JUICY GAME REVIEWS
  • Welcome
  • Video Game Reviews
  • Retro Game Reviews
  • Game Shops
  • TheGebs24
  • Bio

video game reviews

ANything from Xbox 360, Playstation 3, playstation 5, xbox series x and Nintendo Switch

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - five hours in on the PS4

14/9/2015

2 Comments

 
Gemma @Juicygamereviews
Metal Gear Solid V review PS4
Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain - A Hideo Kojima Game
Your pace, your choice

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is Hideo Kojima’s final entry of the critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid Series. A final entry that became bittersweet for all of us Kojima fans as the man himself parted from Konami earlier this year sending shockwaves through the gaming world. Despite the famous yet missing text, “A Hideo Kojima Game” on the box art of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, we will always know that this entry to the series is possibly Kojima’s finest.
The Phantom Pain opens with Big Boss waking from a nine-year coma after the events of Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeros. During the first hour of the game the story unfolds alongside Ishmael, a heavily bandaged ally who guides us through the hospital and away from shots of Cipher Soldiers. It is here that we learn the basic mechanics of the game, namely, crouching, crawling, firing and reloading a weapon. I was surprised at how fast paced and fraught with the action the first hour of The Phantom Pain felt. I was expecting a need for a more stealthy approach. On reflection, I realised something very important. Metal Gear Solid V is one of the most versatile games I’ve played in a while and because of this; it can be approached in numerous ways. Had I not have been so eager to play perhaps my first hour would’ve been a completely different experience? The cut scenes and explosive action will always be the same but we are the Snake in the grass, which means we can glide through undetected. 

Stealth aside, Metal Gear Solid V offers some explosive, fast paced action. During the huge open world exploration the pace can change very quickly of spotted by the enemy, which triggers a Domino effect of enemies lining up to take you out. This is where I found The Phantom Pain to be a pain in the arse! Enemies appeared to spring up out of nowhere and when you thought you picked the last one off, along came three more. I questioned whether the game was truly meant to be played through without being detected at all? (I’m sure a lot of you will achieve). Me? I wasn’t that good. The waterfall of enemies in Phantom Pain, at times, led to the gameplay feeling a little raw and monotonous. Back tracking and repeating is something that you should be prepared for. Rest assure though, I found a winning remedy to the monotony by varying loadouts, balancing stealth and brute force and having a crap ton of fun with the Fulton. 

Metal Gear Solid V review on PS4
The Metal Gear Solid Series - The Evolution of Snake
To crawl or crouch?

I’ve always been a huge fan of sniping. No, not in real life! In video games and I had a ton of fun with this class of weapon in The Phantom Pain. Manoeuvrability with weapons is always a crucial element to success in any Metal Gear Solid game because it only takes one error to screw up an entire mission. This couldn’t be truer than when trying to take cover in Metal Gear Solid V. I found the easiest objects to take cover behind were walls.  Simply bobbing in and out of wall cover felt smooth and satisfying. I can’t say the same for small objects such as walls, boxes or foliage. The mechanics felt a little blocky to me but perhaps you had a different experience? Nonetheless, this is a really small gripe that should not interfere with just how well Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain feels in every other aspect. NPC’s move freely and seem incredibly realistic in their actions. It’s easy to observe enemies through the binoculars going about their terrorist business in the middle of Afghanistan! Metal Gear Solid V felt alive, it felt deep and it always felt like there was more on offer. I believe that Kojima Productions always had a knack for developing the Metal Gear Solid World as a living and breathing, fully functioning atrium. After the first hour of The Phantom Pain it was clear that Kojima Productions had injected the same level of life in to Metal Gear Solid V. The desert sounds were on par, the wildlife responded to our presence and the transition from night to day added a welcome layer of dynamics to the atmosphere. There is so much more than I am yet to explore in this world.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is set in 1984 which puts Snake in his 40s. Some aspects of the gaming world questioned why Kiefer Sutherland was cast to voice Snake in The Phantom Pain? Hideo Kojima wanted an actor to fit Snake’s age bracket, hence Mr Sutherland being cast. What does this, if anything, add to Metal Gear Solid V? There was a lot of Skepticism in the build up to the games release. It was a bold move by Kojima Productions but I personally feel that it was a good move. This is because I’ve probably only ever seen Kiefer Sutherland in Stand by Me and Lost Boys (both of which I’ve not seen for a while) so he is not type cast on me. If you’re a huge fan of the show, 24 then you may feel very different. What are your thoughts? Should David Hayter have returned?


Mother Base is real

This is where the magic happens? Literally! Rather than seeing those scrolling lists in the menus, Mother Base is an old oil-rig that has a tangible presence in Metal Gear Solid V. Weapons, mods and other feats of technology are created here and travelling to the base itself provides a welcome break from the harshness of the Afghan desert. It is here where we picked up the Fulton surface to air recovery system. A quirky device that enables us to transport enemies, objects and animals safely back to base. Money is also generated after finding diamonds and other rare items in the game, which are used to upgrade Mother Base how we choose to. Companions are also met here on Mother Base with my personal favourite being D-Dog. D-Dog responds to commands given in a mission to act as an effective distraction and keen ally. 

So my first four hours with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain have been incredibly rewarding and with the exception of some small mechanical errors (cover issues in particular) I believe we’ve got a very strong contender for Game of the Year 2015. Shares your experiences of playing MGS V in the comments.

Thegebs24 Youtube channel
Click here to join me on the Road to 5K
2 Comments
Gazzius
14/9/2015 20:28:07

I think once you practice with the enemies on a small outpost. maybe 4 enemies. and learn what they can see and what they cant. Getting your aim in on the reflex mode when you fk it all up.
The game becomes easy. just learning what you can and cant get away with if paramount. there is no white cone of "don't go in it" to rely on any more. The box is an option, tho i have never equipped it outside the tutorial. run out of silencer/ ammo? smack them in the face with a well thrown magazine. or sneak up with your gun drawn to hold them up cheekily without a bullet to your name.
Kojima never explained all of the mechanics in all the games. you had to work them out for yourself in a "of course" #facepalm kinda way. But this game is REALLY cruel at times. especially to those who lack improvisation and imagination.
you like sniping headshots?.....wel fk you we got helmets.
Oh so now you wanna tranq us in the face......? fk you again we got visors and riot suits.
Oh you used sleeping gas on the last two missions......guess what ameteur....we gots fkin gas masks.
AND SO ON.
(note: it gets worse and worse, clever bastards)
My main gripe with this game is the lack of story. its bitty and missing the twinkle the others had. Although its Damn powerful. Had me in tears on multiple occasions. (and i didnt even well up when my kids were born). Lesser Gripe would be the difficulty. it fluctuates all over the place. crazily. Some missions are un winnable without certain loadouts and there is no prompt for them. so you need to die multiple times and then keep dying till you figure out which one it is that makes it a piece of piss, coz there was no middle ground. Impossible-Cakewalk. But i do love it and would never be without it.

Reply
Juicy Game Reviews
13/4/2016 21:13:51

I love your comments Swift!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Video Game Reviews for the PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch

    Join the Community:

    Thegebs24 youtube
    Click me

    Latest YouTube Videos:

    Video Game Shops:

    entertainment station logo
    Retro Games across TWO Stores
    Forgotten Worlds retro games, arcades and toys
    Forgotten Worlds retro games, arcades and toys
    Kenny's buy sell trade
    Kenny's - Buy, sell, trade
    doorway to dorkness
    Doorway to Dorkness
    Super Game Shack
    Super Game Shack
    Vintage Gamer
    Vintage Gamer
    Picture
    Check out Warner's Retro Corner
    Picture
    Game Smart Yardley
    Tweets by @JuicyGameReview
    RE3 Remake review
    RE3 Remake review
    days gone review
    Days Gone Review
    198X The Game Review
    198X The Game Review
    world war z review
    World war Z review
    Resident Evil 2 Remake review
    Resident Evil 2 Remake review
    Yakuza: Dean Souls Review
    Yakuza: Dean Souls Review
    Detroit Become Human review
    Detroit Become Human review
    Sega Mega Drive classics review
    Sega Mega Drive Classics Review
    Super Mario Odyssey
    Super Mario Odyssey Review
    Resident evil VII review
    Resident Evil VII: Biohazard - 3 reasons we love it
    Dark Souls 3  - 3 Tips to early success
    Dark Souls III - 3 Tips to early success

    Categories

    All
    3DS
    Alan Wake 2
    Alien Isolation
    Amiibo
    Assassin's Creed
    Batman Arkham Knight
    Bloodborne
    CoD
    Destiny
    Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls
    Doom
    E3
    Eurogamer
    Fallout 4
    Far Cry 4
    Far Cry Primal
    GTA V
    JRPG
    Just Cause 3
    Majora's Mask
    Mario Kart 8
    Metal Gear Solid V
    Microsoft
    Minecraft
    Next Gen Consoles
    Nintendo
    Nintendo Switch
    PC
    PS3
    PS4
    PS4 Slim
    PS4 VR
    PS5
    Resident Evil
    Silent Hills P.T Demo
    Tales Of Xillia
    The Division
    The Evil Within
    The Last Of Us
    Turtle Beach
    Uncharted 4
    Until Dawn
    Wii U
    Wolfenstein
    Xbox 360
    Xbox One
    Xbox One S

    RSS Feed

Juicy Game Reviews

About
TheGebs24
thegebs24
thegebs24
thegebs24
thegebs24

Get Involved

Affiliates
Retro Gaming
Juicy Game Reviews 2023 ©
Privacy Policy
Social Media Icons License Creative Commons 3.0
  • Welcome
  • Video Game Reviews
  • Retro Game Reviews
  • Game Shops
  • TheGebs24
  • Bio