METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN

Yes, the story is clearly unfinished, but when you look past that, you get an amazing installment in the series. Top tier stealth, a world that truly feels alive, amazing writing, and a 3D scan of of quiet's feet.

Listen, I only have 2 hours on PC but hundreds on Xbox circa 2016 and let me tell you something. This game is living proof that game developers have gone to utter shit since around 2020. This game looks better and runs so much better than games being put out for the last five years and is so in depth with content. With that being said, let me say a few things. This was the last game I bonded with my brother over before he joined the military and I started college, it was hands down some of the best times in gaming we shared and brings back so many memories of how satisfied we were building up our separate bases and giving each other pointers to different things. It's so amazing that almost 10 years later, this game literally looks and feels as if it should have been released around today's time and puts so many games to shame. The only MGS game I ever played before this was the first on PS1 when I was around 4 years old, so I have no idea what the lore was and jumping into it with no idea, made it that much more intruiging. how could a very on par mil-sim structured game revolve around extremely fictional lore with some humorous, yet emotional elements added. It really makes for such a fun game especially if you're thinking about picking this up before the new one releases. Also, UE5 is the death of games imo, the whole time I have revisted this game, I have been extremely mad at how developers post 2020 have taken gaming with micro-transactions, skins, same game but reskinned and different developers, same concepts. Although what sets this apart, is all of this is found in game. The best part, is collecting different tapes of music from the 80s and listening to it while being an utter badass mowing down enemies or running through the different biomes. Seriously, this is a huge refreshment and has reminded me why around 2015-2019 was peak in gaming. If you like mil-sim, don't want pvp or multiplayer, a good and intriguing story that's very strange, yet makes up for in combat and traversing, please do yourself a favor and pick this up. I remember being a big ARMA player since ARMA 2 and with ARMA 3 being 2 years fresh, this game felt like the better alternative for me that gave that scratched the specific gaming itch I always craved. Coming back to it, I feel the same. I hope this helps or was interesting to whoever sees this in 2025!

This is not a metal gear considering the past titles. This is the best Gunplay action game ever made despite being unfinished. GAME IS SO GOOD I BOUGHT IT EVEN AFTER PIRATING IT. GAME IS SO ABSOLUTELY GOOD I BOUGHT IT DESPITE KOJIMA NOT EARNING A SINGLE DIME OFF THIS. I would gladly suck off kojima for everyone of his games (including death stranding) and this game is also one of those reasons. Do not buy considering that konami is a greedy scum company.

Before Denuvo, it was fun game. When now Deunuvo, didn't wanna bother going back ever. :c

Its 2025 and it is still one of my favorite games (my hours in game don't mean much, I played on PS3, PS4 and PC for 10 years) Game has so many things to offer. - Nice but filler story, in my opinion, to make this version of Big Boss mean something and tie it to older games, even in this not finished state (which is debatable, but most likely). And you don't have to know anything before starting this game, pretend you have amnesia after first cutscene in the game and roll with it. I would say its even funnier that way. - Great sandbox to mess around and find out - Very cool take on base management, online component included And if you want more - you can stay and introduce your base to FOB leaderboards, play with other people, raid their bases or defend yours and servers are still up.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a rare kind of game—bold, ambitious, and hauntingly unfinished, yet still a masterpiece of open-world design and stealth-action gameplay. It’s Hideo Kojima’s swan song with the series, and while it leaves behind as many questions as it answers, the journey is unforgettable. You play as Venom Snake, a hardened soldier awoken from a coma and plunged into a world of private militaries, shifting alliances, and secret weapons. The story is dense, cryptic, and often told more through tapes and atmosphere than cutscenes—but when it hits, it hits hard. It’s not just a war story—it’s a psychological slow burn about identity, revenge, and manipulation. Gameplay is where The Phantom Pain shines brightest. The open-world missions set in Afghanistan and Central Africa give players an unprecedented level of freedom for a stealth game. Want to infiltrate silently at night with tranquilizer darts? Go loud with explosives and airstrikes? Drop in on horseback or ride a cardboard box down a hill? All valid strategies. The control you have is exhilarating, and every mission feels like a sandbox puzzle with dozens of possible solutions. Mother Base acts as your hub of operations, growing as you recruit soldiers, develop new gear, and invest in resources. It's a satisfying layer of progression that ties directly into your performance in the field. That said, the game’s biggest flaw is its incomplete narrative. The second half feels rushed, and some storylines (including a major one involving a key antagonist) are left unresolved. It’s no secret that development troubles behind the scenes left their mark. Despite its imperfections, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a triumph of game design—fluid, flexible, and endlessly replayable. It might not give you all the answers, but the depth of its gameplay and the power of its themes ensure it leaves a lasting impression. Incomplete or not, it’s one of the finest stealth-action games ever made. Rating: 9/10

I don t even know where to begin! I ve started playing this game kinda late compared to all the gamers out there, but hey, it s never too late for anything. Anyways, after red dead redemption i was highly doubting that there will ever be another game that can make me feel alive, feel like i m part of the story, feel absolute joy when getting to do a mission! I obviously didn t finish the game yet, i m not even close, but i feel like i ve known these characters for my whole life (snake, ocelot,miller) the plot is just fantastic so far! So for you,the guys out there who don t know if buying the game is worth it,i can assure you that it actually is worth every emotion, every penny and every investment! Hope you guys enjoy this game as much as i did and will do! God bless you!

I got platinum on this on ps4 when it came out...... Mission 31 now is what Mission 51 was back then. They literally had SO much content cut from the original game. It's honestly sad to see how many new things have been added since I already essentially 100%'d this game.... Now on PC they have an entire Chapter 2? This is crazy. I am so glad Konami is never going to make another metal gear game. because it cannot possibly ever be worse than mgs5 on release

This may be one of my favorite games that I've ever played. While the story is convoluted and very hard to follow, I believe it fits in well with the game's themes of identity loss in how the player is constantly being misled, just like how Venom Snake was misled about his true identity. This is an issue for some, but I find that it can be easily excused for how great the gameplay is. Typically (at least for me), open world games can feel too empty or too overwhelming. However, for me MGSV:TPP is a great blend of both, as there is always a clear goal (and multiple can be accomplished per outpost in the open world) whenever approaching a base; gathering high-skilled soldiers, doing a side quest, extracting resources, or just avoiding it entirely. I find the stealth mechanics forgiving enough for someone like myself (a new Metal Gear player), yet the AI does not feel dumb enough that I get the impression I'm being pitied by the game. On some missions, it definitely does not pull its punches (those who played Traitor's Caravan early game, dealt with those dumb children in Blood Runs Deep, and tried to S-rank A Quiet Exit know what I'm talking about.) All flaws aside, I find this game incredibly addicting and keep coming back to it. I love grinding all the side missions and side objectives, and have definitely gotten more than my money's worth.

so much better after playing peace walker. i know a lot of people say "skip PW and just watch a youtube vid", don't do that, those people are idiots. i did that 10 years ago when i first played this game and it wasn't the same. peace walker is a 10/10 game in its own right and it elevates this game and ground zeroes, just set up RPCS3 if you don't have a ps3 and get it played.

I get that the older games would be more involved and more difficult to recode things so that you could set key bindings as you like. I'm ok with playing those using set keybinds, to an extent. This game isn't old, in 2015 it was not difficult to design your game to have re-assignable key binds. And yet, here we are. I'll go back and play this at some point when I have a controller available to do so, but my review will never change. This kind of ham fisted excuse for game development deserves to be called out for what it is. Lazy. Way back in 1994, demo discs from PC gamer had games on them with fully customizable key binds. Diablo and Tomb Raider (the first of those two games!), had came on a demo disc with fully customizable key binds. Somehow these fools at AAA studios today failed at being able to manage what should be such a simple task. Rediculous, and gamers who give them a pass on trash like this should be just as ashamed as the developers themselves.

Honestly wasn't a massive fan of this game when it came out almost 10 years ago when I played this the first time through on PS4. I am having a much better time with this game now, I'm not sure if it's because I'm older now or what but I really can say it's a solid game. Is it the best MGS game? to me no as it's would take something really special to beat MGS 3 for me but gameplay wise the game is so smooth and pretty fun to play. Slow starting as most MG games are but you know you will always be re-payed in some way with being patient in these games. A solid 7/10 for me as before I was lucky to even give it a 4 or 5/10 as I really wasn't a fan of the open world aspect. A decade later I'm finally enjoying it to the point I'll actually see it through to the end.

I am truly speechless when it comes to saying anything about this game. So first off I totally recommend this game for so many reasons and I will get into some of it shortly but for the tl;dr, get this game because it's one of the best games ever made for what it sought out to do and then some on top of that. I never played MGS when they came out because of life reasons but the important thing is that I've always known the things and the memes surrounding this game but never actually sat and finished them all. I did that just recently and by that I mean just a couple of months to play them all in order. I can not state how much this game and all the franchise exceeds all the praise that it has been given because this is truly a work of art that transcends the medium by a factor of hundreds. The biggest drive here is of course the story which is of course important and you would be doing yourself a disservice not to play the previous games before diving into this one. It's well written, well acted, well executed and all the story beats hard and right in the feels. The characters are amazingly portrayed and their designs are really nice, bar some exceptions but even then, it wouldn't take from the experience at all. The music is another masterful division of this game, which nails its job absolutely perfectly by elevating every scene and every environment you are in or witnessing by complimenting the visuals, the feelings that are being portrayed and with amazing sound design it's also balanced perfectly to go loud or fade away to make you even more immersed into the game. The game-play is fabulously engaging and fulfilling that you actually get excited every time you turn off the game that you want to play juuust a little bit more every single time, and this feeling stays with you the whole play-through and maybe even after that. It's fluid and open and the stealth is just top of the game and many games I think was inspired by the open endlessness of this stealth system that it makes you eager to try new stuff just to see if it works. So yeah I do recommend this game on its own for the game-play inside it, I recommend this game for the story lovers for a master story executed as well as the great works of art in movies or series, and I recommend this game for any MGS fan who might still be on the fence to try out any of the games or just this one. It's truly a masterpiece and I'm glad I got to go on this journey.

game BANGS hard just the story loses itself towards the end. you can only image how perfect his game could have been if konami wasnt konami

despite its flaws, which include even some downgrades compared to the previous games in the series, and an overall rushed/unfinished state of the game (mainly story), this is a great open world stealth game with strong narrative experience. a true swansong to the MGS series, leaving behing a phantom pain of its own. ... at least until Kojima's next "tactical espionage action" arrives, which can't come soon enough

Ruined by zombies, nebulous story line, and pedantic "base" management. Has some great MGS mechanics in it, but is ultimately ruined by repetition and grind. The latter is clearly meant to funnel people into buying MB points with real money, and the former is primarily a symptom of an "open world" game done poorly.

the game is very good, and according to my expectations, roam freely wherever we want or after completing all the story missions... but.. what I don't like is the level of level that we get like the results of missions A, B, and S are different from the items and payments we get, I hope that something like this can be equated with maximum results, and I also hope to add more character clothing customization, weapon modifications and other buddies and get something even more fun

came for duran duran and epic mil spec action ,loved the funny things u could do in this game,story is peak and Man i love quiet and the d-dog (was gaslit by duran duran song not appearing in the game sadly :( )

Easily in the top ten greatest open world video games of all time. Although the story and characters are very controversial, the gameplay is absolutely superb. It holds a strong spot in my top three favorite games of all time, and is far and away my favorite entry in the MGS series, which is among my favorite video game series of all time. Personally, I am a fan of the story at least for the most part, and enjoy speculating about the unknowns. Was the spy Emerich or Miller for example. Or where did the Boss go after the incident at the hospital? So many questions lead to what is a flawed story, as the game is unfinished. However looking past said flaws, there is a very enjoyable story for most of the game. Nine times out of ten, the level design is superb, and although chapter two was a letdown in the level department, the overall game holds up. This games greatest strength I feel, is customization and choice. Buddy choice, weapon choice, kill, stun, or capture? There are so many possible ways to approach this game it is mind numbing. That is why many people, have put so much time into it. I feel the absolute best way to describe this game is a flawed masterpiece. If you enjoy freedom, and tactical gameplay, give it a shot. Oh and don't let the hour and a half long intro throw you off...

Guaranteed to make your snake solid for this game. They knew what made the metal gear solid games so great and found out a way to make it just as good without just copycatting previous games in the series.

Absolute Cinema for stealth lovers, fans of the metal gear series, or if you like Kojima's works. You MUST get his game well although it's not on sale now, it's super worth the price if you have enough. The mechanics MAY or not overwhelm you in the beginning but trust me, it's absolute cinema once you get it.

Great game, very fun, i loved every part of it. I would've only changed the way the ending was presented to the player. But i would highly recommend this. Even after 10 years this game feels great. Mr. Venom snake is a snack. Miller is a sour treat. Ocelot is a thirst trap. Peak. Thank you Kojima for this masterpiece.

Minor SPOILERS : I played up until the point "White mamba" leaves mother base, and then I found out that to progress further in the story I need to build all 28 platforms, I had built 17, but since I already knew the story I did not bother, really dynamic game, you need to be constantly changing your strategy to be able to properly progress as the enemies adapt to your strategy. I enjoyed the game throughout, definitely recommended.

amazing game even with all the cut content people talk about, the game is really good graphically and gameplay wise

nice gameplay, bad story. couldn't finish it, but had a lot of fun with the meachanics.

In this game you attach balloons to soldiers and kidnap them, then proceed to hit a vape and sit perfectly still for 3 days while a song goes WOAHHHH OHHHHHHH

The Phantom Pain is a masterclass in open-world stealth gameplay wrapped in the tattered shroud of a story that almost, but not quite, lives up to the Metal Gear legacy. It’s one of the most addicting gameplay loops I’ve ever experienced: infiltrating outposts, perfecting your approach, extracting soldiers with balloons like a tactical Mary Poppins—it’s incredibly satisfying. The Fox Engine delivers fluid movement, dynamic encounters, and a degree of player freedom that feels revolutionary for the genre. Every mission is a sandbox, and the tools at your disposal are absurdly fun. Quiet, D-Dog, Fulton balloons, cardboard boxes; this is Kojima’s playground at its most mechanically refined. But where it excels as a game, it stumbles as a Metal Gear story. The narrative feels unfinished, with key plotlines unresolved and characters who should be pivotal ending up underdeveloped. If you came here expecting the dense, cinematic storytelling of Sons of Liberty or Snake Eater, you’ll get some of that, but not the same usual level. The cutscenes are sparse, the codec is gone, and Kojima’s usual philosophical weirdness is oddly muted until the very end. Still, even with its missing pieces, The Phantom Pain is a flawed masterpiece. It's a bold reinvention that sacrifices some of its soul for the sake of innovation, but what it offers in return is something truly special. It's not the Metal Gear we expected, but it's one we’ll never forget.

One of the best video games ever made. This series means so much to me I can't even put it into words. I spent 2023 and 2024 playing through the entire Metal Gear series, and this franchise is just unlike anything else ever released on the market. If you are considering picking this game up and haven't played any of the previous games, PLEASE play them in release order, it will make every game that much better. It's very rare to find a game series like Metal gear, where every game in the franchise is a near perfect game, this was a perfect end cap to the series even with all the issues tied to its development. Please play this game last if you plan on plaything through the series.

What a way to end the franchise. Personally, this franchise will forever stand above any other fictional story I’ve experienced. This is what it truly means to be GOATED.

Amazing. One of the best stealth games I've ever played. Quiet is awesome and hot! Feels a bit incomplete in the end and also I didn't really enjoy the repeat of missions in extreme difficulty- but still the overall experience is unparalleled. So many gadgets, so many ways to complete the missions. It's my first Hideo Kojima game and I can understand why he is so much respected in the community. Make sure you get some mods though. The game really wants to make you wait for resources.

10/10 But I need to play MGS Peace Walker and MGSV Ground Zeroes to understand the story

For a game with such a flawed production, ridiculous and idiotic story, it is a masterpiece of gaming. Made in 2015, the graphics hold up better than most modern games made nowadays with such enjoyment that I’ve replayed it twice. The love Kojima put into bits and pieces of this game are present. The weapons and buddies you acquire are spectacular. Though the environments could use some work, it makes sense that something so flawed would come from a company so flawed. Just skip the cutscenes and you’ll enjoy this. No requirement on playing previous titles if you do skip cutscenes, but if you don’t then you got a lot of catching up to do. 7/10 with story 4/10

I have played this originally on PS4 and it's still such a great game! Mechanically, the gameplay in this game is the best of all Metal Gear games, bar none. I only hope that future Metal Gear games/remakes use at least some of the mechanics that are present in this game.

It opens with a bang. a real cinematic and treat of a tutorial. afterwards it opens up into an espionage open world that becomes more in depth and fun as you explore it! after a while however the missions become repetitive in variety with them all being some form of destroy or recover. still, the moment-to-moment gameplay is undoubtedly some of the smoothest and most well thought out of any game ive ever played. if you like a game for the gameplay and movement, and arent too bothered by repetitive missions and a bit of a bland overworld, this is one of best games you could pick up

TLDR: 9/10 One of the greatest sandboxes you could ever play in. Even if you don't care about the story and lore, there's endless amounts of fun things to do across the campaign and open world. Phantom pain is a difficult game to review. Like a lot of Kojima's output it's insane, weird, genius and divisive all at the same time. It's the game on steam I've put the most hours into so I know I like it but I recently talked to someone who found it impenetrable so I felt like writing a review to just sum up my own thoughts on it. MGS5 is a 3rd person stealth action game that like the previous entries was always pushing the limits of what could be done with the visuals, story and gameplay. It's the type of game where you ride on horseback, chasing down armoured vehicles and shooting them with an RPG. It's the kind of game where you spent 40 minutes carefully sneaking through a fortified base, past searchlights, mines, patrolling guards and vehicles only to get spotted right before the objective and proceed to blow someone away and then sprint like a madman with a POW over your shoulders as the entire world converges on you. It's the type of story where one minute you're debating whether to shoot child soldiers for blood diamonds and the next you're fighting a man on fire with a supersoaker. It blends the serious with the absurd in everything it does in a way matched only by the yakuza series. Your prosthetic arm has a rocket punch. Why? because that's cool. You fight concrete zombies who can sprint 100MPH and air drop your dog because you miss him so much. Metal gear more than anything is a vibe. You can engage with it as a serious political thriller, as a military power fantasy, a philosophical treatise or as the stupidest, most goddamn up it's own ass musings of an auteur. I can't promise you'll like this game and there are legitimate problems that even it's die hard fans will admit to such as it's rushed and incomplete ending due to behind the scenes meddling but frankly you shouldn't even start with this one. Play the earlier games like MGS1 or 3 and if you're still interested after finishing one of those then you're locked in. There's no getting off genius kojumbo's wild ride at that point.

Very fun game. Many ways to approach a situation. You can get as creative as you want.

This game is amazing and a must buy for Metal gear fans! so glad i got this on summer break so i can pour all my free time into Hideo Kojima's masterpiece!

MGSV has what I would say is the best movement in any shooter game I've played. Highly recommend!

game is super fun, i love the way i feel when putting others to sleep and taking them into my mother base

Playing this game is like throwing a thinly sliced rock at water and watching it skip 7 or 8 times. Every moment is like this. Plan a heist, sneak in, plant some bombs, disable communication, cause a distraction, plant a mine to blow up the reinforcement truck, grab the hostage, sneak out before they find you. BUT, the brilliance behind this game shines when the plan goes wrong... and the rock you threw still has 5 or 6 more skips. The excellent AI will challenge and pressure you but give you options to succeed. Meanwhile, you feel like a bad ass as you narrowly escape because the game trained you to be patient and have contingencies ready.

It blends the story and developing mother base / weapons so well. Still can't belive this game was made in 2015 tbh.

I back any stealth game where rage shootingyourwaythrough is a viable option

this has to be my favourite metal gear game ever also runs incredibly well on intergrated graphics

Best espionage and tactical shooter game plus now a bigger open world, when is the next one dropping cmon Hideo Kojima finish the story!!!

A lackluster back 1/3rd can't hold back one of the best playing games ever made, with a story that really does match the rest of the series when it's firing on all cylinders.

Possibly one of the best experiences i've ever had in a game would 10/10 recommend, fuck sahalanthrocunt though stupid fucking mission.

Love the in depth game mechanics, the stealth aspects, and the story so far. excited to see where else it goes. Coming to this game from Death Stranding.

kept u waiting huh? // no! that is not solid snake! // you're pretty good // from now on you're big boss // Invisible Invisible Invisible Invisible walking by the wall (Shy one) the shadows will not fall (Shy one) is silently ignored (Quiet one) discouraged by the noise (Quiet one) living without choice (Quiet one) is a life without a voice When you can't even say my name Has the memory gone? Are you feeling numb? Go on, call my name I can't play this game, so I ask again Will you say my name? Has the memory gone? Are you feeling numb? Or have I become invisible? the dreamers wish away (Hindsight) it's falling on my face (Highlights) the shape of my disgrace When you don't hear a word I say As the talking goes, it's a one-way show No fault, no blame Has the memory gone? Are you feelin' numb? And have I become invisible? Invisible Invisible Invisible, invisible Invisible, invisible Invisible, invisible Invisible No one hears a word they say Has the memory gone? Are you feelin' numb? Not a word they say But a voiceless crowd isn't backin' down When the air turns red With a loaded hesitation Can you say my name? Has the memory gone? Are you feelin' numb? Have we all become invisible?

A very fun stealth game! You get invested in what you've built and it does actually feel like you've built something. Very rare find nowadays.

this is kinda my ...i dunno... seventh...ish playthrough and this game is still a banger , i love it