Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an action-adventure game released in 2015. It was developed and published by Konami. Hideo Kojima directed, wrote, and produced the game, making it his final project with Konami. It is the ninth game in the Metal Gear series, following Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, a separate game released the year before. The story takes place in 1984, nine years after the events of Ground Zeroes. It follows Punished "Venom" Snake, a mercenary leader, as he travels to Soviet-occupied Afghanistan and the Angola–Zaire border region to seek revenge on those who destroyed his team and nearly killed him in Ground Zeroes.
The game is played from a third-person perspective in a large, open world. Players can explore the world on foot or by using vehicles. Snake can use many weapons and items and is helped by AI companions. Players can choose to fight enemies stealthily or directly. Enemies and resources found in the world can be taken to Snake's headquarters, which can be expanded and used to develop new technology. The game includes two multiplayer modes: Metal Gear Online (also called Metal Gear Online 3) and Forward Operating Bases (FOBs). In the FOB mode, players build bases that can be attacked by others.
The Phantom Pain was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 1, 2015. Critics praised its gameplay, open world, graphics, themes, and performances. Some critics had different opinions about the story and changes to the series’ format. The character Quiet received negative feedback. Some players felt the game had repeated missions, an ending, and signs of removed content, leading some to say it was unfinished. By December 2015, the game sold 6 million copies. It won several awards and is considered one of the greatest stealth games ever made. A bundle called Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience, which includes The Phantom Pain, Ground Zeroes, and all extra content for both games, was released in October 2016.
Gameplay
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a stealth game where players control Punished "Venom" Snake from a third-person view in an open world. Gameplay is similar to Ground Zeroes, requiring players to move quietly through different areas, avoid enemy guards, and stay hidden. Snake has tools like binoculars, weapons, explosives, and items such as cardboard boxes and decoys to help him avoid detection. The game encourages players to avoid killing enemies by using non-lethal weapons like tranquilizer darts. Players can travel using vehicles like jeeps and tanks, walk, ride horses, or climb mountains. They may also call helicopters or airstrikes to attack enemies or change weather conditions. Snake can team up with AI companions: D-Horse, a horse that can wear armor and hide Snake; D-Dog, a wolf pup trained to help Snake; Quiet, a silent sniper with special abilities; and D-Walker, a mobile weapons platform that supports Snake with heavy weapons. The effectiveness of these companions depends on how well the player builds a relationship with them. Tactics are a major part of the game.
Like Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, The Phantom Pain includes a base-building system where players develop weapons and items from their headquarters, called Mother Base. Players can recruit enemy soldiers and prisoners to grow their base. A companion app allows players to access their base from real-life smartphones and other devices. Unlike Peace Walker, where players could only view Mother Base from above, The Phantom Pain lets players explore the base on foot. The game also includes the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system, which allows players to transport captured soldiers, animals, and vehicles back to Mother Base. An in-game currency called GMP is used to upgrade Mother Base’s defenses and technology. Players collect GMP by finding items like diamonds, shipping containers, and blueprint boxes, or by sending soldiers on missions. This currency is used to improve Snake, his companions, and vehicles. For example, Snake’s prosthetic arm can be upgraded with a taser, echolocation, or remote controls that let it fly like a drone.
Players can choose the order in which they complete story missions, but the game’s overall message becomes clear by the end. Enemy AI has improved, making enemies more aware of their surroundings. If players use certain weapons or tactics repeatedly, enemies will become stronger. For example, if players often use headshots, enemies may wear metal helmets to make targeting harder. Other player actions, like sabotaging a radar, can change the game world by opening new areas.
The game has a dynamic weather system and a day-night cycle that runs in real time. Players can speed up the cycle by lighting a "Phantom Cigar," an electronic cigar that shows time on a digital watch. Time changes help players track enemy movements, like patrol routes. Weather conditions, such as sandstorms or rain, affect gameplay by reducing visibility or hiding footstep sounds.
The game includes two multiplayer modes. First, Metal Gear Online 3, developed by Kojima Productions’ Los Angeles studio. Second, a multiplayer extension of the base-building system. Players can build Forward Operating Bases to generate resources and income for the single-player campaign. These bases can be attacked by other players, creating a player-versus-player mode where attackers try to steal resources or soldiers, and defenders protect their base. Defenders can call friends for help, especially during story missions. Players can customize their Forward Operating Bases’ security, layout, and staffing. After an attack, the defender learns the location of the attacker’s base but can only retaliate if the attacker was caught during the attack. The Forward Operating Base mode is separate from Metal Gear Online 3 and helps players deploy more combat units.
Synopsis
After the events at Ground Zeroes and the destruction of Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF), Big Boss (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland and Akio Ōtsuka) falls into a coma. Nine years later, he awakens and helps lead a new mercenary group called Diamond Dogs. He adopts the codename "Venom Snake" and travels to Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War and the Angola–Zaire border region during the Angolan Civil War to find those responsible for MSF's destruction. Along the way, he reunites with his former rival, Ocelot (voiced by Troy Baker and Satoshi Mikami), and meets Quiet (voiced by Stefanie Joosten), an assassin and sniper with unusual abilities. Initially, Big Boss and Kazuhira Miller (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes and Tomokazu Sugita) seek revenge, but they discover a plot by the Cipher organization to develop a new version of the Metal Gear system called the ST-84 "Sahelanthropus."
Unlike earlier Metal Gear games, Kojima Productions used English-speaking actors and stunt performers first for voice acting and motion capture. Facial motion capture, previously used in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, was done separately from voice acting in this game. Later, Japanese voice acting was added over the English performance, unlike previous games where Japanese and English voice acting were synchronized.
At E3 2013, Konami confirmed that Kiefer Sutherland would provide Snake's voice and motion capture work, replacing David Hayter. Kojima wanted a more subdued performance with subtle facial expressions and tone. Hollywood producer Avi Arad suggested Sutherland for the role. Akio Ōtsuka continued to voice Snake in the Japanese version. In 2015, Kojima revealed that Snake would have less dialogue in The Phantom Pain to make him seem like an extension of the player, acting based on the player's choices rather than speaking independently.
Other voice actors include Troy Baker as Ocelot, Jay Tavare as Code Talker, James Horan as Skull Face, Robin Atkin Downes as Kazuhira Miller, Christopher Randolph as Dr. Emmerich, and Piers Stubbs as Eli. The Japanese version features Tomokazu Sugita as Miller, Hideyuki Tanaka as Emmerich, Takaya Hashi as Skull Face, Satoshi Mikami as Ocelot, Osamu Saka as Code Talker, and Yūtarō Honjō as Eli. Stefanie Joosten provides the voice, motion capture, and likeness for Quiet, a mute sniper with supernatural abilities who may assist Snake during certain missions. She also voices "Quiet's Theme."
In 1984, nine years after MSF's destruction, Big Boss awakens from a coma in a hospital on a British military base in Cyprus. Quiet, a Cipher assassin, tries to kill him but is stopped by a man named "Ishmael." They escape the hospital while avoiding Cipher soldiers and two superhumans, "Third Child" and "Man on Fire." Big Boss is later rescued by Revolver Ocelot and joins Diamond Dogs, a mercenary group founded by Kazuhira Miller near Seychelles.
Big Boss takes the name "Venom Snake" and searches for Cipher. He becomes involved in the Soviet–Afghan War and the Angolan Civil War. He recruits Quiet, Dr. "Huey" Emmerich (a scientist and former MSF associate), and Code Talker (a Navajo expert on parasites working for Cipher). Snake captures Eli, a British child believed to be a clone of Snake, but a DNA test shows they are not related.
Snake learns that Cipher's leader, Zero, was overthrown by XOF, a rogue faction responsible for MSF's destruction. XOF's leader, Skull Face, plans to release a parasite that kills English speakers and uses the Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus" to promote nuclear weapons as a way to achieve peace. Skull Face relies on the Third Child's psychic abilities instead of an AI for Sahelanthropus.
During a test, the Third Child betrays Skull Face, seriously injuring him and killing the Man on Fire. Snake defeats Sahelanthropus and recovers two of Skull Face's three parasite vials. Skull Face is later killed by Huey, and Sahelanthropus is brought to Mother Base. Eli, the Third Child, and child soldiers steal Sahelanthropus and flee. It is revealed that the Third Child's powers made him obey the most vengeful person nearby, meaning Sahelanthropus' attack was caused by Eli.
A parasite outbreak forces Snake to kill many of his soldiers to stop the spread. To honor them, he turns their ashes into diamonds to carry into battle. Huey is accused of causing the outbreak while trying to mutate the parasites for weapons. Snake exiles Huey after learning he may have killed his wife, Dr. Strangelove, to use their son, Hal, in experiments.
Quiet disappears in Afghanistan. Code Talker explains that Quiet was infected with the English parasite to spread it within Diamond Dogs, but she stayed silent to prevent an outbreak. Huey's mutated parasites made Quiet doubt the group's safety. Snake finds her and helps fight Soviet forces before they hide. Quiet speaks to call a Diamond Dogs helicopter when Snake is bitten by a venomous snake and flees to avoid another outbreak.
It is revealed that Venom Snake is not Big Boss, but a medic injured in an explosion that harmed the real Big Boss (Ishmael). During his coma, the medic was altered through surgery and hypnotherapy to act as a decoy while Big Boss fought secretly. Miller and Ocelot discuss Big Boss's plan to create Outer Heaven. Ocelot supports Big Boss, but Miller is disgusted and vows to help Big Boss's son, David, to stop him. Venom Snake's actions set the events of the Outer Heaven uprising in motion, leading to his death. Big Boss later reappears during the Zanzibar Land disturbance.
Development
In February 2012, Konami created a website called "Development Without Borders" to promote a new Metal Gear game, referred to as "The 'next' MGS." The site asked for help with a pavilion at the 2012 GDC event in March and sought workers for a new Metal Gear Solid game designed for "high-end consoles" and a "next-gen Fox engine." Later that year, the team shared screenshots and videos of the Fox Engine. These materials showed many different settings and characters, but none were connected to the Metal Gear series. However, some images showed a character that looked like Big Boss from Metal Gear walking toward a vehicle called a Stryker AFV, which appeared in Metal Gear Solid 4.
Konami announced Ground Zeroes during a private event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Metal Gear series on August 30, 2012. The game was later shown publicly at the 2012 Penny Arcade Expo two days later. Kojima, the game's creator, said it would be a prologue to Metal Gear Solid V and the first game to use the Fox Engine, developed by Kojima Productions. In January 2013, Kojima mentioned that Ground Zeroes would be the first Metal Gear game to include Arabic subtitles, a feature planned for earlier games. He also noted that the length of cutscenes was shortened because he believed long cutscenes were no longer popular.
During an interview with VG247, Kojima discussed concerns about whether Ground Zeroes would be released. He explained that his goal was to explore mature and controversial themes, which he considered risky. However, as a producer, he had to balance creative choices with the need to sell games. In the end, Kojima decided to prioritize creativity over sales.
At the Spike Video Game Awards in December 2012, a teaser trailer for a game called The Phantom Pain was shown. It was credited to a new Swedish studio named Moby Dick Studio, which described itself as aiming to create an "uncompromising, exciting, and touching" game experience. Some people believed the trailer was actually a Metal Gear game because the main character resembled Big Boss, the graphics looked like those from the Fox Engine, and the phrase "V has come to" appeared at the end of the trailer. The title "The Phantom Pain" could fit into the design of the game's logo when using the same font. The name "Joakim," associated with the studio, was an anagram of "Kojima," and the studio's website domain was registered just two weeks before the trailer's release. Kojima later said he was impressed by the trailer and how inspired the creator, Joakim Mogren, was by Metal Gear.
An actor portraying Mogren appeared in an interview on March 14, 2013, on GameTrailers TV. He said more details about The Phantom Pain would be shared at the upcoming Game Developers Conference and showed screenshots on an iPad. When the host pointed out the Fox Engine logo in the images, Mogren appeared nervous, and the interview ended quickly.
On March 27, 2013, at GDC 2013, Kojima confirmed that his studio created the trailer and announced that Metal Gear Solid V would consist of two games. Ground Zeroes would act as a prequel to the main game, now officially named Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Kojima presented a trailer for the game and demonstrated the Fox Engine. The trailer included the song "Not Your Kind of People" from Garbage's 2012 album.
In an interview with GameTrailers on March 29, 2013, Kojima explained that The Phantom Pain was initially shown as an independent game to test public and industry reactions to the Fox Engine. He said the idea was developed with Geoff Keighley over two years and was designed to encourage fan activity on social media.
The official trailer for the game was shown on a PC, but the game was released for the seventh and eighth generations of consoles. At E3 2013, Kojima said the PC version would match the quality of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions but was not the studio's top priority. He confirmed the visuals in the trailer would closely match the final game and stated that Metal Gear Solid V might be his final game in the series. Unlike previous titles, he said he would not return to the franchise after this. He also mentioned that the game would balance realism with the surreal elements, such as Snake's hallucinations of a flaming whale.
At E3 2013, a fourth trailer was shown during a Microsoft press conference, highlighting new gameplay features and characters. The development of an Xbox One version was announced at the conference, and the PlayStation 4 version was confirmed the next day when Konami posted the red band version of the trailer on YouTube alongside the standard green band version.
Trailers for Metal Gear Solid V showed the game running on PC hardware, but Kojima said the textures and character models were based on seventh-generation console standards. The developers aimed to improve the technical quality for the eighth-generation console versions.
Kojima said that in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Snake would speak very little, making him a silent protagonist like the character in Mad Max 2. The story would be driven by the characters around him. He described the game as "too big to clear," noting it would be 200 times larger than Ground Zeroes. He criticized previous Metal Gear games for being too restrictive, saying they forced players to follow a single path with limited freedom. In contrast, The Phantom Pain offers players multiple ways to complete missions, such as using a helicopter or sneaking through enemy areas. A video from E3 2015 showed the same mission played four different ways. Weapons in the game are fictional, as they were in Ground Zeroes. Players who completed Ground Zeroes could transfer their save data to The Phantom Pain to gain special rewards.
Kojima wanted players to connect with Snake in The Phantom Pain. To achieve this, he focused on creating a game that emphasized player freedom and immersion.
Release
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was released in different versions. Special Day One editions for each platform included downloadable content (DLC) vouchers for unique weapons and experience points for Metal Gear Online. The North American Collector's Edition (available for PS4 and Xbox One) included a steelbook and a small replica of Snake's bionic arm. The Japanese Premium Package (available for PS4, PS3, and Xbox One) featured a full-size replica, which was also sold separately in May 2016. Sony released a PlayStation 4 bundle with the console painted in the colors of the bionic arm.
The physical PC version of The Phantom Pain only included a CD key and a disc with a Steam installer. Game files were not included on the disc and had to be downloaded separately.
Tie-in products were released for the game. Sony Mobile Communications created special edition Walkman, Xperia Z4, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, and Xperia J Compact devices, each with Outer Heaven emblems, soundtrack audio, and wallpapers. Seiko produced a digital watch resembling Venom Snake's watch from the game. JF Rey made themed eyewear inspired by Kaz and Ocelot's designs. Japanese toy company Sentinel created a transformable figure of the Sahelanthropus, while Kotobukiya prepared a 1/100 scale model of the unit. Puma released a line of sports jackets, T-shirts, and footwear, including Snake's sneaking boots.
Square Enix's PlayArts Kai line included figures of several game characters. Kaiyodo made Venom Snake and a Soviet Army soldier for the RevoMini figure series. A Japanese novelization of The Phantom Pain, written by Kenji Yano (using the pen name Hitori Nojima), was published by Kadokawa Shoten in bunkobon and e-book formats on October 25, 2015. This followed the author's earlier novelizations of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. An art book titled The Art of Metal Gear Solid V was published by Dark Horse Comics on November 2, 2016.
A complete version of the game, titled Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience, was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam on October 11 in North America, October 13 in Europe, and November 10 in Japan. The bundle included the Ground Zeroes prologue, The Phantom Pain, and all previously released downloadable content for both games.
The Collector's Edition included a supplemental disc with a video for an unused in-game mission called "Episode 51: Kingdom of the Flies." The mission, which takes place after the game's ending, shows Snake confronting Eli and the stolen Sahelanthropus on a remote island. Some critics believed that Episode 51 would have provided a more satisfying ending by resolving plot threads and giving characters more development.
Some critics criticized the structure of The Phantom Pain. Replaying missions in the second half of the game led to theories that original content had been removed due to time constraints. Evidence of removed content was found, including another story chapter not included in the final version. The game's producer, Kenichiro Imaizumi, did not comment on fan questions, while community manager Robert Allen Peeler denied the possibility of story-related DLC. Some fans linked Chapter 3 to Konami's "Nuclear Disarmament Event," which was triggered after players disposed of all in-game nuclear weapons. A cutscene tied to the event was discovered by data miners. Peeler said the simplest answer was correct and advised against overthinking. In 2018 and 2020, the Nuclear Disarmament Event was triggered on the Steam version despite existing player nukes, with Konami stating these were due to technical errors and cheating.
Critics linked the missing content to tensions between Konami and Kojima during development. Data miners found other removed content, including gameplay features and audio files. Jorge Jimenez of PC Gamer suggested content might have been cut for other reasons. Due to narrative flaws and missing story elements, the game was labeled as unfinished by critics. However, Dan Dawkins of GamesRadar+ argued that Kojima might have intentionally left content out. Kojima stated that his new intellectual property, later revealed as Death Stranding, would be a complete game. After the 2016 release of The Definitive Experience, fans expressed concerns about missing content, particularly Episode 51. Konami explained that Episode 51 was removed early in development and not meant to be the main ending. In 2021, PC Gamer and Collider suggested a director's cut with removed content, though they believed it was unlikely.
Reception
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain received very high praise from critics, according to Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. Reviewers said it was one of the best games in the Metal Gear series and one of the greatest stealth games ever made. Rich Stanton of Eurogamer wrote that every detail in the game was carefully made and combined into something very ambitious. Vince Ingenito of IGN said the game had details that were meaningful and important. Spencer Campbell of EGM said the game changed what people thought was possible in open world games, both in how the story was told and how the game was played. Peter Brown of GameSpot said no Metal Gear game had been as consistent in tone, as brave in its themes, or as interesting to look at, with deep gameplay and a lot of content. The Phantom Pain was the 23rd game—and the third in the Metal Gear series—to get a perfect score of 40 out of 40 from the Japanese magazine Famitsu.
Critics praised the game's systems, controls, and open world design. Peter Brown of GameSpot said playing the game was an interesting and varied experience, calling the gameplay nearly perfect and the scenarios in the world "the third pillar" of the design. Rich Stanton of Eurogamer said the open world felt alive because of how detailed and personal it was, making tasks like crossing a guarded bridge exciting. Matt Peckham of Time described the world as an "unmatched tactical toybox," a view shared by others. Joe Juba of Game Informer said each mission felt like a playground where players could try different tools, and Chris Carter of Destructoid noted there were hundreds of ways to prepare for missions. Some praised how enemies acted smartly and changed their tactics based on how players played. David Roberts of GamesRadar+ said the game respected players' intelligence even when mistakes happened. However, Kat Bailey of USgamer said the game was sometimes too strict about giving players chances to correct mistakes. Action scenes were called exciting by Samuel Roberts of PC Gamer and scary by Rich Stanton of Eurogamer, though some were upset about encounters with the Skulls. Spencer Campbell of EGM said attacks on the player's bases could distract from story missions. Matt Peckham of Time said the requirements to unlock fast travel were too demanding.
The story had mixed reactions. Spencer Campbell of EGM said it was one of the strongest in the Metal Gear series, with some moments being very emotional. Michael McWhertor of Polygon said the story was interesting but sometimes confusing. Peter Brown of GameSpot said the story and characters were compelling and praised how the game handled serious themes. Others agreed that the serious themes were well done, with Rich Stanton of Eurogamer saying the game explored war in a way that contrasted with other games focused on the military. However, Vince Ingenito of IGN said the story only touched on themes and left some plot questions unanswered in a rushed way. David Roberts of GamesRadar+ said the story was not exciting between moments of explanation and criticized how villains were handled. Samuel Roberts of PC Gamer said the story was aimless and the worst in the series, partly because the script was dry and the opening and ending felt unnecessary. Jason Schreier of Kotaku said the story was unfulfilling and incomplete, criticizing its pacing, dialogue, and characters. Some reviewers disliked that players had to replay missions on harder difficulty to unlock final parts of the story, calling it unnecessary.
Samuel Roberts of PC Gamer said the ending twist that the player character is not Big Boss was a strong moment in an otherwise weak story. He said the ending matched the game's theme by showing how the player's experience shaped the story. Chris Carter of Destructoid said the series had always explored the idea that a legend can be more powerful than the real person. David Roberts of GamesRadar+ said the player-created avatar for Big Boss was a unique Metal Gear feature but felt the ending lacked closure and made the story feel empty. Jason Schreier of Kotaku said the story failed to explain how Venom Snake and Big Boss became villains because the character arc did not follow Big Boss.
Many noted changes from the usual Metal Gear style. Kat Bailey of USgamer said taking risks to make the game different from previous Metal Gear games was the right choice. Samuel Roberts of PC Gamer said boss fights were less exciting than before but liked the story not being too complicated. Michael McWhertor of Polygon and Rich Stanton of Eurogamer praised shorter cutscenes. However, Vince Ingenito of IGN said they would have preferred more emotional scenes like those in earlier games. Some criticized putting story details in optional audio logs, as it left some plot points unclear. Others said the game felt more serious than earlier games. David Roberts of GamesRadar+ said the prologue was very intense and set up a serious story. Samuel Roberts of PC Gamer said the game felt less funny and less connected to the series' history. Voice acting was praised, with Rich Stanton of Eurogamer saying the cast was better than in earlier games. Some were confused by Venom Snake's lack of dialogue, with Jason Schreier of Kotaku and Vince Ingenito of IGN saying his silence during emotional scenes was strange.
Chris Carter of Destructoid praised the Fox Engine, calling the graphics beautiful and the sound design excellent. Jason Schreier of Kotaku said the game was very polished and looked amazing, especially Snake's character model and animations. Kat Bailey of USgamer said D-Dog's movements and interactions were very detailed, like those in Pixar movies. Peter Brown of GameSpot and Vince Ingenito of IGN said the camera work was excellent and the visuals were beautiful. Joe Juba of Game Informer said the graphics were great but noted some textures appeared suddenly. Critics said the game ran smoothly even with its high-quality graphics.
Before the game was released, the way the character Quiet was presented became a topic of controversy. David Ellis, a producer for Halo, criticized her design as too sexualized and a bad example of the game industry. Kojima and Konami released Quiet figurines in May 2015 as part of the game's promotion. The figurines had soft, flexible features that were criticized by some in the West online and in the press.
After the game was released, critics and others continued to criticize Quiet's portrayal. Michael McWhertor of Polygon said the reason Quiet had no clothes was tied to the game's complicated story and criticized how the game handled similar themes.