Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Reviews
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a forgettable and shallow Metal Gear experience, and fans expecting this to be on par with any of the previous mainline releases will be disappointed, and, quite possibly, drop the game altogether before the lacklustre story decides to show up. It looks and plays fantastic, and the freedom to apply weapons and items to effective strategic use is second to none, but after hours of similar, tiring missions, with no incentive to drive forward or even return to once it's all done and dusted, it can't help but be wondered how on earth this turned out the way it did. This is no phantom pain, it's a physical one.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain requires some investment. This is not a game that is easy to pick up and play for just a few minutes. Players will find themselves sinking many hours into this game even though the story does fall short of what fans were expecting.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain bietet zwar einen enormen Umfang, durch die vielen Missionen und die offene Welt, vernachlässigt aber dadurch stark die Story und liefert ein schwaches Gesamtbild durch Free to Play Mechaniken und Drang auf Online Investitionen. In Sachen Gameplay und Umfang macht Phantom Pain absolut nichts falsch, dadurch wird man einige Stunden seinen Spaß haben, aber für Fans der Serie bleibt Phantom Pain wohl eher, einer der schlechtesten Metal Gear Ableger bisher.
Review in German | Read full review
It's the final Kojima-led Metal Gear Solid game, and while the story falls apart, the gameplay is surprisingly enjoyable. It's worth checking out just for that gameplay experience.
It's a very fun and varied game, but it does have its issues. So long as you're looking for an open world that doesn't demand you treat it seriously, there is something here for everyone.
The unfortunate truth is that its narrative fails to deliver a coherent and satisfying conclusion to the series, but as a stealth sandbox The Phantom Pain is peerless. Responsive controls, freedom to approach objectives, and extensive replayability make it an absolute joy that you won't want to put down. It's a diamond that may be flawed, but it is one that Kojima (and gamers) can hold with awe.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is one of those releases the gaming community will be using as a benchmark for years to come. I just hope there's more story hidden somewhere in The Phantom Pain, or being delivered via DLC, to give the Metal Gear series the victory lap it deserves.
With The Phantom Pain, Metal Gear has had its arm removed and replaced with something technically far more impressive.
As it stands, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a great game hampered by some niggling concerns that can thankfully, be rectified with an update or two if Konami deems it fit. Nonetheless, if you persevere and you'll be treated to a slick open-world adventure that few can match.
But how does it stack up as a Metal Gear Solid game? As the final entry in the series, can its ending and its out-of-left-field plot twist really be accepted as the ultimate farewell to this long-running story? Not unlike the man who sold the world, MGSV feels like it’s lost its way a little, resulting in an ending that feels strangely unsatisfying. As tempted as I am to praise the game for its crazy plot twists and overdramatic moments, it’s hard to do so, knowing that this insanely wild ride ends not with a bang, but with a whimper.
An impressive epic, even if it falls several steps shy of the open-world grandeur realized by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
The Phantom Pain, the final Metal Gear game from Hideo Kojima, is one of the best stealth games ever conceived. The story doesn't match the usual excellent Metal Gear Solid standard, but the game's interlocking pieces are exquisite.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain's deep, open-world stealth and troop management, fun music, and excellent combat add up to an absorbing, stunning experience, despite some significant flaws.
Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain is not just a game, it is a masterpiece that is full of detail, full of detail to guide many new future games.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Luckily, the package as a whole is satisfying enough to overlook most of its flaws. The only one that came up to bother me time and time again is that the story is very weak in comparison to the rest of the series, and oddly enough given the wide-open gameplay, it's very linear. There's no weird questions, or whodunits when it's over, it's all spelled out for you and that's just not how Metal Gear is supposed to be. However, with Kojima's track record of innovation and tenacity, regardless of any announcement that he's no longer involved with the series, I believe he'll make sure that the legacy of the Metal Gear series lives on in some form or another. Even though Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain wraps up the saga of Big Boss, I feel we've only just begun...
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an exhilarating game to play that has massive narrative shortcomings.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain offers an excellent gameplay and presentation package, and if not for a few weakness, it could have been one of the all-time bests. Instead, it's just really, really good.
If you're a MGS purist, buy it on sale. If you're simply looking for an engaging stealth/action experience, you'd be doing yourself a major disservice if you steered clear of The Phantom Pain.
An imperfect perfection, the series draws to an end with a bang, and a whimper.