Events take place directly afterGround Zeroes.
Here the game cleverly introduces various elements, and its much less fourth wall-breaking than the usualMetal Gearinstruction.
But itsMetal Gear, we can forgive that.
Its an intro thats both effective, and occasionally disturbing.
There are no elaborate, overly long cut-scenes.
Instead, the story is told as the game progresses through in-game dialogue and more interactive scenes.
There are plenty of cut scenes throughout, but theyre all manageable in length.
Each and every situation you find yourself in you might tackle how you see fit.
Its usually up to you, and its the kind of freedom weve not had before in the series.
Whats even more important is the ability to actually recover from mistakes.
One ofMetal Gears major faults throughout the series in my opinion has always been the forced stealth.
It hurt the games flow, and made players feel trapped into playing the game in only one way.
If you disagree, however, you might turn this ability off and make do without this skill.
Itll certainly make the game more challenging.
The open world layout makes much of this experimentation possible.
Later on youll be able to make use of additional allies, each with their own unique benefits.
And yes, the dog is awesome.
Even Rockstar could learn a thing or two.
Snakes Mother Base makes a return here, having been first seen inPeace Walker.
Here the whole mechanic is greatly enhanced.
This growth opens up more and more research options, and the whole system is well handled.
These bases, however, can be invaded by other players.
A more serous concern are some questionable objectives.
Its a frustrating mess, and one that stands out amidst the high quality of everything else.
These niggles are very minor, though.
Rating:
5 out of 5
