good designe chose). - cutscene too short compared to other MGS (2-5 min max. compared    Hello!. This is my + and - of MGS V.
    I'm a fan of old MGS1/2/3 .
    + very good gameplay ( the Best in the series).
    + good music.
    + Hideo Kojima direction cutscene.
    - very bad boss development ( in MGS is one of the important things).
    - story is very dissapoint.
    - not have codec (cassete is not so good designe chose).
    - cutscene too short compared to other MGS (2-5 min max. compared to MGS4 with 90min in the ending).
    - bad character development.
    - sandbox boring ( Far Cry 2 hello!).
    - game not completed and overused the same boring missions over and over.
    - this is not MGS anymore.
    - a Hideo Kojima happy farm game - need to write in every boring mission and it be in many missions.
    - he played us like a damn fiddle.    … Expand
  14. Jeoul
    Mar 9, 2016
    4
    I am a total MGS fanboy and was looking forward to this game (had sooooo much hype). GZ was a good prequel, got me interested in finding out what agenda does Skullface have.

    The beginning in the game, in the hospital was really good, i thought in my head oh boy was we in for a treat, tbh things were going well in chapter 1 until you start to think. Cons - Chapter 2 is not complete,    I am a total MGS fanboy and was looking forward to this game (had sooooo much hype). GZ was a good prequel, got me interested in finding out what agenda does Skullface have.

    The beginning in the game, in the hospital was really good, i thought in my head oh boy was we in for a treat, tbh things were going well in chapter 1 until you start to think.

    Cons
    - Chapter 2 is not complete, random cutscenes, rehash of same missions from chapter1, timeline doesnt flow.
    - In what way will the the characters be relevant and connect to the other MGS games? Like practically 0.
    - Skullface is very underwhelming, you dont even get a boss fight against him
    - Boss fights? Yeh hardly any, if there was one, then it was very forgettable.
    - The story is CRAP, i dont care for a chapter 3 at this point, i am so dissapointed in the previous chapters and the story, i really dont care if the game is finished.
    - Codetalker? COPULATION, VOCAL CORD PARASITES, THE DIN'EH... he is just zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
    - Miller is constantly pissed off unless he is cooking burgers.
    - Ocelot is not the real Ocelot
    - Did i mention the story and pacing?
    - And the plot twist in the end? I appreciate what they were trying to do, but that made me like 'really?....'
    - How can zero not be part of this game at all?!?!
    - The open-world makes it bland (not saying it shouldnt be open world).
    - Side quests get very repetitive and tedious

    Pros
    - Gameplay, by for the best mechanics for me. It can get too easy with the buddies and upgrades, just simply dont use em if it gets too easy.
    - Graphics are nice
    - Runs very well
    - At times the chapter 1 missions were quite tense.

    But yeh overall i did not like this game, and was a huge let down. I know the drama that happened between Kojima-san and Konami. Dont get me wrong Im all for Kojima and hate the vile Konami but even i have to admit Kojima kinda dropped the ball for this game.    … Expand
  15. billyjones
    Jul 27, 2016
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. it is so sad to think about how awesome this game could be with the nice graphics and optimization... After that amazing intro, i could never imagine how boring and repetitive it would get.

    Boring because of the completely nonsensical plot and back story, lame villains and the disappointing boss battles, specially the first one with Sahelanthropus, they really took a dump on the game with this one:
    -Snake is infiltrated in a high security military base filled with soldiers, war tanks and war helicopters.
    -If you decide to escape the base without the walker machine, Snake is on feet, carrying a crippled prisoner plus all those weapons.
    -"Skull face" somehow knows about it, he could command all the soldiers in the base to kill Snake easily, but instead, he decides to make Snake a surprise on his exit and show him Sahelanthropus for like no reason at all.
    -From one second to another, all the soldiers in the military base just vanished, the high security military base is total empty and simply abandoned now, forget about them, it is only Snake and Sahelanthropus now. (the same happened when you are about to secure the remains of the man on fire)
    -Sahelanthropus with all its power and greatness is unable of killing Snake, even if he is standing right in front of it at a open field and a clear shot vision.
    -Snake escapes Sahelanthropus and the military base on feet, uncovered and carrying all those weapons plus a crippled prisoner on his back.
    -Snake calls the helicopter to pick him up in a place where Sahelanthropus can see.
    -Sahelanthropus is unable of taking down a chopper.
    -Snake gets in the chopper and destroys Sahelanthropus with shots from a .50 machine gun.
    Seriously? Even a old war tank could handle those shots or take down the chopper but the weapon supposed to bring to world to its knees could not?

    About being repetitive, some people say that it is only if you play always the same time but that makes no sense at all.
    It is nice that i could do all the exact same missions all over again in a different way if i wanted, not that i was bound to do it anyway so i can get to the end of the game, which by the way, was cut out from it. The game has no end at all, what doesn't matter because the story is so boring that you do not have desire to know what happens next.

    MGS 5 begins a joke on Ground Zeroes (a game that is as short as their dicks) and "finished" on the Phantom Pain (japanese anime **** recycled so it looks bigger)    … Expand
  16. JamesFay
    May 3, 2016
    0
    This game is captivating at first, it seems promising, but as you played through you'll notice that some of the game's event are utterly ridiculous, some of them seems forced, that ridiculous girl character Quiet barely wearing anything, final boss roars like some retard, disappointing.
  17. MacMarrik
    May 20, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - изодранная игра, с дырявым сюжетом.

    Положительный момент - геймплейная составляющая самой игры. Эта игра из серии MGS самая богатая на геймплей. Имеется огромный арсенал снаряжения, которым можно воспользоваться для прохождения той или иной миссии. Для прохождения одной миссии можно подобрать не одну тактику её прохождения. И это радует.

    Имеется две большие открытые карты, где все эти миссии выполняются. В общем, мир на этих картах мёртвый. На них ничего толком не происходит, не считая самих миссий. Это, конечно, можно всё списать на пустынный мир Афганистана/Африки, но можно было бы хоть постараться.

    Имеется та атмосфера, которая присущая серии MGS. Это проявляется в диалогах, кат-сценах, в сути геймплея.

    Хороший и интересный сюжет всегда был неотъемлемой частью серии MGS. В этой же игре он ужасно рваный. Особенно это заметно во 2 главе, в которой сюжетных миссий всего лишь 5 штук(из 19, КАРЛ!!!), а остальные просто те же миссии из 1 главы, только с условиями усложняющие их прохождение. Есть, конечно, шикарный Пролог и 43 миссия, также не плохая 31, 45 миссии, но это крайне мало для такой игры. SPOILER!!!! Эпилог - Facepalm. Тот же пролог, только под другим углом. Да и с такой развязкой.

    Ответ на такую наглость приходит только один - незаконченность самой игры. Это проявляется в разных аспектах: нахождение вырезанных диалогов, кат-сцен в файлах игры, чрезмерная молчаливость ГГ, больше похожий на безразличие, рванность повествования самой игры.

    Для нового игрока, незнакомым с серией MGS, будет сложно понять, что происходит в серии, но если убрать сюжет как основу, то выходит довольно добротная игра. Но тем, кто играл в другие части будут чувствовать пустоту и недосказанность.

    Мой вердикт: игра бы могла стать лучшей в серии, были все предпосылки, но что-то пошло не так и игра вышла не законченной. Если её рассматривать как не MGS, то получится хорошая игра, но для меня "Разочарование 2015".    … Expand
  18. lhmtgame
    Feb 28, 2017
    4
    This is really a Japanese Game's Style!

    Firstly, MGS title has been optimized for Console Controller, not PC. Using KeyBoard & Mouse to play on PC version still show you XBOX buttons. Secondly, MGS 5's graphics are good enough, not detailed. It's similar to Devil May Cry 5's graphics. Thirdly, every missions are too the same, not various. MGS 5 is not a STEALTH GAME! Because the    This is really a Japanese Game's Style!

    Firstly, MGS title has been optimized for Console Controller, not PC. Using KeyBoard & Mouse to play on PC version still show you XBOX buttons.

    Secondly, MGS 5's graphics are good enough, not detailed. It's similar to Devil May Cry 5's graphics.

    Thirdly, every missions are too the same, not various. MGS 5 is not a STEALTH GAME! Because the main character do not know how to OPEN THE DOOR as a SPY or ASSASSIN quietly.    … Expand
  19. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    7
    MGSV: The Phantom Pain is, in a word, dense. It is unbelievably long, jamloaded with levels, items, fights, and exposition. It is the longest Metal Gear by far, the longest game I've played in years and, speaking purely in terms of dollars to hours played value, it payed for itself many times over. The sheer scale of it means that it boasts a diverse gamut of experiences. It drags badly inMGSV: The Phantom Pain is, in a word, dense. It is unbelievably long, jamloaded with levels, items, fights, and exposition. It is the longest Metal Gear by far, the longest game I've played in years and, speaking purely in terms of dollars to hours played value, it payed for itself many times over. The sheer scale of it means that it boasts a diverse gamut of experiences. It drags badly in some places, but other times it delights and thrills. I cried once or twice, and not just because the game remembered my birthday and baked me a virtual cake.

    Phantom Pain represents an evolution of the gameplay seen in MGS: Peace Walker. Gameplay consists of relatively bite-sized missions with simple objectives, this time however, layered over an open theater of operations that you are free to explore between missions. It is a considerable departure from the other Solid titles in this and other ways- you are not penalized for killing enemies directly, and perhaps most jarring, there are very, very few boss fights.

    Combat is manageable thanks to very slick movement and aiming controls- Phantom Pain’s PC port is incredible in this regard. It also looks and runs very well. Load times are very reasonable, and you will spend all of the considerable playtime of this game doing something- if not fighting or sneaking, then performing upkeep of your base and forces. However, herein lies an oddity about the Phantom Pain. The Metal Gear series is famous for its lengthy cutscenes and large infodumps, as well as a high amount of optional radio conversations and reading material. While this game has a fair number of audio logs to listen to, none of them are more then ten minutes long, and only a few of the game's 40 or so story missions have cutscenes of significant length. Plot points come sporadically, and when they do, they never seem to have the same impact as in other games in the series. I feel a Phantom Pain for the loss of gripping storytelling that marked earlier entries in the series. It also has a similar issue to Peace Walker in that the game does not end when the credits first roll, instead dragging things out for a few more hours with a handful more story missions and side operations, going so far as to have duplicate missions with arbitrary difficulty inflation, though thankfully these do not count towards unlocking the actual final mission, which is to say the least, a disappointing one. I was especially disheartened to hear that an entire mission was cut from the final release, though you can view unfinished footage on Youtube and such.

    I had Phantom Pain's major twist spoiled for me long before I actually played it, and I had actually come to grips with it long before it would have been revealed. It does perhaps raise more questions then it answers, but such is what Hideo Kojima is known for. Sadly, this is the last of the Kojima-led Metal Gear titles, and as a result, likely the last title in the series worthy of anyone's attention. While a powerful title in its own right, it is a sour note to end such a venerable series on. It's an overly complex mess of a game with a laundry list of both good ideas and boneheaded ones, and to be absolutely frank, there is probably a little something for everyone here, at least for longtime Metal Gear fans, shooter fans, stealth game fans and most certainly 100% completionists. Oh, and you can invade people's bases too, I guess. If you're into that kind of thing. Weirdo.

    I should probably make mention of the added versus multiplayer of Metal Gear Online, which is also not without its fair share of issues. While it makes good use of series staples like the Fulton system, stealth camo, tranquilizer guns and the famous cardboard boxes, it also commits the cardinal sin of multiplayer shooters by having an unforgiving damage model that rewards the lucky rather then the skilled. I am previous incarnations of MGO were vastly superior.

    I initially passed up Phantom Pain in favor of Mad Max, which had the misfortune of releasing the same day. Oddly enough, both games have similar issues with pacing and a dearth of story content versus collectibles and inane sidequests. Mad Max had way better cars and driving controls though, as one might expect. Still, both were emotionally punchy and, ultimately, Phantom Pain is the rare sort of game that might actually be worth its list price. It also has an excellent soundtrack comprising many 80s greats, including of course, A-Ha’s “Take on me” and Dead Or Alive’s “You spin me right round”. If nothing else, I will remember this game as the one that let me blast Billy Idol’s "Rebel Yell" as I rode into battle. There’s also custom soundtrack support. I recommend the soundtrack from the 1981 Heavy Metal movie, so your helicopter could play, say, Cheap Trick’s “You Must Be Dreamin”.    … Expand
  20. vgm
    Jul 17, 2017
    10
    I enjoyed this game very much the +60 hours I played and I really think it is one of the best Metal Gear Solid games. The stealth mechanics are sublime and very fluid, the soundtrack is as good as usual in this franchise and the characters are very charismatic. It's also worth mentioning that the graphic engine is really well optimised; I played the PC version and I didn't notice any frameI enjoyed this game very much the +60 hours I played and I really think it is one of the best Metal Gear Solid games. The stealth mechanics are sublime and very fluid, the soundtrack is as good as usual in this franchise and the characters are very charismatic. It's also worth mentioning that the graphic engine is really well optimised; I played the PC version and I didn't notice any frame rate drop at all even with very high graphics settings (considering my PC struggled with the medium settings of other contemporary games like Rise of the Tomb Raider).
    It's a pity that the game feels kind of unfinished because of the repeated missions (with some difficulty changes) during the second half of the game. It doesn't help either the fact that the story is a bit incomplete and, despite having an ending that emotionally connects to the fans, there are some missing connections with the rest of the games.    … Expand
  21. SbSnake23
    Sep 22, 2016
    0
    Pero que juego de mierda, que forma de cagar una franquicia tan excelente y epica. Estos de Konami son unos cachondos, totalmente abaros queriendo sacar el juego rapido para hacerse unos dolarcitos, aunque eso signifique que el juego no tenga final. El juego no tiene un final!! No fue terminado su desarrollo.
    Que la motherbase esta vacia, que al final resulta que no estas jugando con    Pero que juego de mierda, que forma de cagar una franquicia tan excelente y epica. Estos de Konami son unos cachondos, totalmente abaros queriendo sacar el juego rapido para hacerse unos dolarcitos, aunque eso signifique que el juego no tenga final. El juego no tiene un final!! No fue terminado su desarrollo.
    Que la motherbase esta vacia, que al final resulta que no estas jugando con Snake, que no hay jefes de ningun tipo, salvo por uno, creo. Que los soldados todos iguales, varian en armamento y equiamiento, pero antes eran originales y habian montones de enemigos diferentes. Juego totalmente monotono, ni escenas le pusieron!! Tenes que fumarte unos casettitos horrendos.
    Cuando empezas cada nivel, te spoilea contra quien te vas a enfrentar en ese capitulo. Estaba tan falto de desarrollo, que hicieron un copy paste gigante, la segunda mitad del juego, tenes que volver a jugar todas las primeras misiones pero ojo, en un nivel de dificultad mas.
    Ay ay ay... Podria estar asi todo el dia, que juego feo, que no me gusto para nada, aburridisimo, cortando el legado de los anteriores. Tengo fe que hasta la pachinko debe ser mas divertida que esto.
    Como si el juego no fuese suficiente prueba de lo abaros que fueron, que el pachinko y que el juego nuevo de zombies aliens a travez de portales dimensionales... madre mia pero que plantacion de marihuana que tienen en las oficinas, se fumaron todos los fasos estos chinos    … Expand
  22. Cumdonor69
    Jul 1, 2017
    10
    (Single player only review)
    Story: 5
    Gameplay: 10
    Characters: 7
    World: 8
    Music:
    Graphics: 10
    Optimization: 10
    Value: Worth the original price ($60)
    Art direction: 10
    Enjoyment: 10
    Overall: 10
  23. magitekman
    Aug 24, 2017
    4
    Pros: it looks great, mostly good voice acting, Mother Base management, good soundtrack, metal gear online III
    Cons: Kiefer Sutherland as Snake, boring opening, repetitive missions, empty open world, bullet-sponge bosses, unfinished ending, lack of story, bad characters and script, no punishment for being detected, bad level design, microtransactions

    Final Verdict: Mediocre
  24. thomaddox4
    Sep 21, 2017
    7
    It may be a massive disappointment as a metal gear game, but damn it I still loved it. The gameplay was just so good, with such variety in approaches, and as convoluted as the story was I still liked it. It did just as the name said, and left the series with phantom pain.
  25. Kyuubei1985
    Jun 16, 2018
    0
    Lo único que va a mantener a Konami es la saga PES. Con esto resumo mi visión sobre cómo Konami arruinó una saga tan magistral como lo fue Metal Gear Solid. Final cortado, juego muy repetitivo, tirar en vez de por un concepto lineal pero que se podía explorar, por un mundo abierto, y mapas grandes e inmensos, aunque muertos y sin chiste, y una historia que hay que seguirla recogiendo losLo único que va a mantener a Konami es la saga PES. Con esto resumo mi visión sobre cómo Konami arruinó una saga tan magistral como lo fue Metal Gear Solid. Final cortado, juego muy repetitivo, tirar en vez de por un concepto lineal pero que se podía explorar, por un mundo abierto, y mapas grandes e inmensos, aunque muertos y sin chiste, y una historia que hay que seguirla recogiendo los casettes, en vez de hacerlo avanzando en el juego, como se ha hecho toda la vida.
    Ahora entiendo porqué echaron a Kojima, porque querían hacer un saca cuartos, en vez de un juego hecho con mucho esfuerzo, como lo fue la magna trilogía de Metal Gear Solid en PS1 y PS2. Incluso el Peace Walker y el Portable Ops, tienen más sentido que este juego, y eso que son de mundo abierto.
    Esto es ver cómo sagas que estaban en lo alto, caen por decisiones empresariales.
    Y esto lo digo como persona que se asombró con el primer MGS en la PS1, que fueron momentos emotivos.
    Qué pena que esos momentos emotivos se han acabado con este juego.
    Si las webs y revistas le dan 10 u 8, es que o lo han jugado 5 minutos máximo, o hay maletines de por medio.    … Expand
  26. feather7
    Dec 9, 2018
    4
    First 3 hours it loolks like best game. But after that it is stereotyped and boring. I dont understand this score. If you are big fan of steal action game, maybe yes. Why on pc are not games more linear like last of us, god of war, etc.
  27. chatskyisretard
    Mar 7, 2019
    5
    I can't understand why people like this game.
    -empty open world
    -grind gmp
    -boring missions
    -disgusting snake
    etc.

    (Just my opinion do not pay attention.)
  28. Axxypie
    Jul 19, 2020
    9
    Great stealth game. Probably the best one around, at least these days. Great controls, music, story, weapons. Ultra stylistic and effective.
  29. Aifrait
    Sep 1, 2019
    9
    Un gran juego, muy completo. Muchas misiones principales, secundarias, tareas en cada misión, misiones multijugador, tareas secundarias, dos mapas completos explorables y seguro que se me olvida algo más. Sin duda el juego lo merece mucho.

    Kojima sabe como crear un buen juego que combine la jugabilidad y los vídeos con una trama que al final te deja con más.
  30. MazrimTaim14
    Oct 21, 2019
    8
    Game lost the Metal Gear charm by making the story nonexistent. If by the time you come in its 5th main game and still complaining that its a movie then you better off try another game series. Going into the game expecting the twists and turns of previous iterations left me wanting. What more when it was discovering there's an act unfinished within the game.

    Metal Gear entrance to the    Game lost the Metal Gear charm by making the story nonexistent. If by the time you come in its 5th main game and still complaining that its a movie then you better off try another game series. Going into the game expecting the twists and turns of previous iterations left me wanting. What more when it was discovering there's an act unfinished within the game.

    Metal Gear entrance to the open world genre was amazing. Controls and camera is far far better than what was before. Although the arrival of Quiet+Silencer Sniper combo cheesed a lot of missions.

    Mission system is flawed. I loathe the mechanics of time being the most weighted aspect when rating the mission. Gets the fun out of scoping, position and slowly removing all obstacles when time is all that matters.

    I will treasure this game since instead of opening metal gear into a whole new world, it became its swan song.

    Thanks Kojima and Konami. both you might be crap working together but at least you release this gem of a series.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PC Game of 2015
14
#14 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
24
#24 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Riot Pixels
    Oct 8, 2015
    77
    Metal Gear Solid V is amazing at times, and I enjoyed playing it, but there are so many embarrassing blunders and contradictions. Rich tactical gameplay vs an almost dead world. Fun HQ management and interesting characters vs an unfinished narrative and boring side quests. In some regards, this is a huge step back from previous Metal Gear games.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer
    Oct 6, 2015
    93
    A generous stealth sandbox masterpiece that will delight both new and existing fans of the long-running series. [Dec 2015, p.50]
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Sep 30, 2015
    90
    It might not be the best Metal Gear Solid game ever released, but it's certainly the bravest and most interesting. [Oct 2015, p.53]
See all critic reviews »