Platform Played On: PS4
Rating: 9/10
Verdict: The price tag is sure to, understandably, turn people off, but the game that is there is wonderful and is a good teaser for what's going to come in Phantom Pain. I can't imagine fans of Metal Gear hating the gameplay, because it's what Metal Gear is supposed to be.
To put it lightly, I'm a Metal Gear fan. It's been my favourite series for quite some time now, and it got to the point where I stopped job searching until I beat Metal Gear Solid 4. My first ever email was a Metal Gear reference, and one of my first online usernames was "Solid Cobra." I like the series. It's with this information out in the open that I proceed with my review -- a review where I will level the game with some criticisms but still somehow manage a 9 out of 10. Hey, at least it isn't a 10 which I'm sure Phantom Pain will end up getting.
The problem with Ground Zeroes is that it's a glorified demo. For thirty bucks. Knock it down to about ten or even fifteen, and I'm not complaining nearly as much, even if it still ends up seeming more like a money grab than anything. It's been said that the main story in Ground Zeroes can be completed in ten minutes, but it took me about an hour and a half because I took my time. Still, I spent almost half the amount of a full game for an hour and a half of story, with a few side missions (set in the same area) that end up taking maybe half an hour each. I can understand the pain of paying this much money for this little content, but Metal Gear 5: Ground Zeroes is a pain that hurts so damn good.
Before I gush over how good the gameplay actually is, let's just keep talking about the bad... just to get it out of the way. The side-missions are nothing to write home about, but it does add content to the game that extends the playtime to maybe five hours if you include the story, getting every single thing, and playing these missions on hard. Five hours is a lot better than an hour and a half (or less if you want), but seeing as how these are just side-missions set in the exact same spot you play the story, they lose their appeal a little bit. It's just very difficult to separate oneself from the price tag, and I get that. I can totally understand the reluctance to buy this for that reason.
I'm not really a fan of Sutherland as Naked Snake/Boss, because I -- like many others -- am used to the gravelly David Hayter voice. I think Hayter's voice just fits him, and I hear Sutherland when Boss talks now. It's not that Sutherland doesn't do a good job in the little bit that we hear him, it's just that for a long time Hayter's claim to fame has been Snake, whereas Sutherland is an incredibly famous actor and being Snake is just a little blip on his career. I am still willing to give him a go when Phantom Pain comes out... I want to let the voice grow on me and I want to hear him become Boss instead of just being Sutherland playing Boss.
So... I am iffy on the voice so far, and the price tag is ridiculous. Why does this game get a 9? Because it's legit awesome... all things considered.
Some critics harped on about the story not being much of anything. Well, yeah, Ground Zeroes is short and the actual game is supposed to be a hundred times bigger. The crazy, confusing, epic story will come, but I actually disagree with some critics because I think this little glimpse of the overall story is fascinating and well done. The cutscenes are memorable and well staged, and it ends on a great note. It's a teaser more than anything, but it's a successful one that makes me want Phantom Pain right now. That was always the point of Ground Zeroes.
But above all else, what we can gather from this demo is that the game plays well. It took me a little while to get used to what I can do, but they have evolved the Metal Gear experience in little ways, so sneaking around (or blasting everyone in sight) is still a joy. The Marine base that you're in is open but not open enough that you're confused where to go. You have a bunch of different ways to get to where you want to go. The game is familiar in a lot of ways, and is distinctly Metal Gear, but I didn't want them to drastically change how it looks, feels and plays.
The changes that they've made, such as managing your inventory, or CQC, are all well done. The guns feel good to shoot, the action is fluid and smooth, and the fact that you can call in a helicopter is going to add a lot to the full game (if that's the route you want to go, though sneaking is always priority one for me while playing Metal Gear).
Metal Gear has not lost its charm. In the beginning cutscene we are introduced to a villain with a disfigured head, and the music selection within that same cutscene is great and sets a good atmosphere. It's a blast interrogating the Marines and getting information from them about where things are, and then stabbing them in the neck. When you get seen, the game slows down and allows you to find the enemy and shoot him before he has time to alert the rest of the Marines.
One controversial aspect is regenerative health. Metal Gear fans are used to rations, with very minimal regeneration abilities, so this is sure to turn off some. But health that regenerates has been the trend for years, and maybe it was only a matter of time. At this point I'm just used to it so I feel nothing.
The game goes into much darker territory this time around, and while some have felt that it is awkwardly handled, I like the gritty nature of it because this is supposed to be the final game chronologically before the events of Metal Gear for the NES. I think Kojima is perfectly capable of handling the subject matter, and I thought the ending was proof of that.
Ground Zeroes is polished, runs well, looks great, and is a wonderful primer for the absolute monster that is going to be released next year. I always follow Roger Ebert's philosophy on reviewing to some degree where he said that you have to rate something based on what it's trying to accomplish. That's why I can give this a 9 out of 10, because the game that is there is excellent. However, I do reflect the price tag issue by knocking it down a point because it's the elephant in the room and it's hard to ignore. Some will be harsher on that, but I stand by a 9.
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