The highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain by Konami is set to be released on Sept. 1 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC. As preorders continue to pile up for the latest installment to the franchise, reviews have also been coming in for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
What do the reviews say about the title? Does the game live up to all the hype surrounding it?
Kotaku: "After more than 30 hours with the newest Metal Gear Solid, I'm convinced that Phantom Pain is the best Metal Gear yet, a game with extraordinary scope, inimitable style, and some of the most satisfying sneaking and creeping I've ever performed either in a video game or IRL ... Whereas previous Metal Gear Solid games took you through a linear, structured sequence of events—first you go through the tanker, then you go through the plant, etc.—The Phantom Pain is way more open, replacing chapters and segments with a large list of selectable missions, not unlike the portable Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker ... There's nobody like Snake, and there's nothing like Metal Gear Solid-plenty of other games let you sneak and shoot around a big open world, but none of them have the style, the tone, or the totally inappropriate gravitas of this series."
IGN: "It is, unquestionably, my favorite Metal Gear to play, though I do wish its story delivered as many memorable moments as its sandbox empowered me to create for myself... The transition between careful stealth and going loud is a lot more organic than in any previous MGS, and getting aggressive never feels "wrong" the way it often does in stealth games... Resource management is, in fact, the blood coursing through the veins of this open world, giving its many interconnected infiltration spaces their reason to be... However, where Phantom Pain's gameplay systems are far richer and meatier than any the series has ever seen, its story feels insubstantial and woefully underdeveloped by comparison."
Gamespot: "Fans of the series will find their diligence rewarded in ways that newcomers can't begin to imagine, but such loyalty and knowledge isn't a prerequisite... The gravity of the game's encounters leaves you on the edge of your seat, with a racing pulse... The Phantom Pain encourages you to be active, but you have more than enough tools to tip the scales in your favor... The Phantom Pain's story missions are enthralling, and carry you forward at an even pace for most of the game, but over 100 side-operations also vie for your attention... Success in The Phantom Pain isn't just measured by getting from point A to point B, or by defeating a notorious bad guy. Remember, you're trying to build a private army... There has never been a game in the series with such depth to its gameplay, or so much volume in content. The best elements from the past games are here, and the new open-world gameplay adds more to love on top... The Phantom Pain may be a contender for one of the best action games ever made, but is undoubtedly the best Metal Gear game there is."
Time: "I'm still pretty far from the finish line, but 30 hours is a lot of time to spend with anything, and so I can say this much-not a moment of it has been less than thrilling... The Phantom Pain has some of the brightest, meaningfully collaborative, and thus relentlessly hostile opponents I've ever battled... If I had to grade it now, 30 hours in, with 80% of the story yet to come, most of the equipment still locked away, my base still a nascent thing, and only a handful of the side missions complete, I'd give The Phantom Pain full marks, easy."
Examiner: "Metal Gear fans are going to enjoy what The Phantom Pain has to offer, and it offers up that enjoyment over and over and over again... The scope of this game is mind-blowing. Everything from Mother Base, to the game's AI, to the level of personalization and customization; it's all simply astounding... Mother Base becomes a part of your identity as a player and it's wonderfully difficult to resist completing side mission after side mission and acquiring resource after resource all in the pursuit of building up the gargantuan home that is your Mother Base... The level of customization and the degree of choice are both staggering and freeing... The amount of gameplay is criminal and the quality of it is spectacular... It is... not difficult to say that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the best game of the year so far."
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is coming away with mind-blowing reviews so far, which is surely making gamers even more excited to acquire their copies on Sept. 1.
