Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6369 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,905 out of 6369
  2. Mixed: 824 out of 6369
  3. Negative: 640 out of 6369
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  1. GoodApollo88
    Aug 24, 2016
    10
    The swansong the Kojima's beloved series is a fine one. The gameplay and mechanics have been refined making for more fluid controls and movement. The game itself is vast and there is so much to do as you travel to Afghanistan, Angola/Zaire and Mother Base, using the fulton device on soldiers for your army, capturing guard posts, developing new weapons/outfits, the list goes on. The game isThe swansong the Kojima's beloved series is a fine one. The gameplay and mechanics have been refined making for more fluid controls and movement. The game itself is vast and there is so much to do as you travel to Afghanistan, Angola/Zaire and Mother Base, using the fulton device on soldiers for your army, capturing guard posts, developing new weapons/outfits, the list goes on. The game is very mission based, and you can approach a mission in multiple ways. Afghanistan is your playground and never has a game been so creative and inventive with items like the active decoy and the classic cardboard box. The story may lack focus to some but it is still a great plot dealing with dark themes from the conflict and effects of war to the treatment women and of child soldiers. It's the darkest MGS and certainly poses a few questions along the way. The cut scenes as usual are as polished and cinematic as ever.. Considering this is Kojima's last MGS, it is a bold and daring departure from the series formula but one that works. A modern day masterpiece.Game of 2015!… Expand
  2. Lord_Blacknemp
    Aug 21, 2016
    9
    The last installment of the saga as we know before the departure of its creator, Hideo Kojima, and barabaridades Konami is already planning to give the saga. It is a game that looks magnificent Graphically using the Fox Engine, which has the best gameplay of the series, that feels great world open and the management of the base, but it suffers from the eternal and permanent feeling of "The last installment of the saga as we know before the departure of its creator, Hideo Kojima, and barabaridades Konami is already planning to give the saga. It is a game that looks magnificent Graphically using the Fox Engine, which has the best gameplay of the series, that feels great world open and the management of the base, but it suffers from the eternal and permanent feeling of " they sold incomplete ", mainly in history. At one point (without detail in order not to give spoilers) ends up having missions pure filler which add nothing to the story, and the second chapter (of the two brings) note that was finished hastily, gathering what was done in the best way possible.

    Make no mistake, the story is magnificent, creates a new moment of importance to the saga, but it shows that much of the story was hastily discarded. Blame Konami pushing for launch in September ?, because of Hideo Kojima, tired of following in the saga ?. We can not say at this point.

    It's a game that I recommend if you are fans of Metal Gear, and want to know the end point of the saga created by Kojima. And if you do not care story mode, as will enjoy its incredible gameplay and spectacular graphics.

    ===================

    La ultima entrega de la saga tal como la conocemos antes de la salida de su creador, Hideo Kojima, y las barabaridades que Konami ya esta pensando hacerle a la saga. Es un juego que luce magnifico a nivel grafico con el uso del Fox Engine, que tiene la mejor jugabilidad de la saga, que le sienta genial el mundo abierto y la gestion de la base, pero que peca de la eterna y permanente sensacion de "lo vendieron incompleto", principalmente en la historia. En determinado punto (y sin detalle para no dar spoilers) termina teniendo misiones de puro relleno, que no aportan nada a la historia, y el segundo capitulo (de los dos que trae) se nota que fue acabado apresuradamente, juntando lo que se hizo de la mejor forma posible.

    No se equivoquen, la historia es magnifica, crea un nuevo momento de importancia para la saga, pero se nota que mucho de la historia fue descartado de forma apresurada. ¿Culpa de Konami presionando por lanzarlo en Septiembre?, ¿culpa de Hideo Kojima, cansando de seguir en la saga?. No lo podemos decir en este punto.

    Es un juego que recomiendo si eres fans de Metal Gear, y quieres conocer el punto final de la saga creada por Kojima. Y si te da igual el modo historia, igual disfrutaras de su increible jugabilidad y espectaculares graficos.    … Expand
  3. GamerJosh0137
    Aug 20, 2016
    9
    I realize I am way late in my review, but at the time The Phantom Pain released I had only ever played Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on ps2. I wouldn't be able to tell you one god damned thing I remembered about it either. All I can say is I enjoyed the gameplay but had no idea what was going on, I digress. A friend suggested to play all of the MGS games just so that I couldI realize I am way late in my review, but at the time The Phantom Pain released I had only ever played Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on ps2. I wouldn't be able to tell you one god damned thing I remembered about it either. All I can say is I enjoyed the gameplay but had no idea what was going on, I digress. A friend suggested to play all of the MGS games just so that I could fully appreciate Phantom Pain. So after many months I have finally completed my journey. I can honestly relate to some of the die hard MGS fan's gripes about Kojima taking the more mainstream approach with TPP, I still consider this game to be ONE of the best. If you are a die hard fan you will see that TPP definitely lacks that "kojima weird" writing style, imo this is easily forgivable due to the immensely entertaining gameplay. I would honestly say that even if you haven't played any MGS games this is still worth your time and money. Kojima found a way to make resource gathering a lot of fun. I have been in several situations where I didn't have time to properly play certain missions, I could still hop on for a few minutes to gather all necessary resources to upgrade me base of operations and develop new weapons. With hundreds of different weapons, a respectable amount of different tools, and vehicles TPP gives you the opportunity to experiment with several different play styles, and THOUSANDS of different ways to complete missions. I believe this helps the game stay "fresh". One thing I noticed about this game which imo is super underrated is the A.I. Your enemies are super smart. After a while you will see enemies start to adapt to your certain play style. For instance, if you clear out an enemy camp by shooting each one of them in the head with the tranq gun, the next time you visit a camp they will be wearing helmets. There are several other factors as well but I don't want to give too much away. After playing all the MGS games I gotta say that Sons of Liberty is still my favorite, TPP is a super close 2nd.… Expand
  4. Abhaygamin2002
    Aug 18, 2016
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It was quite long and quite fun but I have the same query as the other gamers it's unfinished it's clearly not finished the real game is up to chapter 1 and then it's just a left over mess what about sahelanthropus with Eli and rest of the stuff it's unclear and I felt like till now I wasted my time on story but gameplay was worth it!… Expand
  5. S_Stone
    Aug 15, 2016
    7
    It's a great game. It's not a Metal Gear Solid game.

    The gameplay is stellar, Venom Snake controls very smoothly, and you feel the weight of the character. I don't know how they did it, but it feels like the game is an extension of your arm. The world is very well built, roaming from post to post and messing with guards is fun, and bases like OKB Zero and that oil one in Africa are    It's a great game. It's not a Metal Gear Solid game.

    The gameplay is stellar, Venom Snake controls very smoothly, and you feel the weight of the character. I don't know how they did it, but it feels like the game is an extension of your arm.

    The world is very well built, roaming from post to post and messing with guards is fun, and bases like OKB Zero and that oil one in Africa are very cleverly designed.

    I love the gadgets you can get from R&D and the crazy stuff you can do with them.

    But

    - It lacks crazy boss battles. That's what made a MGS. This game has only 3 (or 4 if you count Man on Fire) proper boss battles, and that is lacking. No, Skulls are not boss battles (except maybe the ones in Metallic Archaea mission).
    - The story is very disappointing
    - Lack of codec
    - Mother base could feel more "alive", like what was promised
    - There's no proper conclusion for some of the story arcs. Even then, I interpret Chapter 2 as an epilogue and not a true chapter. The real story of the game ends in Chapter 1 and it's ok by their own merits.

    To sum up, this games goes the way from Peace Walker and expands it, but removing even more classic Metal Gear Solid elements, and that's unforgivable. Even so, it's a fun game and it has lots of little details.    … Expand
  6. KWOW
    Aug 14, 2016
    1
    Ughhh!!! What an utter disappointment, Who ever says this game is good is lying to themselves. It seems as though Kojima and his team were just hating this franchise at this point. The open world is barren, the cut scenes are lackluster, the story was ridiculous. Not having David Hater as snake killed this game. The only thing good about this was the graphics. they where beautiful.Ughhh!!! What an utter disappointment, Who ever says this game is good is lying to themselves. It seems as though Kojima and his team were just hating this franchise at this point. The open world is barren, the cut scenes are lackluster, the story was ridiculous. Not having David Hater as snake killed this game. The only thing good about this was the graphics. they where beautiful. Playing this game really gave me a bad taste in my mouth and does not live up to its ps1, 2, or 3 counterparts.… Expand
  7. StealthBagel
    Aug 8, 2016
    9
    Now, I never give games 10 out of 10, but I would. this game has an amazing open world, incredible wonderful multiplayer, the gameplay never gets old, amazing graphics. It is worth a buy
  8. dypsomaniart
    Jul 30, 2016
    3
    I cant understand all the rave reviews for this game. I've put aboutt 40 hours of gameplay into it, and enjoyed only three hours of that tops. I kept going and going and going waiting for it to get better, but 90% of the game is just the same missions, literally in the same locations with pretty much the same enemies, over and over and over and over and over. The scenery is drab. TheI cant understand all the rave reviews for this game. I've put aboutt 40 hours of gameplay into it, and enjoyed only three hours of that tops. I kept going and going and going waiting for it to get better, but 90% of the game is just the same missions, literally in the same locations with pretty much the same enemies, over and over and over and over and over. The scenery is drab. The enemies are drab. The intro left me expecting amazing scifi crazy adventure, then the next 30 hours are spent crawling around a desert kidnapping the same soldiers over and over. WTF Kojima. The epic amazing story people go on about seems to be spread roughly 1 good mission for every 20-30 repetetive filler ones. I've given it a week of my life for two good missions. I have no love for this game or any of its characters. I kind of want to see what the heck is going on with the weird characters from the start, but theres no way I'm grinding through 100 hours of mind numbing, painfully time consuming, slow filler rubbish to get there. Sorry Kojima fans, I dont get it. I've got a ton of other games to play, all of which are more enjoyable than this.… Expand
  9. benjamm1n
    Jul 26, 2016
    9
    Everything about this game is brilliant... except the story. Kojima's reversed what he's famous for. Lengthy dramatic cut scenes are no where to be found. It doesn't have that true Metal Gear feel to it. I only wish Kojima had full control and all the time he needed to complete this game the way he originally wanted to. still a great game!
  10. alzahhar
    Jul 24, 2016
    5
    Regardless of all the praise this game received, it has so many flaws that get overlooked in most subjective reviews. There is basically no story, no real narrative or ending, the game is one of the most repetitive games I have ever played. Missions actually repeat themselves on "harder" diffuclties and are considered one of the "main" mission. Most missions feel forced, meaningless andRegardless of all the praise this game received, it has so many flaws that get overlooked in most subjective reviews. There is basically no story, no real narrative or ending, the game is one of the most repetitive games I have ever played. Missions actually repeat themselves on "harder" diffuclties and are considered one of the "main" mission. Most missions feel forced, meaningless and unnecessary and there are about 5 different side missions that are repeated 150 times. Now what is good about the game ? The gameplay is phenomenal, smooth and I don't think I have seen better, and there is somewhat of a nice sense of progression. It is graphically and technically almost flawless but objectively the game has too many flaws to be an 10 or a 9 as many subjective reviewers gave it. If you're going to buy this game expect no story and repetitive missions, that way you'll enjoy it much more than I have.… Expand
  11. stamito
    Jul 22, 2016
    7
    As a game this is good stuff, as a metal gear it is a bit disappointing and I’ll explain why.
    The game is superb in a lot of ways, the graphics, music etc. is fantastic. I think it is also worth mentioning the gameplay mechanics have been polished and feel great, it is the funniest mgs to play in terms of mechanics. Gameplay wise the open world approach has done a lot of good to this    As a game this is good stuff, as a metal gear it is a bit disappointing and I’ll explain why.
    The game is superb in a lot of ways, the graphics, music etc. is fantastic. I think it is also worth mentioning the gameplay mechanics have been polished and feel great, it is the funniest mgs to play in terms of mechanics. Gameplay wise the open world approach has done a lot of good to this series, giving the player a lot of different ways to plan and perform a task.

    My main complain as a metal gear comes from the way the story is structured and told. I would say metal gear games have always been story driven games, meaning you play them more to see the next cutscene or codec conversation than because the gameplay is funny. The player was usually given a small chuck of story quite often. This is where MGSV fails in my opinion. The developers have given in to today’s game industry idea of an open world game both for the good stuff (as I mentioned above) and the bad. Basically, they’ve put an obscene amount of side missions and that affects a lot the rhythm of the story. Some people will say “I don’t understand the complaint, the side ops are optional, just play the story missions if you don’t like it”; normally I’d agree with that but for you to see all cutscenes and the real good ending you’ll necessarily have to spend a lot of time doing secondary stuff. Basically, some side ops need to be done to trigger specific cutscenes and, also, you need a lot of materials to improve mother base and make some cutscenes and ending stuff available. Only way to do this is playing online or doing side ops. Anyway, that means I found myself playing for days without getting any new piece of story information because I needed materials and stuff to unlock story stuff. Summarising, you want to see the whole story?, you’ll have to spend quite a lot of time doing pointless secondary stuff, it is not optional if you want to see everything. Now, the secondary mission stuff gets even worse and I’ll explain why. Some games, let’s say mass effect or dragon age, also have a lot of secondary missions; good thing about those games is that the side stuff usually has a context, mini-stories that motivate you to do it and maybe give you small pieces of nice, but not essential, info about the game’s universe. Well, MGSV fails quite badly again in this. There is only a very limited variety of missions in MGSV, maybe 6-7 different kinds of missions and these are repeated like 15-20 times. For example, one kind of mission is “free the prisoner” and there is around 15 of those and they are virtually identical, only thing that changes is the location of the prisoner. There are no context for the side ops whatsoever (for most a them, a few of them are actually story related but maybe only 5-10%), so, for me when I’ve done the exact same thing 12 times, it gets tedious.

    I’m not saying this is a bad game, it is decent and there are a lot of things to enjoy in it, but as a metal gear it is disappointing. As I said this is mainly related to the fact that you are forced to “farm” a lot in order to see the whole story. If you want to see the whole thing this game will probably take you between 60 and 100 hours to beat of which 70-80% will be pointless repetitive farming. In the end it is worth it just to see how Kojima explained/closed the story of the series, but be ready to potentially get bored quite a bit with the side ops.    … Expand
  12. unluckydice
    Jul 10, 2016
    9
    Hideo Kojima 's Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain has exceeded expectations by creating flawless gameplay perfection that most open world games fail to exceed in, with some of the most mind boggling and controversial moments that we've become accustomed to from Mr Kojima from past to present. MGSV is a true AAA game experience with true innovation while still keeping Metal Gear at its soul.
  13. rrafemi
    Jul 9, 2016
    6
    Un juego bastante monótono, tengo la sensación de estar haciendo lo mismo una y otra vez. No veo que el mundo semi-abierto le haya sentado bien a la saga, o Kojima no ha sabido enfocarlo. Los anteriores MGS estaban muy bien planteados porque cada escenario era diferente y con ello diferente la forma de afrontar las áreas.

    La historia por descontando es poco o nada creíble. Kojima se    Un juego bastante monótono, tengo la sensación de estar haciendo lo mismo una y otra vez. No veo que el mundo semi-abierto le haya sentado bien a la saga, o Kojima no ha sabido enfocarlo. Los anteriores MGS estaban muy bien planteados porque cada escenario era diferente y con ello diferente la forma de afrontar las áreas.

    La historia por descontando es poco o nada creíble. Kojima se flipa cada vez mas con escenas que mas que surrealistas son totalmente rocambolescas y hasta forzadas.    … Expand
  14. LebronGames
    Jul 4, 2016
    5
    For anyone who is not a huge MGS fan coming in, you will probably love this. Gameplay is decent. The story for me was probably the most disappointing moment of 2015. I can't really blame Kojima as much as I blame the people around him who let him do this to the series.
  15. Greghead
    Jun 30, 2016
    9
    Probably the best game on the PS4. It doesn't reach the dizzy heights of Snake Eater, but is equally as good as the other games in the series.
    At first it feels quite different to its predecessors which was an initial worry, but this soon disappears and normal service is resumed fairly early in the game.
    Almost a masterpiece, but does suffer slightly from a hint of repetition. But the    Probably the best game on the PS4. It doesn't reach the dizzy heights of Snake Eater, but is equally as good as the other games in the series.
    At first it feels quite different to its predecessors which was an initial worry, but this soon disappears and normal service is resumed fairly early in the game.
    Almost a masterpiece, but does suffer slightly from a hint of repetition. But the gameplay is that much fun, you can forgive it for that.
    A must buy for any metal gear fan, and a great end to the series.    … Expand
  16. fijiboy
    Jun 26, 2016
    9
    This is easily the hardest review I have ever had to write. Let me start by saying that metal gear solid 5 is definitely an incredible game, and is unlike any other game ever made and probably unlike anything that will ever be made. the gameplay is undoubtedly the strongest and most incredible part of the game. No other game uses an open world environment as a part of the gameplay asThis is easily the hardest review I have ever had to write. Let me start by saying that metal gear solid 5 is definitely an incredible game, and is unlike any other game ever made and probably unlike anything that will ever be made. the gameplay is undoubtedly the strongest and most incredible part of the game. No other game uses an open world environment as a part of the gameplay as well as the phantom pain. exploring the beautiful open deserts of Afghanistan and the wet jungles and barren plains of Africa is fun but what makes the open world so great is how its terrain, weather, time of day and enemy bases placed in the world plays a huge role in how you decide to go about your missions and the enormous amount of resources and gadgets you have at your disposal gives an endless amount of gameplay styles and options while in the field. the game leaves everything up to you and does not hold your hand at all, allowing you create your own war stories unique to you. I genuinely feel that any one else who plays this game will have a completely different experience than I did when it came to how they went about completing their missions and that's pretty freaking awesome, in fact this has alot to do with the games key themes that are reveled at the end of the game, which I will not spoil for you. every mission is memorable and well directed and realized and are extremely enjoyable, until you get into the post game, which is my biggest issue of the game. unfortunately the director of the game hideo kojima did not get all the time he needed to finish the game how he intended, and the game was rushed by the publishers of the game. This left the last ten or so missions being recycled missions from earlier in the game with the difficulty of the missions being ramped up. this is extremely disappointing because the meat of the story is in these final chapters of the game and the narrative doesn't flow at all because the missions don't translate into whats going on near the end and its such a shame that we couldn't play the missions kojima could have made if he was given the time. The story of the game is the most controversial topic it seems when it comes to the game, which I wont spoil, but I will say the main story until the post missions start is pretty straight forward and easy to follow. The cut scenes are beautifully directed and the voice acting is superb, and the main story is actually quite compelling even though it doesn't have the amount of revelations and plot twists fans may have expected, but the incredibly profound ideas and themes the franchise is known for is still all there in spades, especially in the post game. The post game and ending are where people are really divided on this game, and when I played through the ending of this game, I was dumbfounded by the twist and to be honest quite angry, but after a day or two thinking about it and trying to figure out what kojima was trying to do with this ending, I ended up loving it and I feel that much like metal gear solid 2, people are going to be really upset about it for a while, but as the years go by and people think about it more, people are going to appreciate what the ending was trying to do and I think people will start seeing how incredible of a game and a work of art this game is. I would love to give this game a 10 but because of the recycling of older missions by the end and how it breaks up the flow of the narrative, I cant, but I do believe this game is a masterpiece.… Expand
  17. HyperBrid
    Jun 15, 2016
    0
    The worst metal gear solid game i've ever played so far! Im a die-hard fan for the metal gear series including classics, the games were good, getting better every moment, but the ending to this game was very disappointing, like crafting a diamond out of thin air for a century then throwing it in the dumpster, the graphics were good, the gameplay was good but the ending, the worst part isThe worst metal gear solid game i've ever played so far! Im a die-hard fan for the metal gear series including classics, the games were good, getting better every moment, but the ending to this game was very disappointing, like crafting a diamond out of thin air for a century then throwing it in the dumpster, the graphics were good, the gameplay was good but the ending, the worst part is that you have to upgrade your base to max in order to get the ending and what for what, to disappoint you so badly that you'd never play metal gear again… Expand
  18. ThunderRam
    Jun 13, 2016
    10
    MGS V has claimed my #1 spot for best game of all time.

    Here's why: - Innovative gameplay design - Continuous surprises throughout the game - Constant upgrades from every angle (weapons, helicopter, mother base, etc) that you can upgrade for 150+ hours - Interesting Story Line (kinda falls off at the end but that's not a huge negative) - You really feel like you are Snake with    MGS V has claimed my #1 spot for best game of all time.

    Here's why:

    - Innovative gameplay design
    - Continuous surprises throughout the game
    - Constant upgrades from every angle (weapons, helicopter, mother base, etc) that you can upgrade for 150+ hours
    - Interesting Story Line (kinda falls off at the end but that's not a huge negative)
    - You really feel like you are Snake with your personal helicopter, photos, tapes to play, and custom helicopter music when picking up or dropping you off to your destinations
    - Fully immersive free roaming world with PLENTY to do.
    - iDroid is an awesome mechanic just of itself
    - Online options for FOB missions and upgrading your base and attacking other people is an awesome addition
    - Difficulty of the game is PERFECT - at times it can be easy and at times it can be really hard but its up to you how you want to play it.
    - Interesting Companions while doing your missions (very sensual Quiet is usually who I pick to go with me to missions) ;)
    - Weapons and customization is AWESOME
    - Music is AWESOME but seems a little limited
    - Using the Fulton to balloon mostly everything for your base is weirdly very satisfying (and funny sometimes)

    Now some CONs:

    - Some missions feel cheap when you die constantly due to AI flaws
    - Some weapons feel way less powerful and/or unstable due to recoil that cant be fixed
    - Again, story kinda just slowly dies near the end (and again, its not a huge con compared to the gameplay)
    - Travelling from one part of your Mother Base to another platform is REDICULUSLY SLOW (either by driving your jeep or flying a helicopter) that you might as well do a mission, finish it, then go back to mother base, and you will still be faster than local transportation...

    The Pros HEAVILY outweigh the cons to the point where it really doesnt matter with the overall game rating.

    10/10 - Best game of all time

    P.s. You know its an amazing game when you start comparing it to other games you played and they are just horrible in comparison (even though you thought they were good before)    … Expand
  19. Cask_Fix_Sir_Us
    Jun 2, 2016
    9
    The best stealth game ever made. The graphics are outstanding, the controls are smooth and responsive. The story just kind-of dies at the end. The micro-transaction on-line game is stupid and just a cash grab. You really should play this game at least once. Renting it is a good idea since Konami killed off the series, buy it later if you like it.
  20. YouMark_
    May 28, 2016
    7
    Its a good game if you think this is what Metal Gear Solid is..When in reality its a garbage game. The only reason they made this one is to appeal new fans and forget the old fans. The story was a complete cluster **** of a prequal. It did not make any sense what so ever. The open world is a thumbs up but the Cassette tapes and motherbase was a complete mess
  21. TurdBurgler
    May 27, 2016
    7
    At first i gave this game about a 9. Now its a 7 a year later because very little dlc has came out for single player. Most if not all dlc is for all thier ONLINE portion such as mgo and fobs. Another game lost to greedy corporations nickle and diming you for micro transactions and such. We cant get more sp missions? Expansions? Thanks konami
  22. jonasjb
    May 27, 2016
    9
    Que jogo maravilhoso! Não consigo parar de jogar! É completo em todos os quesitos: jogabilidade, ações, opções e trilha sonora(e QUE TRILHA SONORA!). O único ponto negativo são as missões repetidas, mesmo assim joguei novamente todas!
  23. Im_milord
    May 26, 2016
    7
    This was an excellent game until they started repeating missions and then it seemed like they ran out of ideas. Graphics are great, game feel and controls are great, story is decent but only thing that stung was repetition.
  24. HTGamer
    May 22, 2016
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am a big MGS fan, but I have mixed feelings about The Phantom Pain. It's a highly ambitious game that sadly doesn't hit its goals, maybe because of the notorious fallout between Konami and Kojima.

    The story, one of the trademarks of the MGS series, is both the worst and most under-developed ever (even MGS 4 had a much better and more impactful one). After a good start in the Hospital escape and the Miller rescue, the storytelling becomes either irrelevant or bland, only to pick up in the final few missions (which end up with Skull Face's death and the destruction of Metal Gear). The almost silent Big Boss (who is too calm for a man supposedly hell bent on revenge) voiced by Kiefer Sutherland doesn't help matters, and most other major characters are disappointing (Ocelot and Skull Face in particular) and at times make no sense. Only Huey was a well written, complex and tragic character, and Miller to a lesser degree. Quiet is a mysterious and interesting figure who simply walks away in the end. The pre-release trailers set up a magnificent premise, but the story is, to put it frankly, totally different to what we would expect from Kojima.

    Another big issue is that the game is incomplete. There is the notorious Episode 51 which was cut from the game and is available on Youtube to watch, but I suspect there is more content which was cut. I don't understand why they cut this particular episode as it is awesome, and it ties Eli's (he's young Liquid Snake, but most people recognised him in the trailers anyway) loose end who in the game simply disappeared from Mother Base, his fate left unexplained.

    The story may be a disappointment, but gameplay is simply fantastic. Missions are designed in such a way that you can infiltrate enemy posts from whatever path you want, whichever method you see fit, and whatever time of day you wish. You have to choose from either stealth, Rambo-style-all-guns-blazing, or a mixture, and use whatever gadgets you have. Obviously the way to go is stealth, preferably at night, because the AI is competent enough to be a serious threat. If alerted, the enemy soldiers surround the player, and if you hide while being hunted they won't forget you easily as they keep searching for quite a time. Individual AIs aren't the smartest, but it's a game, not a military simulator. One of the best features is the inclusion of AI companions to aid you in the field (it's 100% optional, but I highly recommend using all the help you can get). You start with D-Horse, then add D-Dog (smells enemies from afar automatically and attacks them if ordered), Quiet (tracks enemies automatically and shoots/tranquilizes them if ordered), and D-Walker (a walking robot, which is both a transport vehicle and can track and shoot enemies automatically). You can ride a jeep or a tank, too, in order to travel between locations. There are 2 maps, Afghanistan and Africa, and both are huge in size and varied, even featuring animals and plants.

    Another big part of gameplay is Mother Base and the Fulton extraction balloon. You can extract enemy soldiers or prisoners of war via Fulton, and convince them to join your ranks so as to raise your army, or extract material containers in order to expand your Mother Base. The more and better troops you have, the more perks you get from Mother Base (mortar strikes, weather predictions, enemy reports, etc.) and you can unlock new weapons and gadgets to use on the field.

    The game has 2 online modes, FOB Missions and Metal Gear Online. The former is tied to the single player campaign, as you infiltrate (PvE style) the FOBs of other players and steal material containers or soldiers, and can be quite challenging when invading an FOB with fully armed troops and anti-theft devices. The latter is a standard PvP online game suite. Nothing outstanding (maybe except the newly added Survival mode), but not bad either.

    A few words about the graphics and sound. The game is powered by the Fox Engine. While the game's graphics aren't cutting edge (you can easily see polygon details everywhere), it's beautiful, with one of the best lighting models out there. And it runs at stable 60 fps, not bad for an open world game on consoles. The only downside is the small draw distance for foliage, shadows and textures, but it's handled carefully (they fade in/out, instead of abruptly popping in). As for the sound, the effects are great, but the soundtrack isn't memorable. The "Sins of the Father" song is awesome, though.

    Overall, it's a great game, non-MGS fans won't lose themselves to 60 minute cut-scens, but the diehards will feel disappointed. Anyway, buy the game and enjoy it as I did.

    MEGA SPOILER: The final and true ending, which links the entire saga in a not-so-perfect way, is the best thank you I have ever seen in a video game. At the same time, Kojima pulled another MGS 2 stunt on us. Even bigger than the previous one. That's all I will say about it.    … Expand
  25. maddmann99
    May 19, 2016
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hideo Kojima has done it again! Although it's a radical step forward and a break from tradition for the Metal Gear series, MGSV is a well-executed game that excels in almost every aspect of gameplay. It still has all of the quirks of a Metal Gear game, but the open-world maps usher in previously unheard of levels of freedom to the Metal Gear series.

    The graphics are beautiful and the game always runs smoothly, the story is great (though, honestly, not as deep as previous Metal Gear games like 2 or 4), and the style of gameplay keeps you on your toes! The only complaint I really have is how invasive the online features are; you can't construct any FOB's (extra bases) offline, and nuclear weapons are useless to offline players.

    Other than those (admittedly minor) issues, Metal Gear Solid V is an overall wonderful game and deserves its spot in the Metal Gear series! Sure, there's a lot of content that got left out (I'm looking at you, Mission 51), but what's in the game now is more than enough to make up for it.

    I would highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a great stealth action or third person shooter game. MGSV delivers and it delivers well.    … Expand
  26. uRzu1115
    May 17, 2016
    7
    El juego tecnicamente es brillante, una obra perfecta. La jugabilidad y la tecnica, la accion, la fisica, perfecto.
    La historia, puede convencerte o no, ami desde luego me parece una autentica patada en la boca a todos los seguidores de la saga, pero es una gran historia bien contada y con ese aire de superproduccion de hollywood.
    El videojuego como tal, una gran decepcion, un juego en    El juego tecnicamente es brillante, una obra perfecta. La jugabilidad y la tecnica, la accion, la fisica, perfecto.
    La historia, puede convencerte o no, ami desde luego me parece una autentica patada en la boca a todos los seguidores de la saga, pero es una gran historia bien contada y con ese aire de superproduccion de hollywood.
    El videojuego como tal, una gran decepcion, un juego en el que solo te diviertes cuando pasas la historia principal, el resto terriblemente repetitivo, decenas de misiones exactamente iguales las unas a las otras y subiendo la mother base horas y horas para conseguir todo el arsenal.
    Platino en ps4, se de lo que hablo. Me empeñe en conseguirlo pero me arrepiento de haber perdido tanto tiempo repitiendo misiones sin parar.
    El PVP horrendo, aburrido.

    Los dos primeros dias de juego pense que estaba ante el quinto elemento de los videojuegos, pasado un mes, guardado en su caja triste.    … Expand
  27. Miguelxdz
    May 16, 2016
    10
    I won't make it long but this is one of the most polished and good looking games i ever played. The Fox Engine works like a charm and the gameplay is the top of the line in stealth games. I wouldn't said that the story is bad like a lot of people are saying but it definitely felt a little incomplete, and it let a lot of thing to the player to deduce. The only low point for this game in myI won't make it long but this is one of the most polished and good looking games i ever played. The Fox Engine works like a charm and the gameplay is the top of the line in stealth games. I wouldn't said that the story is bad like a lot of people are saying but it definitely felt a little incomplete, and it let a lot of thing to the player to deduce. The only low point for this game in my opinion is the lack of the classic boss fights that Metal Gear is so famous for, there is like two (which are fairly good) but there could have done a lot more. The multiplayer base system is really solid and it adds a lot of depth to the gameplay and the actual multiplayer is quite unique and original. Overall i think this is a great game and a definite buy for stealth fans or Metal Gear fans.… Expand
  28. aguarner11
    May 16, 2016
    9
    A perfect game. It is so well done! This is the best stealth game ever. Every mission is different, and maybe even better than the one before. The only thing I'll complain about it's its difficulty. I could easily complete the first 15 missions in only two attempts, but from then I had to at least try 4 times before I could complete the whole mission.
  29. Tbag115
    May 15, 2016
    4
    Metal gear solid V was a big disapointment, the gameplay is great and the first 10 hour were good, but it is always the same and really boring. The world is small and live less, the mother base is better than in peace walker but if you are walking around there you can't do a thing you even can't talk to your partners. The story is the worst on this game, it is very slowly progressing andMetal gear solid V was a big disapointment, the gameplay is great and the first 10 hour were good, but it is always the same and really boring. The world is small and live less, the mother base is better than in peace walker but if you are walking around there you can't do a thing you even can't talk to your partners. The story is the worst on this game, it is very slowly progressing and it is boring, I already knew after 10 hours what the big plot twist was.
    I would recommend you not to buy this game.    … Expand
  30. Archcrawley
    May 13, 2016
    7
    While the gameplay in Mgs5 is top notch, the variety to the way that the missions are given is always the same.
    Sneak in.
    Grab thing. Sneak out. And while the game may be a huge open world, it doesn't feel like a living open world. Within my first play-though I learned where the best place to harvest resources and where to find the best men to recruit. It doesn't take long to learn    While the gameplay in Mgs5 is top notch, the variety to the way that the missions are given is always the same.
    Sneak in.
    Grab thing.
    Sneak out.
    And while the game may be a huge open world, it doesn't feel like a living open world.
    Within my first play-though I learned where the best place to harvest resources and where to find the best men to recruit.
    It doesn't take long to learn the spawn times either, which normally spawn within half a hour.
    And while a few of the characters where great,(code talker, Huey, Quiet, Eli, Paz) the main stake characters of this beloved franchise felt like hollow representations of themselves from pervious game (Snake, Miller).
    The worst offender of this is by far ocelot.
    They completely butched ocelot within this game.
    While In other games he comes off as zany and a bit of nut job, in this instalment he comes off as a monotone soulless client Eastwood wannabe.
    And the story my god the story.
    I have one thing to say about this heap of **** story that makes me want to puke.
    Less is not more Kojima, more is more.
    As a long time Mgs fan I just can not express just how much of a disappointment the story was.

    While the game was overall a disappointment. I still enjoyed the gameplay and the companion system which was a nice welcome edition to this franchise.
    If you are a long time Mgs fan avoid this like the plague.
    If you new to this franchise and have just come off call of duty or hitman:absolution or the latest thief title, go for it!
    I'm sure it will be right up your alley!    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PS4 Game of 2015
4
#4 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
3
#3 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 86 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 86
  3. Negative: 0 out of 86
  1. Polygon
    Dec 3, 2015
    90
    If this is where Kojima does finally leave the series he created, it will be a bittersweet send-off, both for Big Boss and one of gaming's most intriguing auteurs.
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  2. Time
    Nov 10, 2015
    100
    The holy grail of world-building games, it’s argued, is a black box that lets players do as they like with minimal handholding. Pliability with just the right measure of accountability. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, a tactical stealth simulation wrapped in a colossal resource management puzzle inside a love letter to theatrical inscrutability, comes the closest of any game I’ve yet played to realizing that ideal.
    Read full review
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Nov 5, 2015
    91
    There’s no denying the Game of the Year potential of The Phantom Pain. The campaign is absolutely massive, it’s almost too much to cope. That being said, Chapter II is a huge let-down and feels like artificial padding. Still, this is about as good as tactical espionage operations can get in a video game. [Oct 2015]
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