Running deep beneath all of this is a paranoid, conspiratorial adoration of militarization and angst of the noble intentions of good men.
Underneath the game's surface is an unmanageable script, full of twists for the sake of twists, characters with thin motivations that can't be bothered to line up with their roles in previous entries in the series, and dubious use of pop music to give otherwise hollow moments some emotional spunk.
The locals are parodies of their actual locations, replete with cartoonish versions of real world horrors: the beginning of the game hints at the mass murder of insurgent forces, a mission in the middle of the game begins with the words "Guest starring Child Soldiers," and surely enough, child soldiers guest star in the mission.Īnd then there's the portrayal of the game's strongest female character: an abuse victim turned trained killer named Quiet, a woman who wears a poor-fitting bikini and torn stockings because, as the product of freak experiments, she must breathe through her skin - and as the product of a lecherous game designer, she must be fully exposed, so the camera can linger up her navel to her breasts.Īnd that's just the ground level.
Metal Gear Solid V is a better Blackwater simulator than the actual Blackwater video game. Its violence is grotesque, but what mature-rated AAA video game isn't stacked with a nauseating surplus of bullets to the head? The game allows for stealth and non-lethal combat, but like so many shooters, it includes enough pistols, machine guns, and rocket launchers to launch a small army, which is fitting, because that's the protagonist's goal: a grizzled soldier named Snake spends the thrust of his time assembling his forces on a rapidly expanding offshore facility. As social commentary, it's shallow at best, and repugnant at worst. An espionage adventure, set in Afghanistan and a vague location in central Africa in the 1980s, it treats historical real world conflicts with the subtlety and complexity of a sledge hammer, casually aligning its perverted and non-sensical conspiracy theory plot alongside events that led to the deaths of thousands across the globe. Were it anything but a video game - a movie, a book, a television show, a Vine, anything really - I would despise it. One of the most anticipated games of the year with its open-world design, photorealistic visual fidelity and feature-rich game design, MGSV: The Phantom Pain will leave its mark as one of the hallmarks in the gaming industry for its cinematic storytelling, heavy themes, and immersive tactical gameplay.My favorite video game this year is Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Hideo Kojima, head of Kojima Productions, continues to ambitiously explore mature themes such as the psychology of warfare and the atrocities that result from those that engage in its vicious cycle. Snake’s journey takes him into a world where he is driven by a need for revenge and the pursuit of a shadow group, XOF. The game resumes the story in 1984, with the Cold War still as the backdrop, which continues to shape a global crisis. Big Boss, awakes from a near decade-long coma. Taking place nine years after the events of MGSV: Ground Zeroes and the fall of Mother Base, Snake a.k.a.
Ushering in a new era for the franchise with cutting-edge technology powered by the Fox Engine, MGSV: The Phantom Pain, will provide players a first-rate gaming experience as they are offered tactical freedom to carry out open-world missions. Development powerhouse, Kojima Productions, continues forth the ‘METAL GEAR SOLID V Experience’ with the latest chapter, METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Phantom Pain.