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I was curious about this game, it was mentioned in one of the communities I’m following. I do know it has got mixed takes from both the media and players as well, but I found it cheap, so I didn’t risk anything with this purchase.
I tried Suikoden 1 and watched videos about the sequel, but couldn’t get into either of them. Main entries are not for me, so I decided to try this instead, because I’m a big fan of SRPG.
Plataform: Xbox 360
Also available on: PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami
Year: 2014
Players: 1
Genre: Action / Stealth
Rated: Mature
Introduction
All the descriptions on this post are about the Xbox 360 version. This is important because there are graphics differences between it and other versions. Nevertheless it’s clear that the gameplay and plot are the same across every release of the game.
Plot and background (No Spoilers)
After the events of MGS: Peace Walker, it was clear that the MSF was targeted by many organizations, including governments and agencies as well. Cipher was one of them, an agency founded by Major Zero through The Philosophers’ Legacy, whose objective –according to Paz– was the governance and control using AI and eletronic devices.
Cipher and Paz failed to launch the nuclear missile to USA and, after the battle with MG Zeke, Paz fell to the ocean. Later she was rescued by a fisherman in Belice, only to be found and imprisoned by Cipher themselves, who took her to a prison camp in a US base located in south Cuba.
The first one who tried to rescue Paz was Chico, but he was discovered and captured. At least he recorded a cassette tape asking for help and this reached Outer Heaven, home of Snake and MSF. It was critical to rescue both guys because they could reveal MSF’s data to the enemy, and besides, Paz knew a lot about Cipher, so she may be an asset to Snake. Big Boss decides to rescue them and quickly infiltrates the enemy base, while Outer Heaven was inspected by the OIEA, who suspected MSF had nuclear weapons.
Gameplay
The key to the success in any MGS game is to complete the missions in a stealthy manner, without being discovered by the enemy. Ground Zeroes brings the same tools to get the job done: lethal/non-lethal weapons including guns and grenades, and CQC movements. However this time the binoculars became an improved item, because it requires to see an enemy once, and the rest of the mission his position is stored so he can be tracked at every time. A new item was also introduced: the iDroid, a mobile device which allows to check the map, request a chopper or listening to cassette tapes about the mission. Snake is already equiped with this and he can also find additional equipment in the area of operations, including C4, claymores, sniper rifle, shotgun, missile launcher, etc.
When a mission is completed it is ranked based on parameters like completion time, number of alerts (!), prisoners rescued and number of kills. The ranks go from E (worst) to S (best). A better rank may unlock weapons and challenges.
Graphics
Fox engine is the graphic engine responsible for bringing everything we see: atmospheric details like rain, all the vehicles, enemy designs and cool explosions. In the X360 version almost all of the visual framework look decent, but there are some mistakes. There’s some frame rate drop in some cutscenes, or an error in camera handling. Besides there are elements which lose some detail like people’s hair or the grass. In Ground Zeroes we can notice a great difference between X360/PS3 and Xbox1/PS4, where the latters depict more realistic images.
Music
There is just a bit of OST which can be listened to. In fact the only memorable track is «Here’s to You», composed by Ennio Morricone. Well, at least this song is quite good.
Conclussions
Of course the biggest problem with this game are not the graphics, but the major issue is that it’s too short. There are only 6 missions with two modes: normal and hard. Hard mode only means there’s less ammo, less weapons and it’s easier to be discovered. But it doesn’t increase the number of enemies or the base’s structure at all. The mission requirements also stay the same. Besides, all misions take place in the same map and there’s no online mode.
So, this game is only recommended for the hardcore MGS fans. Other people can skip this safely and go directly to a different, worthy-playing MGS.
I think 360’s version deserves a 7.0 (decent, but not necessary).
Plataforma: Xbox 360
Otras plataformas: PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Desarrollador: Kojima Productions
Publicador: Konami
Año: 2014
Jugadores: 1
Género: Acción / Infiltración
Clasificación: Mature
Introducción
Las descripciones vertidas en esta reseña son relativas a la versión para Xbox 360. Esto es importante sobre todo por el asunto de las gráficas que trataré más adelante. No obstante es claro que la trama y gameplay son comunes a todas las versiones del juego.
Historia y antecedentes (No Spoilers)
Luego de los acontecimientos en Peace Walker, era claro que MSF estaba en la mira de todo el mundo: gobiernos y agencias por igual. Pero a ellos se suma Cipher, agencia de inteligencia fundada por nada menos que Major Zero mediante el Legado de los Filósofos, cuyo objetivo –de acuerdo con Paz– era la gobernanza y control por medio de inteligencias artificiales y dispositivos electrónicos.
Cipher y Paz habían fracasado con el lanzamiento del misil nuclear hacia Estados Unidos, y luego de la batalla contra el Metal Gear Zeke, Paz salió volando al océano. Tiempo después ella fue rescatada por un pescador de Belice, y encarcelada más tarde por los mismos Cipher, quienes la llevaron a un campo de prisioneros en una base estadounidense ubicada al sur de Cuba.
El primero en intentar rescatar a Paz fue Chico, pero fue descubierto y capturado. Chico grabó un cassette para pedir rescate y éste llego a Outer Heaven, hogar de Snake y MSF. La información que Chico y Paz revelaran a Cipher no solo llevaría a perjudicar a todo MSF, sino que además Paz era el único contacto que ellos tenían para llegar a Cipher y detener sus sucios planes. Snake acepta la misión de rescatarlos, y mientras tanto su base es inspeccionada supuestamente por la OIEA, quien sospecha de la posesión de armas nucleares.
Gameplay
La clave para tener éxito en cualquier juego de Metal Gear Solid es completar las misiones de manera inadvertida y completamente encubierta. En Ground Zeroes existen las estrategias que en entregas pasadas: el uso de armas con silenciadores o bien utilizar cuidadosamente CQC para derribar enemigos sin hacer ruido. Pero neutralizar enemigos es tan sólo una opción, y de hecho no es siempre imprescindible. En la base hay muchas oportunidades de avanzar escondido sin ser visto, y para esto no hay nada mejor que hacerlo gateando en el piso.
Una de las novedades introducidas en este juego es que el uso de los binoculares no solo sirve para ver de lejos, sino que al apuntarlos a un enemigo, la información de su posición es registrada y nos permite verlos incluso si hay muros u objetos que estorben. Esta información incluso muestra la distancia a la que se encuentran los enemigos.
Tenemos a nuestra disposición un iDroid, dispositivo móvil que permite hacer varias cosas: usar el mapa para ver la localización de objetivos, pedir helicópteros de rescate y sintonizar cassettes que contengan información sobre la misión.
Snake también está equipado con gafas de visión nocturna que detectan la presencia de calor y son ideales en entornos oscuros. Estas gafas ya no gastan pilas como en juegos pasados. Snake también lleva granadas y un rifle de asalto con silenciador. Sin embargo, pueden encontrarse otras armas letales en la base, tales como explosivos (C4, Claymores) o bien el rile de francotirador, lanzamisiles, la escopeta y otras más.
En la misión principal, al terminar debe pedirse un helicóptero de rescate, pero en las side-ops se permite hacer un escape robando automóviles de la base.
Al completar misiones, se muestran las puntuaciones basadas en parámetros como tiempo en completar, número de muertes, cantidad de alertas, prisioneros rescatados. De estas puntuaciones se emite un rango que va desde S (el mejor) hasta E (el peor). Dependiendo del rango obtenido pueden desbloquearse armas y desafíos.
Gráficas
Fox engine es el motor gráfico responsable de producir todo lo que vemos en la base: desde los detalles atmosféricos como la lluvia hasta los vehículos y las explosiones. En la versión de Xbox 360 casi todos los elementos visuales adquieren una nitidez decente, pero hay defectos que no pasan por alto. En primer lugar, se detecta una caída de frame rate en los cutscenes, o bien es un defecto técnico del manejo de la cámara en esta versión. Además hay elementos que pierden detalle debido a una mala adaptación del engine: no es convincente la reproducción de elementos como el cabello de Snake o la apariencia de algunas plantas.
Ground Zeroes es un juego donde ya es evidente la barrera técnica entre las consolas de generación pasada y las actuales.
Música
Es muy poco el OST que se escucha en este juego, de hecho en los créditos solo se muestra el track que suena en el primer cutscene: «Here’s To You» de nada menos que Ennio Morricone. No puedo hacer otra cosa que aplaudir a esta pieza.
Crítica
No solo los defectos gráficos son obvios (en la versión de 360). De hecho el mayor problema con este juego es que es demasido corto. En total solo son 6 misiones con dos modos de dificultad: normal y difícil. Y la dificultad solo afecta en dos cosas: el modo difícil significa entrar con menos munición, menos armas y es más fácil ser vistos. Pero no incrementa el número de enemigos ni cambia la estructura de la base. Tampoco los requerimientos de la misión.
Además todas las misiones se desarrollan en el mismo lugar, ni siquiera existen otros mapas.
No existe modo en línea y solo se permite compartir información sobre estadísticas de misión.
Conclusiones
Este es un juego para completistas que quieren revisar la historia que sucede luego de Peace Walker y antecede a The Phantom Pain.
Es bastante ameno y con un gameplay impecable a pesar de ser bastante corto, pero no lo recomendaría a gente ajena a la franquicia de Metal Gear Solid.
La versión de 360 para mí tiene una calificación de 7.0. (Juego decente, pero nada imprescindible)
Reviewed game’s platform: PS3
Also available on: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PC
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami
Year: 2015
Players: 1
Genre: Acción / Infiltración
Category: Mature
Introduction
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain brings the conclussion of Big Boss’ story as a main protagonist and provides the missing link to Metal Gear (MSX). It’s also the sequel of Ground Zeroes. This is also the first game in the series using the open-world format, one of the most innovating and interesting features in the gameplay.
Would this be the definitive Metal Gear, as comercially announced?
Plot (No Spoilers)
The story begins 9 years after the events of Ground Zeroes. The attack and destruction on Mother Base in 1975 left Big Boss severely wounded, he was even left in a coma status until 1984.
Snake would be reunited with his old comrades: Miller and Ocelot, to investigate everything about Cipher and prepare a revenge. This way, he will advance through Afganistan and the Angola-Zaire (frontier) territories to look for information and clues, at the same time he recuits new soldiers while developing a whole new Mother Base. The research would drive him to challenge twisted situations and discover Cipher’s evil plans.
As expected in a MGS game, there are plot twists with well designed characters, each of them asuming a specific role acording to their biographies, goals and situation. Big Boss would do everything to get his revenge along with a visceral Miller, and a cold, sharp Ocelot.
In my opinion, the problem with the plot is that some primary missions are out of the scope of the main story, leaving the feeling it was like a side-ops. Clearly the script fails because sometimes the current objective is irrelevant for the context. For the Metal Gear Solid standard, TPP is too weak at this.
Then there is a poorly made connection bewteen TPP and the MSX story, bringing more plot holes than before, and leaving a free interpretation to the gamers.
Considering all of this, it even seems this game was not signed by the genius Kojima, because the rest of MGS games have deep stories, complex scripts and yet a lot of consistency. And TPP is mostly a game about revenge with little else.
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Gameplay
The game system is so modern, deep, amazing and brings an explosion of possibilities that it almost makes us forget about the poor plot.
Area of operations and transport
Two huge open-world maps are located in Afganistan and the other in Angola-Zaire frontier. These are regions which include a variety of landspaces from the dry deserts to the woody forests. This huge maps are home to many outposts, guard posts, enemy fortresses, ruins, houses, buildings, palaces, etc. Clearly the area of operations design is a complete success.
To travel all of this areas there exist various ways: using a 4-wheel drive, cargo vehicles, armored vehicles, tanks, riding a horse or just walking.
Attacking the enemy
All the different options for traveling is just an example of how the game mechanics are so advanced to custom the missions, and for every decision there are always multiple possibilities. For example, to evade the enemy and prevent warnings we may stun him, fulton him, or just hide to avoid contact. Then if we choose to attack we may select handguns, sniper rifles, shotguns or grenades from a variety of lethal and non-lethal weapons. Sometimes the grenades and mines do the trick and sometimes it’s better to use CQC for interrogation purposes.
Time and Weather
TPP’s maps are not static, they are are rather realistic with climate and time variations. All of this has an impact on the mission since sandstorms and night time (for example) are better to get a stealthy approach and get advantage. A new item, the Phantom Cigar, is also available to change time so we can instantly can go to nigh time or morning. This needs to be used carefully since the enemies continue moving along the area but Snake’s position becomes static while using the Phantom Cigar.
Support and mission buddies.
Instead of the goold old solo missions we can choose to bring an ally to help get the job done. All of them can use their own equipment which is customizable. The only constraint is to deploy with at most one of this allies.
D-Horse. I can transport Snake through any terrain and it is easy to drive than the 4-wheel drives. It’s also the best option for stealthy traveling.
DD. This dog can automatically mark nearby enemies, helping with reconnaissance to take the best decisions. It can also use lethal and non-lethal weapons to attack and clear the way.
Quiet. She deploys in a hiding spot and supports with both reconaissance and covering. She can fire succesfully from any distance and it’s difficlut for the enemy to attack her.
D-Walker. Bipedal weapon and transport. It can equip a missile launcher or machine gun and a secondary weapon (handgun). It can switch between bipedal or wheel-driving mode. This is recommended ally for quickly taking down boss stages.
Mother base, the teams and units.
Big Boss is the boss of all Diamond Dogs so he takes every decision regarding his personal. The game uses some good ideas from the Peace Walker experience and goes way more deeper.
The support team provides ammo and equipment to the area of operations. They also manage fulton extractions and provide remote support attacks.
The combat unit is ready to deploy at any time to complete missions and get rewards.
The development unit are always busy processing the construction materials found in the area of operations, to build more platforms in the base.
The R&D team develop all weapons, equipment and items desired, once they get paid and with the blueprints obtained. This can be requested at any time but only if the previous conditions are met.
Finally, the intelligence team provide real-time info about the current area-of-operations.
Fulton System Recovery
In TPP, the fulton recovery system is more advanced and improved than before, so it can extract vehicles, weapons and even animals from the area of operations. It’s also the easisest way to recruit soldiers and rescue prisoners. Nevertheless, this time the system is not bullet-proof, so the enemy may see it and prevent the extractions.
The iDroid
This digital device is the interface which allow us to perform many functions: check the map and place markers, request support attacks, request weapons and/or equipment, request vehicles, request or change mission ally, request weapon or equipment development, manage personnel, deploy teams to missions, etc. This device is ready to use anytime.
The GMP
Gross Military Product is a value used to represent the current economical status of the base. The money is requiered for weapon development, deploy to missions, request support, execute fulton extractions, build new platforms. To earn GMO we can complete missions and side-ops, deploy teams in Combat Deployment, extracting diamonds, or selling weapons or equipment no longer needed.
Side-ops
There are 50 missions and more than 150 optional side-ops available. These tasks include prisioner rescues, animal extractions, defeating enemy squads and combat against vehicles. The majority of these side-ops are stateless and without any impact on the main story. The gameplay changes a bit since there is nothing like «mission begin» and «mission end», so, a side-op is completed immediatly when the required task is satisfied. This missions are not ranked, and they may be repeated to get more GMP.
Free-roam, free exploration
It’s possible to deploy to any area-of-operations even without starting an actual mission or side-op. Free-roam may be used to recruit soldiers, steal vehicles, complete side-ops or just go for a stroll across the huge and diverse maps.
FOB
Forward Operating Bases are alternate bases to store materials, GMP, etc. They are also used in a new online game which consists on infiltrating bases from other players. A success in FOB mode earns more GMP, materials and soldiers recruited through fulton system. This means that if a player infiltrates in our base, we lose GMP. To protect our FOB we deploy a security team and place some drones, cameras and detectors.
The… bugs?
This happens just a few times but there are some glitches/bugs in some missions. For example in my case there was a Walker Gear wandering without direction and without an actual pilot! The thing is I lost that mission since I needed to fulton extract it.
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Music
The OST is derived from two sources: the cassette tapes located across the area of operations and the actual music that is played in special situations like boss fights, events, alert themes, etc. The cassettes may be played anytime using the iDroid once they are obtained.
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Graphics (PS3)
The visual elements are good in general, depicting a variety of landscapes like sandy deserts and green forests, crystal waters, etc. The movement of the characters feels natural and realistic.
The only problem with the PS3 version is that some details are not that good, for example, grass or people’s hair look just terrible. And there’s also an annoying problem: while entering a dark zone we can’t actually see a thing from the outside. And then, when we go out from a dark zone there is a blinding-flashing external light which lowers our visibility. This detail is a pain.
Conclussions
The evolution of tactical infiltration couldn’t go further than in The Phantom Pain. Only in the single player there is a huge amount of replay value with a lot of missions and unlockables. The online modes (FOB and MGO) expand that replay value even more.
The only dissapointing issue is a weak plot, which goes way below the MGS standards. The visuals on the PS3 version are not as good as in PS4 or Xbox1.
I give METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN a 9.5 grade for the Xbox1/PS4 and 9.0 for the PS3 version.
Consoles Universe 