Features
Why Metal Gear Solid V Is One Of The Most Important Games This Generation
Is the return of Metal Gear a solid blockbuster, or should it remain undetected?
The Metal Gear Solid series has always had a knack for pushing the boundaries. From fourth-wall-breaking boss battles to utilising the technology of the platform its on to full effect, Hideo Kojima and his team challenged and awed players for decades, while never undermining their intelligence throughout each adventure.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ticks all these boxes expected of a Metal Gear game, and further takes the series to new heights thanks so one key element: evolution.
Everything in the game adopts this evolutionary trait – from the intricate gameplay mechanics, detailed inventory system, customisation options, open-world missions, breathtaking visuals, and story – every facet of the game is so meticulously detailed that’s quite overwhelming at first, yet so incredibly rewarding when embraced.
Oh, and as for the story, it’s as convoluted and bizarre as you’d expect. Just so we’re all on the same page, with apologies to series fans for the simplification: Metal Gear Solid V is a sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3, which was a prequel to Metal Gear Solid, which was a sequel to Metal Gear, a game in which Solid Snake, the character you play in Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, and 4, kills Big Boss, the protagonist of 3 and V. Got it? Probably not.
The shift of the game’s direction from relatively semi-linear to open-world type missions works excellently, as players now get the chance to fully realise their inner-action-hero qualities, letting them choose exactly how they want to tackle objectives, and this feeling of freedom is glorious in the context of a MGS game.
Metal Gear’s familiar rhythms of commando-crawling through the tall grass, ducking behind walls, luring guards with careful taps and whistles, and popping off tranquiliser darts are all present, and veterans of the series won’t be disappointed.
As for the missions themselves, they can vary in terms of their objectives, with the focus on hostage extraction, target execution and item destruction. Players have to build up a Mother Base which is essentially a hub world between these chaotic and tense missions. On Mother Base, you’re able to customise gear, select “buddies” who help you on the battlefield, and, most importantly, build an army from enemies you’ve captured during missions.
At times, it feels like a mesmerising habit of re-equipping and re-deploying to the battlefield, but this routine effect is quite deliberate as it highlights the ‘cycles of revenge’ theme which is prominent throughout the game, showing how someone’s hero can become someone else’s enemy with a single action. Kojima understands pacing and lulls are almost always followed by an unexpected plot revelation, boss battle or shift in tone.
The story is also told through cinematic in-game cutscenes rather than the drawn-out codec conversations of yesteryear’s titles. They’re not as long as Metal Gear Solid 4‘s sometimes prolonged 2-hour mid-game back-stories, but they’re poignant, punchy and effective in the best of ways.
So why is it so important? Well, Kojima has created something that’s more than the sum of its parts – its a massive step forward for narrative direction in games and how to create a sequel that’s not just a formality of the industry, but rather a well planned, beautifully created piece of art; and this should inspire other developers, as it truly sets the bar of what a big triple-A game should be.
With that all said, Metal Gear Solid V is so big it’s hard to put into words. Not just the levels themselves, but the finer details in all the game’s different elements. The Phantom Pain is a game-changing triumph and easily one of the best stealth games ever made (arguably only contested by its predecessors). This is the final evolution of a video game director’s singular vision which started out in the pixelated eta of the 1980s, and one which awards players for creativity and bravery to take risks, rather than racing to the finish.
More gaming features to keep you busy:
5 Colossal Video Game Boss Battles
5 Most Anticipated Games We Played At rAge 2015
5 Villainous Gaming Enemies We Love To Hate
Top 6 Deadliest Killers In Gaming
5 New Movies You Need to Watch in March 2025
Here are the most-anticipated movies coming in March 2025!
How To Select The Perfect Software Development Company?
Are you searching for the perfect software development company, but don’t know how to look?
Why Goldrush Casino is the Ultimate Playground for the Boys
Gent's night with a twist.
Outdoor Adventures in Cape Town: Hiking, Surfing, and More
The Mother City has no shortage of things to keep locals and tourists busy in the outdoors.
Understanding Domain Name Extensions: From .co.za to .io
What's in a name? Let's take a look at why certain domain names end in different naming conventions.
James
October 23, 2015 at 16:57
The title of this article could have simply been: “Metal Gear Solid V is the most important game of this generation” and I think everyone would have agreed.
Snake is the ultimate BOSS!
October 23, 2015 at 16:58
Here here!
marshal_
October 23, 2015 at 16:58
Agreed.
Trap Lord
October 23, 2015 at 16:59
I couldn’t agree more!
A.$.A.P. Snake
October 23, 2015 at 17:00
Dude totally.
Andre_N
October 23, 2015 at 17:03
Come on!!!!!!!
Matt
October 23, 2015 at 17:08
Yes!
Ditto
October 23, 2015 at 17:09
Fair call
Xavi
October 23, 2015 at 17:09
This article really did get me amped to play. Well done MS
VenomSnake421
October 24, 2015 at 17:11
Fallout 4 is a thing you know.
011 King
October 23, 2015 at 17:00
So goddamn excited for this ish
Nate
October 23, 2015 at 17:02
Yoh someone needs to stop drinking the MGS coolade
Chilly Pip
October 23, 2015 at 17:02
Haters gonna hate
angry gamer
October 23, 2015 at 17:03
Obviously not a gamer
Jack J
October 23, 2015 at 17:04
What a time to be alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XD Champ
October 23, 2015 at 17:18
I agree. King Kong and Godzilla. Dino riders. The new tomb raider.
Matt
October 23, 2015 at 17:06
I love MGS story lines and how they jump from game to game. Once they are finally done they should release the whole series again. Just in the right order.
KK
October 23, 2015 at 17:07
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Leigh
October 23, 2015 at 17:07
That would make for an incredible box set.
Ditto
October 23, 2015 at 17:08
That would tear families in two and ruin relationships. If I had that I’d quite my job.
Not so angry gamer
October 23, 2015 at 17:11
I dig the cinematic story telling within the game. The codec thing was cool but when you spend two hours talking to Meryl about some random shit that has nothing to do with the game starts to get annoying.
Tribe X
October 23, 2015 at 17:12
Ha ha ha ha ha ha I feel sorry for the actors that had to sit for hours and hours doing take after take to get some of those convos right.
Nx
October 23, 2015 at 17:13
Ha ha ha ha ha
Leigh
October 23, 2015 at 17:13
A job is a job.
Is anyone hiring?
October 23, 2015 at 17:17
Ain’t that the truth
Leo
October 23, 2015 at 17:14
I’m sure they walk with their heads held high. They made history.
Wes_24
October 23, 2015 at 17:14
I’m sure they work in call centers.
Clive
October 23, 2015 at 17:15
That would be a trip…. Needing help with Eskom and it was Snake on the other side.
Jesse
October 23, 2015 at 17:16
Hahahahahahahaha
Lol
October 23, 2015 at 17:16
Hehehehehehehhehe
Kool
October 23, 2015 at 17:15
It adds something that other games didn’t have.
Ray
October 23, 2015 at 17:19
Very good article.
Adam E
October 23, 2015 at 17:19
Getting amped
MGS V for Very Exciting
October 23, 2015 at 17:20
Awesomeness!!!!
Jack
October 24, 2015 at 11:55
As a long time MGS fan, MGS V is the best Metal Gear Solid.
Diego Guedes
October 24, 2015 at 12:10
Excellent game, great gameplay. But I have to completely disagree with you guys concerning de story telling here. Boring villain (we are supposed to feel motivated to defeat the villain, and that’s never the case here) and protagonist were a huge problem this time around. And then there are the incomplete arcs (Eli’s story, everyone? Why were Kaz’s eyes white? Why does Code Talker tell Venom Snake to keep an eye on Kaz when he’s there alone talking to the parasites?
And then, there’s the fact that story wise, the game advertised is completely different from what we got. And not in a good way, when we are mislead and shocked afterwards. I mean it in a very bad way. The story was supposed to be engaging and interesting. We were supposed to be shocked and see Venom in anger, or something like that. We didn’t get that. Actually, he does nothing for most part of the game.
There is no build up. The game ends abruptly (with a plot twist that seems nice but is poorly developed and implemented) and makes you play through the whole prologue again without any changes (even the tutorial remains there; in my case, even after 200 hours of playing, I’d have expected to know how crawl by then).
Conclusion: Excellent game but average Metal Gear Solid game.
Senna4ever
October 25, 2015 at 12:43
The game is terrible.
Repeatative missions, badly designed maps that are mostly lifeless and horrible to navigate, bland main character and in fact all characters and the story is asinine.
Plus it lacks any of the classic MGS humor.
This is by far the worst MGS game so far.
sri aurobindo
October 25, 2015 at 17:40
Completely agree. The game is monotonous. The missions repetitive. You can only do the same essential 3 missions only so many different ways before the gimmick wears thin. The environment repetitive. It maybe an open world game, but the player is terribly restricted from exploring any of it, except a few designated cracks to climb. Otherwise there’s a lot of world you can look at, but don’t touch. The story is terrible. And chapter 2 is filled with dumb re do missions and filler.
XD Champ
October 27, 2015 at 21:23
Everything I learnt about being a man I learnt from Snake