5/5 ★ – phillipthemale's review of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

“I’m Big Boss, and you are too” Arguably the greatest gameplay in any video game, a story that while leaves a lot to be desired, is still incredible, and some of the greatest peaks in video game history. First the gameplay. I won’t sugarcoat it, it surpasses Arkham Knight to have in my opinion the best gameplay in any game. The gunplay is smooth as hell and the stealth is phenomenal. Any mission can be tackled in so many different ways, the relatability is endless. Without getting into spoilers Venom Snake is such a tragic character and this tragedy only becomes clearer as the story progresses. While the story doesn’t have the greatest pacing and has a lot of filler, it is still so well written and Venom Snake is a brilliant character who I felt a real connection to. This game also has some of the greatest peaks in any video game I’ve played, with the mission ‘Shining Lights, Even in Death’ and the ‘Truth’ final cutscene being phenomenal, and the former being one of the greatest missions in gaming. Obviously However I have to mention ‘A Quiet Exit’ and it’s endlessly spawning tanks with x ray vision and missiles that shoot you through walls, which is an egregious mission, which really sours the brilliant conclusion to Quiet’s character that follows this mission. Furthermore, a lot of the mechanics such as base building and item development require a lot of commitment from the player, and gaining resources was often a chore. And no, this game is not unfinished despite what fans with a parasocial relationship with Kojima claim, chapter 2 is an epilogue not a second half of the game. Despite these ultimately minor issues, this game is undoubtedly a masterpiece of its medium. There’s still so much I could praise about this game, this review would be triple the length. Easily one of my favourite games of all time. If this is the last Kojima Metal Gear game, then what a way to go out.