Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

Portland. This morning. I had unclassified intelligence that a new type of Metal Gear Game had arrived. I was so excited. I've been in the cold too long.

A MGSV: Ground Zeroes Review by David Langley MGSV: Operation Snake Collector

9:30. Right enough time to wait a bit. Gamestop opens in 30 minutes and I'm going to be there to collect my preordered copy of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for the PS4. I enter from the Morrison Street side only to find the escalators to the top floor were down for maintenance. I scan the area. Where could I go to get to the top floor? I look ahead and a security guard eyes me ­ he no doubt recognizes me from last week when I filmed the Dark Souls 2 podcast footage. I ignore him for the time being. First thing I need to do is get to the other side of the mall across the street, take those escalators up and cross the walkway over the road. If memory serves me right, that walkway should lead me straight to the third floor ­ that'd put me one floor below the Gamestop.

I exit the mall and walk around the street. When I arrive, I discover those escalators are also down for maintenance!

"This must be what Snake feels like," I tell myself. Wait... I could just use the elevator. So I B­line for the elevator across the empty food court. I get in and push the fourth floor button.

Nothing.

Suddenly I have flashbacks. Are there four other guys on this elevator in stealth suits! Otacon why can't I hear you?! I decide to step out of the elevator and try again. I do so and there's the security guard, watching me like a vulture does its dying prey. I re enter the elevator and I push the button. Nothing. White knuckles. Am I really going to have to climb up these walls. I WILL GET THIS GAME! I push the button one last time.

Ding!

What took you so long?! The elevator takes me to my destination. I'm standing before the Gamestop entrance but there's time to spare. So I go to the bathroom. I'm in there, doing my business. I wash my hands and dry them with a paper towel and I toss it into the trash the SECURITY GUARD enters the restroom. He makes eye contact and passes me to the urinal.

This guy.

I head back to Gamestop. I glance over my shoulder and the guard is taking his sweet time coming out of the bathroom, talking to someone over his radio. He rides the escalator down (which now seeming works) and watches me from a distance. I turn back to the doors just as the manager opens shop. I get my game. I go home.

PLAYING MGSV: Ground Zeroes.

This game was beyond amazing. To call it a demo is certainly a mistake ­ especially with the foreknowledge we've all had going in that it'd be minimum of 2 hours in duration. That's not all GZ offer though. With four other side operations, Ground Zeroes is almost it's own game at half the price of a regular game today. It also includes DLC for Phantom Pain, which is hopefully coming out this next year.

I was extremely excited to get my hands on this game. I've been a long time fan of the genre (since Metal Gear Solid to be more specific) and have dedicated my time and money to this saga (let's be honest... of all sagas).

This game was an excellent way for Kojima to introduce his new vision for the MGS franchise! Going open world (more like sandbox in the case of GZ) was risky, but bold, and ultimately a successful move. When it was announced that open world Metal Gear would be the case for the official fifth installment of the series, I was nervous, yet excited to see how Kojima would pull this off.

Open world isn't the only change Kojima made either. His decision to have Sutherland play as Big Boss was also a biggie for the fans, and me as well, but honestly, I dig good ol' Kiefer. He seems to be pulling off Big Boss just fine and I didn't think twice about it. Sutherland is truly believable.

The weapons and items menu is also a bit different from what we're used too... plus Big Boss can sprint whilst carrying bodies on his shoulders. That guy has some cardio. Technically this game plays beautifully and looks even more so. The landscape, the characters models, the gorgeous weather, the textures, the EVERYTHING FOX ENGINE IS DOING IS AMAZING. Yeah, it's true.

But let's break away from the how the game plays and focus on the story it tells. It's nearly a direct sequel to Peace Walker (which is excellent btw) and is about Big Boss retrieving Paz and Chico since they were kidnapped and likely interrogated for information regarding Big Boss's "business."

After a nearly white knuckled experience, I find the two targets and toss them onto the helicopter (rather carelessly actually... geez Big Boss you gotta be so hard on people). After which the supposed "controversial" scene begins. Some people felt that Kojima isn't quite ready to handle the material he presented ­ and it was gut wrenching (pun intended) ­ but I disagree. I think Kojima really nailed the horror of the situation, and actually held back a little from how gruesome it really could have been, only to cap it off with one heck of an epic battle at Mother Base concluded a heartbreaking ending and a very much needed follow up which we all hope arrives earlier next year.

I loved my experience and am looking forward to the side operations. Worth $30? Yeah, but know what you're getting into. You're making an investment. You're promising yourself you'll play the side missions and get the unlockables (which are definitely worth it). If you drop $30 bucks only to play the Ground Zeroes mission, I'd probably headbutt you. Play the whole thing, it deserves it, and you won't regret it.

Since we don't have a rating system yet at Of Craic and Coffee... I'm going with 9/10 and a 4.5/5 and GET THE GAME BECAUSE IT'S AWESOME!