Game Review: Metal Gear Solid V – Ground Zeroes (Xbox One)

Let’s get this out of the way at the start…if you think Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is anything but a glorified demo than you have lost the plot & need to re-evaluate what you want from gaming.

In my first play-through I finished it in less than 90 minutes & I was horrible at it. My 2nd play-through saw me taking my time to try & get through it undetected & I still finished it in 78 minutes. That is unacceptable for a supposed game that was costing £29.99 upon first release. So disappointing from Kojima…

…but here is the real kicker…I freakin’ love it.

Ground Zeroes is the prequel to the hugely anticipated Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Ask any gamer what series defines quality & chances are they will say the Metal Gear series. The Phantom Pain is going to be out of this world…I know this based on what I’ve seen in Ground Zeroes.

Set a few months after Peace Walker the Militaires Sans Frontières are preparing for a UN inspection of Mother Base. Snake, also known as Big Boss is sent to infiltrate Camp Omega & either rescue Paz & Chico or confirm that they are dead. As Snake arrives the mysterious force XOF departs from the camp led by the seriously cool looking, Skull Face.

As Snake you have to rescue Chico & than Paz, liberate them both from the base & escape alive. You can complete these missions as you so wish…run & gun or sneak in without anyone knowing you’re there. At first the large base appears intimidating especially for those looking to sneak but using a handy binocular tool you can spot & mark guards walking around similar to Far Cry 3.

A stun gun is part of Snakes arsenal & allows the player to get by guards with ease provided they stay patient enough & plan when to dart a guard. Having one collapse in a heap in front of others is not the way to go. The AI is fairly smart & many small mistakes will see guards rushing to investigate. Should you get caught you have a couple of seconds (called reflex) to take them out before they alert everyone else.

It’s arguable if all of these elements don’t make the game a bit too easy…

As well as rescuing Paz & Chico the player can also do numerous challenges at the same time such as destroying anti-air guns & rescuing other hostages. It adds a little something to a pretty short story.

Once Paz is rescued & you get on the helicopter back to Mother Base you really get to see what Ground Zeroes has to offer as the Base comes under attack from XOF under the guise of the UN inspection….the only problem is that it’s all cut scene.

Ground Zeroes looks & sounds wonderful…I can’t praise these elements enough. I wasn’t keen on Kiefer Sutherland voicing Snake at first but by the end it didn’t even register with me. The way in which the rain drips of Snake is beautiful & you’ll often find yourself stopping to admire your surroundings.

Additional missions called Side Ops offer a little variety & a timed exclusive extra op for both the Xbox & PS will add an extra 30 minutes or so to the game.

This score is almost completely based off just how short the campaign is for the price being asked of it. Ground Zeroes is very good but for an hours worth of content…unacceptable.

Damn it, Konami…if this had been a couple of quid the entire world would be rooting for you & The Phantom Pain instead of accusing you of poor practices. Still Ground Zeroes is an excellent demo that really creates excitement for The Phantom Pain.