METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 74,374 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN Game Cover
Metal Gear Solid V practically redefines the notion of what open-world gameplay can be.
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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an action-adventure stealth game set in an open world. As protagonist Punished Venom Snake, players infiltrate enemy bases, extract personnel for interrogation, and develop a personalized arsenal. The game features a complex narrative involving geopolitical conspiracies, advanced technology, and supernatural elements.

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  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
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  • Play​station 3
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  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 74,374 reviews
story8,021 positive mentions
grinding998 negative mentions
  • story41,018 mentions

    The story of "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" is widely regarded as its weakest aspect, with many players noting that it feels incomplete and disjointed, particularly in the second chapter where numerous missions are repetitive variations of earlier ones. While the narrative explores themes of revenge and the consequences of war, it often relies on cassette tapes for exposition, which some find tedious and lacking in engagement compared to previous entries in the series. Despite these criticisms, the gameplay remains highly praised, with players enjoying the freedom to approach missions in various ways, making the overall experience enjoyable even for those who find the story lacking.

    • “The story unfolds in a captivating manner, exploring themes of revenge, loss, and the consequences of war.”
    • “I'd say that, in terms of the main story, what starts as a plain and simple revenge tale ends up as a manifest of grief, pointlessness of war, and dark shades of loneliness of those who see the world through the scope of the rifle.”
    • “The amount of various stealth and combat mechanics really allow you to approach your missions differently.”
    • “The story is painfully unfinished, no matter how much die-hard supporters want you to think otherwise.”
    • “The first chapter's plot is pretty much predictable and does not offer anything surprising.”
    • “The story feels like someone told a class of 3rd graders to write the plot and jumbled them altogether.”
  • gameplay15,954 mentions

    The gameplay of "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" is widely praised for its depth, fluidity, and variety, offering players numerous ways to approach missions, whether through stealth or direct combat. Many reviewers highlight the game's intricate mechanics, such as the fulton extraction system and base-building elements, which enhance the overall experience, despite some criticism regarding repetitive missions and an unfinished story. Overall, the gameplay is considered a standout feature, making it a must-play for fans of the stealth-action genre.

    • “The gameplay is undeniably fun.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are incredibly refined, building on the series' legacy while introducing innovative features that enhance the overall experience.”
    • “The gameplay is the best the series has ever seen, there's an incredible level of complexity and attention to detail.”
    • “The gameplay loop of sneaking about to improve your base so you can sneak about better works great.”
    • “The gameplay is very repetitive and the landscape is very bland.”
    • “The gameplay is solid, but the missions are repetitive, eliminate x, rescue y.”
  • graphics4,141 mentions

    The graphics of *Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain* are widely praised for their stunning quality and attention to detail, showcasing realistic environments and lifelike character models. Many reviewers highlight the game's impressive optimization, allowing it to run smoothly on a variety of hardware, including lower-end systems, while still delivering a visually captivating experience. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a significant achievement, often described as ahead of its time and comparable to modern titles, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The attention to detail in the environments is astonishing, with stunning graphics that create a truly immersive experience.”
    • “In summary, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a breathtaking culmination of Hideo Kojima's vision, blending stunning visuals, innovative gameplay, and a thought-provoking narrative into a cohesive masterpiece.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, near photo-realistic, and my sub-par PC can run it at almost maximum settings without a single frame drop, which I have never seen in any other game.”
    • “The graphics feel outdated, the cut scenes look good but they're the only part of the game that really stand out.”
    • “The graphics are really nothing fancy; textures are tiny and graphical options are not very good since you can't choose what anti-aliasing you want or the sound settings you can't choose to turn down music but turn up audio.”
    • “The game is overly complicated, it has a terrible map system, the graphics and animations are stiff, awkward, and clunky.”
  • music2,247 mentions

    The music in "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" has received widespread acclaim for its eclectic mix of licensed 80s hits and original compositions, enhancing the game's immersive experience. Players appreciate the ability to collect cassette tapes featuring iconic tracks, as well as the option to import their own music for helicopter pickups, adding a personal touch to gameplay. However, some users have noted issues with audio balance, particularly the inability to adjust music volume separately from sound effects, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The phantom pain also features a stunning soundtrack that perfectly complements the gameplay, heightening the emotional stakes and immersion.”
    • “Hearing Duran Duran's song 'Invisible' at the start of the game automatically made it a 10/10 game.”
    • “The soundtrack is an eclectic mix of 80's hits and sweeping orchestral scores that perfectly encapsulate the essence of the game.”
    • “Cannot remove background music.”
    • “The audio levels are extremely quiet for everything...except explosions and the music, both of which are near ear drum damage levels... and there are no audio sliders in the game at all.”
    • “In-game music is disproportionately loud and there is no way to turn just the music down via settings.”
  • optimization1,670 mentions

    The optimization of "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" is widely praised, with many users highlighting its ability to run smoothly on a variety of hardware, including low-end systems. The Fox Engine is noted for its exceptional performance, allowing the game to maintain high frame rates and impressive graphics without significant issues, even on older machines. Overall, the game is considered one of the best-optimized titles in recent years, with a consistent 60fps and minimal bugs reported.

    • “The engine is very well optimized assuring any computer can witness the high fidelity animations and set pieces this game has to offer.”
    • “The game optimization is god level, one of the marvels achieved in the gaming industry, the only game that is so well optimized I haven't experienced anything like this.”
    • “The fox engine is one of the best looking and most optimized engines to date.”
    • “This game is so horribly optimized and so boring to play.”
    • “It doesn't help that it is stuck at 60fps and feels very much like a console port and while you can edit the config to unlock fps, the performance is still terrible (under 100fps on a 4090 in a 7 year old game!) and it feels clunky as hell.”
    • “I down voted this game simply because of the fact that a pc version of a triple aaa title is so poorly optimized for keyboard and mouse users.”
  • grinding1,082 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive. Critics highlight the excessive resource gathering, time-gated upgrades, and the need to replay missions to progress, which can detract from the overall experience. However, some players appreciate the depth and variety in grinding mechanics, enjoying the sense of accomplishment that comes from upgrading their gear and base, despite the time investment required.

    • “It's challenging, but not grindy (save for the online items, like holy shit, level 125 R&D for a damn pistol?).”
    • “Going after top-ranked soldiers so you can level up your staff, which allows you to develop better guns and equipment, alongside searching for resources to improve MB so it allows more staff to work feels great, not grindy at all.”
    • “Already 100 hours in and have completed all missions and side ops but still have around 20% of completion left. Replaying missions for that S rank or to complete all the mission objectives feels great and isn't tedious in the slightest, and with all the weapons, items, and items of clothing to develop means almost endless hours of gameplay.”
    • “So I ended up in a loop: I needed to wait, say 2 hours, until my platform gets built; in the meantime, I completed side missions to kill time; the enemies get stronger with each mission, but your gear remains the same, so you need more staff to raise your HQ level; so you need resources and money; so you wait and grind, wait and grind.... and I really was stuck like this until, at some point of the plot, a secondary base is unlocked, and the process of farming speeds up dramatically.”
    • “The whole mother base and the forward operating base stuff management gets pretty tedious and annoying.”
    • “Even upgrading mother base, as fun and beneficial as it might be, gets tedious as getting the resources you need to upgrade everything correctly would take countless hours of grinding.”
  • replayability878 mentions

    Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, offering players numerous ways to approach missions through stealth, combat, or creative tactics. The game's vast open world, coupled with a variety of side missions and customization options, encourages players to revisit and experiment with different strategies, making it feel almost infinitely replayable. While some critiques mention a lack of original content in later stages, the overall consensus highlights the game's depth and engaging gameplay as key factors that enhance its replay value.

    • “The freedom to approach missions in multiple ways—whether through stealth, brute force, or creative tactics—adds layers of depth and replayability.”
    • “This game I find endless replay value in it; can be silly, can be serious, can go for all kills, can go for no kills, vehicles, traps, distractions, explosions, stealth, Rambo mode—it has it all. I love this game.”
    • “The depth of customization of various equipment and support options contribute to the game's replayability and tactical depth.”
    • “The only cons I can think of this game is the very long opening sequence that detracts from the replay value (it's an over an hour opening of not doing much and really just teaches you the controls; having the ability to skip it when replaying the game would be really nice).”
    • “Game isn't replayable enough to do side ops and research the right item to kill zombie ghost men.”
    • “This game has literally zero replay value but the first 10-20 hours are gold.”
  • humor788 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending absurdity with dark themes, often resulting in laugh-out-loud moments. Players appreciate the quirky mechanics, such as the fulton extraction system, which allows for hilariously over-the-top scenarios, and the game is filled with funny references, easter eggs, and character interactions that maintain a light-hearted tone amidst serious narratives. Overall, the humor is described as a mix of intentional comedic elements and unintentional hilarity, making for a uniquely entertaining experience.

    • “The game has great music, funny references to movies, and surprising easter eggs.”
    • “It's like Hideo Kojima decided to inject the game with a dose of pure comedic genius, and I couldn't stop laughing my way through this wacky espionage adventure.”
    • “From kidnapping enemies by lifting them to the sky with a balloon to distracting people with your anime poster, you feel like a badass while making the most hilarious plays.”
    • “The scenes are too long to be patient, especially the introduction. There is a 2-hour movie right there, and playing as a crippled man is not funny at all.”
    • “You can so thoroughly cheese it, it's almost making the game not funny anymore.”
    • “The scenes are too long to be patient, especially the introduction. There is a 2-hour movie right there, and playing as a delivery man is not funny at all.”
  • emotional606 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" is characterized by powerful voice performances, particularly by Kiefer Sutherland as Venom Snake, and a haunting soundtrack that enhances the narrative's themes of betrayal, loss, and identity. Players report experiencing profound emotional moments throughout the game, with standout missions eliciting tears and deep connections to characters, despite some feeling that the incomplete story detracts from the overall emotional impact. While the game offers a rich emotional experience, some players note a lack of character depth compared to previous entries in the series, leading to mixed feelings about the emotional investment in the story.

    • “The performances of voice actors, particularly Kiefer Sutherland as Venom Snake, bring a profound emotional weight to the characters, drawing players into the narrative and making them care about the outcomes of their choices.”
    • “The themes of betrayal, loss, and identity resonate deeply throughout, and even though some plot points were left unresolved, the game's narrative still packs an emotional punch.”
    • “The story is gripping, filled with twists and emotional moments that keep you invested from start to finish.”
    • “Initially the game was fun and interesting to play, but over the course of 30 hours of game time, I grew tired of redoing large parts of missions due to awful checkpointing, having to deal with annoying resource management for my base, traveling long stretches of pointless open world between missions and outposts, and the dry and boring story.”
    • “The big twist at the end has no build-up to earn it, and it really has nothing to do with the main story, which was a very boring story with awkward characters like Quiet who just feel weird and too much even for Metal Gear Solid.”
    • “This coupled with the boring story and an open world not worth exploring makes it my personal worst mainline Metal Gear Solid game.”
  • monetization477 mentions

    The monetization strategy in the game has been widely criticized for its invasive microtransactions, which many players feel detract from the overall experience. While some argue that these transactions are not necessary to enjoy the game, others describe them as a blatant cash grab that encourages a pay-to-win model, particularly in the multiplayer aspects. Overall, the presence of microtransactions has left a sour taste for many, overshadowing the game's positive elements.

    • “Although Konami has microtransactions in this one, it is still superb.”
    • “There are microtransactions (mb coins), but you can enjoy the game without paying for them (and can get some for daily logins too).”
    • “The microtransactions are never advertised to you, and mother base never demands you reach some specific level to progress further.”
    • “It's an obnoxious experience and a transparent cash grab since you can pay for coins to speed up upgrades for a lot of things.”
    • “Microtransactions are also scummy, shitty, and disgusting when you put them in a full price 60 dollar game.”
    • “The microtransactions and wait times for development, these are self-explanatory, it's just not fun to put in crafting that I have to work towards and gather the items for, and then make me wait a few hours for it, all the while offering to 'let' me pay real money to speed it up.”
  • stability344 mentions

    The stability of the game is generally praised, with many users reporting smooth performance and minimal bugs, especially on high-end systems. However, some players have experienced significant issues, including game freezes, crashes, and a problematic save system that remains unaddressed after years. Overall, while the game runs well for many, there are notable stability concerns that can detract from the experience.

    • “This game has amazing graphics and it runs great on low-end and high-end PCs and looks fantastic at both settings.”
    • “Fantastic gameplay, the game runs great on a wide variety of hardware.”
    • “The gameplay is great, it runs great and it feels great.”
    • “The fact that this game is 9 years old and they still have not fixed the buggy save system is absolutely unacceptable.”
    • “Let's not forget the game freezes at times when trying to sign back in causing lost progress.”
    • “Horrible coding and development, game freezes after every completed mission and no save of where it was left off; waste of time to play.”
  • atmosphere290 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining stunning visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and realistic sound design to create a unique and engaging experience. Players appreciate the intense psychological journey and the distinct atmospheres of various environments, although some feel that the open-world design can dilute the overall tension. Despite criticisms regarding the story's coherence, the game's ability to evoke emotion and tension through its atmosphere remains a standout feature.

    • “It retains the core of what made the original so memorable: an intense psychological journey through one of gaming’s most atmospheric worlds.”
    • “Complementing the visuals is a haunting and atmospheric soundtrack composed by Ludvig Forssell, which perfectly captures the tension and drama of Snake's journey with its sweeping orchestral scores and haunting melodies.”
    • “The visuals and audio combine to make the kind of atmosphere where you're transported to Big Boss' shoes and can just enjoy inhabiting this world.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game is so boring; literally a big desert that takes 10 minutes to travel to each objective, and every enemy base looks exactly the same.”
    • “The place has zero atmosphere, unless you count the enormously long walks/drives to other departments.”
    • “Doing random side missions and just traversing around the map in general really burned me out on the gameplay and overall atmosphere, and made the story feel 'thinner' than it needed to.”
  • character development187 mentions

    Character development in "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" is a mixed bag, with some players praising the depth and complexity of certain characters, particularly Quiet and Huey, while others criticize the overall lack of meaningful development, especially for main characters like Snake. Many reviews highlight that significant portions of character backstory are conveyed through cassette tapes rather than traditional cutscenes, leading to a feeling of disconnection from the narrative. Overall, while the game excels in gameplay and design, it falls short in delivering the rich character arcs that fans have come to expect from the series.

    • “The character development is exceptional, with a cast of memorable and multifaceted individuals who add depth to the already engrossing storyline.”
    • “Its story brings out the juicy action-packed features, the character developments with NPCs and Snake; it makes the game very emotional. I mean, you straight up become friends with a puppy and watch him grow up with you—what more can a dog lover ask for?”
    • “Tpp immerses the player with beautiful environment design, attaching the player emotionally through its amazing character development.”
    • “Sparse character development: while the gameplay shines, character development in The Phantom Pain can feel lacking.”
    • “The characters aren't even characters unless you're already familiar with the series, there being little to no character development.”
    • “One major flaw is simply the character development of certain fan favorites, as well as new characters.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

89% average critic score

Buy METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN

Play time

62hMedian play time
110hAverage play time
46hMain story
162hCompletionist
23-144hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 582 analyzed playthroughs

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