Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Reviews
Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes shows a lot of promise for MGS stepping into the open-world arena, but has so little content that it may not satisfy.
The greatest achievement in Ground Zeroes is how bold it feels. There's so much new, and none of it obfuscates what originally made Metal Gear Solid special. There's still thrilling stealth and an attention to detail that's rarely seen, but all of it is smarter and streamlined. Ground Zeroes may only be a taste of what's to come, but it looks like Metal Gear is heading in the right direction.
Splitting Ground Zeroes back into a separate release was always going to be contentious. Thankfully, there is a lot more gameplay and depth than the early reports of the main mission's length suggested and it's full of potential for exploration, fan service and Kojima's particular brand of hackneyed allegories. Unfortunately, there is still too little primary content to justify the £29.99 price tag or even the £19.99 digital pricing for PS3/360, so I can't recommend this to anyone but a die hard MGS fan.
On the one hand, it may not seem fair to judge a game based upon its price. Prices can change, price drops and sales can occur, so a final score shouldn't be affected but what the retail value is. On the other, the value obtained by the purchaser is important, and if a game isn't delivering enough value for the player, they have a right to know. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a piece of something great but it always felt short of something whole. Kojima released this to tease and whet the appetites of the Metal Gear fans that were begging for more. If you fall into that camp, then you have probably already have your mind made up. For anyone who has never played a Metal Gear game however, I can't recommend that this be your first foray down the nanomachine-filled rabbit hole.
Despite its brevity, the prologue to the hugely anticipated Metal Gear Solid V has superb stealth mechanics and stunning attention to detail -- but its pleasures come at a distinctly worrying price.
It is surprising, and not a little depressing, that all people want to talk about with this game is the running time.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes delivers a solid package for fans of the series. While the main mission's brevity may turn off some, I compare it to when I was younger and telling myself I would pay half the price to get to play games early.
It's a game that understands everything about itself and how it works. It's the best stealth game ever made and feels like a game-changer for the medium as a whole - through its scope, the freedom it offers its players, and its deft structure. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is the apex of the series and a fitting way for Kojima et al to bow out: as one, as best, as Big Boss.
Ground Zeroes is a great slice of stealth-action gaming, filled with heaps of content and strategic value -- even if it isn't quite the epic adventure some had hoped for.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes would undoubtedly make a powerful introductory mission to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, so it seems a little insidious of Konami to hold it to ransom. That being said, we really can't fault what little we played – as far as the mechanics and design are concerned – but although the additional content does go some way towards sweetening the pot, we find it difficult to recommend this on those merits alone. Although long-time fans of the series are likely to pick it up regardless, we believe that this single mission should never have been released on its own.
Aside from some skinned knees earned by stumbles through the story, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a great starting point for this generation's big Metal Gear Solid experience. I'm more excited than I might've been otherwise for The Phantom Pain. With that in mind, it would be a lie if I didn't say that The Phantom Pain, appropriately named in this case, haunts every corner of this game. Everything feels like a taste of what is to come. Call it a demo or a prologue, it isn't a full game.
[T]he game itself is far from a fully realized one. Its main mission can be completed in an hour, tops, and the story does little more than bridge the gap between 2010's Peace Walker and the upcoming The Phantom Pain.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes shines with its nipped and tucked mechanics. It feels like a step forward, and away from the Metal Gear series that I've grown tired of, but the bloated, preposterous narrative is in desperate need of liposuction.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a perfect port of the console version. Don't expect a full-blown campaign, however. This is merely the exciting prologue to the upcoming main event.
Though its brevity's become it's biggest talking point, there's much more to Ground Zeroes than meets the eye. Beyond that it's accessible, featuring the most fluid stealth the series has shown - and delivers a promising glimpse at the future of Metal Gear Solid.
As a way to show off all these new controls and concepts, Ground Zeroes is a success. As a full game experience, Ground Zeroes doesn't quite stand up. For everything Ground Zeroes does new and exciting, it's just a glimpse into the future of the franchise, and isn't a full-fledged game. Does it have us even more excited for The Phantom Pain? Absolutely. Did Ground Zeroes warrant a full retail release across multiple platforms? That's a bit more debatable. There are just too many empty calories here, and despite all the new facets presented, Ground Zeroes left us wanting.
Although its overall run time is brief, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is well made, addictive and thoroughly entertaining. It may not be Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but it does a good job of lessening our anxiety as we wait for that full-length sequel to drop.
Ground Zeroes probably won't alienate fans of the series, and in terms of giving players a taste of what to expect in the as-yet-undated Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, it delivers. But between its poor value proposition and its jarring darkness, it's not likely to make Snake and company any new friends.
The game is a great sampling of what to expect from Phantom Pain, but there is enough content to make Ground Zeroes more than just a sampling. You will find yourself replaying missions over and over.