Poll: What Are Your Thoughts on Metal Gear Solid 5, 10 Years Later?

The biggest Boss

by Robert Ramsey Yesterday, 4pm

Ten whole years ago today, Hideo Kojima released his final game under the Konami umbrella. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain endured an infamously tumultuous development cycle, and the finished product still divides opinion a full decade from launch.

In many ways, The Phantom Pain was meant to cap the iconic series off, but in its stunted narrative threads and questionable structure — particularly towards the end of the game — the title struggled to live up to expectations that had been in place ever since the original Metal Gear Solid helped define an entire generation.

That said, few would argue against the notion that Metal Gear Solid 5’s gameplay mechanics are — even now — outstandingly well crafted. Gameplay depth has always been a core part of the property’s identity, and The Phantom Pain hands players a stunning level of freedom when tackling sandbox-style missions.

The title’s also a technical marvel. It still looks damn good in a graphical sense, and it never had to sacrifice those gorgeous visuals for the sake of smooth 60 frames-per-second performance. You certainly wouldn’t be shunned for suggesting that it puts some modern releases to shame.

But now that ten years have passed since its PS4 debut, we want to know what you think of Metal Gear Solid 5. Will it forever be dismissed as a disappointment? Or is it frustratingly underrated? Give your mechanical arm a rattle in the comments section below.

Robert (or Rob if you’re lazy) is an assistant editor of Push Square, and has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Persona, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Trails, Tales — he’s played ’em all. A little too much, some might say.

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