• Review: Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes

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    IlluminatiRex
    Published on August 30, 2015 08:05 PM  Sort - Number of Views: 2131  
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    Single Issue XVI (Written by IlluminatiRex)



    This skull is who I am. My mark, my proof of humanit    y.

    Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Reviewer’s Note: Played on a PC with this configuration.


    Big Boss destroys an Anti-Air gun

    Ground Zeroes starts off with Big Boss infiltrating a fictional version of Guantanamo Bay in 1975, after the events of Peace Walker. He embarked on this mission because of a distress call he had received about Chico - who was being held prisoner on a black site (known as Camp Omega) within the larger compound. Through this distress call they also learned that Paz was being held there - especially surprising considering she'd been thought dead after the events of Peace Walker. At the same time, an inspection team from the IAEA is supposedly coming to inspect Mother Base.


    Kaz Miller vents his frustrations

    I didn’t know what was going on, but I was drawn in. The main mission of the game starts off with a beautiful cutscene and features the song “Here’s to You” by Joan Baez. It almost looks as if its being filmed with a handheld camera at times, but that adds a bit of a personal touch in my eyes. However, much of the story is not explained in a cutscene like in prior Metal Gear games; instead, Ground Zeroes tells much of its story through cassette tapes that can be listened to via Big Boss's iDroid, or on the main menu. It's an interesting way to tell a story, and one that I enjoy. You can also find a few different music tracks in the various missions. These you can set to play when your helicopter comes in for pickup (or support), or you can play as you sneak around the base.


    Big Boss listens to Paz's Diaries

    Aside from the main “Ground Zeroes” mission, there are a handful of others to unlock, such as “Classified Intel Acquisition” or “Destroy the Anti-Air Emplacements”. These “Pseudo-Historical Recreations” are much more challenging, mainly due to the fact they take place during the day and you are much more easily spotted. During these missions you are encouraged to rescue various POW’s and to extract certain unique characters. You can transfer your Ground Zeroes save to The Phantom Pain and you will receive them as extra staff for Mother Base.


    Bonus missions are filled with easter eggs

    There are also two other missions which must be unlocked by gathering all the “XOF” patches in the main mission. These are more of easter-egg missions - both hearkening back to Hideo Kojima’s earlier work.

    At the end of each mission you are awarded a rank, much like in Peace Walker. Each rank gives another benefit to that mission for subsequent playthroughs; all of which manifest in the form of a new weapon you can grab at the start of the mission. Many of these make it easier to get an S rank. There are also “Hard” versions of each mission where enemy guards have an easier time hearing and spotting you. For the introduction to The Phantom Pain, it is definitely filled with content.

    The gameplay in Ground Zeroes is phenomenal. CQC has been streamlined compared to previous games. The best way to describe it is that it's much more dynamic, and based off of what you and your target are doing at the time. In addition to improved CQC, Big Boss can now mark targets with his binoculars. Doing so highlights them, allowing him to track them even when they're out of view. At first such a feature might seem overpowered, but with the guards being much more attentive than in previous games, it is extremely helpful - and even with it you can easily find yourself losing track of guards in such an open enviroment


    Successfully "S" ranking a mission

    While you are supposed to be sneaky, the gunplay feels absolutely amazing. At times it is even more fun to go the lethal route. There are a myriad of ways of moving around - sprinting, crouching, crawling - it’s all up to you. It’s an evolution from all previous entries and truly builds on the previous entires in the series. Ground Zeroes, while it is fairly open, is still fairly limited in what you can do. There are not many weapons, and due to the size of the base you are easily seen. You don't have many tools. It's best described as a limited sandbox; The Phantom Pain of course aims to be much bigger and much more open.

    Not only does it play phenomenally, it also looks phenomenal. It mostly runs at a buttery smooth 60FPS on my system, with all graphical settings at their highest. I was absolutely blown away by the great optimization on this game; it looks downright gorgeous, with great textures, lighting, and models


    Big Boss injures a Marine

    I can easily recommenced Ground Zeroes to fans of the Metal Gear Solid series, those who are getting The Phantom Pain (as it's the introduction and will play similarly), or even those who are looking to get into the series and are looking for a low priced way to start. If you're a bit hesitant on the price, it will definitely go on sale.

    Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is available on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PS3.
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