Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Review

Tone

For the sake of simplicity, I will not attempt to recount several years of Metal Gear Solid timeline to provide context for the latest installment in the series. Tonally, the game loves being deadly serious almost as much as it loves being campy. To be fair, the game seems a lot more self-aware when it comes to its campy tone than previous entries. Either way, the great gameplay is often interrupted by overwritten footage and lore, though perhaps this should be grasped to your liking.

Multiplayer

It is worth noting that Metal Gear Solid V offers a multiplayer component. Although it feels particularly sticky compared to an otherwise compelling single player experience. Metal Gear online features game modes that mirror traditional ones found in other third-person shooters. Comm Control has players fight on specific areas of the map, Bounty Hunter behaves like a flag capture type of game, and Cloak and Dagger is a stealth-oriented twist. All three modes feel a little awkward in the open game structure and aren’t as compelling as the campaign.

There are also advanced operational bases – a competitive base-building game that earns resources for single player mode. Players attack other bases and steal resources, but they can also secure easy wins with microtransactions. It’s another unnecessary and particularly seedy mode that adds no real value to The Phantom Pain. Thankfully, the campaign is so dense and engaging that multiplayer can be completely ignored.

Final verdict

As the fifth lead entry in the series (and Kojima’s latest game on Konami), Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain it looks decidedly different from its predecessors. The open world creates a renewed sense of stealth and a refreshing change of pace. However, like previous games, the dense tradition and convoluted writing bogs him down. If history doesn’t catch you (like it didn’t catch me), Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain it’s at least worth playing for the gameplay itself, which remains a fantastic experience.