Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an immense game. Not just in the amount of content, or in the size of the world, but in just how much players have to take in. There are so many different systems and gameplay mechanics working in tandem - and, while it makes for one of the deepest open-world games ever, it's not exactly the easiest game for new fans to dive into.
It's not that The Phantom Pain is a bad game, far from it - but combine the sneaking, the gunplay, the open world, developing Mother Base, researching weapons, capturing enemies and managing your Buddies, there's a lot to keep track of.
Never fear - if you've found yourself constantly fighting off enemy alerts or trying to develop weapons with zero cash, this guide is for you. The Phantom Pain's opening hours can be a bit overwhelming, but if you follow these tips, sneaking through Afghanistan should be a bit more manageable.
Take Your Time
Taking one's time while playing a stealth game may seem like a no-brainer, but when it comes to The Phantom Pain, it really does pay off to stop and get used to the new controls. Folks coming over from Ground Zeroes will have a bit of a leg up, but The Phantom Pain sports some complex controls - best get used to them before you dive in.
On top of that, The Phantom Pain's stealth gameplay is built around planning and executing: you'll have a much easier time if you slow down, plan out your moves and then go on the attack. When it comes to sneaking, there's no such thing as 'too prepared.'
Interrogate Everyone You Can
In past games, interrogating enemies wasn't all that important. Sure, there was that one moment in Snake Eater where you were forced to interrogate someone - otherwise, it's usually easier to simply incapacitate an enemy and move on.
That's not the case in The Phantom Pain: by interrogating enemies, you can find hidden resource caches, soldier positions, nearby specialists or even rare weapon blueprints. While interrogations do take a bit longer and can put you in danger, the information is worth it far more often than not - just make sure that you and your newfound friend are alone before you start asking questions.
Explore!
Previous Metal Gear games have all been relatively linear affairs - while the jungles of Snake Eater and the war-torn streets of Guns of the Patriots may have offered up a bit more freedom, players were still limited. The Phantom Pain does away with that - players can go in to just about any location from any direction they choose.
As a result, it's important to explore: not only will you find alternate routes and new ways to flank your enemies, but resources are often found off the beaten path. It just makes sense to do a bit of exploring, especially when it can be so rewarding.
Experiment With Your Play Style
As previously stated, The Phantom Pain lets gamers go just about anywhere they want, but player freedom doesn't stop there. The game supports and encourages several different playstyles: whether you want to stay back and snipe from a distance or get up close and personal with some CQC, The Phantom Pain doesn't hold you back.
Plus, there are actual rewards for trying out different play styles. Completing a mission in different ways will unlock different codename rankings, which then unlock extra customization options for Mother Base.
Speaking of Mother Base...
Take the Time To Customize Mother Base
Mother Base was a neat system in Peace Walker, but Snake's home base in The Phantom Pain is something else entirely. First and foremost, it's completely customizable: if you want a bright blue base with the words 'Naked Snake' plastered across it, go ahead.
More than just cosmetic customization, you can also configure Mother Base's personnel and layout. If you want to focus more on developing weapons, put a few extra soldiers into the R&D department. If you want to get a heads-up when a sandstorm is rolling in, throw a few men into the Intel department. With the game's updated interface, it's all relatively painless, and there's nothing to lose by taking some extra time to really make sure your Mother Base is what you want it to be.
Upgrade Your Fulton System and Explosives ASAP
There are seemingly thousands of different items and weapons to upgrade in The Phantom Pain, but some will make the opening hours far easier: namely, the Fulton Recovery System and explosives.
The Fulton System is more important than it ever has been, and progress is directly tied to how you build your army. Thankfully, the Fulton's first two upgrades are some of the best: one upgrade doubles the amount you can carry, while the other lets you bring larger objects (like turrets and mortar cannons) back to Mother Base.
Explosives are also hugely important, simply because they can help open up more of the map. Whenever you find an enemy radar station, use some C4 to destroy it and you'll open up a new LZ for your helicopter - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. C4 isn't unlocked automatically, so you'll have to invest. Thankfully, it's not that expensive to develop - hooray for explosions!
You Can Complete Main Missions and Side Ops Simultaneously
Don't Be Afraid To Use Reflex Time
For purists, Reflex Time may seem like a bit of a crutch - but it's much more than a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. Clever players can use the slow motion to take out entire groups of enemies at once, or use it for that extra bit of precision when making a difficult shot. True, you can earn bonus points by disabling the feature, but the trade-off isn't really worth it.
Watch Your Suppressors
Being quiet in Metal Gear Solid is of the utmost importance: unfortunately, Snake can only carry one suppressor per gun before needing to call in for supplies. There's no indication or alert that your suppressor's about to wear out, so make sure to keep an eye on the gauge - finding out that your gun has gone loud in the middle of an enemy stronghold never ends well.
Oh, and one last thing...
If You Hear Barking, Look Around
Hideo Kojima made it clear that the Buddies in The Phantom Pain are almost entirely optional - as such, if you hear any barking during the game's early missions, stop what you're doing and look around. You'll be happy you did.
With this guide, you should be ready to start your trek into the wide-open world of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Of course, this only scratches the surface of what's possible - stay tuned for more in-depth coverage on Hideo Kojima's latest!
In the meantime, if you're looking to catch up on the story of Metal Gear, you can take a look at our comprehensive timeline or our guide to the series' many characters named Snake!
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