Xbox 360 PS3

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

ShooterTacticalAdventure

Time to beat: about 101 hours

Overview

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a 2015 action-adventure stealth game developed and published by Konami. Directed, written, and produced by Hideo Kojima (as his final work at Konami), it is the ninth main installment in the Metal Gear franchise, following Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, a stand-alone prologue released the previous year. Set in 1984, nine years after the events of Ground Zeroes, the story follows mercenary leader Punished "Venom" Snake as he ventures into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan and the Angola, Zaire border region to exact revenge on those who destroyed his forces and almost killed him during the climax of Ground Zeroes.

The game is played from a third-person perspective in an open world which can be explored either on foot or by modes of transport. Snake can use a wide repertoire of weapons and items, and receive assistance from several AI companions, allowing the player to combat enemies either stealthily or directly. Enemy soldiers and resources found in the world can be transported to Snake's headquarters, allowing for its expansion and the development of further technology. The game includes two separate multiplayer modes, Metal Gear Online (also known as Metal Gear Online 3) and Forward Operating Bases (FOBs); the latter mode allows players to develop FOBs, which can then be invaded by other players.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 1, 2015. It received critical acclaim, with praise for its gameplay, open world, graphics, themes, and performances. Its narrative and certain changes to the series formula divided critics, while the appearance of the character Quiet drew criticism. The game's repeated missions, ending, and evidence of removed content led some to label it unfinished. The Phantom Pain shipped 6 million units by December 2015. It received several awards and is considered to be one of the greatest video games ever made. Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience, a bundle that includes both The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes, along with all additional content for both games, was released in October 2016.