Atom31
1 review liked by Atom31
This review contains spoilers
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the bombastic finale to the epic 30+ year old franchise that drops the linear map design of its predecessors for an open world sandbox. MGSV has an instantly recognizable cinematic style/direction, and with an incredible soundtrack by Ludvig Forssell, the cinematics are some of the best around.
Brilliantly, there isn’t a single happy moment in the main story’s cinematics; TPP is a revenge-fueled rollercoaster ride through hell that Kaz and crew are determined to see all the way through in hopes it rights their sins. By the end, however, there is no catharsis–Skullface isn’t left to suffer, Huey gets away, Eli steals Sahelanthropus, Quiet disappears, Snake is a shell of “““himself”””, and Kaz will never be whole again. In something only Kojima would be pretentious enough to do, the name “The Phantom Pain” is what the player is meant to feel after the credits roll for the true ending. It’s a lingering, dull pain that serves as a constant reminder that what is gone is never coming back, whether it be an arm, or the Metal Gear series.
Brilliantly, there isn’t a single happy moment in the main story’s cinematics; TPP is a revenge-fueled rollercoaster ride through hell that Kaz and crew are determined to see all the way through in hopes it rights their sins. By the end, however, there is no catharsis–Skullface isn’t left to suffer, Huey gets away, Eli steals Sahelanthropus, Quiet disappears, Snake is a shell of “““himself”””, and Kaz will never be whole again. In something only Kojima would be pretentious enough to do, the name “The Phantom Pain” is what the player is meant to feel after the credits roll for the true ending. It’s a lingering, dull pain that serves as a constant reminder that what is gone is never coming back, whether it be an arm, or the Metal Gear series.