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. RockmasteR
    Nov 5, 2015
    9
    ok, first of all let's get something out of the way, I hate Stealth, I really do, waiting for 10 or 15 minutes just to make a move, is not my favorite thing to do, but here I am, playing MGSV, and oh GOD I'm loving it, the freedom this games gives you to do your missions is what makes this game shines, you can equip yourself with the deadliest weapons enter a base and start a killingok, first of all let's get something out of the way, I hate Stealth, I really do, waiting for 10 or 15 minutes just to make a move, is not my favorite thing to do, but here I am, playing MGSV, and oh GOD I'm loving it, the freedom this games gives you to do your missions is what makes this game shines, you can equip yourself with the deadliest weapons enter a base and start a killing spree, or you can choose a stealthy way and interrogate the enemy to get information and put them to sleep or extract them or even kill them, or you can do both, start stealthy and end in a killing spree, and what I'm talking about here is just missions and did not talked about free roaming which is freedom at its best, so if you are a stealth fan go grab the game, if you are a MGS fan you already grabbed the game, and if you really do hate stealth, try this game before and I think you'll like it and get it just like I did...… Expand
  2. Hollowfied
    Nov 4, 2015
    10
    i love metal Gear solid Franchised i first placed first on on ps1 i loved it now 5 came out its awesome i only played 2 hours into it and i got hook on it

    the Graphic is awesome voice acting incredible stealth mechanic tops

    i cant wait for 6th installment if the will be one fingers crossed but if ur not metal gear fan i suggest picking it up u wont be disappointed
  3. realtonit
    Nov 4, 2015
    9
    This game, like the previous Kojima games, tries to be a mix between a movie and a video game. Few can accomplish this in the industry with such quality as Kojima, and he did it yet again.

    The gameplay is just FLAWLESS. That`s it. You will feel like you`re Snake, specially with the open world concept. You will progress as you desire, and this makes that much diference when getting into    This game, like the previous Kojima games, tries to be a mix between a movie and a video game. Few can accomplish this in the industry with such quality as Kojima, and he did it yet again.

    The gameplay is just FLAWLESS. That`s it. You will feel like you`re Snake, specially with the open world concept. You will progress as you desire, and this makes that much diference when getting into the character. Also, MGS5 is a game that is made of several games. You are gonna be the CEO of your mother base, deciding which staff is better for each job, design your base, decide which upgrades to research, etc. This is you building the Mother Base you would invade years later, as Solid Snake. This is too cool (for a MGS fan at least).

    The story could be better (the game feels like its not finished) but thats why its not a full 10.

    All in all, if you like good games, get this one. If you like MG games, you are already late in getting this.    … Expand
  4. SpoiledGamer
    Nov 3, 2015
    8
    I'm a spoiled gamer who refuses to beat a game if it gets repetitive or boring.

    I'm giving this a game 8 out of 10 simply because, it was a perfect game until I got bored of the repetitive gameplay. You can choose to go guns blazing, but you NEED to kidnap Soldiers on the battlefield. Yes you can't kill everyone. (Boring huh?) So you are forced to stealth your way around,    I'm a spoiled gamer who refuses to beat a game if it gets repetitive or boring.

    I'm giving this a game 8 out of 10 simply because, it was a perfect game until I got bored of the repetitive gameplay.

    You can choose to go guns blazing, but you NEED to kidnap Soldiers on the battlefield. Yes you can't kill everyone. (Boring huh?)

    So you are forced to stealth your way around, kidnapping all the skilled enemies.

    10 hours into the game, it becomes a very GRUNDY game where you stealth around to kidnap enemies. Forced to farm materials for upgrades.

    The game would of been far better off if you had alternative ways to gather resources and recruit soldiers.

    Anyways, didn't finish the game and I don't plan to. Why? Because it's simply NOT WORTH MY TIME.    … Expand
  5. Nalbor
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    This is the first MGS game I've ever played and I'm simply blown away by its scale and complexity. I was expecting it to be another stealth game with decent story and solid game play. I got positively surprised though when I realised how perfectly balanced this game is and how much more depth into the game play brings the mother base management aspect.
    Except main story missions you can    This is the first MGS game I've ever played and I'm simply blown away by its scale and complexity. I was expecting it to be another stealth game with decent story and solid game play. I got positively surprised though when I realised how perfectly balanced this game is and how much more depth into the game play brings the mother base management aspect.
    Except main story missions you can play side op missions and later in the game invade other player's mother bases online. You can also send you troops to complete online missions and deployment missions which takes a lot of weight away from having to earn money and collecting resources only on your own.
    You do this all not only to proceed with the main story but also to be able to develop weapons and items that will compliment your play style as it is entirely up to you how will your kit look like.
    There is so much more that you can do on in this game that I would need probably at least an hour to list it all here. I will just say one thing: all stealth games fans should play this game, you will not be disappointed!    … Expand
  6. TheKillCamCrew
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Metal Gear Solid V is the second Metal Gear Solid game I have ever played so I am no fanboy of this franchise but this game has turned me into one. I will review this game in a few parts :
    GRAPHICS
    GAMEPLAY
    STORY
    LEVEL DESIGN
    ONLINE.

    GRAPHICS:
    Let's start of with graphics now I played this game on the PS4 so the game runs at 1080p 60 FPS which means this is a incredibly smooth game and it is filled to the brim with detail and it is incredibly focused on making this game realistic like when I was looking through my goggles and it was a warm day in the game so in the distance there was a blur just like in real life. The physics are also great though sometimes do a few funny glitches but it's not annoying it's instead funny so in all the graphics score a 10/10
    GAMEPLAY:
    The gameplay in this game is incredibly varied on one side we have incredible deep and rich stealth mechanics and on the other side we have explosions and guns and havoc so let's look at the stealthy approach first before The Boss snaps my neck. Boss has at his disposal an array of ways of eliminating his enemies silently. There's the hilarious cardboard box which can be equipped with posters to ensue different reactions from the enemy. You can put a target to sleep kill him or punch him in the face you can also interrogate enemy's for useful bits of information. Now on the explosion side. Boss has so many lethal weapons it's hard to chose sniper rifles, machine guns, handguns freaking rocket launchers and all of these weapons can be customized to either be more quite or more loud and deadly you also have your companions like D-Walker who can be equipped with non-lethal or lethal weapons and so can the other companions like D-Dog and Quiet but not D-Horse because you can't exactly give a RPG to a horse and hope he kills a few guys but there's even more stuff to do than missions let's talk about the coolest of all the gameplay options and that is running Diamond Dogs. You see Boss has a private military force who will develop new weapons for him and he can send soldiers on missions for money in this case GMP and resources which you can use to upgrade Mother Base your main HQ this is feels instantly fresh and new and plus your staff get's cool and funny names like Flying Mantis or something. There are also side ops which can be done at your leisure but you want to do them because you can find rare soldiers and resources during the side ops so they are Worth it and they are also story side ops that will advance the story but only when you want it so the gameplay is rich and is Worth a 10/10
    STORY: Let's talk about the story now for people who haven't played the previous metal gear solid games you will have trouble following some of the characters tales but after a few videos about some of the characters I loved the characters way more and they became way more important to me but that was at the beginning but at the end and after the actions they perform they would have stilled have been important to me without the lore videos. The game starts in a mental hospital in Cyprus where Big Boss but I call him Boss like the other characters wakes up after a 9 year coma with his left arm missing he then is attacked by the PF Cipher but with the help of a mysterious stranger he escapes the hospital and is brought to Afghanistan with Revolver Ocelot where the Boss must save his old friend Kaz Miller. This game touches on some adult themes like the physiological impact of losing limbs, it also talks about child soldiers and also has a central theme concerning languages and nuclear weapons but let's talk controversy which concerns the character Quiet she is almost naked but in my opinion this is explained as she was burned and the language parasites saved her life but she breathes through her skin which means she doesn't like wearing clothes because it makes it difficult for her to breath and after in the story her ending is bitter sweet and it actually made me cry which proves she is well developed and she inspired emotions in me even if she can't talk her actions make her who she is. The campaign lacks lengthy cuteness but the few cutscenes they are well made and are great to watch. So the campaign scores a 9/10
    LEVEL DESIGN: The level design in this game allows for both action and stealth gameplay without punishing the other the first half of the game has a variety of scenarios which allow for a great variety of approaches but the second half of the story missions feel repetitive from the last ones so the level design scores a 9/10
    ONLINE: The online part of this game was delayed a while but it has been finally released and it is pretty fun the mode allows you to use your custom avatar you created at the beginning of the game and allows you to change him with armor hats and loadouts they are some balancing issues like my level 10 butt getting destroyed by level 38 players and a connection issue with the first mode but the other modes are fun so 8/1    … Expand
  7. swagmaster9000
    Nov 2, 2015
    5
    Bought the prologue $25
    Bought the game $65

    I guess I forgot to buy the character development DLC as well as plot DLC, fun boss DLC and story ending DLC. Guarantee they'll try to charge you for it though.

    Never buying another game from Konami again.
  8. Xx9VOLTxX_
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    inspiring video game first of its kind to ever break the fun factor of espionage action, Metal Gear Solid 5 the Phantom Pain very innovative and brilliant creation from Hideo Kojima. to me personal speaking its a master peace and a video game that could never be forgotten great job KONAMI
  9. pjtaylor2011
    Nov 2, 2015
    4
    I played the orginal MGS and was one of the few that wasn't impressed...I didn't have the patience for it... But after reading the hype over the last few months, knowing how highly the fans of the series rated it, and hearing how involved the storyline of the games were I eagerly bought the new incarnation to see what all the fuss was about. Sorry guys, still not impressed and stillI played the orginal MGS and was one of the few that wasn't impressed...I didn't have the patience for it... But after reading the hype over the last few months, knowing how highly the fans of the series rated it, and hearing how involved the storyline of the games were I eagerly bought the new incarnation to see what all the fuss was about. Sorry guys, still not impressed and still haven't got the patience and it still bored me...I see many MGS fans complaining about this ones story too.… Expand
  10. darek79r19
    Nov 1, 2015
    9
    Nie jestem fanem serii, ani nie ogrywałem wszystkich metali ale cieszę się, że kupiłem tą grę. Sama rozgrywka i radość z gry jest wielka, może nie jest to gra idealna, może czasem wkurza powtarzalność czy banalność misji ale nie można grze odmówić wielkości i miana prawdziwego sandboxa.
  11. beettlestew
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    it was a great,,fun game ,im not ,big on stealth but the game lets you play however you want . and do anthing. pretty much all.on that also could of used more cut scenes.
  12. claytastic
    Oct 31, 2015
    9
    Easily one of the biggest open world games I've ever played, and it's one of the smallest files on my PS4. This is most certainly Kojima's greatest achievement, and it saddens me every time I think about how he won't be joining the team for future games. But it is a damn fine goodbye to all of the fans of the franchise. I love how much there is to do, the challenge of the missions, theEasily one of the biggest open world games I've ever played, and it's one of the smallest files on my PS4. This is most certainly Kojima's greatest achievement, and it saddens me every time I think about how he won't be joining the team for future games. But it is a damn fine goodbye to all of the fans of the franchise. I love how much there is to do, the challenge of the missions, the variety of the weapons and outfits, the complexity of the world, and the fact that this is the only game on my PS4 that I can tell is running at 60 FPS that isn't a remaster. My only complaints are that story is lackluster at times, and online is very mediocre unless you're playing with friends. Otherwise, thank you, Kojima. This was worth the wait.… Expand
  13. Robertk
    Oct 30, 2015
    10
    Having only just begun this account I will make this as short and to the point as possible. I am not in the habit of awarding any game with a perfect ten under usual circumstances. METAL GEAR SOLID: THE PHANTOM PAIN is the greatest stealth game I have ever played.

    The vast amount of time and energy it must have taken to make it so polished and smooth are mind boggling. Snake controls    Having only just begun this account I will make this as short and to the point as possible. I am not in the habit of awarding any game with a perfect ten under usual circumstances. METAL GEAR SOLID: THE PHANTOM PAIN is the greatest stealth game I have ever played.

    The vast amount of time and energy it must have taken to make it so polished and smooth are mind boggling. Snake controls better than any game character playable today IMO, except for maybe GTA V characters rendered with the Natural Motion tech.

    If you have a PS4 do yourself a favor and rend or play this for a few hours. and you really need to invest some time too. I just reached a point in the game where everything becomes much more fast paced and complex. That is usually the time the story starts to come together, but not in MGS Phantom Pain.    … Expand
  14. KING8281
    Oct 30, 2015
    4
    At first i would like to state that i cannot understand the big ratings this game gets.I grew up with MGS.From PS1 to PS4 this series inspired me,moved me, changed me.But this game is not MGS.And not because it's an "open world" game.(which is not).MGS series had to evolve or die in my opinion.We had to see a different approach from Kojima.The direction is right.The execution is awfulAt first i would like to state that i cannot understand the big ratings this game gets.I grew up with MGS.From PS1 to PS4 this series inspired me,moved me, changed me.But this game is not MGS.And not because it's an "open world" game.(which is not).MGS series had to evolve or die in my opinion.We had to see a different approach from Kojima.The direction is right.The execution is awful though.And here is why:
    1.Afghanistan is an empty barren boring land.Desert,yellow rocks some more desert and that's it.Colourless,barren boring are the only words i can think of.And Africa is not better.Where is the level design?where is the diversity?where is the scenery?where is the vibrant feeling that can make you believe that this land is alive?Look to the Witcher games or even the Dragon Age games for example.
    2.I can't understand why no reviewer never mentions the repetivity of this game.Every side op is the same as the other one before it,outpost after outpost feels and plays the same and after 10-15 hours in the game the boredom turns to anger.You see the same stuff,you do the same things,there is practically one approach in the game and that is to tranq eveyone so you can send them back to MB and that is it.Even when they start wearing helmets there is no need to change your approach.You just shoot them in the back or the hip and you watch the magic happen after 10 seconds.
    3.Its incredibly easy.No stealth needed.You can stand tall 50 meters away and no one will see you.You just need to mark the enemies and that way you can see them even through walls or sometimes even mountains and you wish that they 'll spot you because time will slow down and you ll tranq them even easier.
    4THE STORY IS BAD.It's full of plot holes,it is badly written,badly voiced and uninteresting.MGS games were known for the good story which had it's twists,the rich dialogs,the awesome charachters..In this game if you are new to MGS you care less for any of them.They are shallow,cheesy and espesially Kaz is a full blown Snake groupie.Along with the soldiers at mother base.Not to mention Ocelot who is doing his best to look like he is in the Wild West ordering a bourbon in a saloon while waiting for the Poker tournament to start.And ...Skull Face..i mean..we had Liquid,Ocelot,Boss even Big Boss in the older games and now we have to make do with Skull Face dressed in a Wyatt Earp costume?
    5.The "boss fights" are horrible and uninteresting.Long gone are the days of the great Sniper Wolf,The End and the other great bosses from the MGS series now there is nothning of that.
    6The game is practically a grinding to build MB which dictates the whole approach in the game.Everything you do,the way you play,everything is for the Mother Base,not to mention that the game reminds us every 30 minutes or so that the old mother base was destroyed and that we must get our revenge from those responsible.

    I could go on really.I could say about the checkpoint system that the game has,the fact that it is practically an outdoor corridor and not a real open world game,the unskippable chopper scenes and on and on and on.I believe that most MGS veterans already left the game midway and started playing the old games in the older consoles.Everything that made the old MGS games great and different from the GTA and Modern Warfare video gaming culture is gone and it is replaced by a repetitive scenery,by boring gameplay and by an uniteresting story.Either KONAMI wanted this and that is why Kojima was fired or Kojima san blew it and left.Lastly.We are going to have another MGS game.When you count the sales by the millions you don't cut the series because "snake's story is over" as Kojima stated 9 years ago.Kojima is a video game producer who lives and pays his bills by making MGS games, he is not doing it to save his soul or mine or yours.Now if KONAMI decides to publish a MGS game without him it would probably be crap just like everything this company has published during this decade,exceptions be the MGS games and a couple of others.Thanks for reading the review and i am sorry for any typos,or grammar mistakes.Have a nice day.    … Expand
  15. Preidon
    Oct 30, 2015
    10
    Best game ever released in the world, I **** love it and you willl love it too,stop reading and go buy it you lazy butt, easiliy better than fallout 4.
  16. rainey06au
    Oct 30, 2015
    2
    I bought The Phantom Pain expecting a rich and engaging single player experience with a cohesive and cinematic level of storytelling. Instead MGS V feels like a disjointed and lost effort at some sort of open world RPG. The two environments are forgettable like the developers bought a whole bunch of prefabricated objects and terrain elements from the Unity engine store and tried to build aI bought The Phantom Pain expecting a rich and engaging single player experience with a cohesive and cinematic level of storytelling. Instead MGS V feels like a disjointed and lost effort at some sort of open world RPG. The two environments are forgettable like the developers bought a whole bunch of prefabricated objects and terrain elements from the Unity engine store and tried to build a game around it. The 'missions' feel completely repetitive, especially because each one starts with the opening credits again like the game is reminding you that the last mission seemed to have nothing to do with the next mission. It's a grind to get anywhere rewarding in the game and I gave up on it pretty quickly.… Expand
  17. RabbidTaco
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    I have been waiting so long for this game to come out. I am a long time MGS fan, ever since the first ones. I have been so excited for this game, I just knew it was going to be epic. I got it the minute it came out, and after putting 300 hours into it, I thought it was about time to write a review. I must admit, the game lacks story, but it is there, and it is epic. The gameplay is betterI have been waiting so long for this game to come out. I am a long time MGS fan, ever since the first ones. I have been so excited for this game, I just knew it was going to be epic. I got it the minute it came out, and after putting 300 hours into it, I thought it was about time to write a review. I must admit, the game lacks story, but it is there, and it is epic. The gameplay is better than ever, and the missions get somewhat repetitive, but that didn't stop me from having fun with it. It's a shame Konami cut chapter 3, however I would hope they release it as DLC in the future. I absolutely love the soundtrack in MGS, and this game maybe doesn't have memorable tracks such as Snake Eater or the MGS2 Main Theme, but it has some pretty awesome songs in it. The cutscenes are also awesome, I like when he punches the mirror out at the end of mission 46. MGO3 I've also had a lot of fun with. I've met my fair share of friends online so far, and I've had some great matches. Overall, 9/10. I wish I could give it a 10 but the story just lacks. Great game, though!… Expand
  18. PickledPepper
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    game play was really thought out as you can take a very technical approach to any situation, or you can go in guns blazing. so in a sense its only limited by your creativity and awareness. ending is a bit disappointing sooooo yeah
  19. 3dYoumad
    Oct 25, 2015
    0
    So the game is structurally sound and plays as one would expect a modern Metal Gear Solid game to play. Graphically it's better than most and the gameplay is pretty good. I have a few quibbles about the play, such as Big Boss' movement - he feels sluggish, almost drunk - and some pretty unrefined gunplay, but these quibbles aren't really that big of a deal. The narration is ho-hum andSo the game is structurally sound and plays as one would expect a modern Metal Gear Solid game to play. Graphically it's better than most and the gameplay is pretty good. I have a few quibbles about the play, such as Big Boss' movement - he feels sluggish, almost drunk - and some pretty unrefined gunplay, but these quibbles aren't really that big of a deal. The narration is ho-hum and sometimes absolutely annoying, especially when getting harassed a bunch at Mother Base. But I could list a dozen games that are infinitely worse in this aspect.

    The problem I'm having with the game is that I'm finding it all so dreadfully BORING. I've enjoyed every Metal Gear game since its inception back on the NES, including the movie-fest that was MGS4, but for some reason MGS5 just doesn't really make me want to keep playing. So far it's missing the "WOW! DID YOU SEE THAT!" factor. The game features large terrains but they're are mostly bereft of life outside of your side ops and main mission areas. 15 hours in and I'm already tired of the samey repetition of the game's mission designs.

    The open world design doesn't seem all that impressive because most of the time is spent just traversing to predetermined destinations. But it's sure beautiful to look at. Also, the microtransactions really grate my nerves. I don't understand how anyone can defend this behavior. I don't think this is a Kojima design - I'm almost certain this was forced into the game by Konami.

    Thanks for reading me.    … Expand
  20. CatWizard
    Oct 24, 2015
    5
    I was really looking forward to the Phantom Pain this year, hoping it would be one of the best games of the year, but to my surprise I met with disappointment after disappointment.

    Most Metal Gear games aren't renown for their superb writing, but the story always has a high production value and is quite entertaining. Judging from all the trailers and gameplay demos, I thought this    I was really looking forward to the Phantom Pain this year, hoping it would be one of the best games of the year, but to my surprise I met with disappointment after disappointment.

    Most Metal Gear games aren't renown for their superb writing, but the story always has a high production value and is quite entertaining.
    Judging from all the trailers and gameplay demos, I thought this would be one of greatest Metal Gear games of all time, but sadly that's not the case here.

    While the gameplay is fun to experiment with, it quickly becomes repetitive with missions that are too similar to each other. It doesn't help that chapter two of the game is mostly a series repeat missions from chapter one with added conditions. That to me just comes of as lazy.

    The writing is by far the worst it has ever been. The plot twist wasn't handled well at all, and sadly was supposed to be the game's saving grace. However, the real problem is that the main story has serious identity issues.

    It wants to be a revenge story, but Venom being a mute and never expressing or showing any reaction to things kills that vibe. It wants to show a journey of transformation, but without a strong narrative it just comes off as Venom running around extracting the world at random, then it wants to show origins, but non of the sub plots are finished.

    A lot of the characters are haphazardly thrown in to make the cast seem bigger, but the ones already there are bland enough as is, throwing more bland characters that are written so poorly isn't going to make them seem better. The main antagonist is the most guilty of this.

    A lot of the story is told through in-game cassette tapes, so if you want to understand what's going on; you'll have to sit down and listen to multiple tapes. This is atrocious and ruins the pacing of going from a high adrenaline mission, to listening to a five minute tape that tries to explain everything with horrible writing.
    This to me is extremely lazy. Show, not tell.
    This wouldn't be a problem if they weren't necessary to understand the story and characters.
    Peace Walker did it better in this regard. Since the tapes in that game enriched the characters and story, but weren't required at all to understand the plot.

    That's not even going into detail how much cut story content was discovered after the release of the game.

    Also, as of this review, a recent patch came out for the game that penalizes you for playing offline if you ever went online with the new patch. How it does this is by splitting your in-game resources and currency to offline and online. So now most of your resources are stored online that you can't transfer back to offline storage, essentially making the game online-only to some extent, which is a disgusting move, especially doing so after the game came out.

    All in all it's clear the whole team needed more time and rushed the story aspect. They tried to fit too much when they didn't even bother to finish one theme before moving on.    … Expand
  21. obligatory_user
    Oct 24, 2015
    7
    I’ve never been a fan of the Metal Gear franchise. I’ve attempted many times to get into the various titles after hearing for years what a classic the series is, but I’ve never lasted longer than an hour in any of them. The gameplay was either too dated or the writing astoundingly bad.

    All that said, I more or less enjoyed my time with this game (and Ground Zeroes). The gameplay was for    I’ve never been a fan of the Metal Gear franchise. I’ve attempted many times to get into the various titles after hearing for years what a classic the series is, but I’ve never lasted longer than an hour in any of them. The gameplay was either too dated or the writing astoundingly bad.

    All that said, I more or less enjoyed my time with this game (and Ground Zeroes). The gameplay was for the most part very well handled and implemented. The buddy system (especially Quiet) is a great addition and helps to add an extra dimension to the experience. The AI, while not without its problems, is among the best I’ve encountered and certainly added to my enjoyment. However, the repetitiveness of the mission styles did get old after awhile. Fifteen hours in and it was starting to feel like a chore. It got to the point where I didn’t even care about my score or fultoning out potential recruits. I just tried to get the mission over as soon as possible. Going open-world with this game was also a mistake. Nearly every base is identical, the areas in-between are cold and lifeless and the “man behind the curtain” feel of the design of the locations was very distracting and annoying. The size of the two maps felt like a waste of time. Most of my gameplay was probably spent getting from place-to-place (at least in the beginning) than on the actual missions. Mother Base is also another empty husk, with only a couple things of interest there to interact with (I’m not an online player). The Side Ops were standard open-world fetch quests, too; nothing new or interesting there.

    I’d also like to point out that while the graphics are good (especially facial animations), it is certainly not the best (or even among the best) of those out there right now.

    A key factor in my eventual dissatisfaction with this game was the story (or should I say the lack of one). Characters were endlessly lamenting their “phantom pain” and the constant harping on about revenge was tiresome. The problem was the plot never tried to delve any deeper and examine any of the issues that were brought up. Amputation, memory loss, PTSD are all ripe subjects that if properly handled could make for a very compelling story. But Kojima seems satisfied to merely pay lip-service to these themes, and instead is more fascinated with lingering camera shots on Quiet’s exposed cleavage, ludicrous supernatural elements and the numerous tongue-in-cheek easter eggs than telling any kind of coherent or plausible story. The absurd plot of the villain and the “twist” at the end undermined a lot of the gravitas the plot was trying to achieve. The tendency of the characters to constantly rehash and over-explain events that had just occurred was poorly handled, as well.

    It also didn’t help that many of the characters just flat-out annoyed me. Miller, Emmerich, Eli & Skullface were absolutely atrociously written & acted and some of the most aggravating in video game history. I’ve never been one to skip cutscenes, but I almost came close to doing it whenever these people were onscreen.

    A pet-peeve of mine in games is the silent protagonist, especially where a lack of dialogue in a conversation is particularly noticeable and awkward. Taking orders from a subordinate because your character doesn’t talk is just lazy and dumb.

    The only reason why I play any game is for the story. I need a motivation and reason for the dozens of hours I put into gameplay, otherwise it’s all just shallow, forgettable busy work. I’m sorry to say that most of this game lacks any clear story reason to continue, and the only thing that kept me going was the blind hope that there would be something at the end that would reward my perseverance.

    What saved the game for me and actually made my time with it worthwhile was Quiet. If you look past her ridiculous costume, she’s the best thing about MGSV. When she was first introduced, the fact that she doesn’t say a word (and that the game never explains how to utilize her as a buddy) left me feeling indifferent to her. It was only towards the end of the game that I came to honestly care for her. The dancing in the rain scene combined with Mission 45 (not the gameplay but the cutscenes) are some of the most beautiful and touching I’ve ever seen in a game.

    I only wish the exemplary moments in this game were free of the truly dreadful ones that accompany them. Quiet and her story arc is the only reason why this game is not the forgettable & awful entry its story destined it to be.

    This game (along with Ground Zeroes) is worth playing, even for newcomers to MGS, but only if you can rent it, buy for $30 or less or are a massive fan of the franchise.

    PROS:

    Gameplay
    Graphics
    Quiet

    CONS:

    Story/Dialogue
    Voice acting
    Repetitive missions
    Empty open world
    Grinding fetch quests    … Expand
  22. Djones1999
    Oct 23, 2015
    8
    This game has some of the best gameplay that I have ever experienced but I found the story to be lacking especially for a mgs game. Whilst I found the twist at the end to be quite shocking I think it added to the story and in many ways it causes the events of the game to become meaningless. This game could be considered the best in the franchise for its gameplay I consider it to have theThis game has some of the best gameplay that I have ever experienced but I found the story to be lacking especially for a mgs game. Whilst I found the twist at the end to be quite shocking I think it added to the story and in many ways it causes the events of the game to become meaningless. This game could be considered the best in the franchise for its gameplay I consider it to have the worst story in the series and with the missing content at the end it really pushes down my score.… Expand
  23. Kopter
    Oct 23, 2015
    9
    No soy muy de juegos de sigilo, pero la forma que este juego DE HIDEO KOJIMA da todas las posibilidades de infiltración, es que no sabría definir este juego ni en millones de caracteres, es simplemente increíble. Indispensable para cualquier persona que precie los juegos. Lo único que se le puede achacar es las "fumadas" en algunas partes de la historia, pero es HIDEO KOJIMA, así que se loNo soy muy de juegos de sigilo, pero la forma que este juego DE HIDEO KOJIMA da todas las posibilidades de infiltración, es que no sabría definir este juego ni en millones de caracteres, es simplemente increíble. Indispensable para cualquier persona que precie los juegos. Lo único que se le puede achacar es las "fumadas" en algunas partes de la historia, pero es HIDEO KOJIMA, así que se lo podemos permitir y apreciar el culo de Quiet mientras tanto.… Expand
  24. xMaschine
    Oct 23, 2015
    8
    Phenomenal. Haven't played the MGS since SoL. PP has brought the series back to life for me. Great gameplay and many failsafes in place for those that are rusty or don't have the hook of stealth gameplay mode. Also there for those that just want to go in guns ablazing and use every big gun in the arsenal. Only thing keeping me from placing a max 10 is how Konami pushed PP out of thePhenomenal. Haven't played the MGS since SoL. PP has brought the series back to life for me. Great gameplay and many failsafes in place for those that are rusty or don't have the hook of stealth gameplay mode. Also there for those that just want to go in guns ablazing and use every big gun in the arsenal. Only thing keeping me from placing a max 10 is how Konami pushed PP out of the door with an incomplete story and ran Kojima out of the company.… Expand
  25. fallouts
    Oct 23, 2015
    9
    This game surpassed my expectations. I wasn't a huge fan of story heavy MGS games, but this one is more focused on the gameplay and exploration than story, which I like. The sandbox is a joy to explore and missions are all very well done with multiple ways of tackling the objective. This is what gaming should be.
  26. VeniPewPew
    Oct 23, 2015
    7
    I have very mixed feelings about this game. It manages to offer some incredibly fun gameplay moments, very impressive visuals and quite an interesting story and lore, while from time to time showing some ridicculous restrictions. Like, how many times have I failed to CLIMB A FREAKING ROCK. And I'm not even talking about AC-style parcour: no, just invisible walls of stupid. This reallyI have very mixed feelings about this game. It manages to offer some incredibly fun gameplay moments, very impressive visuals and quite an interesting story and lore, while from time to time showing some ridicculous restrictions. Like, how many times have I failed to CLIMB A FREAKING ROCK. And I'm not even talking about AC-style parcour: no, just invisible walls of stupid. This really bothered me. I hate invisible walls.… Expand
  27. DillDill
    Oct 23, 2015
    7
    After awaiting this game for more than 3 years we were all left with high expectations, while this game delivers greatly in most areas it lacks in others. This definitely isn't the Metal Gear we're used too. While this game is the gameplay peak of the series, it's also the storytelling valley of it. Never has sneaking around enemies felt so satisfying and smooth. You truly feel like theAfter awaiting this game for more than 3 years we were all left with high expectations, while this game delivers greatly in most areas it lacks in others. This definitely isn't the Metal Gear we're used too. While this game is the gameplay peak of the series, it's also the storytelling valley of it. Never has sneaking around enemies felt so satisfying and smooth. You truly feel like the Living Legend himself, as you interrogate enemies and extract them after to build your army and gain supplies. Infiltrating large areas will never feel as cool in any other games as it does in MGSV. Yet the story lacks throughout the game. Unfortunately it's drawn out over 40 something hours, the lengthy start to end makes the story seem so little. It feels so unlike anything from Hideo Kojima's past works. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is certainly different from anything we've ever seen, unfortunately it is also the last. I'd rather give this game a 7.5 but I'm unable to do so. There's no doubt that I've greatly enjoyed this game, with over 100 hours in it already I can easily see that number increasing.
    I could also go on about cut content and this whole fiasco with Konami, but we'll have to see how the future plays out.    … Expand
  28. Spyros_spy
    Oct 22, 2015
    10
    Although they said the last chapter is missing this game is amazing. I've finished the story mode but the game has such re-playability that I believe I'll keep playing till next year. Simply amazing. I bought Destiny: The Taken King and Pro evolution Soccer 2016 but this game hasn't been out of the console yet! MGO and FOBs are great as well.
  29. Tgooding01
    Oct 22, 2015
    8
    The stealth mechanics of MGSV are pretty much spot on and not getting spotted or killing anyone is a pretty big challenge. The only think that disappoints me is the story, while I won't give anything away... and I'm yet to finish the game I don't feel attached. Most missions don't seem to drive the story they just "happen". I know that driving a story in an open world is more difficultThe stealth mechanics of MGSV are pretty much spot on and not getting spotted or killing anyone is a pretty big challenge. The only think that disappoints me is the story, while I won't give anything away... and I'm yet to finish the game I don't feel attached. Most missions don't seem to drive the story they just "happen". I know that driving a story in an open world is more difficult than if it was linear but I feel it could do more.… Expand
  30. Hideo_Kojima
    Oct 22, 2015
    10
    No matter who will take the reins, the Metal Gear Saga is finally over. Did you like it? I really hope so. And i have no regrets, even if Konami didn't let me to finish mission 51 and Act III. But still, i am happy. Big Boss is no more a character, it's an ideal spread around the world. Thank you for playing this.
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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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