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‘Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’ marks a decidedly dark return to form

‘Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’ marks a decidedly dark return to form

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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Kojima Productions
Konami
PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

(Note: This article contains spoilers for Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes)

Say what you will about the length of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, it certainly turned out to be a pretty big game changer for the series. Outside of the gameplay changes, which we’ll get into later, it set the stage for what looks to be the darkest and boldest chapter yet in the Metal Gear saga.

In the aftermath of the attack on Big Boss’ “Militaire Sans Frontieres”, and the grim explosion that claimed Paz’s life, the new trailer that premiered at E3 revealed that a lot of surprises are in store for us in the final chapter of the original Snake’s tale.

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Almost immediately, the changes to the characters are shocking and jarring to behold as the newly dubbed “Venom Snake” appears with a robotic forearm, a shrapnel wound to his skull, and a collage of scars on his face, while Kazuhira Miller is revealed to have lost both an arm and a leg.

Unsurprisingly, having lost about as much as any living man can lose, Venom Snake/Big Boss is primed to take a very dark turn. After spending years in a visceral coma dream (a section that looks to take Metal Gear Solid in a very abstract direction), Big Boss is awoken to find the military hospital he’d been recovering in under attack. He seems to escape with his life though, as he is seen back in the field in the latest footage, seeking revenge on those responsible for the death of his dream.

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With child soldiers, amputated warriors, and a brutal military fight club already shown in the trailers, The Phantom Pain appears to be doubling down on the heavy subject matter already explored in Ground Zeroes. Also, as previously revealed, the gameplay will be going in a completely new direction. With the introduction of vehicles, a true day-night cycle, and an open world environment, The Phantom Pain seems to be the ultimate culmination of the series that Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima has always wanted to craft.

With its dazzling new trailer receiving accolades from names like Nicolas Winding Refn, Guillermo del Toro, and Chan Wook Park, Metal Gear Solid looks to be set for its most cinematic chapter yet, and considering the pedigree set by past installments, this is no mean feat.

The release date for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is TBD.

[wpchatai]