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[Nemesis_]

Dont expect MGS3 style boss battles. The setting was perfect for some rich boss battles but does not seem that the game has any innovation there. IGN actually thrashed the boss battles if their so called review is to be considered.

I'm still looking forward to this game, but the MGS DNA that I found myself returning to and enjoying each time a new game came out seems to have been either reduced or removed entirely

 

[Rogue Agent]

The firing of Hayter, hiring of an expensive actor in Sutherland etc...do you really thought MGS5 will be big story wise? Big Boss does not talk at all.

As I said in my previous post, this is going to be a controversial game for hardcore MGS fans.

Nah, I'm talking about before we heard they were going all "Mad Max" with Snake/Kiefer. I've seen the signs and have been managing my expectations since then. I still don't think it's necessary but we'll see.

 

[infinityBCRT]

is there any word on how much of an annoying asshat kaz miller is in this one? he really got on my tits in ground zeros. dude wouldn't shut up.

Kaz played you like a damn fiddle!

 

[Jackpot]

The European reviews in general seem to be more open describing what they played and what they couldn't. They descibe bosses and this true ending stuff better.

The best was the games radar one which is not a review cause he didn't finish the game. The article said this:

Is MGS5 a fitting legacy to the series? I can't say… yet. Based on the UK boot camp, I know of only one reviewer (who was able to play for six days) who has seen enough of the game to deliver a meaningful perspective… and I can't even explain why for fear of spoilers. In my boot camp, reviewers were charging through missions wearing the chicken hat (which makes you invisible) almost completely ignoring Mother Base and all the side-ops in a race for the 'end'. Will it score high? I mean, duh, but I don't feel the boot camp was sufficient basis to offer my views on Kojima's intentions and MGS5's abiding legacy.

And these guys review the game playing the game like that. I find that to be ridiculous.

Should probably be in the OP.

 

[Chariot]

Dont expect MGS3 style boss battles. The setting was perfect for some rich boss battles but does not seem that the game has any innovation there. IGN actually thrashed the boss battles if their so called review is to be considered.

They also said that the game has little to no humour. Yong Yea and other rebiews stated that bossfights are amazing and that there is a lot of Kojima humour to be found in the tapes. I expect that IGN played the game with chickenhead and didn't listen to a single tape.

 

[Zombie James]

That's what I was thinking initially. There's going to be so much more gameplay than previous games, there would still be a huge volume of story tucked away in there but just way more spread out and manageable than before without interrupting the gameplay. That would in my opinion be the right way to go about it and help give you the motivation to get through the 40+ hours, but I haven't liked what we've been hearing at all from reviews in regards to the amount of story.

I understand that MGS4 got a lot of criticism for the length of cutscenes but going the complete opposite extreme feels like missing the point to me, it's not like a satisfying middleground isn't an option.

My biggest issue with this is MGSV is (supossedly) the game that ties back to the original Metal Gear and there's a lot to cover to get to that point. "Scaled back" is the complete opposite of what I expected and wanted.

 

[wild wild rice]

I'm still looking forward to this game, but the MGS DNA that I found myself returning to and enjoying each time a new game came out seems to have been either reduced or removed entirely

It's clearly going to be a very different type of game.

 

[infinityBCRT]

They also said that the game has little to no humour. Yong Yea and other rebiews stated that bossfights are amazing and that there is a lot of Kojima humour to be found in the tapes. I expect that IGN played the game with chickenhead and didn't listen to a single tape.

Unfortunately in a review event like that I doubt anyone listened to the tapes much.

 

[Ledhead]

Well if the reviews are anything to go by, this game has shaped up to be quite excellent. Talk of a 'light' story have me kind of bummed, but I will wait until I actually get my hands on it to make judgement

 

[HalfBakedProphet]

Games radar claims it's better than a lot of MGS4s bosses but not as good as mgs3.

msg3 was some next level shit

Hopefully the open ended gameplay means being able to take on bosses in many different ways.

 

[Ason]

This game might very well be worth all the great reviews it has recived so far,
but can't say I'm a fan of having selected reviewers go to special "review events"
and have them write early reviews based on limited, and probobly monitored, time with the game.

 

[snake_eater_raiden]

Games radar claims it's better than a lot of MGS4s bosses but not as good as mgs3.

Except Laughing Octopus, the fight with Ray and the last battle with Ocelot were memorable. Most of the boss battles in MGS4 was disappointing to be honest.

As I said, Kojima had the perfect setting. An open world...But looks like he did not realized the potential.

 

[SymbiantXenos]

Looking forward to playing it. One short week to go.

 

[bojie1986]

Does someone know, when you on a mission is kaz talking to you/giving you mission info or is it revolver?

If watch the E3 2015 demo you can hear them both but i think its mostly kaz

 

[infinityBCRT]

He sure can. That whole thing around that time is kinda hilarious. He's explicitly saying "This isn't a spoiler" but it is and he has no clue.

I can kinda rationalize it though (PW spoilers + greg's TPP spoiler)

Spoiler

if you played Peace Walker and knew how that game ended it was easy to expect that this game would end the same way IMO. It has so many similarities to Peace Walker, that it'd be weird if it didn't have a similar end game.

 

[Gbraga]

Wait, people are shitting on the boss fights? Don't do this to me, KojiPro.

 

[Markitron]

He sure can. That whole thing around that time is kinda hilarious. He's explicitly saying "This isn't a spoiler" but it is and he has no clue.

I mean what was he thinking? How did it not occur to him that people wouldn't want to know when something major like that happens? I really don't enjoy whining about spoilers but people like Greg and Angry Joe don't seem to have any idea of what is generally considered a spoiler.

 

[The Jackdog]

i bet a lot of reviewers didnt even bother with the tapes, but honestly, i dont even want to bother with the tapes. disappointing that much story is stuck there

 

[Javin98]

Seems like pretty great reviews so far. GOTY contender here!

 

[Zombie James]

Wait, people are shitting on the boss fights? Don't do this to me, KojiPro.

Can't be worse than Peace Walker's bosses... I hope.

 

[Nemesis_]

Can't be worse than Peace Walker's bosses... I hope.

Honestly I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[SomTervo]

It probably wont be an issue but I am annoyed. I don't get any pleasure out of finding/collecting arbitrary things to try and 100% a game so I'll probably not get to see the true ending for an abitrary reason.

True, although as far as we know no collection will be involved in this. Far as we know it's just completing all main mission, all story-impotant side missions, and doing some of each on Hard as well as Normal (presumably to complete different optional objectives which affect the story, too).

 

[snake_eater_raiden]

I'm still looking forward to this game, but the MGS DNA that I found myself returning to and enjoying each time a new game came out seems to have been either reduced or removed entirely

My hype is zero now. I am going into the game with zero expectations. It seems like there is nothing in the game that sounds Metal Gear to me atm. I hope this changes when I play the game.

They also said that the game has little to no humour. Yong Yea and other rebiews stated that bossfights are amazing and that there is a lot of Kojima humour to be found in the tapes. I expect that IGN played the game with chickenhead and didn't listen to a single tape.

With all due respect to Yong, he is not a journalist. He runs a "fan" community. There is obviously going to be some level of bias in his coverage.

Reviews that came out today are not credible. Reviewing games in a controlled environment are not acceptable to me. I am not saying that they are entirely wrong and some of their concerns are legit. But honestly, playing 2015's biggest game under PR's watch...what kind of credibility do you think these reviews carry?

 

[Omnistalgic]

OMG MY DREAM FINAL BOSS FIGHT BIG BOSS VS SOLID SNAKE CAN STILL HAPPEN!

Lol this is all I want and the the game will be the the goat for me. I don't like the changes but its mgs so yeah...

 

[Ricky_R]

I didn't have an opinion on this game design concept until Arkham Knight did it. In Arkham Knight, you have to 100% all the side-missions as well as main missions to unlock the 'true' ending.

To be honest, it made the game better, in my opinion. It made you really engage with all the content and take everything in before it all wrapped up.

And if TPP's mission design is half as good as AK's (will probably be twice as good) then 100%ing the game should be a very fun long-term endeavour.

I'm gunning for that full knightfall protocol in Batman AK, but it really sucks that I have to go through all riddles to get there.

I normally hate doing secondary missions in open world games, and I'm around 97% in Batman AK, but that's because the game world and its characters have been interesting enough for me to want to resolve everything. If that wasn't the case, I wouldn't bother going for the 100%.

Those riddles are a chore and I'm only trying to get them all because I'm already close enough.

 

[Roussow]

msg3 was some next level shit

Hopefully the open ended gameplay means being able to take on bosses in many different ways.

Given the mechanics of this game, some of the bosses have to be at least MGS3 quality.

Nothing is probably going to beat The End. But bosses like The Fury, The Pain, The Fear, good bosses, but pretty simple. I'd like the final boss of 3 even better if it had a free-camera like the rest of the game. The Fear and The Pain had a lot of just standing on the spot and unloading into the boss, TPP has to do something a little more -- unless it goes to far in the other direction and is just PW bosses.

 

[User 479360]

For those who've read different reviews, what's the consensus on an average playthrough's length?

 

[snake_eater_raiden]

i bet a lot of reviewers didnt even bother with the tapes, but honestly, i dont even want to bother with the tapes. disappointing that much story is stuck there

Metal Gear games are supposed to tell rich stories with high quality cinematography. Massive shame that Kojima replaced them with tapes. I don't blame them if they missed them.

 

[jacobeid]

Greg's review helped sell me on this game. Not literally, considering that it came with my 970, but sold me on playing the game.

Not having played through a full MGS game before I'm glad that I won't feel too terribly lost, and because the game sounds so fun to play, I might end up just running through ops for a few dozen hours before I feel satisfied. We shall see.

Regardless, I'm more excited now than I was even just a few days ago.

 

[brau]

lol

 

[Nightengale]

For those who've read different reviews, what's the consensus on an average playthrough's length?

40-50 hours, seems like.

 

[nortonff]

Just preorded the box. Lets do this.

 

[Chariot]

With all due respect to Yong, he is not a journalist. He runs a "fan" community. There is obviously going to be some level of bias in his coverage.

Reviews that came out today are not credible. Reviewing games in a controlled environment are not acceptable to me. I am not saying that they are entirely wrong and some of their concerns are legit. But honestly, playing 2015's biggest game under PR's watch...what kind of credibility do you think these reviews carry?

A valid concern.

Metal Gear games are supposed to tell rich stories with high quality cinematography. Massive shame that Kojima replaced them with tapes. I don't blame them if they missed them.

Codec.

 

[Hasney]

For those who've read different reviews, what's the consensus on an average playthrough's length?

No-one has a real answer because of the review event. Most guys seemed to rush it out of necessity, although 40 hours has been suggested.

 

[spuckthew]

Um, so where's the best place to buy this in the UK? I've only seen it for £45. GMG don't have a price up yet and there's currently a 20% off code which works for pre-orders (tested with Fallout 4 in basket).

Either way it's gonna be an early birthday present from someone but I don't want to take the piss.

 

[SomedayTheFire]

i bet a lot of reviewers didnt even bother with the tapes, but honestly, i dont even want to bother with the tapes. disappointing that much story is stuck there

Yeah I avoided the tapes in GZ. Disappointed if TPP's story plays out in them.

 

[CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls]

Sounds promising but I'm going to give it a couple of weeks for the game to marinate before I fully believe the hype.

 

[Nightengale]

Metal Gear games are supposed to tell rich stories with high quality cinematography. Massive shame that Kojima replaced them with tapes. I don't blame them if they missed them.

"Replaced" them? Cutscenes are still there, just apparently not a whole lot across 40 hours, and less we forget older MGS games crammed them into 8-10 hours.

MGS games have always been about a balance of cutscenes and CODECs. From what we've heard, the balance has shifted a little, with tapes/CODECs being pretty important as well, but we won't know how 'sparse' it is without actually playing it because there are some reviews praising the story as well.

 

[31GhostsIV]

Um, so where's the best place to buy this in the UK? I've only seen it for £45. GMG don't have a price up yet and there's currently a 20% off code which works for pre-orders (tested with Fallout 4 in basket).

Either way it's gonna be an early birthday present from someone but I don't want to take the piss.

I pre-ordered via Simply Games, £38.95 with day one DLC. If used them a few times and they've not let me down.

I preordered after the swarm of amazing reviews... but now I'm regretting a little, considering the reviewers had to go to some bullshit event and play it under the watchful eye of Kuntnami. Plus, microtransactions - what the hell?

 

[Moon_frogger]

Metal Gear games are supposed to tell rich stories with high quality cinematography. Massive shame that Kojima replaced them with tapes. I don't blame them if they missed them.

Almost all the reviews I've read note that the cinematography, choreography and voice acting are all the absolute best in the series and the tapes act as more of a replacement for codec calls (which I loved when they were mostly optional in mgs3) So what is there is probably amazing, just not as much of it. I'm ok with this. I get that people are upset with talk of major changes but honestly I could not handle another mgs4 being interrupted by codec calls every 2 feet.

 

[duckroll]

I actually think it was smart-- it gave reviewers 40-50 hours of playtime plus they were able to compare notes with fellow reviewers. It's such a beast of a game that some of the people who went to the review event still weren't comfortable enough to score the game. Imagine if reviewers were given the game to take home-- they might not set aside enough time to get the full experience.

It's not smart, it's inane. Reviewers are doing this as a job, if they don't "set aside enough time" that's them doing a bad job. They report to their editors. It is not the publisher's job to try and manage how a reviewer reviews their product. That's a conflict of interest.

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Metal Gear games are supposed to tell rich stories with high quality cinematography. Massive shame that Kojima replaced them with tapes. I don't blame them if they missed them.

From NextGenBlog

The criticism levelled at Metal Gear Solid 4 has been taken on board and feedback used to brush up his narrative techniques. Cutscenes are shorter, getting to the point quicker, with the occasional one allowing you to “interact” by moving the camera around. Better than that, pretty much all codec and radio chatter happens while you’re playing. No more staring at the same screen for hours. Fear not though, story is still a big part of The Phantom Pain, huge even, but there’s now a perfect balance between that and the gameplay. Sorry, I mean glorious gameplay.

Seems like he found the middle ground. Sounds awesome.

 

[snake_eater_raiden]

"Replaced" them? Cutscenes are still there, just apparently not a whole lot across 40 hours, and less we forget older MGS games crammed them into 8-10 hours.

MGS games have always been about a balance of cutscenes and CODECs. From what we've heard, the balance has shifted a little, with tapes/CODECs being pretty important as well, but we won't know how 'sparse' it is without actually playing it because there are some reviews praising the story as well.

Probably bad wording on my end. But they are less than before. That is not Metal Gear to me. There is no Codec screen The Phantom Pain. Majority of the talking happens through the tapes...which in my honest opinion is dumb and ancient.

 

[Javin98]

I hope most of the story is still told in cutscenes. I didn't mind the cutscenes in previous games and in fact, love them. Having the story being told through tapes dampens my interest a little.

 

[Juicy Bob]

From NextGenBlog

The criticism levelled at Metal Gear Solid 4 has been taken on board and feedback used to brush up his narrative techniques. Cutscenes are shorter, getting to the point quicker, with the occasional one allowing you to “interact” by moving the camera around. Better than that, pretty much all codec and radio chatter happens while you’re playing. No more staring at the same screen for hours. Fear not though, story is still a big part of The Phantom Pain, huge even, but there’s now a perfect balance between that and the gameplay. Sorry, I mean glorious gameplay.

Seems like he found the middle ground. Sounds awesome.

I was a bit worried about the earlier comments on 'sparse story', but that quote is actually pretty reassuring. Encouraging, even.

I think that's all I need to know now. I need to leave this thread alone.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

It's not smart, it's inane. Reviewers are doing this as a job, if they don't "set aside enough time" that's them doing a bad job. They report to their editors. It is not the publisher's job to try and manage how a reviewer reviews their product. That's a conflict of interest.

Also noticed this on RPS:

"Many (if not all) of the reviews that are already online were written by journalists who were forced to play MGS V for eight hours every day, in regimented timeslots, while under instructions to share only the information that was deemed necessary by Konami higher-ups. Far from being a work experience course, this was a four-day review event, in which writers attempted to complete a sprawling open-world stealth game within a strict time limit. Or chose to do a review-in-progress instead, savouring the experience."

 

[Skele7on]

Probably bad wording on my end. But they are less than before. That is not Metal Gear to me. There is no Codec screen The Phantom Pain. Majority of the talking happens through the tapes...which in my honest opinion is dumb and ancient.

But it's 1985 son.

 

[Hanmik]

It's not smart, it's inane. Reviewers are doing this as a job, if they don't "set aside enough time" that's them doing a bad job. They report to their editors. It is not the publisher's job to try and manage how a reviewer reviews their product. That's a conflict of interest.

It´s just plain stupid.. forcing people to review a game (they made) in a way that only is good for one Party.. the people that gain something from a positive review.

I´m not saying that the game is bad or anything.. I just don´t think any of these reviews are good enough to be used as a "buyers" guide.

 

[Nightengale]

Probably bad wording on my end. But they are less than before. That is not Metal Gear to me. There is no Codec screen The Phantom Pain. Majority of the talking happens through the tapes...which in my honest opinion is dumb and ancient.

That's your opinion. I respect it, but I don't agree.

 

[snake_eater_raiden]

From NextGenBlog



Seems like he found the middle ground. Sounds awesome.

You should check out the Twitted feed of the guy who runs that site. He is a big Konami fan. He also runs a "fan" site for the PES series.

https://twitter.com/AsimTanvir/with_replies

Just because he gave our most anticipated game a 10/10 does not mean I have to agree with his review. Plus he finished the game on 31st July under the surveillance of Konami.