The Phantom Pain is without a doubt a Metal Gear experience like any other, though its most radical departure from previous games comes from opening up to an expansive, almost staggering open world structure.Īs Big Boss awakens from his coma and unravels the events of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, the primary course of action for players comes down to taking on elaborate missions and rebuilding the Boss' private military group, the Diamond Dogs. Random jokes involving cardboard boxes and/or horse poop? Double check. Over-the-top enemies with supernatural powers? Check. The trademark series elements are all more-or-less there: absurd plot points and wild action setpieces? Check.

Set in 1984, the game puts players into the role of Venom 'Punished' Snake, otherwise known as the illustrious Big Boss, as he begins the process of establishing Outer Heaven, his mercenary group Diamond Dogs, and enacting revenge on those that sent him into a nearly decade-long coma.įrom the harrowing opening moments as Snake escapes from a hospital under siege to encounters with supernatural foes, The Phantom Pain wastes no time in establishing itself as a more serious take on the often bizarre storyline, while at the same time establishing itself as an almost entirely new experience. In some ways it's appropriate for the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Metal Gear's potential sendoff, but in nearly every way The Phantom Pain ensures that the series is being honored at its absolute highest. Whether it is indeed the final release from the series and a send-off to one of gaming's greatest auteurs, The Phantom Pain's subtitle is apt for the emotions it conjures: the loss of a limb, but the sensation that it is still a part of you.

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