Unit 6 Assignment 2 Critical Analysis Of A Video Game

MGSV Critical Analysis

Ever since the original title on the MSX computer system the Metal Gear game series was always a big name title for whatever system it was hosted on but with the progression from 2D into the 3D Metal Gear Solid series it became a truly stand out and revolutionary title, changing the gaming landscape with incredibly tense stealth focused gameplay, the latest and greatest of graphics at the time of each instalments release and a serious and complex story that helped push games from the days of simple stories involving plumbers saving princesses in bright cartoony worlds to the multitude of dark and emotionally impactful stories. The fifth main instalment in the MGS series, Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain, was released for PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 and PS3 in 2015 and follows the story of Snake (otherwise known as Big Boss) between the events of MGS Peace Walker and the very first Metal Gear game. MGSV is easily the largest and most ambitious game in the series with its incredible graphics, the new systems and gameplay mechanics and the shift from linear and tightly woven environments to large open world maps as well as a mission based structure. The game has 3 primary locations, the recreation of Mother Base that was destroyed at the end of the previous game, an area in soviet occupied Afghanistan wilderness, and an area of war torn wetland out in Africa.

The game follows the previously established militaristic Sci Fi art style the series has used since its inception but now with more of a 1980s style to a lot of in game objects with many varying and fascinating designs of characters, locations, vehicles and other in game items giving the game a highly unique look. The models and textures in the game are incredibly detailed and highly realistic which were all created from the ground up by the developer, Kojima Productions, use the FOX engine, also developed by Kojima Productions, to run at a smooth and constant 60fps on PC and current gen console which all adds together to make one of the best looking games to date. The way most of the realistic looking characters and animations were able to be created through techniques like real wold modelling (where the likenesses of objects and people are used to create in game assets) and motion capture from the biggest movements to small facial expressions which helped to make each of the characters feel life like and real. As well as great visuals the game also has amazing sound design with realistic sounds found in every action from the sound in each weapon and footstep as well as even small insignificant items in the environment like a glass bottle or bucket that the player can bump into and knock over creating a sound that will alert a nearby guard and ruin an attempt to sneak into an enemy stronghold. But another key part of the sound is the dialogue in the game which is backed up by fantastic voice acting which can help to convey all kinds of emotions and subtleties the characters may have, the in game dialogue also can hint and lead the player to small in game objectives or shed some light on the events of the story. The core gameplay itself retains the series famous stealth focus and heart pounding tension as players are encourage to take the stealthiest possible approach to each to each mission and use a wide range of weapons items and techniques to avoid being detected and be as nonlethal as possible to earn higher rankings and rewards for each mission. Being detected by an enemy will give you a brief period of time, dubbed Reflex Mode, to silence the enemy before all the enemies in the local area enter combat mode in which the enemies will be aware of your presence, request reinforcements and hunt you down, making any mission far more likely to end in failure and lowing your overall rating. However the player has the option to hide from the enemies and wait as they move through phases of them searching the area for you before entering alert mode where they return to semi normal patterns of patrolling but are more aware of your possible presence and eventually returning to their unaware state where they will take normal patrols and be less suspicious of anything they see or hear. 

The game makes another departure from series norms as well by giving the normally solitary Snake an AI companion to take with him on his missions, these companions range from a dog who can find and mark enemies and items as well as create distractions for the player, the beautiful sniper Quiet who can scout out an enemy outpost, be used to take out specific targets or fire upon any enemy in her range, to a the mechanical D-Walker used as a speedy means of transport across the map, with each buddy having their own strengths and drawbacks players will get best results by strategically selecting which buddy is best suited for each mission. The now large open world maps also feature day night cycles which will change how easy it is for enemies to spot you as well as what formation and the amount of guards will be in any one area, adding an extra element of strategy to the missions not before used in the series. The game will also use environmental events and changes such as sandstorms in Afghanistan that make it harder for enemies to spot you, but drastically reduces the visibility the player has as well, or the rainstorms in Africa that where they do little to obscure the enemy from seeing you they will help cover up the sound of your movements making it easier to sneak up on an enemy.

After waking up from a coma after 9 years in 1984 Snake is forced to deal with the fact he has lost his left arm shortly before the hospital he is in is attacked by unknown soldiers and a strange fellow patient helps him to safety before mysteriously disappearing before being rescued by returning fan favourite character, Revolver Ocelot. From there the story takes a 2 act structure and focuses on a small cast of characters and their psychological scars as they struggle to recreate their private military company that was attacked and destroyed in the last instalment and their attempt to take revenge on those who attacked them as they uncover a worldwide conspiracy. The character you play as and that takes centre stage is Snake/Big Boss, a legendary soldier who after being betrayed by the country he swore loyalty to and his former military unit had previously attempted to start his own private military corporation, but was attacked by the organisation created by his former friend and commander, Major Zero. Now after these events he views the world with far more disdain and bitterness thus making him far more open to committing seemingly immoral actions in order to meet the ends he’s after. 

In the events of the story Snake has a small number of
comrades that help him, Kazuhira Miller, Snakes second in command and one of the commanding officers in his private army who was there when their base was attacked nine years prior and also suffered many injuries in the helicopter crash that put big boss into a coma, now blinded by his anger towards those that attacked them he consistently encourages Snake to be to show little mercy and use any means to bring them closer to their overall goal. Alongside him is Snake’s old ally and right hand man, Revolver Ocelot. Ocelot serves as a constant counterpoint to Miller, offering different and often less brutal solutions to the objectives and problems in the game, this representation of one acting as the angel on your shoulder and the other a devil separates how we see the actions taken by the characters as a whole, with Ocelot’s logic governing his emotions and Miller’s emotions governing his logic leaving Snake caught in the middle of their conflicting ideals. Sadly the villain, Skull Face, is quite arguably the weakest in terms of character that the series has had, whereas most villains in the MGS series have had their own fairly complex motives and from certain angles can be argued to be less villains and more than antiheroes the main villain of MGSV where having his reasons he views as logical and acceptable, these do not translate well to the player and make him seem like a generic genocidal madman rather than a complex and nuanced character. 

During the game the characters will touch on their philosophies about what is right and wrong, what it is to be alive and the place of soldiers in the world. The game also touches on dark themes such as the use of child soldiers, torture and biological warfare which may make some players uncomfortable but overall adds to how genuine and gritty the dark world the soldiers of MGSV inhabit, with heavy subject matter like this its rather clear that the intended audience is supposed to be more mature and probably anywhere from the ages of 18 and above with very little of the game aimed at anyone under that age range. Whilst not the best story in the franchise it is solid and has good pacing up until the end of act 2 where the game abruptly stops, though when compared with many of its contemporaries it still has a highly intriguing and compelling narrative. Since its release it has come to light that the final act of the game including a climactic boss battle was cut from the game due to time constraints and is now only featured as an extra where the player can view the assets and parts that had been finished up to that point. This lack of a true ending leaves the player feeling rather incomplete and that the game was released in a rather unfinished state.

In summary while the game has a few may have some rather large issues and is not as revolutionary as previous titles with one of the least interesting stories in the series, it still offers hours of entertainment for players and is well worth picking up.