Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Finally, it was all a 'Made in Kojima' trick to observe people's reaction to the title without knowing that it was really a new Metal Gear Solid . It was not a work in vain, since this sequence in the hospital acts as a prologue in this new installment. An appetizer that has little to do with what the bulk of the adventure offers, but that includes numerous surprising and particular elements that manage to leave no one indifferent, causing us to ask ourselves questions about what happens there from minute one.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a full-fledged statement of intent. Hideo Kojima has wanted to capture a different stamp than the one he has accustomed us in these almost three decades since the spying franchise par excellence was born in 1987 . The Japanese creator moves away from conventions to offer us an exquisite and unprecedented combination that brings the world of electronic entertainment closer to the way of narrating the television series.

Perhaps these and other reasons were the triggers of the final part of the soap opera. Indeed, we talk about what happened with the relationship between Konami and Hideo Kojima . Both parties have broken their relationship drastically, and each of them claims in their own way in the game their property rights. On the one hand, the editor has erased from the cover of the game and promotional posters any trace of the producer of Hideo Kojima . For its part, the creator takes advantage of the television methodology he has implemented in his new adventure, with credits both at the beginning and at the end of each mission, recreating himself in his name and in the Kojima Productions logo.

Background apart, the really important thing is that we have already been able to enjoy everything offered by Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain . Despite the tejemanejes of its development, we can say very high that the title meets expectations. That definitely closes a circle. And he achieves it based on subtle and elegant claims . A proposal with elements to dazzle both the fans of the saga and the neophytes of it. A game with capital letters that will be remembered during the next years. The most complete Metal Gear Solid in history .

By this we do not mean that the game is argumentatively bad, but that it is simply different. Perhaps the most purists are left with a bitter aftertaste due to high expectations and illusions of seeing certain characters. We have to remember that the fabric of the Metal Gear Solid story was practically closed with Guns of the Patriots . However, the time lag between Snake Eater and Peace Walker until the original MSX deliveries remained to be spun. The so-called descent into the hell of Big Boss , and the reasons that lead to it.

All this is resolved in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain , although perhaps with more superficiality than expected. Despite its leading role, Big Boss goes to the background in the cinematic sequences. Taciturn and hurt with everything that has happened, allows the singing voice to be carried by others. He speaks what is strictly necessary to remember the hierarchical lineage, where he has the last word. Everyone respects him and nobody scolds him . There is no Allied soldier who does not pay him homage with the military salute when we pass by him. We have rarely felt so powerful incarnating a video game character.

I had taken care of the preparation. There were far too many guards looking for me and with the approaching sunrise, my chances of arriving at the landing zone, with an injured prisoner on my shoulders, were almost zero. At night, I had put C4 on the outpost where the radio communication equipment was located, on the anti-aircraft battery, and more importantly, on their radar. So I held my breath, blew up the whole C4 at the same time, called the helicopter and watched the fireworks. Shortly thereafter, the pace of my journey increased in intensity, detonating an armored vehicle with a fierce barrage of rockets and sweeping the infantry with a heavy machine gun and then trudging from my hideout to the main courtyard with a prisoner. I embarked with my precious package, then grab the mini-gun mounted on the helicopter to contain the arrival of reinforcements on the bay before our departure from the danger zone.

This is what Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain looks like and what is really impressive is that nothing was scripted during these moments. My mission was to save the prisoner. The rest, the time at which I wanted to start the mission, the ability of the enemy camp to face an air assault, the guards, their patrols, etc. all this is one of the variables proposed in The Phantom Pain. It is without a doubt my favorite Metal Gear, even if I really hope that its history delivers as many memorable moments as its open world allowed me to create myself by my actions.

From the moment you are asked to ride a horse and explore the Afghan countryside, The Phantom Pain is intimidating, almost frightening in terms of the freedom brought by its open world. It's almost too much, especially compared to the relative linearity of previous Metal Gear. But what seemed like a confusing mix of possibilities turned out to be well thought out gameplay mechanics that allowed me to make real decisions that were full of surprises.

Let's take a look at another daring prisoner rescue for example. The day / night cycle of The Phantom Pain, as well as its dynamic weather played a major role in my choice to use my C4 in this mission. I was aware that I would not benefit from night cover, I was certain that I could not benefit from the fog either, from a sandstorm or even a light rain which would conceal the noise of my steps, like My intelligence team had told me so. I also knew that I would need a closer extraction point, so I went in search of the area's anti-aircraft radar to destroy it with my C4, in order to avoid my enemies spot me during my escape. Unfortunately, there was communication equipment, which I missed. By not destroying all the transmitters, reinforcements from the nearby outposts came to complicate matters at the end of my mission. Whatever the conditions, all the different factors and other details are to be taken into consideration. But rest assured, even if you miss, even in bad shape, there are always decisions to be made to try strategies and hope to get out of it.

The greatest soldier of the XXI century

The most impressive thing about this game is that you can solve the puzzles as you see fit thanks to the flexibility of The Phantom Pain's gameplay. The transition from stealth to direct approach is much more visible than in previous MGS games, and playing aggressively doesn't seem like a "bad" option, unlike most other stealth games. If someone spots you, you have a few seconds of slow motion (the famous reflex mode that you can deactivate) to lower it discreetly and avoid being spotted by the entire base. It is not only a style effect because it gives you the freedom to take calculated risks with a certain margin of error.

Even when things don't go as planned, missions evolve accordingly. If your meticulously prepared plan fails, it can nevertheless lead you to a chase on horseback or a confrontation with a combat helicopter, everything is possible! But even when your plan doesn't work, it doesn't mean failure or frustration.

The fact that MGS is not a painful experience and that a little (or even a lot) of aggressiveness makes, thanks to all your combat tools, the adventure incredibly digestible and it is a real treat. I can, for example, call a combat helicopter to get air support, mark targets to throw a huge bomb of soporific gas at them or have a combat walker, directly dropped on my side on the battlefield, to make a massacre if I feel like it. The weapons, thanks to a redesigned gameplay, are extremely reactive. And then, unlike those of Ground Zeroes, I can use them without necessarily seeing my note (at the end of the level) sealed as much.

But that does not mean that being a trigger maniac is of no consequence, and we realize this in particular in the management of the famous base of operations of Snake, the Mother Base. It is essentially Peace Walker, the PSP episode, that we owe its operation. From the Mother Base, you take care of building, recruiting and researching (and developing your arsenal), as well as your mercenaries, the Diamond Dogs, who you can kidnap or recruit on the battlefield . Thus, each soldier that I eliminate and the supply trucks that I explode are wasted because if I had been more meticulous, I could have recovered them alive, or in good condition, to use them in the Mother Base. In other games, enemy camps are just full of dangers, but in The Phantom Pain they are a way to gain resources and recruit new units.

And believe me, succeeding in leading an army requires a lot of money and, above all, a lot of manpower. There are an incredible number of guns, gadgets, and unlockables in the research department of Mother Base. And the same goes for vehicles and soldiers' specializations, which you can also use in the main adventure to bring you resources. You will have to make sure to assign your new recruits in a sector of the Mother Base and this according to their talent. The breadth of options on offer and the decisions to make are not the most impressive things in the game, however. No, the most amazing thing is that it is all linked and has consequences when you explore the battlefields during your missions.

Distributing soldiers to Mother Base is as interesting as trying to manage cash, and when, for example, my research and development team brings me a new, modified version of my favorite assault rifle, or when staff that I redirected to support and logistics allows me, finally, to fire heavy artillery, I finally realized that these management details really counted. And know it, I was then happy to have paid attention and to have invested time in the management of my base. It was worth it ! Note also that in missions, my actions are also important for obtaining resources.

Resource management is actually the engine of this open world. While the open areas of The Phantom Pain offer the freedom to bypass the small outposts on my way to the main goal, I have rarely done so. Because after all, the guards present could be in possession of vital information, scarce food, or equipment that I might need. It is always possible that they know the location of a supply truck that I could steal to make it easier for me to the next base, or they may as well know the location of a soldier to be rescued. Sure, it distracted me from my main goal, but it was also an opportunity to discover new things, new tools, new possibilities. The different game systems of The Phantom Pain, both management, action, infiltration, information retrieval, discoveries, etc. elevate its gameplay and, in that, the title largely differs from its competitors .

However, if the gameplay of The Phantom Pain is richer and more consistent than that of its predecessors, its history gives the impression of being underdeveloped. Indeed, the open world of the game is spectacular but the narration, really present at the very beginning of the adventure, asks a lot of questions which we will not finally have the answers until 30 to 60 hours later (it depends on the answers that you expect and how you play). In general, these answers seem a little too quick and unconvincing, all lacking in arguments and relevance.

This is really disappointing for a series known for the quality of the subjects it explores. Here it is the reverse. The Phantom Pain tackles important subjects such as the price to pay for a personal revenge, the danger of child soldiers or the horror of torture, to name a few, but there is nothing to say positive above, except that they exist. Fortunately, there is not too much unnecessary chatter since the cutscenes were rare and brief, and let me quickly play again. Although this seems to be a positive, I would have preferred to have as many cutscenes as in MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots, with finally many more epic moments and reversals of situations.

Quiet ...

Anyway, the elements of the history of The Phantom Pain are nevertheless well brought, with beautiful cinematics, and neat performances, including that of Keifer Sutherland (Big Boss), which unfortunately does not have much to make. His inexplicable silence, even through the most crucial moments in history, goes beyond stoicism and turns out to be overwhelming. Quite a few things have disappeared in this episode of MGS, starting with the conversations via the codec, the epic boss fights and some important characters related to the mythology of the saga. Most of the characters in the game seem to be there to appear on the screen, give information and stay in your field of vision with a dramatic air.

The only real exception to this is none other than the sniper named Quiet, whose childlike sincerity and ferocity on the battlefield give her a charisma that makes her the most important character in the scenes in which she finds herself. . Unfortunately, her lack of clothes makes her a little ridiculous so much that at one point in the game, she no longer seems credible. It would have been better to dress her in military trellis, she would still have remained the most endearing character. You will understand, the fact that she is an object of desire is a little disappointing.

It is surprising, however, to see how much the horrors of The Phantom Pain history actually moved me. It takes an objective approach to both story and gameplay. In ten years, I doubt that the scenario of the missions of the game reminds me of incredible memories, however, I could write a book as there are so many ways to fill them with brilliant plans that I had developed and that have unfolded as expected. It’s without a doubt the worst `` written '' Metal Gear in the series, but it’s probably also the one that gives the player the most room to progress as they want, and I much prefer this, as I indicated with my helicopter flight at the start of this test.

The basics of advanced online operations

The Phantom Pain goes even deeper with its advanced online operating base system, which allows you to build additional fortresses in addition to your Mother Base to expose them to other players. You then distribute resources, manpower and repair the defenses that protect you from other online attackers. You can also try to take over the advanced operating bases of other online players in the hopes of collecting more resources, recruiting their high-ranking units, and most importantly, taking the nuclear bombs. The Advanced Operations Base is associated with nuclear proliferation, where you will choose to build a massive stockpile of nuclear weapons, or to steal or defuse those of others. I could only touch it for a few hours, but so far I have found that this is sufficient motivation to continue playing and looting the areas offered in The Phantom Pain, even after the end.

I would like to say one important sentence at the very beginning. Well, for years I have been a devoted lover of the talent of Hideo Kojma, and the Metal Gear Solid series in particular. It was with great pleasure that I completed all of its previous parts, including Portable Ops , considered as non-canonical, at which this deserved industry creator was only a producer. I was also very impressed with The Phantom Pain , the Ground Zeroes prologue released last year, which gave hope that the next installment of the series would bring fans a great game. Or otherwise. GZ gave hope for the perfect MGS . A title that will skilfully combine the sandbox structure of the open world and another unique story full of exciting cutscenes and memorable characters.

I decided to approach the new MGS carefully and coldly, without too much fever. Later, many hours of contact with Big Boss assured me in one: The Phantom Pain is a very good game, which, however, did not avoid many mistakes and simplifications. It's also a good Metal Gear Solid , but definitely not the peak achievement of Hideo Kojima. I do not know how much of the blame the creator himself, and how much the publisher, Konami, with whom he came into a sharp dispute, which resulted in the removal of the developer name from the game box. We will probably never know the true causes of these disagreements and we will not find out how they actually influenced the final shape of the product.

It is an indisputable fact that MGS V is the most accessible part of the series for new players , an adventure with which you can start properly without any preparation. Yes, it is good to know the previous achievements of Big Boss, but information about them (in a fairly short, but sufficient form) can be assimilated from the cassette tapes received from the collaborators of the main character, containing dialogues and monologues about the current situation and events happening in the background of the main story , and expanding our knowledge of the Metal Gear universe.

The fun begins with an hour-long, delightful prologue, which is in my opinion one of the best openings in the history of electronic entertainment. Earlier, the beginning of The Last of Us had almost as great an impression on me, but Kojima played his game in an even better, more emotional and engaging way. Introduction is the essence of the series, hope for the author's magnum opus, pressing the jaw drop sequence into the armchair. However, when the actual game begins, emotions also fall, fall and ... fall ...

Big Boss wakes up after a nine-year coma caused by injuries received at Ground Zeroes and the first steps, after getting out of the siege by a bomber hospital and the necessary convalescence at a base in Seychelles, goes to Afghanistan. It is 1984, the Soviet occupation is underway, and the mercenary organization Diamond Dogs created by our hero is looking for military contracts on which one can earn and develop Motherbase - a new platform located on the high seas, serving as a base.

Hideo Kojima entered a new area he had never known before and together with his team prepared a real sandbox. The maps available in the game are not too huge, but we can navigate them in any direction and in one of at least several ways. Apart from military vehicles, we travel a long way backwards, and as the situation develops, also a small battle mech, called the D-Walker. Big Boss is a master of infiltration, so we spend most of our time on missions, trying to avoid enemy patrols, blow up military equipment and free detained prisoners. Ground Zeroes gave a foretaste of the stealth features of the game a year ago, and basically not much has changed in this respect. With time, we use more and more perfect equipment, which facilitates the performance of tasks. A more effective and deadly weapon is useful in sub-gate situations, but keep in mind that secretive and silent execution of tasks is the most rewarded. "Act so that the enemy does not guess your presence right behind your back," says the handbook of every fan of the genre. Snake, without signs of fatigue, runs a sprint, making a lot of noise, but also creeps into squatting or like a real snake winds up on the ground, hiding from an unconscious patrol located at his fingertips.

We can try to get away from behind every typical opponent and catch him to interrogate him. While we have kidnapped a translator of a given language before, we have a chance to find out exactly where the prisoners are kept, where are the plans for a weapon or device and which soldiers are specialists in skills useful for us in the development of the base. After stunning, you can leave the body on view, which will sooner or later end in an alarm and raise the readiness of all nearby soldiers. So it's best to use a balloon (in extreme cases, when the character is wounded, for example, you need to call for a helicopter), put the delinquent in the base. Alternatively, put it in one of the outcrops or garbage containers nearby. However, it is likely that the poor man will wake up and bring hordes of friends to our heads. So what remains? The final solution is killing opponents, which - unfortunately - along with the development of available equipment we are quietly encouraged by the game itself. Killing is quick, easy and doesn't lead to the dark side. At one point we have such firepower that breaking up a large post and a group of standard soldiers stationed there becomes a piece of cake.

However, it is better to use the most important gadget of all Snakes, i.e. the sleeping arrow gun. Hitting the head instantly puts the enemy to sleep. The so-called Reflex Mode. When we are covered, the game slows down for a few seconds, giving valuable time to react. This can be easier to turn off in the game menu, which I recommend to people who want to get the highest scores for completing missions. Unfortunately, I regret to say that artificial intelligence responsible for the behavior of guards makes the most of the matter. One of the simpler methods of eliminating them is worrying about their location on earth. In most cases, the guard comes up to check the suspicious place, and we take care of him with just a few meters with one silent shot. The enemies are sometimes so stupid that this kind of maneuver can easily be carried out even for larger groups. Getting three or four soldiers to sleep with them in a row won't make Snake a problem. All the time I had the impression that, compared to other parts of the series, guards can see over longer distances, but at the same time it is easier to lead them to the field. Perhaps also due to the open area, giving the player more freedom. In the narrow corridors of the buildings at Shadow Moses or Big Shell, it was not that easy. What's more, the 3 % information about the effectiveness of the camouflage used has also disappeared. What about the fact that this time we can dress in leopards like in small cases, since we can never be sure which of them will be the best in a given area.

What captivates The Phantom Pain the most is the immense possibilities in mission planning. Every way is good, so we can adapt the game to our play style, and not the other way around. In the initial phase, you can even succumb to real fascination. After all, we have a big world - it is nothing that is largely limited by mountains, between which narrower or narrower spaces with a road and a large side are hollowed out. At first, we only see fantastic progress made by the Hideo Kojima team. Here Metal Gear Solid broke through another barrier and became almost perfect stealth. In my case, however, the charm was broken at some point. When for hours I sneaked between the rocks of completely deserted areas, with only a dozen or so species of animals and hostile soldiers guarding their bases (before whom, why, if outside of the army or a living spirit?), I began to doubt Kojima's decision to make the "five" sandbox .

Don't get me wrong. I really like games with open worlds, only on condition that the creators have done everything to make their virtual space look even credible. Meanwhile, at MGS, I listen to tapes describing current events - well! - I am even taking part in the mujahedin offensive against Soviet tanks and not a single Islamist aiming his CIA weapon towards the attackers! Null, empty! I chase one horse from one end of the map to the other to shoot as many armored vehicles as I can in fifteen minutes. No sorry, Koijma, but this case was much better settled years ago in Rambo III .

Big Boss can't swim. He can't. In contact with deeper water it dies immediately. Once a similar complaint did not prevent Red Dead Redemption from being the best game of the previous generation, so in this case there is nothing to dramatize. Fortunately, all the rivers here are a few centimeters deep. However, there are places where an unconscious engineer built an invisible wall. And even if you insist, you will not be able to reach the factory from the back, because the designer decided that instead of getting around it, you have to get in the company of drumming drummers. These are minor flaws, but depending on your expectations, they can become a big problem. If you turn a blind eye to it, then in fact - you get a stealth not only extensive, but also successful, and most importantly: also addictive. Maybe not like a swamp, but it is a solid aspect of this title. The more that while playing on joint expeditions we also take companions and to a large extent the ability to complete the mission depends on their ability. Present on many trailers before the premiere of the game, the dog snarls to know where it sniffed the opponent, barked at him, distracting him, and after equipping with the right equipment, jumps on the guest's back and simply daggers him in the world. Quiet Sniper rifle not only marks the location of enemies, but also eliminates them from a great distance on request. And there are more of this type of helpers - I would not, however, unnecessarily reveal too much of the plot. Suffice it to say that this is, for one of my favorite series, engaging as usual, but it is far from the "epic" known from previous installments of the series. In addition, Kojima quotes himself too often in places - see another sniper duel.

We can also move around Motherbase, though - to tell the truth - not much work here. Sometimes we are forced to have a conversation with one of the supporting characters, but not only. Individual sections (unfortunately, really solid apart from each other) offer additional training missions. It is also worth doing a run near the guards wandering everywhere. It raises their morale. We can also hurt them, for example, by crushing the larynx, in order to force information about the finds hidden on Motherbase. Oh, one of the Koijima variations on the loyalty of colleagues. After a hard day's work, Snake is dirty and his face is bloody, so you should use the shower cubicle from time to time. Like a trifle, but it enjoys such an attachment to details.

Hours pass, Big Boss penetrates the available areas, and the fan of the series suffers from torture due to the lack of more cutscenes, seemingly - elements inseparable from MGS . Unfortunately, the movies are like medicine, and I must confess that I did not expect it. I wanted 'epy', banal monologues with a flag waving in the background and drama tailored to what the ground Zeroes ending presented. Koijma, however, arranged his accents differently. The Phantom Pain is a game in which there is the least element metal in the metal. In return, however, it is also the title with the most games in the game . This memorable sugar in sugar, which in turn may appeal to people who are unfamiliar with the cycle's meanders. Personally, I also missed the characteristic voice of David Hayter, the long-term alter ego of all Snakes. Kiefer Sutherland doesn't have much opportunity to prove himself, because Kojima has limited the talks with Big Boss to the necessary minimum. I am also sorry to say that the original soundtrack does not reach heels with the compositions of Harry Gregson-Williams, and a dozen hits from the eighties on average save the situation. How many times can you listen to Kids in America or Take on Me over and over again?