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. FrankyPuuSensei
    Sep 23, 2015
    9
    A Hideo Kojima Game.

    All seriousness though, MGSV is actually really fun. Framerate is smooth, graphics are **** amazing, there's tons of detail everywhere you look. The open world is also really large, with tons of side-ops to do.

    Konami was stupid for firing Kojima.
  2. Be_Objective
    Sep 22, 2015
    10
    This game it's not perfect. The story is lacking on the first hours and the writting can be silly at times. However, when you consider how fun and polished the gameplay is and just how gut wrenching the story can get on its final hours, this is easy to forgive. If you are not a fan of the series you can substract a point (still a must buy though) but if you are, then you probably haveThis game it's not perfect. The story is lacking on the first hours and the writting can be silly at times. However, when you consider how fun and polished the gameplay is and just how gut wrenching the story can get on its final hours, this is easy to forgive. If you are not a fan of the series you can substract a point (still a must buy though) but if you are, then you probably have already bought it.… Expand
  3. kkstarfox
    Sep 22, 2015
    10
    I have played this game for over 80 hours already, and still haven't completed this game 100%. Does doing all of the side ops get boring if you play them over and over and over again, yes but no one said you had to play the game all at once!

    The story missions, the ones that really matter, are really fun and varied. I never got bored playing this game. The on line aspect is also a ton    I have played this game for over 80 hours already, and still haven't completed this game 100%. Does doing all of the side ops get boring if you play them over and over and over again, yes but no one said you had to play the game all at once!

    The story missions, the ones that really matter, are really fun and varied. I never got bored playing this game. The on line aspect is also a ton of fun as well. I recommend this game to anyone. The game play is superb and the quirky funny parts are hilarious as well. The story is a bit complicated if you've never played Metal Gear game before though.    … Expand
  4. bluesoulreaper
    Sep 21, 2015
    9
    Can't give it a 10 but a 9 is right. Gameplay was beyond incredible one moment you could sneaking in perfect stealth then in one split second of complacency you find yourself in a firefight with an entire post. The story is perfect while a lot of people may complain about it and how doesn't do anything for the saga it actually finishes the saga. The big downside to that is you can'tCan't give it a 10 but a 9 is right. Gameplay was beyond incredible one moment you could sneaking in perfect stealth then in one split second of complacency you find yourself in a firefight with an entire post. The story is perfect while a lot of people may complain about it and how doesn't do anything for the saga it actually finishes the saga. The big downside to that is you can't actually understand or appreciate it unless you play all of the other metal gear games. I was pretty dumbfounded at first and frustrated that I couldn't get it but then I replayed a main mission and paid attention to the details and it hit me. Tons of easter eggs and hidden stuff that makes it worth replaying. If you are a fan or have been interested pick up a copy but be sure play the other games or read a wiki to jog your memory of the universe of metal gear. One quick tip just to help you out, the title means more than it seems.… Expand
  5. takoDGO
    Sep 21, 2015
    7
    este metal gear esta totalmente fuera de contexto.. y las misiones son aburridas en veces artantes la inteligencia artificial es muy predecible y lo peor es que no se puede mesclar un metal gear con un GTA
  6. WalterGirao
    Sep 21, 2015
    8
    Adequately named.

    Just like it's protagonist, the game has chunks missing, is somewhat broken, doesn't feel like itself but still manages to be a legend.

    The players will be left with the pain of wondering just how perfect it could have been.
  7. Tylaris
    Sep 21, 2015
    7
    +Great performance and a very polished game...a lesson to almost ALL developers
    +Overall great visuals, animations, voice acting, music and sound design...very high production values
    +Excellent game play with amazing flexibility that allows you to tackle missions in a number of different ways...action stealth at it's FINEST +Intense intro and fantastic cinematics +"Thematically    +Great performance and a very polished game...a lesson to almost ALL developers
    +Overall great visuals, animations, voice acting, music and sound design...very high production values
    +Excellent game play with amazing flexibility that allows you to tackle missions in a number of different ways...action stealth at it's FINEST
    +Intense intro and fantastic cinematics
    +"Thematically strong", but only at certain( and very sparse) points within the game
    +Plenty of content, good replayability, interesting motherbase building concept
    -Convoluted, unfinished main story that fails to provide a sense of direction through majority of the game, plot holes, badly written dialogue at times, mute protagonist and little character development
    -Bland and unimpressive environmental design and world setting...game would hugely benefit from a change of scenery, especially later on in the game
    -Same applies to overall mission design, which can also get very tedious and repetitive
    -Typical MGS silliness that completely feels out of place with a more serious tone and setting of the game
    -Misc: Undeveloped motherbase, lot of unnecessary waiting periods, At times (Noticeable, but not frequent) buggy AI, "Kojima intrusion on the game"( you will know it when you see it, and you will...a LOT), credits rolling after each mission, at times glitchy controls, some minor graphical issues
    - In game Micro transactions, PC copies sold with nothing but a Steam installer on it, DRM...little respect for customers
    With finishing it, I can safely say that MGS V is a VERY polarizing title...if you are the sort of player who loves games that offer you amazing depth in game play mechanics and creating your own scenarios, then stop reading this and go buy this game...you're in for one hell of a ride.
    But if you're more interested about the story, characters, atmosphere, world or exploration...you won't regret passing on this one.
    Overall, don't listen to either "fanboys","haters" and ESPECIALLY to the majority of professional "journalists"...neither shows the full picture here. I recommend reading "yellow" reviews here and watching more detailed videos soon coming from independent and mature youtubers.    … Expand
  8. Rodrigogeiger
    Sep 21, 2015
    10
    The best game ever--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  9. Tubey
    Sep 21, 2015
    8
    A fantastic game, but not quite the masterpiece some make it out to be, as an increasingly dysfunctional narrative draws the player out of the experience towards the end game.

    That said, the gameplay is top drawer, the series' trademark humour is present and it feels like a MGS game in most respects, specifically in respect to the truly best-in-genre stealth mechanics rather than the    A fantastic game, but not quite the masterpiece some make it out to be, as an increasingly dysfunctional narrative draws the player out of the experience towards the end game.

    That said, the gameplay is top drawer, the series' trademark humour is present and it feels like a MGS game in most respects, specifically in respect to the truly best-in-genre stealth mechanics rather than the slightly less impressive open world environment - but it just dropped the ball massively on the story, and for Metal Gear fans from the beginning this is a really big deal and sours the experience.

    It's a Game of the Year candidate; but not a best game ever candidate. Naturally, I'll get downvoted for saying that, but it's true. It feels like a game that could have set up a truly remarkable MGS6 in a few years time, as the base work for a proper masterpiece is firmly set with this title, but unfortunately we probably won't get to see that.    … Expand
  10. slim1985
    Sep 21, 2015
    10
    Game of this gen no doubt impressive gameplay and deep story AMAZING -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------10/10
  11. Spidor
    Sep 21, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. MGSV is as annoyingly incomplete as it is magnificently polished. It is a true oddity to have a game that has such a polished game engine, game mechanics and so many flawlessly moving parts, only to have it fall right on its face in the story-telling department and characterization of all things.

    Slight spoilers: The story itself is packed with filler missions, along with side-ops that are literal filler missions, whilst failing to touch on any of that MGS storytelling greatness. The game is comprised of two major chapters - the first one is slow to introduce story elements, whilst the second chapter is actually 70% of the first chapter's, with a difficulty modifier. What you end up having is a slow-burning start, a mid-game climax, and then everything else trails off into insignificance. For a game saga that is beloved for its plot (and its whackiness), this unwhacky, thoroughly uninteresting foray of padding and filler is not a saga at all. It boggles the mind that its prequels, Portable Ops and Peacewalker, were both portable "mini-MGS" games, far exceed this "Triple-A magnum opus" in terms of story-telling and characterization. The twist you see a mile coming, except for when you are expecting one, but never get any - this character is just as boring as you thought, this character is leaving for good for no reason, this character is now evil. There are no character or plot arcs, because using two plot points only a straight line can be drawn.

    MGS excels graphically, audibly and so on, and has a bajillion guns for you to never try. But I don't feel alone in saying - this will not do, MGS. Knowing that already the reverse engineers of the internet have found a ton of cut-out content just reinforces my opinion - I don't like this game as an MGS, despite its many, many merits. I'd like it more as a GI Joe game, disassociated from the MGS that I love.    … Expand
  12. collector773354
    Sep 20, 2015
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a huge and long time fan of Metal Gear I am for once truly disappointed. I'll start with the only good thing this game has, the gameplay. The freedom to decide on how to tackle a mission is great. The buddy system is a new and useful addition. Being able to use vehicles is fun and all the equipment available gives the gameplay a high level of variety. Snake moves as smooth as he never did before and his new CQC and sneaking moves were long awaited for. Rebuilding mother base is rewarding but it just needed to be more lively. There is nothing much to do, while the idroid has too much to do. The open-world is not the problem, but the repetitive areas and missions are. What I think would have worked is set open sandbox areas to go to.
    Metal Gear is a game built by the story and everything else follows it, but not this time. It seems all the key elements that define Metal gear have been taken away to appease to the majority of gamers that are only entertained with shooting. I've always felt that Metal Gear was one of those few games that was moving the gaming industry to evolve into art and no longer just be an entertainment medium. For this franchise in particular, the story drives the gameplay and gives it meaning. As much as the gameplay is fun it soon falls stale because there is no story to give you purpose to continue on.
    Codec calls and cut scenes can be skipped so there was no reason to rip away more pieces of metal gear. I wonder why there can't be an even balance of cut scenes and gameplay to make the best Metal Gear possible. The game was advertised as the missing link to the saga, the story of what led Big Boss to descend into a darker path and start Outer Heaven. Revenge was suppose to be a big theme but only Miller portrays it. The real Big Boss is not even there to seek revenge with his own hands. Instead we get to be his double, in this story that doesn't add anything important to the Metal Gear saga. The shrapnel in his head is suppose to depict his change into a demon but nothing truly happens in the story to make him one. I think the story would have been better if we would play as both the real and fake Big Boss as they worked together to seek revenge and bring the rise of Outer Heaven. It would have given more room to include a larger cast of characters such as Gray Fox, Naomi, etc. The game is already set in Africa why not add more of Metal Gear history for us to see? Then it makes no sense to me that Big Boss would agree to use the Medic to be his double without consent. Big Boss was used himself in previous history and I find hard to believe he would do that when he believes soldiers deserve better, hence Outer Heaven.
    Epic boss battles are missing, which Skull Face should have been one. Skull Face's motives are not really portrayed and he seemed to have great potential to be a purposeful villain. Volgin's appearance should have been only to torment the real Big Boss and maybe Ocelot, it has no meaning for any other character. Metal Gear always has its large cast of characters and this time it lacks that. If there was a good story to tell, Quiet would have had more potential to shine. Wearing almost nothing wasn't necessary either, even with her powers she could have at least worn shorts. Eli is just thrown out there with not much focus either and the same goes for Psycho Mantis.
    Instead of chapters, the game should have just kept running in episodes, with Skull Face and Metal Gear ST-84 being the epic finale. Big Boss should have been shown taking in child soldiers and actually training them for Outer Heaven, therefore showing him change. The chapter where Diamond Dog soldiers must be killed to stop the spread of the parasites definitely could have been more dramatic. You only kill a few in the short chapter and Snake is not shown to be utterly broken by having the blood of his comrades in his hands. It also would have been more impactful if Skull Face would have done this rather than Huey. The need for revenge would have gone more deeper. As history repeating itself is a theme of Metal Gear, Huey would have been just fine as the scientist who was used, for old Metal Gear sake. The way it happens in the game, Huey should have been killed but was not to avoid a time paradox.
    Overall, the themes of revenge and race and rarely felt in the game. Then to add to the negativity, pieces of the game were not included like the famous Mission 51. Cut scenes shown in some of the trailers are not in the game. This game had nothing meaningful to say (maybe that explains the lack of dialog) or show as the previous ones. It was a long wait for this game, much anticipated because it is the last one, only to end up in shock with what we actually got. A Metal Gear game that doesn't feel like one at all. I am left wondering what happened between Konami and Kojima that lead to the ruin this game. In the end for me, Metal Gear will always be my #1 game but I say goodbye with sadness instead of happiness    … Expand
  13. screametacritic
    Sep 20, 2015
    10
    It's the first MGS game I've played in some years. I didn't play that much through the other ones (Peace Walker, Guns of the Patriots, MGS4) because I've been a fan of stealth games, but this is an exception. I kinda enjoyed MGSV: GZ (I'd give it like a 6.8/10) and decided to give a try to MGSV: TPP as I took a look at some streams and some videos. I was a bit scared that I would wasteIt's the first MGS game I've played in some years. I didn't play that much through the other ones (Peace Walker, Guns of the Patriots, MGS4) because I've been a fan of stealth games, but this is an exception. I kinda enjoyed MGSV: GZ (I'd give it like a 6.8/10) and decided to give a try to MGSV: TPP as I took a look at some streams and some videos. I was a bit scared that I would waste 65€ in case I didn't like/enjoy the game. It's not been like that. This game is awesome, I'm enjoying it and I'd say it's one of the best games I've played if not the best. The gameplay is amazing, the story is pretty much good for me, and it's enjoyable as hell. There's a lot to do. I'm more than 70 hours in and I'm roughly at 45%. I have a lot to unlock and I can't wait to try everything out and to get the 100% of the game. No matter what are your game preferences, you should at least try it. You won't regret it. It's amazing, you just want to keep playing more and more and you just do it, you'll never get bored of it. MGS: Online is coming as well so this just expands the game lifespare. Stop reading for reviews, get the game. That's it. 10/10 without a doubt.… Expand
  14. fhl
    Sep 20, 2015
    0
    As a fan of MGS1, MGS2, MGS3 I'm very disappointed of this game. I tried to like it but I can't. Here the list of some annoying/bad things:
    repetitive missions;
    annoying open world; the helicopter usage is so boring and annoying, you'll lose a lot of time; you must lose extra time to farm resources/soldiers or you can't go on. People are blinded by graphics nowadays and can't get    As a fan of MGS1, MGS2, MGS3 I'm very disappointed of this game. I tried to like it but I can't. Here the list of some annoying/bad things:
    repetitive missions;
    annoying open world;
    the helicopter usage is so boring and annoying, you'll lose a lot of time;
    you must lose extra time to farm resources/soldiers or you can't go on.
    People are blinded by graphics nowadays and can't get which games are good or not. If you are a fan of open world games/MGS (especially 1,2,3), this is not the game you looking for.    … Expand
  15. HENCHMAN
    Sep 19, 2015
    10
    This game is simply amazing. Wanted to log some time before reviewing, have now exceeded 50 hours. Graphics are great , mechanics are fluid except when trying ton change directions while prone, there are so many missions as well. Though the side ops get a bit repetitive, they can be completed a variety of ways. This is my first ps4 game where i would happily pay more for. The weatherThis game is simply amazing. Wanted to log some time before reviewing, have now exceeded 50 hours. Graphics are great , mechanics are fluid except when trying ton change directions while prone, there are so many missions as well. Though the side ops get a bit repetitive, they can be completed a variety of ways. This is my first ps4 game where i would happily pay more for. The weather and topography are very well done. Arkham Knight , though detailed and stunning for example was visually dark all the time. Weapon customization is superb and the number of primary, secondary and support weapons is sick. Air support is fun also, whether bombs or sleeping gas or just smoke., so is playing with other characters. The buddy system was genius, DDog is the most useful IMO. This game, for me is the GOAT, greatest of all time sonfar. I hate the skulls, they make me nervous.

    I'll agree with the below posters, i thought my expectations would ruin the game but they were surpassed. Game did start slow but gets better as you play. I will stop now because i could go on forever. Good night.    … Expand
  16. Lavonicus
    Sep 19, 2015
    6
    *****SPOILER FREE*****

    This game has cut content from it. You beat the campaign on Mission 30. If you didn't know 30 was the end, you like everyone else would ask yourself, "Did I beat it?". There are 20 additional missions after that 15 of which are repeat missions from the story under a much harder difficulty. The extra 5 missions add a bit more back story to certain characters.    *****SPOILER FREE*****

    This game has cut content from it. You beat the campaign on Mission 30. If you didn't know 30 was the end, you like everyone else would ask yourself, "Did I beat it?". There are 20 additional missions after that 15 of which are repeat missions from the story under a much harder difficulty. The extra 5 missions add a bit more back story to certain characters. Mission 51 was cut from the game for whatever reason and because of that it has no true final boss fight.. Yet you can look it up on YouTube and watch it. There are also additional hidden cut-scenes with pivotal information that isn't delivered to you by the normal means of playing the story. I had to look these up as well.

    Don't let the "Open World" fool you. It is open to you where you get to pick how you go about entering a mission area and going about your goals. Not lets say, Fallout/Skyrim to go explore and do as you please. You can still explore, but it serves no extra purpose and does little to help you with the game. There is only one true military base which I didn't like. I enjoy close quarters MGS, not open and able to pick everyone off from afar. This made the game lose a portion of its essence.

    How much did Kiefer Sutherland get paid to record all of what, 30 lines of dialogue? Seriously, he barely spoke through the entire campaign. Ocelot is great and Miller just cries the entire time and has the worst dialogue possible. THEY PLAYED US LIKE A FIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDLE!

    Upgrading your items though I liked a lot though, from customizing your weapons to ordering upgrades. Same for mother base and going into a camp and stealing there people and there weaponry is great. I found the balloon hilarious and a great tool for infiltrating a base.

    The combat is solid, even though Reflex mode makes everything too easy. What boss fights that are in it are okay at best and the Skulls offer the only challenge in these events. I'm a stickler for sneaking and using darts for EVERYTHING. I really enjoyed the sneaking portion of this. Your buddies that you use in battle, I loved all of them. Quite will cause a corruption save issue if you use her on 28 or 42 FYI.

    It has Microtransactions in it for online pay, which I can't describe to you how much this annoys me. The online play has you infiltrating other player bases and stealing there equipment and people. If your caught, they can do the same to your base. Microtransactions though, why just why.

    If this game didn't have Microtransactions and didn't require me to look up the real ending and other major plot points on youtube I would gladly give it an 8-9. In the end, it is worth playing through and is worth your time and money. V is about closing doors and providing you with additional information about what is happening where and what happens throughout the course of MGS. Don't expect new doors to be open here. Don't be surprise though when you beat it, if you ask "Did I beat it?".    … Expand
  17. jamex
    Sep 19, 2015
    7
    The Gameplay of Snake and the things he can do are rather cool, but the world is death, the missions repeat too much. the Japanese extravaganza story is just to weird (not that you see much of it)

    For a ¨Stealth¨game the AI es not that great, Snake can take like 20 shoots withouth a problem. But again the World is deathhhhh and I don´t take high pride on games that does´t have    The Gameplay of Snake and the things he can do are rather cool, but the world is death, the missions repeat too much. the Japanese extravaganza story is just to weird (not that you see much of it)

    For a ¨Stealth¨game the AI es not that great, Snake can take like 20 shoots withouth a problem.

    But again the World is deathhhhh and I don´t take high pride on games that does´t have civilians.    … Expand
  18. Brandondwn
    Sep 19, 2015
    10
    The game looks amazing like an next gen game should, its fun, it is certainly more tailored for previous fans of the series but as some reviews show on here they dont see the "5" next to the name... that being said, the do a very good job of making it fun and playble and wanting to play the other games if you haven't already. the zero score reviews im seeing are beyond mindless and petty,The game looks amazing like an next gen game should, its fun, it is certainly more tailored for previous fans of the series but as some reviews show on here they dont see the "5" next to the name... that being said, the do a very good job of making it fun and playble and wanting to play the other games if you haven't already. the zero score reviews im seeing are beyond mindless and petty, no grip on the series or what a truly good series it is. This is Kojima's swan song and i see it being 2015's game of the year. We haven't had too many games that aren't giant medieval or post apocalyptic games shine since MGS4 or games like Dishonored, this isnt Destiny..this isnt a money game...it really is worth all the hype. its one of the highest rating games since next gen dropped that isnt an Nintendo game...like i said worth it. packed full of stuff, huge, fun, challenging, gorgeous and honestly the last of its kind most likely.… Expand
  19. Brendon6446
    Sep 19, 2015
    8
    Good game, MGS lived up to the hype it was surrounded by. Gameplay (while sometimes repetitive) is very good. If your into story driven stealth gamed then this is the game for you
  20. ZambieGuy
    Sep 18, 2015
    8
    This is a solid game and I really loved the gameplay. I just feel so disappointed about the story not because its not that its not good, its just unfinished! 1/3 was the story is missing from the game called chapter 3 peace and it never made it into the final game! The story just feels incomplete now and the game really doesn't have a true ending to the plot at hand, and there was a finalThis is a solid game and I really loved the gameplay. I just feel so disappointed about the story not because its not that its not good, its just unfinished! 1/3 was the story is missing from the game called chapter 3 peace and it never made it into the final game! The story just feels incomplete now and the game really doesn't have a true ending to the plot at hand, and there was a final boss mission planned for this game but got cut because Konami being cheap and will probably be sold later in dlc if we are lucky to even get it.… Expand
  21. shrinen
    Sep 18, 2015
    0
    Hype and blindness: One of the most disappointing gaming experiences I've had in my 20 years of gaming.

    There's no plot to speak of. What little there is comes off as cheesy, poorly written, disjointed, and reliant on cassette recordings or experience with earlier games (namely, Peacewalker). Spooky ghost ninjas? A firey man straight out of a cheesy Comic Book put out by sprinkler    Hype and blindness: One of the most disappointing gaming experiences I've had in my 20 years of gaming.

    There's no plot to speak of. What little there is comes off as cheesy, poorly written, disjointed, and reliant on cassette recordings or experience with earlier games (namely, Peacewalker).

    Spooky ghost ninjas? A firey man straight out of a cheesy Comic Book put out by sprinkler systems? If I wanted to play a cheesy superhero game, I'd play one. MGS has always presented itself as a futuristic military sim, not a ridiculous, over-the-top US Marines version of Saints Row.

    Again, cassette's: why am I listening to conversations that are completely irrelevant to my current mission while playing? Why would such a distraction be welcome during a strategy/stealth game? Why would the codec call, famed, uniquely genius, and perfected so early in the series be discarded for an after-thought like this? Playing cassettes feels like entering the soundtrack menu of old 16 bit games.

    The world and its inhabitants have no character. I heard the same "paw-touching" dialogue 10 times in a row upon visiting the base (which is a wasteland and devoid of any detail or interaction). Interacting with friends amounts to punching them in the face -- the same basic way we interact with enemies.

    The management system is a CityVille clone. Push around names on a list to get that jolt of adrenaline from the earning of "points." Better weapons, better features, yawn. Where's the gameplay in it? If I wanted to sort Excel spreadsheets I'd get an office job.

    The combat world, likewise, is barren. It feels like DayZ - a slapped together hobble of faceless metal and brick buildings guarded by randomized entities - again, without any personality or story behind any of them. Contrast this with all of the amazing scripted wonder of earlier game soldiers, even going back to MGS1 and Meryl's guards.

    Want to play a mission? Here, watch this same exact helicopter ride for the 50th time.

    Combat, gameplay, etc, etc it's good solid sure. Fun to play. But what's the motivation for playing? What am I doing in this world, who am I? What's my goal, who is giving me my missions?    … Expand
  22. gaxxo99
    Sep 18, 2015
    10
    I've been playing games for 20 years, Nothing before or most probably ever again will be as majestic as this quite stunning masterpiece of a game. I love my girlfriend but if had to choose between her and mgs5 I would have to leave her (as much as love her) i love this game just a little more. If you hate gaming but would like to give it a try make this the one for you!. Pure genius! hideoI've been playing games for 20 years, Nothing before or most probably ever again will be as majestic as this quite stunning masterpiece of a game. I love my girlfriend but if had to choose between her and mgs5 I would have to leave her (as much as love her) i love this game just a little more. If you hate gaming but would like to give it a try make this the one for you!. Pure genius! hideo please give us one more. x… Expand
  23. Quotidian
    Sep 18, 2015
    10
    The best of the series, it's great. The coolness of MGS1, the greatness of MGS3 and a story that isn't stupid like MGS4's.

    It's also one of the longest games I have ever played. I have played for 60 hours and only just got to another area besides Afghanistan. Although I have been doing stealth, getting S Ranks, doing all of the Side Ops, have a massive amount of resources and replayed    The best of the series, it's great. The coolness of MGS1, the greatness of MGS3 and a story that isn't stupid like MGS4's.

    It's also one of the longest games I have ever played. I have played for 60 hours and only just got to another area besides Afghanistan. Although I have been doing stealth, getting S Ranks, doing all of the Side Ops, have a massive amount of resources and replayed missions I have done, that's still a massive amount of time. I guess that this game will easily take me over 100 hours to get 100%.

    There is just so much to do. Fultoning soldiers, developing Mother Base, developing new equipment, managing your staff, messing around in free roam, etc.

    The graphics are excellent. The game uses the incredible Fox Engine that has some of the best lighting I have seen in a game. At times, it can look photo-realistic, while running at 60fps and extremely rarely dropping frames. The textures are much improved compared to Ground Zeroes, you can hardly tell this game is cross-gen.

    Animations are very professional. Not only are they realistic looking, (like Snake climbing realistically), they don't sacrifice control for realism. (The Witcher 3 feels so bad to control compared to this game.) The controls are fantastic. The only complaint I have would be the cover system, sometimes Snake will go where you don't want him to.

    It can be difficult as well. Not so much combat-wise, but if you want to stealth and get S Ranks you have to take a lot of things into account. For example, enemies will wise up and wear helmets eventually, which make getting tranquilizer head shots harder. Patrols on missions can make moving around less easy. Snipers will make you have to crawl.

    The game gradually gets more difficult. It starts off slow and you keep getting more and more abilities to use - this is one of the game's best points. You aren't thrust into a world of craziness straight away. In a way, it fits Snake's 9 year coma perfectly. You get more and more used to the war that is going on, back to your best.

    I probably haven't had as much fun with a stealth game since Hitman: Blood Money. As a stealth sandbox game, it is nearly perfect. There are many ways to complete missions with different loadouts.

    The sound design is impressive. The dynamic original score, the sound effects, the voice acting, all are great.

    If you are a big fan of stealth games, and if you liked GTA: Vice City's soundtrack, this is the game for you. Hall and Oates, Spandau Ballet, Billy Idol, the soundtrack on cassette tapes you get matches the 1984 setting perfectly.

    This is still a Metal Gear Solid game, however. There are plenty of humorous things you can do. minor gameplay spoilers: (using horse poop to spin a guard's vehicle out of control, the cardboard box, luring guards with girl posters on the cardboard box, etc.)

    Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions have gone out with a bang. This game is meticulously crafted, with subtlety, minor details you wouldn't expect to find in an AAA game, attention to detail, freedom of gameplay, cinematic storytelling (the directing in the cutscenes is great.), incredible engine, making 60fps a priority. There are a massive amount of things to praise.

    However, there is one big problem with the game. The narrative, and the pacing. You no longer have 30 minute cutscenes like the previous games, and codec calls. You have cutscenes that aren't nearly as long, and cassette tapes you can listen to which fill in a lot of details. There are a lot of cassette tapes, which are longer than the cutscenes themselves.

    You can go for hours and hours without the story being moved forward. and when it is moved forward, it isn't by much.

    This isn't a massive issue though, because the gameplay is so great.

    One of the best games of all time.    … Expand
  24. Heartz_Fear
    Sep 18, 2015
    5
    Das Spiel ist kein Metal Gear Solid mehr, es war eher ein Splinter Cell.
    Das Gameplay ist verdammt gut aber die Story ist total belanglos. MGS schließt für mich mit Teil 4 ab, weil es genauso gut ohne den Twist aus The Phantom Pain funktioniert.
    Man merkte knallhart die Anpassung an den Massenmarkt und das man krampfhaft versuchte, alle Spieler zu bedienen, vor allem die, die keinen    Das Spiel ist kein Metal Gear Solid mehr, es war eher ein Splinter Cell.
    Das Gameplay ist verdammt gut aber die Story ist total belanglos. MGS schließt für mich mit Teil 4 ab, weil es genauso gut ohne den Twist aus The Phantom Pain funktioniert.
    Man merkte knallhart die Anpassung an den Massenmarkt und das man krampfhaft versuchte, alle Spieler zu bedienen, vor allem die, die keinen Bezug zu den anderen Teilen haben.

    Also an alle MGS Fans, geht bitte nicht mit zu hohen Erwartungen ran, die Story ist auch mit den Kassetten quasi irrelevant.    … Expand
  25. AndreV87
    Sep 18, 2015
    10
    Finally, after final fantasy 7 , xenogears and few other games from the past i can fell emotions playing a game. Gameplay is perfect, music is fascinating, everything in the story plot match perfectly. Characters are awesome ,longevity is huge , 100 hours are not enough. The hole atmosphere finally it's really fascinating. Tons of things to do, tons of funny situations and moments thatFinally, after final fantasy 7 , xenogears and few other games from the past i can fell emotions playing a game. Gameplay is perfect, music is fascinating, everything in the story plot match perfectly. Characters are awesome ,longevity is huge , 100 hours are not enough. The hole atmosphere finally it's really fascinating. Tons of things to do, tons of funny situations and moments that will last forever. Even the trailer launch was perfect...ground zeroes was the perfect prologue for this game. Kojima is a genius, this game is perfect in almost every way, snake eater was surpassed. Thanks Kojima.… Expand
  26. Dartek
    Sep 17, 2015
    10
    Fox Engine was created for Phantom Pain and they are really compatible, beautiful graphics, nice missions (even the secundary) and also an amazing and tipically gameplay for the Metal Gear franchise, you have a mother base to administrate, training, and also partners and tons of items and weapons to have success on your quest.
    Great stor and of course a Hideo Kojima Game quality, some fan    Fox Engine was created for Phantom Pain and they are really compatible, beautiful graphics, nice missions (even the secundary) and also an amazing and tipically gameplay for the Metal Gear franchise, you have a mother base to administrate, training, and also partners and tons of items and weapons to have success on your quest.
    Great stor and of course a Hideo Kojima Game quality, some fan service and hours of fun. Masterpiece    … Expand
  27. herrmoekl
    Sep 17, 2015
    8
    Even if i think MGSV is a really good game i think it´s still hugely overrated by critics. I enjoyed the game a lot till the end of the first chapter. Now it really starts getting boring. I think it´s incredibly repetitive and annoying if you have to play story missions that you´ve already played again just to move forward in the story which is never really present anyways. But even thoseEven if i think MGSV is a really good game i think it´s still hugely overrated by critics. I enjoyed the game a lot till the end of the first chapter. Now it really starts getting boring. I think it´s incredibly repetitive and annoying if you have to play story missions that you´ve already played again just to move forward in the story which is never really present anyways. But even those new story missions really don´t bring something new to the table. Playing this Game i start to see the huge advantage a non open world stealth game has. Games like Chaos Theory never got repetitive as this game does because you didn´t have to go back to the same area over and over again. For me the open world takes away the feeling of importance and freshness doing these missions. I´m not saying that it doesn´t have advantages too. The big areas and many opportunities it gives me are just amazing. This is actually something i missed since games like Chaos Theory and blood money. I think this Game was a great experiment while i don´t think that a fully open world like this game has is the best way to make a stealth game. As a big fan of stealth games i want to see games that take the advantages from both concepts. I think a linear game with sandbox areas for each mission and as many different infiltration options as MGSV gives you would be really great.… Expand
  28. phoenix31a
    Sep 17, 2015
    2
    I will say that the open world concept was novel and was impressively done, but it lent a hand to ruining the game as a whole. Because you are forced into your helicopter between each mission, the game feels entirely disjointed. There is little linear progress through the otherwise impressive world that fans of the series have come to expect. Just as things begin to get interesting, youI will say that the open world concept was novel and was impressively done, but it lent a hand to ruining the game as a whole. Because you are forced into your helicopter between each mission, the game feels entirely disjointed. There is little linear progress through the otherwise impressive world that fans of the series have come to expect. Just as things begin to get interesting, you are presented with a "to be continued" message during a cutscene, then find yourself riding in the helicopter once more, completely pulling the viewer out of whatever immersion they were experiencing. In addition, I found myself wondering what I should be doing next at certain points because there was no story mission available. I then relegated myself to doing side missions until Ocelot tells me I had better get back to base for whatever comes next.

    By the time I had completed the game, I simply didn't care about the characters, the story, or to continue with the repetitive nature of the missions. NO spoilers, but the ending of the game was entirely disappointing. It took me a short while to realize that there was in fact no additional content. The story line simply does not resolve itself.

    For the enjoyable open world concept, I give 2 points.

    For the lack of a compelling story, depth of character, progression in the MG world, broken-up gameplay, non-linearity, and complete lack of an ending, I award it zero (additional) points, and may God have mercy upon it's soul.    … Expand
  29. Kreemkrackered
    Sep 17, 2015
    8
    Its been a long time coming and it's finally here - and its awesome! Graphics, sound and gameplay are all top-notch. However, me being able to whinge about anything means its got a couple of minor problems.

    Firstly - the disk based version. If you think the game is going to install once then forget it - after the prologue you get the inevitable 'game data installing' message - and    Its been a long time coming and it's finally here - and its awesome! Graphics, sound and gameplay are all top-notch. However, me being able to whinge about anything means its got a couple of minor problems.

    Firstly - the disk based version. If you think the game is going to install once then forget it - after the prologue you get the inevitable 'game data installing' message - and it takes around 8 minutes before you're allowed to continue. Me personally I sold my copy and paid the extra for the digital version - problem solved.

    Whinge number 2 - the constant credits! At the start of every mission it's like starting the game from scratch again - you get the names of the developers and characters - just start the game for gods sake!

    Whinge number 3 - not being able to skip the notices at the start of the game - I'm not interested in any of that rubbish.

    Final whinge - a horse?? It's almost like playing Red Dead Redemption.

    Apart from that it's a great game    … Expand
  30. JohnathanWells
    Sep 16, 2015
    9
    The gameplay is glorious, the sound is sweet, the graphics are beautiful. It's almost a perfect game.
    Almost.
    The story, one of the most important elements of a Metal Gear game is... average. It's not bad, it's not like it isn't interesting either, it's just that the pacing, the unfinished arcs and the cut content make this game so close to be a 10/10 just to fall right before reaching    The gameplay is glorious, the sound is sweet, the graphics are beautiful. It's almost a perfect game.
    Almost.
    The story, one of the most important elements of a Metal Gear game is... average.
    It's not bad, it's not like it isn't interesting either, it's just that the pacing, the unfinished arcs and the cut content make this game so close to be a 10/10 just to fall right before reaching that number. It's a REAL shame, I wanted this game to be the best game in the series, and to some extent it does have the best everything, but the story... it just didn't deliver.

    I hope Konami releases DLC with some if not all of the content that's clearly not in the game. I hope the game gets saved just like Mass Effect 3 did.    … 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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