Info about METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN:

Official game description:
Konami Digital Entertainment continues forth the ‘METAL GEAR SOLID V Experience’ with the latest chapter, METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Phantom Pain. 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.  
Nine years after the events of MGSV: GROUND ZEROES and the fall of Mother Base, Snake a.k.a. Big Boss, awakens from a nine year coma. The year is 1984. The Cold War serves as the backdrop as nuclear weapons continue to shape a global crisis. Driven by revenge, Snake establishes a new private army and returns to the battlefield in pursuit of the shadow group, XOF.  
The METAL GEAR SOLID team 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. 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.  
Key Features:  
\- Open-World game design allowing players ultimate freedom on how to approach missions and overall game progression  
\- Fox Engine delivers photorealistic graphics, thoughtful game design and true new-generation game production quality  
\- Online connectivity that carries the experience beyond the consoles to other devices to augment the overall functionality and access to the game.

Release date: 1 Sep, 2015

Categories: Open-World Exploration, Stealth Gameplay, Tactical, Single-player Story, Base Building, Resource Management, Player Customization


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Unparalleled stealth sandbox gameplay (weight 1): Players consistently praise the immense freedom in mission approach, diverse tactical options, and highly reactive AI. This creates an engaging, open-ended stealth experience where every playthrough feels unique and rewarding due to deep mechanics and a vast arsenal of tools.
- Enduring high-quality experience (weight 0.71): The game is lauded for its overall polish, visual fidelity, and robust performance that holds up remarkably well years after release. Players find it an incredibly fun and addictive experience with strong replayability and exceptional technical optimization, even a decade later.
- Kojima's Metal Gear legacy (weight 0.41): The game is seen as a pivotal entry in the Metal Gear Solid series, praised for its innovative approach and masterful direction by Hideo Kojima. It's often considered the best in the franchise and a compelling introduction for newcomers, enriching the saga's lore and representing Kojima's visionary farewell.
- Rich and impactful narrative (weight 0.18): The game's narrative is highly praised for its engaging plot, intricate twists, and exploration of dark, philosophical themes like war, identity, and revenge. Its cinematic presentation and emotional depth leave a lasting impression on players.
- Addictive Mother Base management (weight 0.14): The Mother Base progression and management system, including Fulton extraction and equipment development, is highly engaging. It provides a rewarding sense of growth and strategic depth, fostering player immersion as they build and customize their private army and develop technologies.
- Exceptional sound and soundtrack (weight 0.11): Players consistently commend the game's outstanding sound design and masterfully chosen soundtrack. The blend of original compositions and iconic 80s classics perfectly enhances the atmosphere, tension, and emotional impact of the game.
- Beloved companion character Quiet (weight 0.06): The character Quiet is frequently highlighted as a favorite companion due to her effectiveness as a sniper and scout, her intriguing mystery, and her strong, well-designed character arc. Her presence significantly enhances the gameplay and narrative experience.

Common complaints:
- Unfinished, Fragmented Story Narrative (weight 0.89): A prevalent issue is the story's incomplete and disjointed nature, especially in the second half and the ending. Many players feel key plotlines are unresolved, crucial content (like Mission 51/Chapter 3) was cut, and the narrative suffers from turbulent development and the departure of Hideo Kojima, falling short of the series' cinematic depth.
- Repetitive Mission Design (weight 0.79): The game is heavily criticized for its repetitive mission structure, especially in Chapter 2, which often reuses earlier missions with minor modifications or increased difficulty. This leads to a strong sense of grind, with many main and side missions feeling like filler that doesn't advance the story.
- Empty Open World Design (weight 0.66): The game's vast open-world maps (Afghanistan and Africa) are frequently described as empty, monotonous, and lacking diverse interactions or dynamic events. Traversal often feels tedious, with unscalable mountains and repetitive outposts, diminishing the sense of a living world.
- Underwhelming Antagonist, Bosses (weight 0.65): The main antagonist, Skull Face, is widely considered underdeveloped, lacking the charisma and screen time of previous series villains, with his characterization often relegated to audio logs. Similarly, boss fights are frequently described as bland, uninteresting, and lacking the epic impact expected from the franchise.
- Story Delivery via Cassettes (weight 0.65): Many players are frustrated by the heavy reliance on optional audio cassette tapes to deliver crucial story exposition and character backstories. This method is seen as tedious, risks players missing vital context, and dilutes the traditional cinematic storytelling experience of the series.
- Poor PC Keyboard Controls (weight 0.05): PC players frequently report issues with keyboard and mouse controls, describing them as clunky, unintuitive, and lacking proper optimization. Menu navigation is often awkward, keybinding options are limited, and many recommend using a controller for a better experience.
- Cumbersome Mother Base Management (weight 0.05): The Mother Base management system is criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, with inconvenient interfaces and a lack of fast travel between platforms. Players feel forced into micromanagement that often disconnects from the main story, adding unnecessary grind.
- Quiet Character Sexualization (weight 0.04): The character Quiet's hypersexualized design and the camera's excessive focus on her body in cutscenes are a point of contention for many. Despite in-game lore justifications, players perceive it as unnecessary fan service that can be uncomfortable or contradict character agency.
- Unbalanced FOB Multiplayer (weight 0.03): The Forward Operating Base (FOB) online mode suffers from issues including frequent cheaters, unbalanced gameplay (especially regarding certain loadouts), and network errors that unfairly penalize players. This leads to a frustrating and often stale multiplayer experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Diverse Infiltration & Combat (weight 0.15): Players enjoy extensive freedom in mission approach, allowing for everything from intricate stealth and non-lethal takedowns to aggressive, all-out combat. The game provides a rich arsenal of weapons and unique gadgets, like tranquilizers and the Fulton system, encouraging creative tactical solutions.
- In-depth Mother Base Management (weight 0.14): A core gameplay loop involves managing and expanding Mother Base, the player's operational hub. This includes recruiting soldiers, developing new gear, and allocating resources. The system extends to competitive FOB (Forward Operating Base) missions where players can invade or defend bases, adding a strategic multiplayer layer.
- Unique MGS Series Departure (weight 0.09): This installment marks a significant shift for the Metal Gear Solid franchise, prioritizing open-world gameplay and mechanics over its traditional heavy cinematic storytelling. While offering crucial narrative context within the series timeline, its distinct style makes it accessible to newcomers and a different experience for veterans.
- Significant Playtime & Grind (weight 0.08): Players commit extensive hours, often 40-100+ for completion, due to the game's breadth of content and the need to develop Mother Base. Many noted an average to heavy grind, especially when pursuing 100% completion or repeating missions for resources.
- Adaptive Enemy AI (weight 0.06): Enemies dynamically learn and adapt to player tactics, acquiring new gear like helmets for headshots or night-vision for night infiltrations. This intelligent AI constantly challenges players, demanding frequent changes in strategy and experimentation with different approaches.
- Big Boss Identity Narrative (weight 0.04): The narrative centers on the player character, Venom Snake, who awakens from a coma and is led to believe he is Big Boss. The story explores themes of revenge and identity, culminating in a revealing twist about Venom Snake's true role as a decoy.
- Accessible Yet Strategically Deep (weight 0.04): The game is noted for its easy-to-learn controls and mechanics, making it approachable for new players. However, true mastery requires strategic thinking and adapting to complex situations and the adaptive enemy AI, offering a significant challenge for those seeking depth.
- Fulton Recovery Core Mechanic (weight 0.03): The Fulton Recovery System is a signature non-lethal mechanic enabling players to extract enemies, vehicles, resources, and even animals via balloon. This system is integral to recruiting staff for Mother Base and acquiring materials, adding a distinct strategic element to missions.
- Varied World Navigation (weight 0.03): To traverse the extensive open world, players have several options including on foot, utilizing various vehicles, or most notably, riding the D-Horse. The horse provides quick transportation and can be used tactically during missions, enhancing exploration and approach flexibility.

Performance notes:
- Excellent Optimization & Low Requirements (weight 0.08): Players consistently praise the game's exceptional optimization, allowing it to run smoothly on very low-end PCs, integrated graphics, older consoles (like PS3), and modern handheld devices such as the Steam Deck. This broad compatibility makes the game accessible to many users.
- FPS Capped at 60 (weight 0.02): The game defaults to a 60 frames per second cap, a common feature for console ports. Players report that this limit can be successfully bypassed by modifying a configuration file, enabling higher refresh rates for those with compatible monitors.
- Impressive Visuals & Engine (weight 0.02): Despite its release date, the game's Fox Engine is consistently lauded for its ability to deliver stunning visuals, including high detail in environments, realistic animations, and effective lighting. The graphics are considered to hold up well against contemporary titles.
- Mixed Bug & Technical Issues (weight 0.02): While some players praise the game as bug-free, others report significant technical problems. These issues include critical bugs causing loss of game progress, platform-specific black screen problems on Linux, and persistent file validation errors on Steam.
- Stable Performance on High-End (weight 0.01): Users with high-end PC setups consistently report rock-solid performance, achieving steady, high frame rates at maximum settings. Critically, these players experience no stutters, frame drops, or screen tearing even after hundreds of hours of gameplay.
- Active Multiplayer Community (weight 0.01): The game maintains a surprisingly active multiplayer community, ensuring that players can still find matches and engage with others years after its initial release. This indicates a sustained player base for its online components.
- Modding for Modern Setups (weight 0.01): Light modding capabilities are available, enabling players to enhance the experience on modern PC setups, primarily through achieving higher refresh rates and some (imperfect) ultrawide monitor support.
- Legacy Console Resolution (weight 0.01): Players note that the game's visual quality on older generation consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360) is significantly impacted by a low native resolution, reducing overall visual fidelity compared to PC versions.
- Manageable Game Size (weight 0): The game is noted for having a reasonable and manageable installation size, which is appreciated by players as it doesn't consume an excessive amount of hard drive space.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended masterpiece (weight 0.35): Players overwhelmingly rate the game highly, considering it a must-play title and a masterpiece despite its flaws. Many describe it as an unforgettable experience worth the full price.
- Buy Definitive Edition on sale (weight 0.03): While many consider the game worth its full price, it is often recommended to purchase it during a sale. The Definitive Experience version is specifically advised for its inclusion of the Ground Zeroes chapter.
- Play Ground Zeroes first (weight 0.02): It's strongly recommended that players complete Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes before starting The Phantom Pain, as it serves as an essential prologue to the main story.
- PC port issues, consider modding (weight 0.02): Some feedback indicates the PC experience may not be polished, with some users recommending against buying it. For those determined to play, modding is suggested to address issues like resource grinding and to explore different playstyles.

Other player notes:
- Excellent entry point for new fans. (weight 0.23): Despite its position late in the Metal Gear saga, many players found MGSV to be an accessible and captivating introduction to the franchise. It successfully drew in newcomers, inspiring them to explore the rich lore and older titles, effectively becoming a gateway to the broader Metal Gear universe.
- Lore knowledge crucial for story. (weight 0.18): Reviewers often noted that a deep understanding of the extensive Metal Gear lore is crucial for fully appreciating and comprehending MGSV's intricate plot, especially Chapter 2. Many resorted to external resources or prior series knowledge to overcome initial confusion, indicating the story can be less accessible to those unfamiliar with the franchise's history.
- Profound identity and legacy themes. (weight 0.08): The game is praised for its intricate plot twists and exploration of profound themes such as identity, loss, and the nature of a hero's legacy, epitomized by the revelation of Venom Snake. It delves into the moral ambiguity of Big Boss and how the player embodies his legend, resonating deeply with fans of complex storytelling in the Metal Gear universe.
- Extensive playtime and high replayability. (weight 0.08): Players consistently report investing hundreds of hours into the game, engaging in multiple playthroughs, and even repurchasing it across different platforms years after its initial release. This demonstrates exceptional long-term appeal and replayability, with many still finding new content or reasons to revisit the game.
- Enduring classic, relevant design. (weight 0.06): Released nearly a decade ago, MGSV is widely regarded as an enduring classic, with its gameplay mechanics and thematic depth holding up remarkably well against contemporary titles. Many players return to it years later, appreciating its quality in contrast to current industry trends.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.29): Players felt satisfied by the game's exceptional stealth action gameplay, open-ended missions, and innovative mechanics like the Fulton system. They also praised its engaging story, cinematic quality, excellent graphics, and high replayability, often considering it a masterpiece and a strong continuation of the series. The game's optimization, even on lower-end hardware, and the freedom to build a Private Military Company further contributed to this positive experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Disappointment stemmed primarily from the game's incomplete and often fragmented narrative, particularly in Chapter 2, which led to a feeling of an unfinished story and unresolved plot points. Repetitive missions, an empty open world, and cumbersome base-building mechanics also contributed to this sentiment. Players felt the game didn't live up to the series' traditional storytelling standards or its full potential due to perceived external development issues and cut content.
- Admiration (weight 0.11): Admiration was frequently directed towards the game's unparalleled stealth action gameplay, tactical freedom, and deep mechanical design, often hailed as revolutionary. Reviewers praised its stunning visuals, cinematic cutscenes, and the FOX engine's performance. Hideo Kojima's vision and ability to redefine the stealth genre, along with the game's enduring quality and attention to detail, also inspired significant admiration.
- Excitement (weight 0.09): Excitement arose from the game's engaging, open-world stealth mechanics, offering insane freedom and tight controls that led to a highly addictive experience. Players were thrilled by the gripping story, unexpected plot twists, and the abundance of customization options and companions. The high cinematic quality and replayability also generated enthusiasm for new and returning players.
- Frustration (weight 0.09): Frustration was caused by repetitive missions, excessive grinding for resources and upgrades, and a perceived unfinished story. Players also cited issues with clunky PC controls, intrusive UI elements, and technical problems like game-breaking bugs or long loading times. Monetization practices, particularly related to MB Coins and FOBs, and the inability to play offline for a single-player game, further annoyed players.
- Joy (weight 0.04): Players expressed joy through the game's fun and dynamic stealth mechanics, often coupled with humorous elements like the Fulton system and D-Dog interactions. The high replayability, ability to experiment with different approaches, and the overall immersive experience contributed to a blast. Experiencing the game's enduring quality, beautiful graphics, and custom soundtrack feature also brought significant happiness.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Enjoyment was derived from the game's addictive and fast-paced gameplay loop, offering significant tactical freedom and replayability, even years after release. Players appreciated the strategic depth, open-world design, and versatile mission options. The engaging core mechanics, combined with positive visual and audio experiences, made the game a consistently fun experience despite minor flaws.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation centered on the game's exceptional gameplay design, technical excellence, and lasting impact on players and the franchise. Reviewers valued the extreme freedom in missions, the brilliant soundtrack, and well-developed characters, along with its performance on various hardware. The game's status as a masterpiece, its immersive cinematic moments, and Hideo Kojima's creative genius were also highly appreciated.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement often came from the game's quirky and humorous mechanics, such as hiding in cardboard boxes or the Fulton recovery system. Players found humor in D-Dog's actions, unexpected emergent gameplay scenarios, and the game's dark or self-aware commentary. The ability to customize emblems and perform silly, unexpected actions also contributed to this light-hearted feeling.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm was a strong desire to recommend the game, often driven by its high quality, depth in gameplay, progression, and captivating story. Players were excited about the game's ability to offer diverse and engaging experiences. The overall positive assessment of the game's design and its potential as a Game of the Year contender fueled this strong recommendation to others.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger stemmed from specific developer decisions, such as the implementation of MB Coins and microtransactions, which were seen as predatory. The change in Snake's voice actor, game-breaking bugs that led to lost progress, and frustrating mission designs also provoked anger. Players felt the game's design choices and Konami's perceived mismanagement were a disgrace to the series, especially regarding its incomplete state.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players were surprised when the game exceeded their initial expectations, often despite skepticism or reluctance to play. This included the unexpected amount of content, the addictive gameplay, and the game's high quality on low-end hardware. Major plot twists, such as the true identity of Big Boss, also elicited significant surprise and enjoyment, especially for newcomers to the series.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia arose from revisiting the game or franchise that held significant personal meaning from youth or past experiences. Players fondly recalled playing the game on older consoles or with family members, appreciating its lasting impact and connection to the Metal Gear saga. The game's role as a final chapter for Kojima's involvement also evoked a sense of melancholy nostalgia.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion was primarily caused by the game's complex, often nonsensical plot and blurred lore, making it difficult for players to understand the story, especially without prior series knowledge. Unclear game mechanics, ambiguous narrative delivery through cassettes, and unanswered questions in the story contributed to this bewilderment. Intentional manipulation of player identity within the narrative also left some players puzzled.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game manifested as deep affection for its story, gameplay, characters, and overall experience, often leading to repeated playthroughs and 100% completion. Players considered it a 'game of my life' or expressed strong attachment to the Metal Gear Solid franchise as a whole. Personal connections to the game, such as family memories or viewing it as a 'love letter' from the creator, deepened this emotion.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement was driven by the game's addictive gameplay loop, requiring strategic thinking during stealth missions and offering rewarding progression systems. Players found themselves deeply invested in building Mother Base, recruiting soldiers, and exploring the open world. The captivating narrative and the desire to complete all content ensured long-term involvement, making the game difficult to put down.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation stemmed from the desire to continue playing the game, driven by the vast amount of remaining content and the engaging gameplay. Players looked forward to future playthroughs, potential sequels to resolve the unfinished story, or experiencing the game after completing earlier titles in the series. This also included looking forward to remakes of other games in the franchise.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Awe was inspired by the game's stunning cinematic cutscenes, impressive visual detail, and profound thematic depth. Players were captivated by the story's ability to subvert expectations and its meta-commentary, which could turn the entire saga upside down. The game's multifaceted themes and innovative storytelling also evoked a sense of wonder and deep intellectual appreciation.
- Melancholy (weight 0.01): Melancholy arose from the game's somber tone and themes of loss, betrayal, and the lingering 'phantom pain' experienced by the protagonist and, by extension, the player. The game's unfinished nature and its perceived conclusion of Kojima's involvement with the series amplified this feeling of emptiness. Reflecting on the painful meaning of patriotism and unfulfilled dreams also contributed to this sadness.
- Regret (weight 0): Regret was expressed over not having played the game earlier, indicating a missed opportunity for earlier enjoyment. It also stemmed from the game's unfinished state and perceived flaws, leading players to feel that time and money had been ill-spent. Experiencing a decline in quality or technical issues when replaying on a different platform also caused regret.}