• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

MGSV The Phantom Pain - One Year Later

It's the Final Fantasy 12 of the Metal Gear Series-

A gameplay-above-all marathon of quality content in a remarkably immersive and believable world.

Snubbed and criticized by lesser-minded children who expected more handholding, more cutscenes and a totally deep and profound storyline like the other entries. They drew the line and gave up early in frustration and disgust when the nuanced gameplay dared to try and get them to use their fucking brains.

Low-key the best in the series by a landslide.
Oh, I make that comparison a lot... written some giant walls of text on why they're probably my two favorite games of the last decade and a half or so.

They both have a sort of creative sandbox of options that constantly keep me playing, month after month, always coming up with new ideas, rules and constraints, and themes for my playthrough or sortie out onto the battlefield.
 

Smellycat

Member
Wow, I was just about to make a thread about MGSV, but for a completely different reason...I still might post it to be honest
 

Timeaisis

Member
Mechanically, one of the most perfect games I've ever played. It has become hard to play other 3rd person action games because of it.

Sad that the story didn't live up to the rest of the series, but I've accepted it as more of a side-story than a continuation. MGS4 is the last main entry for me. MGSV is not Metal Gear Solid 5, it's Metal Gear Solid
__V__
.
 

Smokey

Member
As someone who played the series only for the story it was the worst entry of the series by far.

This is me.

Supremely disappointing for me. I couldn't really enjoy the so called great gameplay because of it. Also knowing that I'd be repeating missions later just took the air out of it personally.

One of my all time disappointments this game was :/
 

Kindekuma

Banned
Another MGSV love thread, nice. Sorry to say this again but this is, in my opinion, the game of the gen this far, simply amazing.

It's only fitting to make a thread on the anniversary of the release for people to discuss the game. Some people are very vocal about their thoughts, but I personally think the game gets way more hate than it deserves.
 
This is me.

Supremely disappointing for me. I couldn't really enjoy the so called great gameplay because of it. Also knowing that I'd be repeating missions later just took the air out of it personally.

One of my all time disappointments this game was :/

Oh but that isn't the case, you don't have to repeat any mission in the whole game.
 
One of the best playing and flexible games of all-time. How they made every gameplay element feel so good no matter how many times you did it is an impressive achievement.

All the story beats and stuff were superfluous for me since I was satisfied after Guns of the Patriots.
 

kotodama

Member
The gameplay kept me coming back for a time (something like 100+ hours), but god everything else was an utter shitshow. Though coming off playing all the Metal Gears before this (except for Ghost Babel) , Revengeance was the best. Platinum out Koijima'ed Kojima.

The community threads were the best part of this game.
 
Can't believe it's been a year. Still feel conflicted about it, but man if those opening couple of hours weren't jaw dropping, and the promise of the game had not yet been compromised. If only it could have sustained that feeling throughout.

Still a fantastic game though, no doubt.
 

Timeaisis

Member
I agree. If the story (and characters) was as good as Snake Eater, and all the Mother Base junk was better/omitted. Cause I think MGS3 is one of the GOATS and V had tremendous potential to be an even better game overall.

A "multiple-approach" remake of MGS3 with the mechanics of V might be the best game ever, yes.

Honestly, the only thing I dislike about the gameplay of MGSV is Mother Base. Going back and forth isn't that great. I understand the reasoning there. They wanted you to feel for your soldier family, but it's just not fleshed out enough to be significant. If you could just be in the field forever, Heli to and from LZs, then it would be pitch perfect. That's why a MGSV-ified MGS3 could be incredibly amazing.

EDIT: I take that back, a CERTAIN MISSION THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED is the worst part of MGSV. Stupid fucking mission trying to be clever. The thought was there, but the implementation was NOT. You know what I'm talking about.
 

Gator86

Member
Oh but that isn't the case, you don't have to repeat any mission in the whole game.

5365007-2969552759-ohyou.jpg
 

Ill Saint

Member
Impeccable gameplay. Almost everything else about it is either infuriating, frustrating and frankly insulting. The hours upon hours of real-time waiting for weapon and item research, the imposition of online FoBs and MB currency being funneled from offline to online are things I find inexcusable and intensely disappointing. Really soured my experience and final view of the game.
 

Kindekuma

Banned

Well, he's right in a sense. You replay the same objectives, but how you can do that changes every time. Go in loud? Ghost it? Kill everyone on sight or strap a balloon to every guard and thing not nailed to the floor? Set booby traps? Take a buddy or drive up in a tank?

It may be replaying the same mission objectives, but the method of execution is way different.
 

Gator86

Member
Well, he's right in a sense. You replay the same objectives, but how you can do that changes every time. Go in loud? Ghost it? Kill everyone on sight or strap a balloon to every guard and thing not nailed to the floor? Set booby traps? Take a buddy or drive up in a tank?

It may be replaying the same mission objectives, but the method of execution is way different.

So you're saying you don't repeat any mission in the game?
 

Kudo

Member
I'm still mad about it. In fact, i felt kinda depressed for a few weeks after finishing the game. Ground Zeroes is the real MGSV for me.

Posted this same in the MGSV vs. RDR thread and I'm happy to see so many people agree, overall Ground Zeroes just felt more complete and it was like 1-2 hours at best.
MGSV is quite possibly one of my biggest gaming disappointments.
 

raven777

Member
Amazing game, despite it's flaws. I am one of those who love the crazy cutscenes and story in MGS games, so in this department it was hugely disappointing. But in terms of gameplay, it's just so good.

It's been a year, and I think it's maybe time I go back and start again with my Japanese copy.
 

KarmaCow

Member
So you're saying you don't repeat any mission in the game?

If you mean the Perfect Stealth variants of missions then yea, you don't need to play those. When you reach that point the next story beat opens up over time and you can do the new side missions instead.
 

TheStruggler

Report me for trolling ND/TLoU2 threads
Great gameplay, I retconned the entire MGSV story. Big boss is just a badass and didnt need help from anyone.
 

xviper

Member
it's still amazing game, sure not a good MGS but as a stand alone game it's 10\10 for me

i doubt there will be a gameplay as good as MGS V in at least 2 years

cutscenes are top quality but too short and not much of them and the story is boring, no action in the cutscenes like in previous game which i really liked about MGS

lack of Bosses is a huge disappointment

i loved MGO3, but it suffered the same thing as Titanfall 1, lack on content

overall MGS V remains the second greatest game of this generation after Witcher 3 in my opinion, sure it's a bit repetitive but the perfection that is the gameplay makes you forget any flaws about the game
 

TheStruggler

Report me for trolling ND/TLoU2 threads
also it takes one of the best themes I have heard in a MGS game and ruins it with a jeep ride
 
I ain't even made it to Chapter 2 yet Kinde, that's how I feel about this game. And I keep telling myself I need to finish it, but just can't get myself to do it.

Edit: Ground Zeroes > TPP. Where Chinner at?
 

Gator86

Member
To unlock all the "endings", no you don't have to replay any missions. If you do the side ops a certain way, you'll never do the replays.

The last level is literally identical to the first level.
C'mon, guys. For a fanbase that spent a year trying to decipher clues to lead to Chapter 3, you'd think you wouldn't have to spell things out so much.
 

pablito

Member
One of, if not the, best controlling games I've ever played.

Sadly that's where it ends for me. The controls took me through the game, sure, but the story wasn't there and the sidequests were the same shit every time. If that's all it takes for you, cool. But I find it so disappointing that such a good game on the technical side was had in such a boring package.
 

Rhoc

Member
It was the first MGS for me please don't judge me i'm a Pc gamer all my life. I didn't get all of the story but the gameplay was so good i couldn't stop playing it. That feeling when you do a mission and everything goes your way and you feel like a god is something else.
But alot of Fans didn't like it so i don't know if it was my MGSvirginity that made this game so awesome.
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
The last level is literally identical to the first level.
C'mon, guys. For a fanbase that spent a year trying to decipher clues to lead to Chapter 3, you'd think you wouldn't have to spell things out so much.

Oh well yeah there's that. That was pretty terrible.

But I think the original line of the discussion was referring more broadly to chapter 2 as a whole and the notion that you have to do the variant missions with new conditions.

It was the first MGS for me please don't judge me i'm a Pc gamer all my life. I didn't get all of the story but the gameplay was so good i couldn't stop playing it. That feeling when you do a mission and everything goes your way and you feel like a god is something else.
But alot of Fans didn't like it so i don't know if it was my MGSvirginity that made this game so awesome.

That's good to hear. Hopefully you go back to explore the original games. Make sure to play the special editions of each game (MGS1 Integral, MGS2 Substance, MGS3 Subsistence) so you can experience all the extra levels and stuff.
 
The characters suck, the plot sucks, and the game only has two areas before it begins recycling content with little more than damage modifiers.

but.

it's an open world stealth/action/terrorist warlord simulator with shitloads of guns, a crazy deep sneaking and combat moveset, likeable and useful buddy characters, highly interactable and reactive guards, and all while blaring 80's classics from the radio. I've never played anything like it and likely never will again. it was everything Peace Walker merely hinted at and I truly felt like Big Boss until the wheels fell off the wagon. And when it takes about 60 hours for that to happen? Well, I'm not going to complain too loudly. Great game.
 
incredible game, amazing story. the more i play this, the more i am convinced it is way ahead of its time and people are insane for thinking the story is bad. this game is the missing link. this game connects every Metal Gear game together storywise while being the ideal playable form of the series. like Symphony of the Night to Castlevania, MGSV plays like butter and looks like a million dollars.

i am at a loss for what people wanted. this game was supposed to be about Big Boss starting Outer Heaven in South Africa. this is literally what you do. you run across Africa, recruiting mercenaries one-by-one, while also recruiting Huey and Liquid Snake and Psycho Mantis, all who will play a major role in future Metal Gear games.

it's cool that Big Boss is shown taking sides with two of the fan favorite enemies from the most favorite MGS games, MGS1 (Psycho Mantis) and MGS3 (Ocelot). long before Psycho Mantis teams up with Liquid (setting up MGS1) he is helping Venom and Big Boss escape from the hospital in that first, insanely OTT mission.

Big Boss working with Psycho Mantis and Revolver Ocelot ..... wait a minute, those are the villains from MGS!

you know how MGSV was supposed to be the game that showed Big Boss finally being a villain? yeah.....
 

Dmax3901

Member
The freedom offered by the gameplay is very impressive, but all the Konami stuff and the unfinished feeling of the ending left a sour taste in my mouth and I haven't gone back since finishing it.
 
I'm still mad about it. In fact, i felt kinda depressed for a few weeks after finishing the game. Ground Zeroes is the real MGSV for me.

Posted this same in the MGSV vs. RDR thread and I'm happy to see so many people agree, overall Ground Zeroes just felt more complete and it was like 1-2 hours at best.
MGSV is quite possibly one of my biggest gaming disappointments.

replaying ground zeroes right now has me preferring the game's stealth elements much more to that of tpp's, it's much more bare bones, there are far more enemies in camp omega to contend with, im dropped in to the game world immediately - no helicopter rides, every mission has different guard placement and patrol paths, and the hard mode gives guards very good vision - sometimes too good to be honest, i also like the atmosphere in ground zeroes much more - the lack of ambient music helps a lot

tpp is a good game, and a great game at times, but it has a lot of flaws
 

Neiteio

Member
I literally just got done playing for like three or four hours straight. SO GOOD. Revisiting it a year later has just deepened my appreciation for it.

At the moment, I think my favorite missions are Pitch Dark, Blood Runs Deep, and Code Talker. I can replay them pretty much endlessly.

And I just love the atmosphere of MGSV. It's a pleasure to explore its world, soak up the sights and sounds, listen to the tapes, etc.
 
And I don't know when Kojima decided that the radio play was the greatest form of storytelling, but if I ever hear another Cassette Tape it'll be too soon. At first I thought the shorter cutscenes meant Kojima had learnt to be more succinct, but instead he just put all that MGS4-style waffling in audio-only form.

I didn't see anything wrong with the cassette tapes. MGS games have always been guilty of overly long and unnecessary exposition. MGSV still suffers from that, but at least you can play the game AND listen to the story at the same time. I had a lot of fun listening to those tapes while doing side ops or finding diamonds on motherbase. I would take that over overly drawn out cutscenes and boring codec calls.
 
Amazing game, despite it's flaws. I am one of those who love the crazy cutscenes and story in MGS games, so in this department it was hugely disappointing.

yeah i know, escaping from a hospital and a giant burning whale, so boring and normal. training a dog-wolf and watching it grow from a pup to a killing machine, yawn. rescuing a genetically engineered sniper with super powers, so dull, so so dull. wrestling with internal stress at the stateless off-shore mercenary kingdom that you personally own, so boring, yawn.
 

Rhoc

Member
That's good to hear. Hopefully you go back to explore the original games. Make sure to play the special editions of each game (MGS1 Integral, MGS2 Substance, MGS3 Subsistence) so you can experience all the extra levels and stuff.
Yes, i really need to play the other games. Sadly they are not on steam i think. But if i decide to buy a Playstation that's one of the first things i try to do.
 

SilverArrow20XX

Walks in the Light of the Crystal
Some of the greatest core gameplay I've ever seen. The story is so infuriatingly bad though, that it still manages to go onto my worst games of all time list. It's so bad it embittered my feelings of the whole series.

It's the Final Fantasy 12 of the Metal Gear Series-

A gameplay-above-all marathon of quality content in a remarkably immersive and believable world.

Snubbed and criticized by lesser-minded children who expected more handholding, more cutscenes and a totally deep and profound storyline like the other entries. They drew the line and gave up early in frustration and disgust when the nuanced gameplay dared to try and get them to use their fucking brains.

Low-key the best in the series by a landslide.

You mean criticized by people who wanted a decent story. FFXII's story became straightforward and dull in the latter half. There was nothing deep about it. It was disappointing. Thankfully, it makes up for it with fantastic gameplay, world building, and sidequests.

MGSV's story is different It's not the disappointing blandness than can be overlooked because of better things like XII's It actively felt like an insult. It's like, the Highlander: The Source of MGS.
 
Like:
  • The Man Who Sold the World
    There are no facts, only interpretations.
  • Paz
    My head spun after her introduction. Progressing her story through acquiring former MSF staff and the momentos they held was a very nice touch. This arc revealed so much about Venom, his guilt and his pain. It really helped me connect with the character to the point of him becoming my favorite Snake.
  • Sahelanthropus
    Not my favorite Metal Gear battle, but it exceeded my expectations. Shame that the rematch was excluded.
  • Freedom
    What I've learned in my time with Phantom Pain is to mix it up. Don't go for tranquilizer headshots every single chance you get. The game has an absurd amount of weapons and items. Take advantage of them. Experiment and enjoy.
  • Quiet
    Every cutscene of which she was the focus had me on the edge of my seat. Fun buddy to have tag along for missions. Keeps the chopper lively.
  • Huey
    Most interesting character in MGSV. Never felt like I had a grasp on what his intentions were. Even in uncovering his role in the crimes he'd committed, things never seemed as black and white as "He's bad." During the Peace Walker Incident, he always presented himself as one of the good guys, and his actions displayed that for the most part (well, considering he created a walking deathmobile). From that point, I assume he was consumed by fear of the threat Skull Face presented to he and Strangelove and never recovered. His actions in Phantom Pain don't exactly elicit the desire to give him the benefit of the doubt, however.

Dislike:
  • Side Ops
    This is the only aspect of the entire series which made me ask "What happened?" Peace Walker had Side Ops that were more satisfying than what many games would offer up as a main course. They offered a staggering amount of variety, from Pooyan missions to Hunting Quests by way of the Monster Hunter crossover with Capcom. TPP had 10 Mine Clearing missions.
  • Ocelot
    Far more interested by him yelling affirmations in Metal Gear Online than anything that he had to offer in MGSV. Expected much more from the bad blood he felt towards and shared with Kaz. Never thought I would live to see the day when I consider Ocelot a "bland" character, but the most eccentric thing he did was dismount a horse to remind Snake that he's Snake with his trademark hand gesture.
 

Neiteio

Member
A video I made of Mother Base in the rain at night. The rain starts about three minutes in. I love the helicopter rides you can take around Mother Base by hitting Square when you hop in and choosing another platform. You can also switch between the two sides of the helicopter to get different views.

Nothing beats the atmosphere of Mother Base in the rain at night... It's so cozy!

Also, I thought all of the characters were well-done, ESPECIALLY Kaz, Paz, Huey and Skull Face. Top-notch stuff, through and through. I even like this take on Ocelot, the first time we see him being himself. And Venom is quite possibly my favorite Snake. I feel for him when he learns the truth, and he says so much with his body language and facial expressions — no need for drawn-out narration. It's subtlety and a blast of fresh air after the narrative train wreck of MGS4.

The Paz scenes gave me chills. Most haunting sequence in the entire series. The final Paz tape, and all of the Major Zero tapes, are also my favorite "codecs" in the series.

And some screens I took tonight, admiring Venom's character model:

metalgearsolidv_thephz4s04.png

metalgearsolidv_theph6jsj6.png

metalgearsolidv_thephznsyo.png

metalgearsolidv_thephpwsja.png
 
Some of the greatest core gameplay I've ever seen. The story is so infuriatingly bad though, that it still manages to go onto my worst games of all time list. It's so bad it embittered my feelings of the whole series.

MGSV's story is different It's not the disappointing blandness than can be overlooked because of better things like XII's It actively felt like an insult. It's like, the Highlander: The Source of MGS.

How exactly is it insulting? Nothing about it makes you look at the story of the MGS saga differently. MGSV just simply adds more detail to previously established plots and themes.

If anything, MGS4 is the actual insult. MGSV actually makes the absurd twists in that game make some actual sense.
 
It's easily the best 1/2-2/3 of a game I've ever played.

Bad bullet sponge boss fights notwithstanding, the mission stealth gameplay was simply unparalleled. The graphics, the (choose your own) soundtrack, the options etc. If this had actually been finished it would likely have been the best MGS of all.

However, it can't be ignored that the plot is left unfinished, the back half of the game consists of retreads of older missions and hell, the 'end' of the game, as is, isn't even the last mission. The final release was irreparably damaged by the production issues surrounding the game and as someone who went in with a strong interest in the story contents, I can't see it as anything other than a bitter disappointment. I don't mind the 'ending', as a thing, but the fact that so much of what was promised by the pre-release media and the contents of Chapter 1 just totally fails to amount to anything makes this one of the worst ending games since Halo 2. Likely worse, as at least I knew there'd be a Halo 3.

So yeah, I love most of what's there, but what isn't really stings.
 

HardRojo

Member
Amazing gameplay, which I enjoyed thoroughly during the whole game, but the disjointed story left a lot to be desired, there were a few great tidbits there, however the story as a whole wasn't what I was expecting it to be and I guess I probably would have enjoyed a tighter experience much better, similar to the other MGS games. I just wish they would have made the story work well with the open world and gameplay, it would've been the greatest MGS game, but that title still belongs to Snake Eater.
 
Top Bottom