Was MGSV disappointing for you or did you enjoy it?

[Silent Assassin]

MGSV was the most divisive game in the series and I remember the original release thread on the forums getting quite heated but mostly respectful.

Have some of you changed your opinion on it, either way? Maybe a delayed appreciation or feeling even more disappointed than at launch?

[NateDog]

My opinion is much the same. Great gameplay mechanics, but the mission structures and open nature of the world meant it just wasn't fun. Ground Zeroes is one of the most fun MGS games in my opinion because it has a superb map design which mixes so well with the gameplay. TPP just felt a bit derivative after a while.

[st3ve]

Haven't played it in a while, but I couldn't get into TPP when I first got it. It just didn't feel like metal gear to me then. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun game, but after just having finished 2 and 3 I was expecting an experience more similar to those two than what V actually was. I remember thinking that I probably would enjoy the game more if it weren't a metal gear game at all, and I didn't have the expectations that I did for it. Granted, this was over a year ago now, maybe my opinions will change when I eventually revisit it.

[Wayno]

It's got phenomenal mechanics but it lacks the environmental claustrophobia present in the previous to make it feel like an actual MGS game.

[Departed]

I'm a little less kind to the story than I was when I made this 2 and a half hour long review but I still mostly stand by it.



(For the record, my MGSV and MPO reviews are the only ones I still stand by.  I don't stand by any of my other MGS reviews on that page anymore.  That's why I'm re-reviewing the other games, because my current reviews for each one are trash.)

If you don't have two plus hours to kill, here's a long short:

MGSV is still genuinely my favorite game of all time.  I've put nearly a thousand collective hours into it because I adored nearly everything about its gameplay.  I thought the missions were insanely fun to experiment with and most of them accommodated whatever playstyle I went with.  I loved the level design of each outpost, since they all gave you multiple entry points to each area of interest for the missions.  I know a lot of people prefer the more classic corridor sneaking and while I definitely see the appeal with games like MGS1 and 2, I've honestly always preferred the more open air level design that came with every game after 2.  I like having options to my approach paths, especially in more objective-focused games like MGSV, since it gives me that satisfying "reach the area of interest covertly, carry out objective, exfiltrate undetected" approach that I love.  The best way I can sum it up is one of my favorite parts of MGS3 is the optional cabin area where you get the machine gun.  MGSV's missions basically feel like that.

Plus, the way the game feels to play also gives me some of the most gratifying third person shooter combat of any stealth action game I've ever played.  Enemies were incredibly fun to fight and sneak around since they have self preservation, are more liberal with their grenades and have a lot of weapons variety.  And while I was extremely disappointed by the lack of boss variety, I still loved all five boss types that the game had.

MGS has always been about the gameplay first and foremost for me.  I'm someone who clicks with how each MGS game plays and quite enjoys them.  Phantom Pain was just about everything I wanted it to be and more in that area.  I wasn't let down by the story, but rather, by the way the story and its epilogue were both resolved.  Up until mission 30, I actually really liked the plot because I thought it was clever how all game long, you piece together all these little puzzle pieces and thought the way they all came together for Skull Face's master plan was really cool.  But I hated how Skull Face was completely wasted and while I don't care about mission 51 at all (because Eli never should've been in the game to begin with) and like the concept of the true ending, I thought the execution left a lot to be desired.

Honestly, elements of every MGS game will disappoint in some form or another, but taken for what they are, I do genuinely love all of these games.  I love some more than others, but I'd never call any an outright disappointment, especially given the state of games today where I'm just increasingly less interested in what AAA devs are putting out these days, barring some exceptions here and there.  I was ultimately glad that Kojima's final foray in the world of MGS was such a gameplay rich experience.  And if there's any reason for Metal Gear to continue, it's for more fun and outlandish sneaky shooty gameplay.

[Dirty Duck]

I was so hyped for MGSV. There was massive potential for disappointment. But I actually think in most ways it lived up to the hype. I was always one of its fans and I remain as such to this day-and in many ways my appreciation for it has grown over the years! I have my complaints about it certainly but I think the gameplay was tight, the missions were varied, and the scenario was engaging.

I loved the regular Kojima-isms. Having to figure out what was making your soldiers sick tied the game's base building mechanics into the story and themes in a great way. Same as giving us a buddy that almost trivialises stealth before taking her away from us. The FOB and nuclear disarmament system was the perfect conclusion to MGS's anti-nuke message by actually putting it in players hands and I'm disappointed we never managed to trigger nuclear disarmament authentically. I actually think the reveal regarding Venom is brilliant and ties a lot of what the game is doing together in a really neat way. I started trying to type up some sort of in depth thoughts about why I think it's neat but I was being a bit rambley and not really managing to say what I mean and I'm procrastinating something rn so I shouldn't spend time like I'm writing an essay LOL but I really like Venom, his characterisation, the metanarrative around him, and the way that the franchise finally manages to show Big Boss as something of a villain after 3, not through playing as him, but through playing as Venom.

I think MGSV was a bold and daring game for Kojima to make and I think he managed to make a gaming experience that is truly unique. Do I wish there were a few more cutscenes? Yeah. But it once again feels like Kojima's tough love approach to game design. You thought MGS4 had too many? Then have too few. Miss them now?
My main gripe is still probably that I wish there was more environmental storytelling throughout the maps. Linear design naturally makes it easier but a lot of the areas in MGSV don't communicate loads about what's going on in the story at all. It would have been a small thing that went a long way imo

If they ever remake MG1 they better incorporate MGSV's plot. I'll have no respect for them if they don't.

[Silent Assassin]

I'm a little less kind to the story than I was when I made this 2 and a half hour long review but I still mostly stand by it.



(For the record, my MGSV and MPO reviews are the only ones I still stand by.  I don't stand by any of my other MGS reviews on that page anymore.  That's why I'm re-reviewing the other games, because my current reviews for each one are trash.)

If you don't have two plus hours to kill, here's a long short:

MGSV is still genuinely my favorite game of all time.  I've put nearly a thousand collective hours into it because I adored nearly everything about its gameplay.  I thought the missions were insanely fun to experiment with and most of them accommodated whatever playstyle I went with.  I loved the level design of each outpost, since they all gave you multiple entry points to each area of interest for the missions.  I know a lot of people prefer the more classic corridor sneaking and while I definitely see the appeal with games like MGS1 and 2, I've honestly always preferred the more open air level design that came with every game after 2.  I like having options to my approach paths, especially in more objective-focused games like MGSV, since it gives me that satisfying "reach the area of interest covertly, carry out objective, exfiltrate undetected" approach that I love.  The best way I can sum it up is one of my favorite parts of MGS3 is the optional cabin area where you get the machine gun.  MGSV's missions basically feel like that.

Plus, the way the game feels to play also gives me some of the most gratifying third person shooter combat of any stealth action game I've ever played.  Enemies were incredibly fun to fight and sneak around since they have self preservation, are more liberal with their grenades and have a lot of weapons variety.  And while I was extremely disappointed by the lack of boss variety, I still loved all five boss types that the game had.

MGS has always been about the gameplay first and foremost for me.  I'm someone who clicks with how each MGS game plays and quite enjoys them.  Phantom Pain was just about everything I wanted it to be and more in that area.  I wasn't let down by the story, but rather, by the way the story and its epilogue were both resolved.  Up until mission 30, I actually really liked the plot because I thought it was clever how all game long, you piece together all these little puzzle pieces and thought the way they all came together for Skull Face's master plan was really cool.  But I hated how Skull Face was completely wasted and while I don't care about mission 51 at all (because Eli never should've been in the game to begin with) and like the concept of the true ending, I thought the execution left a lot to be desired.

Honestly, elements of every MGS game will disappoint in some form or another, but taken for what they are, I do genuinely love all of these games.  I love some more than others, but I'd never call any an outright disappointment, especially given the state of games today where I'm just increasingly less interested in what AAA devs are putting out these days, barring some exceptions here and there.  I was ultimately glad that Kojima's final foray in the world of MGS was such a gameplay rich experience.  And if there's any reason for Metal Gear to continue, it's for more fun and outlandish sneaky shooty gameplay.

Oh, I watched that review. I still keep going back to MGSV story analysis videos in hopes of making me like the story more. Because I have over 1000 hours played in that game.

[Gene]

Can’t help but feel a bit disappointed about this game. The free roam sections and the side ops I actually really enjoy, but the missions themselves I am finding myself putting them off as much as I can. The story doesn’t grip me in this instalment compared to other games in the series - which is unfortunate. 

I am enjoying it overall though, it’s nice to come back and revisit the game without the new game hype surrounding it.

I had stuck this up on my backloggd the other month, but wanted to add more to it here. 

To add some more context, I never actually did finish the game again, I think I had barely got to Africa before throwing in the towel. The game isn’t necessarily bad, but as Wayno mentioned the lack of tight spaces really made this game feel like a generic semi open world stealth shooter to me rather than a mgs game. which made it harder for me to go back to on the replay. The other 4 main installments one completed multiple times but I just find mgsv to be a big old slog. 

The maps themselves were fine in all honesty - despite my earlier comments - but I did find it easy to just sort of knock everyone out and Fulton them to get achieve my objective rather than actually use the stealth that we’ve all been used to. I felt that the missions and going back to mother base/ the helicopter broke up the game play too much and it didn’t feel quite as natural as the other games.

The constant evaluation of missions I found a bit limiting too because we have a whole plethora of weapons and equipment to use - but ultimately you end up going for the same 4 or so weapons if you want to get the higher scores. sure MGS has never really been about the killing, but I always enjoyed finishing a game seeing what codename you got to be more exciting than a ‘well done that’s another S’ or a ‘damn fella, you blew up everyone. That’s a B’. Because of that I never really felt the urge to go and mess around with different guns/tactics. Maybe that’s just a me issue though. 

I enjoyed the game first time around, but not so much on the revisit.

[Null]

Started well, had some okay moments, tailed off towards the end. Didn’t meet the hype IMO, but a lot better than Guns of the Patriots at least.