Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain - 10 Huge Problems Nobody Wants To Admit

WC: Metal Gear Solid should always stand the test of time as a bastion for free-wheeling artistic experimentation in everything from gameplay to story, and whilst I must stress MGS V is still a phenomenal game, such a coat of polish makes all the blemishes way more noticeable. Spoilers ahead!

[2pacalypsenow]

yeah , its great game but def not the BEST MGS game, at times it doesn't even feel like im playing MGS

[vickers500]

It's definitely the best Metal Gear Solid game Ive ever played, though I only played through 3 and 4, and watched walkthroughs on the rest, I think I've played enough to be able to say it's my favorite. Even played through mgs4 a second time shortly before release. It's the best game I've played this generation, it's the best stealth game I've ever played (something finally dethroned deus ex hr for my favorite stealth game), and it's certainly the best mgs I've ever played, and I'm not even finished with it, only half way through and still having a blast.

I gather the main reason some are so dissapointed is that it doesn't have as many cutscenes as previous titles did. I remember some complaining mgs4 had too many, I wasnt one of them myself, but I'm also not complaining about the extra focus on gameplay this time around in number 5. All you folks who care more about the story already got your story heavy conclusion to the series with mgs4, and those who care more about the gameplay can get their fill with mgsv, which undoubtedly has the best gameplay of them all. You can make a claim that mgs is supposed to be about the story primarily, but I've seen longtime fans of the series be more passion about the stealth gameplay than they have about the story. Metal Gear either invented or popularized stealth games, so I'd say there's a pretty big divide amongst fans on which they prefer most.

Anyways, back to MGSV, freaking love this game.

[--Onilink--]

I havent beaten the game yet, but so far i dont think its about cutscenes, its the mission structure, at least for me.

I dont understand why so many reviews praise the open world in this game, when i dont even think its an open world.

You see games like witcher, fallout or gta, the games are packed with side missions and collectibles, however you unlock/complete them as you navigate through the map in a specific progression based on the story

In MGSV, you are not really moving through a map finding a doing sidequests as you move through the story, its basically just picking one from the menu, ride the chopper to the mission area, then leave. Repeat.

I think one of the biggest areas of improvement is to actually group the missions more and actually try to have several missions in a single place be doable, (i.e a heavy infantry mission that has a prisoner and one of the soldiers is a skilled soldier).

Otherwise, you only really do several missions at once just by forcing yourself to travel a huge distance without nothing to do inbetween just to save some GMP.

Finally, the other big thing missing is bases, like actual big bases, with interiors, its weird that practically the entire game(so far for me at least) is always outside, in villages and stuff like that.

Then again, im still loving the game, the mechanics, the gameplay, so far it give it about a 9.3

But i still feel that it could be better and more MGS-like

[vickers500]

It could definitely be better, and I do kind of agree that treks to and from bases can be a hassle, but I still think this beats the hell out if previous metal gear games linear structure.

The stealth, controls, mechanics are light years ahead of anything previous mgs games had to offer, the staggering amount of detail in the gameplay and many ways you can approach something more than make up for the story imo.

And I'm even enjoying the story more than previous games as well, it has a darker, more serious tone than previous games. Seems to get to the point rather than overexplain jargon to me like previous games. I guess when it comes to this site, I'm in the minority in thinking mgs v is the best, but I'm fine with that, I generally see a preference amongst linear games, people who think Uncharted is the greatest thing ever while I just think it's good.

But I do see little signs here and there in the game that give me the idea Kojima was not able to do everything he wanted to do with the game because of Konami undoubtedly. Still, I think it's the best game this gen. Haven't played the witcher yet, though I plan to, I'm wary of swords and sorcery games after being massively and utterly bored to tears by dragon age inquisition.

It's a damn shame what happened at Konami, mgs v could have been the foundation for a mgs with massive gameplay depth AND massive story depth. That being said, it's still better than previous metal gears.

[XBLSkull]

I've only played 2 and 4, and Phantom Pain is much better than either of those games. My only gripes really are the first intro mission/hospital sequence was not fun at all and a chore to get through, and I'm bummed that all the guns in the game are made up. I remember real world firearms being available in 2 and 4, and I miss that authenticity.

[goathouse774]

@--onilink--

I'm not trying to be a$$hole, but... you just don't get it. And you're not the only one.

The world is open ENOUGH to allow the targets to be approached from every direction. Choosing where to attempt your entry is going to set the stage for the entire infiltration. That's what this world's open structure is designed around and it serves its role with machine precision.

As far as mission groupings: if they weren't spaced out as they are, you'd lose the usage cases for, probably, 75% of the functions in the game. I have loads of fun doing map-clearing side ops runs because I get to use all the transportation options (why else would they include fast-travel platforms) and countless air drops / air support tactics as I plot my way across the map.

Now, I've pointed this out a few different in other threads here on n4g and mostly just get a chorus of crickets in response. If you're not willing to listen to reason, then you don't deserve to enjoy this game.

Rant over.

[--Onilink--]

@goathouse

Im sorry, but thats not an open world, thats just a well designed level in an slightly open area. I could just as well be picking up the mission from a menu and have 95% of map locked behind an invisible wall and i wouldnt notice. Having well designed areas and stealth mechanics that allow me to approach a mission however i like is not being open world (i.e Dishonored or Splinter Cell Conviction)

As for the missions, I have done more than one side op at a time, called in D-horse, a vehicle or used the box, however it has only been because of being too annoyed of having to call the chopper and go through more loading screens. The game does not encourage you to navigate the world on foot with it´s mission structure, not in the slightest. Its designed to be constantly going, doing the mission, getting extracted, and repeat.

As i said, i dont really hate this, however i feel it could be better. And its certainly not feeling like an open world game

[yojimbo_slice]

Open world is a term for video games where a player can move freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how or when to approach objectives, as opposed to other computer games that have a more linear structure.

I'm pretty sure The Phantom Pain is the definition of an open world game.

[--Onilink--]

@yojimbo

the thing is, you are not really giving much freedom in regards to when to do your side missions. Unless they open up in the side ops list menu, you can navigate to the place where the mission will take place and nothing will be there. You wont trigger a mission by getting to the location, you need to wait for the game to decide to add it to the list so then you can take a chopper to the location.

The map may be open, yes, but you are still bound to a menu screen to dictate when something will happen, otherwise its just an empty world with a couple of villages.

That´s what i mean about MGSV not really being an open world game. Its a game where you choose missions on a list, take a chopper to the location of the mission ignoring pretty much 95% of the map, and then go back to the chopper so you can select another mission from the list

[Arnon]

I understand the goal of allowing one to enter a mission from any angle, but I'm not sure they really took into account how this would change the formula of the game.

One of the reasons every metal gear has had a challenge is because you start at a specific point in a level and have to navigate through it, thus making the difficulty easy to set. However, when you allow the person to enter the game area from any angle they choose, the most that can be done is have the AI walk around more. Unfortunately, there seems to:

A) always be a blind spot which makes every mission quite easy to deal with.
B) always be an easy way of getting out of sticky situations, since you don't have to run back through the level and hide and can instead just run "out" of the level. Also, guards almost never leave their outposts and bases, which further enforces running out of the mission area to deal with your problems (which is not hard to do).

Also, it's not an open world game. In such a kind of game, one isn't limited to looking at an open world map and being restricted to just the roads and medium-sized grassy areas. Can you imagine looking at GTAV's map and only being allowed to play on the roads? This is another area of the game where the developers force their "difficulty" on the player. By not allowing the player to climb over mountains (even though you're Big Boss...), the player is forced to deal with enemy outposts, whether directly or indirectly. You can take them all out (which isn't hard even with nothing but tranqs), or sneak around the outpost. But either way you're *forced* to deal with the outposts, which eats up your time and creates the illusion of a game being more difficult than it actually is.

Lastly, enemy positions are almost always the same for each outpost no matter which mission you undertake, which makes each mission very predictable. I've literally been like "Oh, great. That place! Now I have to deal with like 20 dudes, even though it's not hard."

Game's super fun, but it's not a very graceful sequel to the MGS series.

[goathouse774]

Sounds like you guys just can't appreciate it for what it is.

Go on epic side ops runs across the map without calling the chopper.

Go for higher ranks in missions for more challenge.

Remember, there are awesome time trial challenges for when you know the game inside out and tons of unlockables to hunt for.

Experiment with different loadouts and tactics.

Don't attack the enemy supply lines for a bit more challenge and variety to your foes.

Have fun, for Christ's sake.

[--Onilink--]

@goathouse

i am definitely enjoying the game for what it is, i wouldnt say i´d give it a 9.3 or have already 50 hours and just on mission 18 so far.

We are simply discussing some of the areas that it could do better and that have taken a bit some of the Metal Gear feel to it, but again, its not like im not enjoying what the game is trying.

If you look at the things you mention, you arent really listing anything that makes it a compelling open world, just some very compelling gameplay that gives you plenty of replayability from its mission approach, which is indeed quite fun, im very much looking forward to replaying old missions with new loadouts to get all the objetives and S rank them

[Arnon]

@goathouse

I know this might shock you, but developers don't make games *entirely* for your enjoyment. And pointing out these flaws is not an indication that one isn't having fun. Rather, making note of such things makes more gamers aware of certain tricks implemented in games that either make you play them longer or make it seem like a justified purchase, which in turn leads to gamers being more careful with their wallets, and forcing such tricks out of the market (if that's what people want).

Just because a game is long and has a large variety of load outs doesn't mean that it's going to be anymore fun. If the story is slow and the overall gameplay mechanics are easy to master (seriously, I have the second upgrade to my tranq pistol and I'm snagging headshots 90+ meters away) as opposed to hard to master, then what am I doing other than experiencing something analogous to a tour? If I can play the game in such a way that I know I will win without any penalty to my score, then why *wouldnt* I do that? A game should provide difficulty in its own way depending on the situation for every situation.

[gta_manic]

Its a great open world game and pretty good metal gear solid game if that makes any sense.

[assdan]

This game is my favorite MGS game and I'm a little saddened by it as well. On one hand, this one has my favorite gameplay of any of them, but the story is not as good. I still enjoy the story, but it is missing those long cutscenes I've come to love in the series.

[tuglu_pati]

Im like 50% in and so far im a little underwhelm, i find the game missions a little repetitive and the story a bit slow. Its a great game, but not the best this year. I guess i bar set to high.

[Vegamyster]

I wouldn't say your bar was set high, i was expecting larger bases similar to the one in Ground Zero to explore since the previous games always had like that. This one is like 90% of the missions take place in small/med sized villages with generic "Find Prisoner/Blueprint/Enemy/vehic le" ect, the ones that are larger have low enemy density and lots of cover so they're not really challenging. Definitely not a bad game but 18 hours in i do feel underwhelmed/burnt out.

[Muadiib]

I agree, I actually had more fun in GZ than in all the 55 hours I've played TPP.

[dimasok]

The repetitiveness of the side-ops is what really gets to me. Extract identical prisoner 1,2,3,.., kill identical tank crew 1,2,3..., find identical wandering crew member 1,2,3,..

Its like the game is laughing in my face.

[WitWolfy]

The sad this is I lost bubbles for saying this exact same thing 2 days after the game launched. It felt like Kojima wanted to do more with the open world sections but never implemented it...

I should've known better...

[StanLee]

Honestly, I'm enjoying it but it's not a 10 game. Reviews are terribly misleading and inflated. The game doesn't raise the bar in any way or change how we play open world games. I think reviews set expectations high. I'm not saying the reviewers intended to mislead but some developers have reached such acclaim that anticipation for their new project and the way games are reviewed after quick, sustained playthroughs, I don't think many reviewers have a chance to be objective. There's a bit of emotional high, especially if you're a fan. Many of the reviews I've read are just fanservice to be honest.

[nowitzki2004]

I agree. Its amazing but Witcher 3 is GOTY still so far for me. Witcher 3 just has so much more variety in the story and world.

[tuglu_pati]

Agree, Whitcher 3 its my GOTY so far

[VJGenova]

Most of these "huge problems" can be summed up as, "the story is lacking." There, i agree, though i also don't really remember the story from the previous titles so it's hard for me to see why i'm so lost.

Love the gameplay though. I like that there are different loadouts available but i do usually stick to one main build. I don't think that's a major issue though.

[LordMaim]

I think the article is more like "Here are 10 ads that I'd like you to click through". A lot of these points are a reach, at best.

[Ristul]

Yeah, the game doesn't feel like MGS, that's what I liked with past games in the series, the strong focus on characters/story.

[sullynathan]

Man, why wasn't the list all on one page? This is annoying.

[Prototype_79L]

Use this, just copy the link of the page and click deslide. I hate this too.

http://deslide.clusterfake....

[FallenAngel1984]

All of these points are so accurate spot-on problems I've had with the game. I didn't read the last two points because they're massive spoilers

[PlayableGamez]

The game is awesome. Sad some people are so nit picky and probably didn't even play the previous Metal Gear games.

[tuglu_pati]

I played them all and I still agree with all of the points in the article

[PlayableGamez]

Yeah bullshit dude... The game is awesome.

[WitWolfy]

Whats the bet "PlayableGamez" probably plays Destiny too. 'Cause anybody that says repetitiveness "is awesome" must be a Destiny fan.

[MysticStrummer]

I played them all and love this one. I don't know if it's "the best one", but how many times does a series of books movies or games automatically get better with every new chapter? Does that ever happen? I can't think of any. I didn't like MGS2 better than MGS1, and I didn't like MGS4 better than MGS3. This one is very different, most likely because Kojima was sick of the same formula he's been following. This one definitely has the best gameplay though and they're all great games, even the 2nd.

@WitWolfy - All games are repetitive. Not many games give you so many options to the gameplay.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Problem is that most did play the prior games which is why they're disappointed. Brilliant game but doesn't follow the standard MGS style outside of Peace Walker. I loved the numbered titles but could barely get through Peace Walker which is why I'm so hesitant about Phantom Pain. Even more ridiculous is the fact that you have to do prerequisite tasks just to see the full story. If I just wanna blaze through for 20 something hours to see the full story then it should be my choice. I shouldn't be forced to do hundreds of side ops just to see the full story. It's actually quite insulting because I was under the impression that open world meant choice.

[PlayableGamez]

Traditional Metal Gear? It is still a stealth game what are you talking about? Side Ops? Some of the Side Ops are story progressing activities. What are you talking about 100 of Side Ops mission huh?

[gta_manic]

In the past MGS games, I was playing a game with a great story. With Phantom Pain it sometimes feels like I am just playing unrelated(but fun if sometimes repetative) missions to unlock the story of the game.

[PlayableGamez]

Hey you guys can hit that disagree button all you want Metal Gear is still going to crush Fallout 4 and The Witcher 3 for GOTY this year.

[2pacalypsenow]

This game is nothing like previous MGS games well except PW which as made like that because it was for the PSP.

So that whole , if you didn't like it , you prob didn't play the other MGS is pure BS .
This game has minimal Cutscenes , story is not as good and it's not linear , 3 things that made MGS so popular

[PlayableGamez]

I played all previous Metal Gear Solid games including portable ops and MGSV does Metal Gear well. Open world was announced for this game for the longest and you're acting so surprised that this game is not Linear? Why is the open world a complaint? It's not even full on open world. When you start a mission you still have boundaries. You literally conduct the way you want to take on missions. How is that a bad thing?
Yeah I agree that the story is a little underwhelming but I still think the game has beautiful and heartfelt moments for it to be a master piece. Easily one of the best games this gen so far. But the gameplay takes the cake for me that it outweighs all of my complaints. I haven't been hook to a game in a long time.

[Tito08]

It reminds of how things in N4G went down when Destiny released, all these no name sites supposed journalists and those who "Supposedly" played the game said how horrible it was and then outside the internet you see people saying how awesome the game is. I don't see IGN, Gamespot, PlayStationlifestyle, and others sites talking about MGSV being incomplete. Only N4G, no name sites and obviously, the trolls, lol smh.

[Muadiib]

I would trust no name sites over the ones you mentioned every time.

[WitWolfy]

You're so ignorant. WE THE FANS DONT GET PAID TO SAY WHAT THEY WANT US TO SAY. We say what we see, and what we see is a watered down MGS game!

For Fudge steaks, the only part of this game that remotely felt like any earlier MGS game installments was the prologue!

[RealFry]

It's like news, do you want your news mainstream or independent? Independent no name sites are great for filling in the gaps the big guys don't, are usually more honest, and probably dont have the bribes/perks bigger pubs do for reviewing games.

"outside the internet you see people saying how awesome the game is."

I think your still talking about the internet, unless your conducting one on one interviews about what people thought about it, lol.

I personally didn't like Destiny from the Beta, I cancelled my LE edition after trying it, but alot of people in the casual clan im in love it.

alot of the criticism from those people is largely what I found, and something angryjoe did a fantastic job covering for a big time youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/wat...

some of the concessus that turned true and even some unexpected( this is for what it turned out on release):

-limited map variety
-limited and vague story/dialogue with the rest cordoned off for later DLC told in chunks.
-repetitive and grindy

I honestly don't see this game lasting the 10 years it's aiming for as a series. I especially was surprised the taken king being such a big deal when it looks like a destiny 1.5 at full price, and not covered under seasons pass. For me that's just a never ending milking train and this sort of strategy is reminiscent of free to play mobile games.

[Tito08]

@Muadiib Yeah you would trust a no name site, from a no name journalist who doesn't do research, nice try fool.

@Witwolfy You're the troll I should listen the least, you're just some troll pretending to be a fan, get lost, lol.

@Realfry Yeah, cool story bruh, like I'm supposed to believe anything you say, and no, not talking about the internet, I'm talking about real consumer feedback, not these fake trolls that complains about anything without trying it, if you agree with those is because you're one of them, amd too bad you cancelled your "Limited Edition". Like I'm supposed to listen to you supposed "Claims".

[RealFry]

@Tito http://cdn.meme.am/instance...

[franwex]

@PlayableGamez
I feel that people are nit picking too. Granted, I always thought the series could've improved with LESS story and more dynamism, so essentially Kojima delivered the game that I've always wanted from him.

Also; some gamers aren't too good with these type of games; some gamers like handholding and being told specifically what to do and how to do it (nothing wrong with that). While others like to do their own thing.

Lastly people sometimes HATE change and close their minds.

Nitpick to the end of time; still the best game to come out this year!

[Piffgaming]

Yes the game is a true master piece. I played Sons of liberty , snake eater, and guns of patriot. And let me tell you MGSV is BY FAR the best game in the Series.

These old heads are mad cause they cant adapt to changes and want a linear game with 3 hour cutscenes. Honestly they would find something to complain about no matter what.

I'll tell you what these old heads WONT tell you:
1. Overall movement MGS sucks. It has been significantly improved.

2. Gunplay in every metal gear was complete trash. It has gotten a complete overhaul

3. Extending on point 2 there was soo little guns in the game you weren't using more than 3 or 4 weapons. NO weapon customizing either.

4. If you killed a ENEMY you couldn't pick up their gun and use it. U know how fustrating this was.

5. There was such a limited selection of gadgets and items. The best/funnest thing was the "cardboard box" that's why when u play this ocelot give u the box and he's like "he said you'll know what to do with it". The amount of gadgets in V in unparalleled to anything in the series. Imagine going through the whole game with night vision and cardboard box.

6. AI had an IQ of 15 compared to the ai in mgsv. You can be right in front of them and get away. And they took the same paths so it was easy to get arround em.

7. Metal gear has made it where there's always couple different ways you can do a mission. But in V there's 100s of ways you can do a mission.

8. To play metal gear online their was a registration process that made you want to blow your brains out. It seriously took hours to get registered. When you finally get online and realize your playing with the complete shit gun mechanics and it's slow asf youd never return. FOB is incredible compared to that trash.

9. Would you want to watch 3 hour unskippable cutscenes every 45 minutes of gameplay?

Basically the game is fire don't listen to these nerds who prolly haven't even got half way theough. I'm 50 hours in on Mission 20 and it took witcher 3 spot as goty for real for real.

If y'all want the old metal gear then buy a ps3 and go play it but stop cryin

[CDbiggen]

Sounds like you either didn't play the old games or were terrible at them.
Gunplay was never a primary focus in the game as the emphasis was on stealth. There were enough guns in the old games; there didn't need to be 10 different assault rifles with identical stats with pointless customization. Just sounds like you wanted an open world call of duty.

[gosukyomomma]

the people not being nit picky are usually the ones who have not played the previous games...

I admit it feels like a metal gear spin off instead of a true mgs game. please just make another deep story lined mgs along the lines of snake meeting/being trained by the boss. that would be amazing

[DevilOgreFish]

"9. The Cassettes Are A Blessing & A Curse"
"8. There Just Aren’t Enough Cutscenes"

Both are linked together with a good explanation behind them. Kojima expressed having story coexist along side with gameplay last year. Cassette tapes were picked to transmit a percentage of story since a lot of gamers tend to skip sequences. with the Cassette tapes you're able to play and listen to story.

[gta_manic]

I spent a lot of time sitting in the ACC listen to the tapes, playing a mission and listening to the story is not fun.

Edit: In the end i played a few mission and then spent some time in the ACC listening to tapes, and it went on like that.

[gosukyomomma]

dont know why they couldnt just use video tapes lol

[Clown_Syndr0me]

Just becAuse he explained this doesn't make it good. It completely sucks.

[CDbiggen]

Yeah, the cassette tapes are so boring. Codec scenes were given the boot just so miller or ocelot could talk to snake about nothing of any interest just for snake to say absolutely nothing at all. The charm and charisma of the characters along with the back and forth between snake and his support from previous games used to keep me engaged and help with understanding the plot/characters better.

[sullynathan]

Truthfully, I never thought the day would come when people complained that there aren't enough cutscenes in a videogame.

[MysticStrummer]

"Too many movies" (MGS4)

"Not enough movies" (MGS5)

[Bassmint]

Damn, i didn't read it as i don't want any spoilers so i just read the titles. Having recently played MGS 2,3,4 and Peace walker and soon Ground Zeroes as a build up to this game is it going to end up being disappointing? I've loved this series so far, 3 being my favourite. How does this compare??

[Tito08]

If you like the series, I recommend you to try MGSV for yourself instead of listening to these morons and no name sites, if you want someone's feedback about the game, ask someone outside of the internet, for every game release, there is always a group of people acting like a big community that dislikes it for the hell of it and wants to pretend that they're playing it and always a no name site with a troll with a journalist hat on his head. I'm 30% in the game, and really enjoying it, only thing that holds true is how shorter the cutscenes are compared to previous games, but other than that, the game is awesome, their constant complaints about the game does not mean the game is bad, don't let those N4G trolls fool you man.

[Muadiib]

I liked the game 30% into it too, you'll see.

[DevilOgreFish]

MGS 1,2,4 and MGR are way ahead of MGSV in story. MGS3, Portable Ops, Peace walker, and Ground Zeroes are in sequence to MGSV.

Besides that, MGSV is a great game in it's own right. It is different than the other games with more emphasis on traversal and gameplay. it's also similar to Peace walker with mother base and the Fulton recovery system.

[DrumBeat]

Honestly, the problem most people seem to have is that MSGV is a brand new game, and not the old games.

Most complain about how it doesn't feel like the old ones. I can only laugh.

This is an amazing game. If you're aching for nostalgia, play some of the old ones.

[vickers500]

Spot on. People just don't like change.

[gta_manic]

At the same time its not a brand new game, not a new IP at least. Most of the changes i don't like are more about how the story is delivered then the gameplay being different.

[gosukyomomma]

its actually very similar to peace walker, which is an older game is it not?

the older games play better imo its not just cut scenesbut more of the game play mechanics of stealth - there isnt any stealth skill needed now you can just run in trigger reflex mode and kill everyone - and still get an S rating.

thats not stealth like the others where you are actually rewarded for not being seen AT ALL/ not killing anyone. its impossible to get an S rank if so.

thats my only issue. its seems a tad more less serious than the others i mean cardboard boxes with women stuck on make enemies stop in there tracks and start drooling? wtf!

[CaptainObvious878]

Brand new game, huh?

Is that why is has Metal Gear Solid in the title?

Think for 2 seconds before you type.

[Malphite]

Are you implying that existing franchises aren't allowed to change? It IS a brand new game even though it is a sequel to an existing franchise.

I personally rather have a sequel feel fresh than having it feel stale. Obviously MGSV has taken the franchise into a different direction and it's not surprising that some people will prefer the style of the old games but if you look at it objectively you can't deny that it is an excellent game.

[DrumBeat]

I would encourage you to take your own advice.

Having 'Metal Gear Solid' in the title isn't necessarily a bar to being brand new.

It's a brand new Metal Gear game. Wrap your head around that one.

[MysticStrummer]

Compared to the others it's very different, yes.

Personally I love it, and that's the only thing that matters.

[Moe-Gunz]

Story was very interesting to me. It's the difference in the way it's presented is what bothers people in my opinion. Basically the cutscenes are only generally showing what is going on, however the details are in the tapes. It all makes sense and I find Skull Faces motives and form of terrorism incredibly creepy. Eli's troubled upbringing and attitude foreshadows whats to come from him.

The ending you get in mission 46 really ties things up going back to the nintendo days.

MGS 3 is still the top dog in the series for me.

[franwex]

I agree. Just because it wasn't told in the traditional sense doesn't make it bad. Kojima was experimenting with the medium. Video games is the only way to tell a story like how MGSV did. Other Mgs games could've been just movies. Kojima blended gameplay with story, succeeded, and people bitch. SMH.

[Muadiib]

The tapes conversations should've been told on motherbase, they should've let you go up to these characters like in the Firelink Shrine or The Nexus in the Souls series and talk to them, instead they hid the characters all away and MB ended up feeling like a pointless shell of a ghost town, as did the story. Lazy, really lazy, why did they get Keifer again?

[Moe-Gunz]

The point of the tapes it's to allow you to play and listen to the story simultaneously. Point black Big Boss should have never ever been voiced by Hayter. The characters are different and Solid is not a perfect clone to sound just like Big Boss.

People can hate on Keifer all they want but I could not see Hayter delivering that speech at the "funeral". That was beautiful and I think Hayter's over the top voice wouldn't have worked. BB felt real thanks to Keifer subtlety. Hayter will forever be Solid Snake.

I'm personally not a fan of games doing the walk to a character and have them stare at the camera and speak on and on. It's boring to me. I like the audio way that can be heard while still playing or the cutscene way.

[coolman229]

Hey Moe did you forget that Snake is a clone of Big Boss? And the only one that actually fulfilled the same life as a mercenary? It makes perfect sense that Hayter voiced Naked Snake and Big Boss.

The problem with Hayter voicing Venom Snake isn't at all Hayter. It's the freaking awful script that's a low point even for the MGS series. Hayter can do emotional. Did you not see his performance in MGS4? He had a freaking awful script and he made it work the best he could.

You people keep trying to piss on Hayter and it's really making me mad.

And I don't understand how you find cutscenes more boring than having to sift through dozens of tapes while you're playing to actually get anything out of the story.

[one2thr]

Looks like Im the only person that wanders around Mother Base looking for rough diamonds, and boosting staff morale while having the tapes play. Also helps doing this, to distract me from constantly looking at the development times on certain items

[Moe-Gunz]

I'm with you. I either run around mother base looking for things or play a side-op while listening.

[AstroCyborg]

this is what happens when you overhype games

[Malphite]

No game is untouchable and too high expectations can ruin everything. But in the end everyone is responsible to keep their own expectations in check. Hype doesn't really affect me at all.

And I enjoy the heck out of this game. Probably Goty for me so far.

[HvK_ReApEr]

Great game side ops do get repetitive though. I like how they let you complete the missions how you want but its kinda lame going to the same outpost over and over again.

[Knushwood Butt]

I had a weird bug on mission 1 where i was stood in the middle of a room looking at the map when an enemy came in and didn't even see me even though i was stood right in front of him. Then i followed him outside an the same guy spotted me and triggered an alert.

[Gardenia]

I agree, this game is just far from perfect. Although the gameplay is fun most of the time, I'd rather see a more linear MGS with more cutscenes focusing on the story which is what MGS is all about

[one2thr]

People got that with MGS 4, and shamed it for those reasons.

Today I learned why Quiet doesn't talk.

[Gardenia]

MGS4 is probably the worst in the series. I was talking about MGS1 and MGS3

[coolman229]

I don't get why people keep acting like all the games had cutscenes like MGS4. MGS1, 2, and 3, all had long cutscenes. But MGS4 was ridiculous, sometimes forcing you to sit through 45 minutes of nothing but cutscenes. THAT'S what people hated.

And even Peace Walker managed to cut down the time on cutscenes and still had a story worthy of the franchise. They already responded to the complaints of too many cutscenes in Peace Walker. No need to bring up the issues of a game that came out 7 years ago.

[MysticStrummer]

"MGS4 is probably the worst in the series."

MGS2 was easily the worst imo. I loved MGS4, but the cutscenes were excessive at times and the gameplay was up and down, imo again. Guns were too easy to get, even if you didn't really need them, and the auto camo thing made stealth way too easy. There were some awesome parts though, just like in all the MGS games, even the 2nd. MGS3 is still my favorite overall I think but I'm loving this one. People just let expectations rule their world and then rage when those expectations aren't met.

[one2thr]

Eh to each his own.

Games these days: Damned if they don't, damned if they do.

[WellyUK]

It's a great game but it's far from the best game this year.

[Malphite]

I disagree. Best games for me this year have been Bloodborne, The Witcher 3, Batman: AK and MGSV so far. And MGSV can definately compete with the others. For me it's easily a Goty contender.

[oIITSBIIo]

I wouldn't say it's great, it just OK,
it not as good as Batman AK or TW3 or Bloodborne.

[solidboss07]

I was hoping for some Comicbook style cut scenes like we had in Potable Ops and Peace Walker. Those were the most atmospheric with great voice acting and sounds. Some of those mixed with the Game Engine scenes would have been sweet. Perhaps instead of just cassette tapes we could have had VCR ect for those of us who really appreciate hearing about nuclear missiles, and Alaskan Field Mice.

[silkrevolver]

I liked those too, but for a AAA game, people would have bitched.

[bigboss20]

I miss David hayter as snake. The unfinished sparse story ruins the metal gear feel for me. I still hold the fisrt metal gear solid as my personal favorite game of all time. Loved snake eater too. And number 4 had epic moments. But mgs 5 needed that ending with liquid snake and the third chapter. Its water thin and the missions are repetitive. The side ops drag on a bit. I really liked the grey fox body double theory I'm thinking that would have made a better story personally. Anyway it's so good yet so disapointing lol

[silkrevolver]

Honestly, after playing MGS4 (which I feel is the pinnacle of Kojima's linear/heavily story centric style,) I would not want another MGS like that. Peace Walker strayed away from it, now MGSV's ended up in other gaming territory entirely. For the record, MGS4 has been one of my favorite games of all time since it was released.

I suppose it's a mixture of preference and expectation, but I personally can't see myself ever liking another MGS more than MGSV (and, yes, I've played and beaten all of the canonical MGS entries).

I think MGSV is amazing, I prefer its hands-off story telling style, and its gameplay is lightyears ahead of almost everything else. Yes, some of its story did disappoint me, but by and large, this game deserves the praise it's gotten.

[MysticStrummer]

Exactly, especially the part about preference and expectation. MGS5 was really a brave game for Kojima to make as the last one in the series, and I continue to be blown away by it. 80 hours of gameplay and not even to mission 20 yet, that's how much I'm enjoying the world. After MGS4, having lots of gameplay and not so many movies is a breath of fresh air. That distinctive Metal Gear AI in an open world with so many options in how to deal with it… stealthily or guns blazing… that's gaming heaven for me. As different as this game is from the rest in the series, it still has Kojima written all over it and I can't wait to see what he does next.

[Android]

I've never agreed more on an article. The one that really got to me was having to redo missions in order to unlock more of the story.

[Moe-Gunz]

You don't have to. I thought that and I played side ops instead because I didn't feel like repeating. The missions unlocked eventually.

[Orionsangel]

Not enough checkpoints and redoing an entire mission from the beginning after spending an hour doing the mission.

[solidboss07]

Create your own checkpoints buy achieving a goal, say taking out an awkward soldier then leave the mission area, you will see spinning squares top right of screen, run back into mission area, location name will appear as words on screen. Boom! Checkpoint created. Have you actually played the game?

[Orionsangel]

I suck at paying attention and the little details. I just wanna play. lol

[MysticStrummer]

If you actually tried to restart from the last checkpoint you might be surprised at where it is. I did the Traitor's Caravan mission a bunch of times before I got it right, but the checkpoint wasn't far back at all.