Our coming-of-age and origin story begins with the introduction of a character named “Kurt,” an everyman who’s also an android. It’s a compelling idea, but Kojima struggles to make the transition from this one original character to a series of other people inhabiting the same universe. The game’s narrative structure, which revolves around one main plot, is disjointed. This disconnect often feels like a deliberate attempt by Kojima to emulate the “open world” of video games, something not possible within the confines of the console. The only way to survive the story is to learn how to use your environment to defend yourself — a technique Kojima calls “lone wolfing,” which is a nice way of saying one must rely on stealth and cunning to complete tasks. Kojima does a good job of making players understand their options, but the dialogue system he uses often gives them very little feedback. This can make some of the more frustrating obstacles — like figuring out how to use your newly acquired “ladder” to get over a very tall fence, when all you have is a grappling hook — a tad too difficult. For as fun as these elements are in isolation, the story and the gameplay don’t coexist in the best way possible. One of the game’s better twists comes right at the end, but even this element is marred by too many cutscenes, where you’re often stuck watching a character’s dialogue. The presentation is also uneven. Kojima made a huge point of how everything in the game was designed to be functional, and how he wanted it to feel like a living, breathing world. But the game has a few glaring design choices that seem to support the opposite argument. The game features a few different varieties of suits for players to wear, but the majority of them seem unfinished, even after multiple attempts. This creates a few clunky situations where Kojima’s dedication to functionality and practicality seems to give priority to the “coolness” of a new tech. One of the best moments is when you can literally walk into a building (and find an intercom) that you can control. This is cool the first time, but it’s a small part of an already long mission, which takes a lot of trying to find the right route to get there. This is a well-written game, but like many series that are inspired by horror or other genres, it’s difficult to pull off in a new way. Most Kojima games have had a cult following, but Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is something special, and maybe even worthy of that cult status. At the very least, it’s the kind of game that a lot of people should probably experience for themselves. Whether it’ll stand the test of time, or if it’ll be a one-off is up to you. For our part, we give MGSV: The Phantom Pain a solid recommendation. * * * * * The Verdict: 7.5/10 MILDLY ADDICTING, SOMETIMES MIND-BLOWING. NOT EVERYTHING THAT TURNS OUT TO BE A CULT CLASSIC CAN BE WORTH THE LOVE AND RESPECT. — Joe Anderson Final Score: 8/10 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. For more reviews and news, stay tuned to our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. A copy of this game was provided to BoredGamer for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are those of the author and are not subject to modification or change without notice in any way. Special thanks to our partners in crime. See our full schedule of reviews here and our Game of the Week posts here. You should totally stop watching and get The Phantom Pain, man! It’s so good, man! I promise, you’ll love it! I loved it, man! It was my best book so far, man! –Joe Anderson Joe Anderson – Editor-in-Chief Joe is the Editor-in-Chief of Esoterica and its sister site, Esoterica Classic, Godless Cosmos, and Geek-o-Rama. He also contributes to PopMatters. Review games, anime, movies, and comics. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeAnderson336