We Love It's Guide to…
As Big Boss rebuilds a private army in 1984, infiltrate open-world missions with stealth, combat, gadgets, and flexible tactics.
Released 01 Sep 2015
Extract Soldiers by Balloon
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Ushering in a new era for the METAL GEAR franchise with cutting-edge technology powered by the Fox Engine, METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Phantom Pain, will provide players a first-rate gaming experience as they are offered tactical freedom to carry out open-world missions.
Developed by KONAMI · Published by KONAMI









In 1984, Snake—also known as Big Boss—awakens from a nine-year coma and sets out to rebuild a private army and pursue the group XOF. The campaign follows his return to the battlefield amid the Cold War.
Missions take place across open-world locations in Afghanistan and Africa. Players choose how to reach objectives, using stealth, weapons, gadgets, vehicles, support, and companions to plan an approach or improvise when it goes wrong.
Operations also feed into the growth of Mother Base. Players can extract enemy soldiers and resources, assign personnel, and develop equipment for later missions. Enemies adapt to recurring tactics, encouraging players to vary their approach.
In this helpfulness-selected sample, players frequently praise the freedom to approach missions in different ways, the responsive controls, and the range of tools that make infiltration rewarding to experiment with and replay. Base expansion and recruiting soldiers are also recurring draws. Some reviewers criticize the story as incomplete or difficult to follow and the later missions as repetitive; several also report problems tied to recent DRM updates, including performance or mod issues.
| Platforms | Windows |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 42 |
| Age ratings |
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| Players | From 1 (maximum not specified) |
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| Other modes |
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| Multiplayer | The provided information describes a primarily single-player game with online-connected multiplayer components. Reviews consistently mention Forward Operating Base (FOB) infiltration and defense against other players, plus a separate Metal Gear Online mode for PvP matches. The exact player counts are not stated in the provided text. |
| Multiplayer & mods | Reviews mention an active modding community and gameplay mods, but the provided text does not clearly confirm supported multiplayer mod use. One review mentions mods reducing online development wait implications indirectly, and another says mods add customization and missions, but no fact-based multiplayer-specific mod support is established. |
| Controller support | Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| DLC / extras | 13 listed on Steam |
| DRM / EULA |
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| Content notices |
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| Metacritic | 91/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |
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