Every couple of years, there is a game that arrives on the scene that the gaming media and fans alike consider to be a ‘masterpiece.’ Games like The Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto V, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are not perfect, but they are those special gems that every developer strives to create. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is being put in that class of games for good reason. Hideo Kojima’s last entry in the series is a masterclass in gameplay and having the player create their own experience. At around 25 hours into the game, I have just scratched the surface. That being said, I have played enough to garner some thoughts on my experience thus far.

Gameplay is King

In today’s video game landscape, a lot of developers are so focused on creating the best looking game possible or on making sure their game is always connected ,and while Metal Gear is a gorgeous game (more on that later), the focus for MGSV is really on the gameplay. This game just feels right. The controls are responsive and tight and if there was a mistake made, it was on my end as the gamer. But the controls wouldn’t mean anything if the game wasn’t fun to play. Traditionally, I have been partial to running and gunning in video games like Halo or Call of Duty. MGSV encourages you to go in quietly and I can honestly say I am having a blast with it. The option is there to go in loud and kill everyone, but I find that I seldom take that route unless I absolutely have to. I really felt a sense of accomplishment when I get through an entire enemy base without being spotted. It is a testament to how good Kojima and the rest of his team are at creating a game where it is more fun to sneak than it is to blow everything up. On top of the game that takes place in Afghanistan, there is an entirely different one on your home base of Mother Base. While you can play completely ignoring Mother Base, the game truly hits its stride when you are dedicating time to make your home the best it can be. I find myself getting addicted to building up my base when trying to find new soldiers to fulton home or striving to find new blueprints to better my arsenal. Each gameplay aspect is used masterfully and has true meaning, which is one of the reasons this version of Metal Gear is so damn striking.

Damn Snake, you looking fine

Now that we are in year two of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4’s life cycle, developers are starting to graphically harness the capabilities of these powerful machines, and MGSV is no exception. The deserts of Afghanistan and the forests of Africa are absolutely beautiful and feel like they are living worlds. Whether it be the wildlife running around or enemy tanks and jeeps rolling down the roads, this dangerous world Snake is placed in feels real. Another act of voodoo the developers implemented is how good the character models look. Main characters like Big Boss and Ocelot are hyper-detailed while a majority of the soldiers you encounter on your adventures look varied and different from one another. It is a treat scrolling through the list of recruits at Mother Base, seeing each of them having their own look and style. The only complaint I have is there can be texture pop-in from time to time, but in an open-world game of this magnitude, I think these errors can be forgiven. MGSV demands a lot of attention from its players, so it’s a good thing it so pretty to look at. Now if only I could figure out what is going on in the story.

No seriously, what just happened?

For those of you who don’t know, the Metal Gear franchise has a reputation for making players say “what the f*** just happened?”. Whether it is through the twisted and confusing chronological order of the games themselves or through the insane bosses and characters, Metal Gear always finds a way to keep players on the edge of their seats, MGSV included. Now granted, I am new to the series, but from what I have gathered, people are a little disappointed with the story of this entry, in that it is not as insane as games past. From my perspective though, I cannot say I fully agree. Twenty-five hours into the game, I have already had many moments where I had to put the controller down, look at my roommate Joe, and confirm what I had just witnessed with him. That being said, I get where people are coming from. The story seems to be hands off and minimalist, trying to let the player create their own experiences, which is either good or bad, depending on what you expect from these games. Overall though, the story has me engaged, interested, and wanting to know more about the Big Boss and the rest of Diamond Dogs.

Just scratching the surface

While this is my first venture into the series, I can see why fans love this world so much. The combat and gameplay demand that I think before I act, which has resulted in rewarding experiences. The brutal, war torn world is a beautiful one to get lost in and explore, along with its character models. And finally, the story is engaging and has me wanting more. While personally I would not call this game a 10/10, I do believe that it deserves most of the credit that it is getting from media and fans alike. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to infiltrating enemy bases and taking out the Soviets, quietly of course.