Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

The holy grail of world-building games, it’s argued, is a black box that lets players do as they like with minimal handholding. Pliability with just the right measure of accountability. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, a tactical stealth simulation wrapped in a colossal resource management puzzle inside a love letter to theatrical inscrutability, comes the closest of any game I’ve yet played to realizing that ideal.

Great, ambitious, funny and spontaneous, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will surely teach a thing or two to every developer in modern gaming.

Is this truly Hideo Kojima's last game in the legendary MGS franchise? If so he will be sorely missed because this epic conclusion to the Metal Gear saga is a true video gaming masterpiece.

The Phantom Pain is an unusual Metal Gear experience, one that not everybody may enjoy if they cling to systems of old. If they’re willing to adapt and accept this new way of exploring Kojima’s world however, they are going to be blown away, absolutely, and one hundred percent guaranteed. This new open world is one that is begging to be played with, in whatever way a player wishes.

Kojima Production’s have created their magnum opus. A gem that has truly evolved the design of open world action.

With a solid gameplay, an expanded version of the Mother Base and the powerful FOX Engine, Metal Gear Solid V delivers what it promised in a generation full of disappointing games and sequels. Despite a confusing story, The Phantom Pain is great game for everybody and a must-have for Kojima's fans.

It's kind of insane that the spiritual follow up to Peace Walker and easily the most ambitious Metal Gear title to date somehow winds up as arguably the least interesting entry overall, but there it is.

Peakest of the peak. The story is GReAT! Voice acting is good (even tho snake didnt talk as much) and the ending is pretty crazy but FRICK MISSION 18

As just a game, it's an untouchable masterpiece for the ages. As a Metal Gear game though, it's just okay. Easily the worst of the canon games.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a showcase of brilliant stealth-action mechanics wrapped in a fragmented, emotionally distant narrative. Its sandbox gameplay is fluid and empowering, offering players a wide range of tools, dynamic enemy AI, and impressive tactical freedom. However, the experience quickly becomes repetitive, with recycled mission objectives and a second act that leans heavily on content padding. The story, mostly told through audio tapes, sidelines Big Boss and underuses key characters, leaving little narrative momentum. Visually, the game is technically impressive but artistically sterile, lacking the iconic imagery and cinematic direction of earlier entries. While MGSV excels in control and systems design, its lack of emotional weight and unfinished structure hold it back from being truly great.

I am very disappointed. Game is unfinished storywise.. some missions are so frustrating, I had to retry like 50 times. In the end I felt that this game was not worth starting. It just goes to nowhere.

very good missions, well done combat system and good graphics but the open world feels dead and can make you melancholy