As the final installment of Konami’s marquee series, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain brings together Hideo Kojima’s story to a full circle, taking the Big Boss to the steps that will eventually lead him to where we meet him in the original game. But what captivates fans is in the radical changes to mechanics that will keep people playing through the 50-plus hours of gameplay.
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What Is Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain?
Players have always experienced a tight stealth game in this series. It once again continues on the story of Big Boss/Snake, this time under the name Venom Snake, as he forms a new army and combats a new foe in war-torn regions of the 1980s. As always, Hideo Kojima’s blends the primary subterfuge with bombastic action, memorable characters, and convoluted cut-scenes.
A Punished Snake
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain starts nine years after the events of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. He wakes up in a Cyprus hospital in a classic drawn-out prologue that leads to flames and callbacks to pivotal parts of the franchise. From there players dive into Venom Snake’s war in a very innovative way that will be mentioned later.
War Never Changes
Snake’s primary missions take place in Afghanistan and Angola-Zaire, which have equally different takes on the nature of war. The game’s use of the Soviet-Afghan War cannot help but link it to the current occupation of Afghanistan by the United States, with the game using phrases like “enemy combatants” that harken to Bush-era terminology. The Angola-Zaire missions amped up the over-the-top climax while adding commentary on exploitation and child soldiers in Africa.
What Is the Phantom Pain?
Image via dualshockers
The ghostly title of the game ties to very different parts of its story. The obvious comes from the sensations a person feels from a body part that is no longer there, which happens to Snake after the loss of his arm post-Ground Zeroes. Snake also has to deal with a phantom of his own with the villainous Skull Face, which is an absence he and his army must deal with. Kojima’s major plot twist leading into the events of the original Metal Gear also serves as a phantom into the very heart of the Big Boss.
Product Specs
Devil or Savior?
We Share Our Mother Base
Tactical Online Action
Pricing
How It Compares
We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
- Hello Neighbor
- The Last of Us
- Aragami
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Price
The game, now in its third year after its release, has dropped in price. That makes it a worthwhile buy if you either haven’t already purchased it or are new to the series.
Ease of Use
The controls of the game are top-notch. You can easily navigate through rough terrain and it is possible to move in near-perfect stealth. Even when you do not get the right angle for a shot or escape, you can use it as a new vantage point in an open-world system. This gives it 5 stars.
Features
The mechanics developed from the eight previous games over the decades have culminated into a unique experience. The stealth is an improved camouflaged version of MGS 3, with expansive level designs as a nod to MGS4, combined with the base-building functions of Portable Ops/Peace Walker. This synthesis creates Kojima’s goal of a tactical espionage operations game with many pieces ready to be played. We give it 5 stars.
Compatibility
One of the biggest draws of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain during launch was its cross-platform appeal. It was made available to both major consoles and the PC. Provided you have the hard drive space (which will be addressed soon), a digital download is very possible. This is an easy 5 stars.
Installation
Surprisingly enough, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is actually smaller in GB size than the previous game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots. Depending on the console, it can range anywhere between 12 to 25GB for the PS3, PS4, XBox 360, or Xbox One. This optimization gives it a solid 5 stars.
Pros
Cons
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Price
The price of this stylish survival-stealth game is at about $, which seems a bit much for the quality it is giving out.
Ease of Use
The controls are simple to use for the most part. There are times where players might find moments of clunkiness, but they are not the point that detracts from the game. A lot of control issues might come from the underlying physics issues of the game. Overall, we give it 3 stars.
Features
This is when the game goes in a different direction, for while it has many interesting goals in mind, it is debatable as to whether they are effectively executed. The player must find clever ways into the basement of their neighbor’s house, who is getting smarter the more he catches you. But the game begins to drag on the more he catches you, and the puzzles in the house verge on the nonsensical. We give the features 1 star.
Compatibility
There is another big issue with how well the game translates on different consoles. It has been launched on PC, Xbox One, iOS, and Switch to mixed results. The PC and XBox versions seem to run fine while the other two run between poor or mediocre at best. This gives it a 2-star rating.
Installation
The low-res art style keeps the game at a 5GB installation, making it rather easy to install. We give it 4 stars on this front.
Pros
Cons
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Price
The award-winning survival horror game has two versions—the original PS3 game and a re-mastered one made for the PS4. The former comes at about $ while the latter is priced at around $.
Ease of Use
Naughty Dog distilled years of Uncharted’s gameplay and created the best possible game. Careful movement from both bandits and murderous infected are important in this game, and they deliver it in spades. The shooting function is also easy for players. We give this 5 stars.
Features
There are many reasons why The Last of Us is considered a pinnacle of the PS3 as a console. It is a culmination in gameplay, story, and graphics that bring to life a bleak landscape for two lonely survivors. The lush design of a ravaged America serves as the base of what becomes a refreshing take on the adventure genre. What is one of the most compelling parts of the game is a deep story between Joel and Ellie, two main characters who have received accolades from many think pieces and “best of” lists. This gives the game an easy 5 stars.
Compatibility
The Last of Us is a PlayStation-exclusive title, so you will need either a PS3 or PS4 to play it. That gives it 3 stars.
Installation
The game can be either bought on disc or through digital download through the PlayStation Store. We give it 4 stars.
Pros
Cons
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Price
This unique stealth action game costs at around $ across most platforms, from Steam to PlayStation Store and others. For the overall content, it deserves a $$ rating.
Ease of Use
What takes away part of the hiding experience is Aragami’s issues with camera controls. The game’s overall problems with optimization slow it down, making it clunky and hard to use at times. We give it 2 stars.
Features
As an undead assassin, players have a very interesting arsenal at their disposal. They do not move in the shadows so much as they control them — transport through them, create shadows and become invisible, etc. As you attempt to hunt down your targets and reach your final points, you must use your power to materialize weapons and even creatures to eliminate the surrounding threats. Visually, it is a delight, but the AI of your opponents are not. Overall, the features give the game 3 stars.
Compatibility
There are versions of Aragami on the PC, Mac, and PS4. There’s even a version you can install for Linux, if that’s your thing. We give it 5 stars for compatibility.
Installation
There are no installation issues as the game is a digital download only and is 6GB. Its small size lands it a 4-star rating.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
Hideo Kojima, in his swan song to a decades-long franchise, creates a distillation of his ability to direct rather than create a story as he normally does. As we experience his vision of infinite war and its futility, we might not notice how fun climbing up covert Soviet installations at night really is. But that does not stop showing us how in this free-for-all world he provides us, we can explore into the final steps of a legendary character as he continues into the video game pantheon. We give Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain a rating of 5 stars.