Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain | Beautiful Non-Sense

In the aftermath of the events of Ground Zeroes (1975) and the destruction of Militaires Sans Frontières (commonly abbreviated as MSF), Big Boss falls into a coma. Nine years later (1984), he awakes and helps lead a new mercenary group, Diamond Dogs. Adopting the codenames "Punished Snake" and "Venom Snake", he ventures into Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War to track down the men responsible for MSF's destruction. Along the way, he becomes reacquainted with his former rival Ocelot and encounters a unit of warriors robbed of their past, present and future. While he and Benedict "Kazuhira" Miller are initially driven to exact revenge, Snake soon unearths a plot by the Cipher organization to develop a weapon with the potential to surpass even the Metal Gear system.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is a gameplay marvel, rewarding intelligence and creativity in a way few games do.

+Exceptional sandbox gameplay
+Meaningful complexity
+Stealth flexibility
+Tons of gadgets and abilities

– Sparse story

Make no mistake, though, the Phantom Pain is excellent. It expands and enriches Metal Gear Solid without compromising the qualities that make the series so beloved. Despite the huge scope, hollywood talent, and technical flashiness, there’s a subtlety to the Phantom Pain that’s truly captured our hearts. Even now we’re still turning its events over and over again in our minds. So rarely do game stories demand so much consideration. Decades later, it’s incredible that Metal Gear can still captivate, inspire, and amaze. The Phantom Pain is another significant addition to an enduring legacy.

The Good
Tells a complex, unusual story that holds your attention from start to finish
The world and characters are captivating in their presentation
Tackles taboo topics with grace
Features a massive open world that's dense with exciting possibilities
Delivers best-in-class stealth gameplay
The Mother Base aspect is rewarding and engrossing, extending the scope of the game beyond the battlefield
A perfectly fitting piece to the twisted Metal Gear saga

The Bad
Pacing issues towards the end of the game momentarily halt your momentum

The Good: An open world that delivers one mechanic after another that redefines what can be done in a sandbox.
The Bad: Narrative stones left unturned will disappoint superfans and sticklers.
The Ugly: You have to wonder what Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain would have looked like if it hadn’t been developed for last gen as well.

Concept:Bring Metal Gear’s signature stealth into an open world focused on individual missions

Graphics:The visuals look great and run smoothly, with some occasional texture pop-in when your focus changes

Sound:Kiefer Sutherland does a good job, but speaks so rarely that the change from David Hayter in the lead role feels more like a PR stunt than a new direction for the character

Playability:Some of the contextual commands can be finicky, but the basic stealth and combat mechanics are rock solid

Entertainment:Many missions feel like puzzles, forcing you to use your available resources to find one of many ways to complete your objective. Applying your rewards to building, expanding, and improving your base is an irresistible joy

Replay:High