Jump to content

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 60.242.97.70 (talk) at 03:39, 31 March 2014 (→Reception). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
North American box art with protagonist Big Boss.
Developer(s)Kojima Productions
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Hideo Kojima
Producer(s)Hideo Kojima
Kenichiro Imaizumi
Designer(s)Hideo Kojima
Programmer(s)Junji Tago
Artist(s)Yoji Shinkawa
Ikuya Nakamura
Writer(s)Hideo Kojima
Shuyo Murata
Hidenari Inamura
Composer(s)Harry Gregson-Williams
Akihiro Honda
Ludvig Forssell
SeriesMetal Gear
EngineFox Engine[4]
Platform(s)PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Release
Genre(s)Action-adventure, stealth
Mode(s)Single-player

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (Japanese: メタルギアソリッドVグラウンドゼロズ, Hepburn: Metaru Gia Soriddo Faibu Guraundo Zerozu) is an action-adventure stealth game developed by Kojima Productions and produced by Konami.[5] It is part of a sub-series of prequels in the Metal Gear series, taking place after Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Ground Zeroes will stand alone as the first part to Metal Gear Solid V, acting as the prologue for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.[6] The game follows Snake's infiltration of an American black site on Cuban soil called Camp Omega as he attempts to rescue Cipher agent Paz Ortega Andrade and Sandinista child soldier Ricardo "Chico" Valenciano Libre.

The game offers players new methods of sneaking and traversal methods as well as the choice in what order the story events take place by selecting missions in any order they like. The game was originally set to be released alongside The Phantom Pain but an extended development time resulted in director Hideo Kojima splitting the project in two parts so that players will get an early access to Metal Gear Solid V. Critical reception to the game has been generally positive with praise aimed towards its mechanics, voice-acting, story, and graphics, with criticism aimed towards its short length.

Gameplay

As in Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes will offer a base-building feature that allows players to develop weapons and items from their virtual motherbase. The player is also given the ability to access the motherbase from their real-life smartphones.[7] Series director Hideo Kojima revealed that the game has a new day and night cycle that runs in real-time, and that "depending on how you travel between one stage to the next, the travel time will affect the time of day when you arrive at your destination".[8] Neither the Mother Base feature or the day-night cycle were included in the final game. [9][10]

Kojima has spoken about the restrictive nature of previous Metal Gear titles, saying that they "set [the player] on one rail to get from point A to point B, with a certain amount of freedom between". In stark contrast, Kojima's team will instead offer the player new ways of traversal and sneaking methods, such as taking a plane, helicopter or motorcycle to the mission area. This is in order for Kojima to accomplish a "true open world experience" with Ground Zeroes.[11]

The "core story mission" of Ground Zeroes could be completed in two hours.[12] The game includes also four additional missions known as "Side Ops" that become available after the main storyline is complete, and a console-exclusive non-canonical "Extra Op" that is unlocked after certain conditions are met.[13]

Plot

Fictional chronology
in Metal Gear

Setting

Set in 1975, sometime after the events of Peace Walker, players control returning protagonist Snake, also known as Big Boss (Kiefer Sutherland),[N 1] as he works with Militaires Sans Frontières (commonly abbreviated as MSF) to infiltrate an American black site on Cuban soil called Camp Omega. Once used as a refugee camp for people fleeing Cuba and Haiti, Camp Omega is home to an old prison that is being used for extraordinary rendition as it has no legal recognition under the United States Constitution. Snake's main objectives are the extraction of Paz Ortega Andrade (Tara Strong), who has information regarding the whereabouts of the person or persons known as Cipher; and Ricardo "Chico" Valenciano Libre (Antony Del Rio), a Sandinista and former child soldier who was captured by Skull Face (James Horan), the commander of a paramilitary force in control of Camp Omega. His mission is supported by Kazuhira "Kaz" Miller (Robin Atkin Downes) and Huey Emmerich (Christopher Randolph) from MSF's Mother Base in the Caribbean Sea.

Story

In the aftermath of the Peace Walker incident, Paz Ortega is missing and presumed to be dead. Under the direction of Kaz Miller and Huey Emmerich, Militaires Sans Frontières turn their attention to an upcoming inspection by the UN amid suspicions that they possess a nuclear weapon, which MSF believe to be an attempt by the Cipher organization to stifle them. Their preparations are interrupted when MSF agents in Cuba investigate reports that Paz survived and has been detained at Camp Omega. The situation is complicated when Chico Valenciano attempts to rescue her and is similarly captured. Believing that both of them could compromise MSF, Snake is sent to infiltrate Camp Omega and extract them if they are alive, or confirm that they are dead and if so, determine what they revealed to their captors. Snake also recognizes the value in rescuing Paz, as he believes doing so will convince Cipher to stand down while Paz will be more willing to discuss Cipher's activities with MSF.

Snake infiltrates Camp Omega as a mysterious Special Forces unit known as XOF depart. He locates and extracts Chico, who claims Paz is dead. Using a recording that Chico gives him, Snake and Miller deduce that Paz is alive, and was moved deeper into the camp. He sneaks into Camp Omega and manages to rescue Paz as well, with the group escaping via an MSF helicopter designated Morpho One. However, on the way back to Mother Base, Chico discovers that Paz was surgically implanted with a bomb, prompting Snake and an MSF medic to remove it by hand. They then arrive to Mother Base to see it in flames as XOF forces attack. Morpho One lands long enough for Snake to rescue Miller, who claims that the UN inspection was nothing but a ruse for the XOF ambush, which razes Mother Base. As they attempt to escape XOF, Paz regains consciousness and warns everybody that there is a second bomb inside her body. Knowing that she is about to die, she jumps out, trying to throw herself clear of the helicopter. She succeeds, but the concussion wave from the explosion causes Morpho One to spiral out of control and collide with a pursuing XOF helicopter, leaving the fate of its occupants unknown.

The epilogue reveals that the United States government downplayed MSF's destruction and attempted to cover up their dealings with the organization, as do many of MSF's clients. There are no known survivors of the assault.

In a post-credits scene, set prior to Snake's arrival at Camp Omega, Paz is being interrogated by Skull Face, who demands the whereabouts of Cipher—also known as Major Zero—as Paz had met Zero in person. Paz eventually gives in and agrees to tell him Zero's location before the scene ends.

Side Ops

Ground Zeroes also contains four additional missions, known as Side Ops, that take place in the weeks before the events of the main storyline. In the first mission, Snake is sent to Camp Omega to eliminate or extract a Marine Corps sniper team hiding at the facility to avoid extradition to Laos, where they stand accused of war crimes. He later returns to find evidence that Camp Omega has been converted into a black site, only to discover that an undercover agent stationed within the camp has set a trap for him, and he is forced to flee. In the third mission, MSF station a spy of their own—revealed to be the series' creator, Hideo Kojima—in the camp, who requests an emergency evacuation. Snake provides support from the air long enough for him to escape. Finally, with evidence that Camp Omega is an illegal black site, Snake returns in advance of an airborne assault to sabotage the facility's anti-aircraft defences. Although he is successful, the attack is called off, leaving him stranded in the middle of the base with no support. After escaping, he and Kaz Miller speculate that the entire affair—from the camp's conversion to a black site to the aborted assault—were a series of plots orchestrated by Cipher, first to establish a compound outside any legal jurisdiction and later to disrupt Militaires Sans Frontières' operations.

Development

In February 2012, a site named "Development Without Borders" owned by Konami was uploaded promoting development for a new Metal Gear title, which was titled "The "next" MGS". The site was recruiting staff for the 2012 GDC pavilion in March, and requested applications for several positions for the latest Metal Gear Solid targeted for "high-end consoles and PC" and "next-gen Fox engine".[14][15] As the year went on, screenshots and videos of the newly announced Fox Engine were unveiled by the team.[16] This media demonstrated many random settings and characters, although none related to the Metal Gear series. Certain screenshots, however, were noted to feature a character who resembled the Big Boss character of Metal Gear, walking up to a Stryker AFV previously seen in Metal Gear Solid 4.[17]

The game was later announced on August 30, 2012 originally under the name of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes. It was revealed at a private function celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Metal Gear series, and made its public debut two days later at the 2012 Penny Arcade Expo.[18] Director Hideo Kojima confirmed that Big Boss would return as the game's protagonist, and that the story would serve as a prologue to another game in the series.[19] It will be the first game to utilise the Fox game engine developed by Kojima Productions.[20] The Japanese version of the game features an English text option,[21] rendering in-game menus and subtitled dialogue in full English. This would make it possible to play the game with the Japanese voice cast accompanied by English text. Ground Zeroes will also be the first title in the series to be subtitled in Arabic, a feature the team had originally planned for previous games.[22] In addition, he also confirmed that the length of the cutscenes will be reduced as he believes that long cutscenes have become outdated.[9][23]

Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain were originally supposed to be released together but The Phantom Pain's long development time resulted in Kojima splitting the project in two parts so that players will get an early access to Metal Gear Solid V.[24] Kojima compared Ground Zeroes with the pre-title sequence in a Hollywood movie due to how it will build up the plot from The Phantom Pain.[24] Kojima claimed that his aim was to target taboos and mature themes, which he considered to be "quite risky", adding that his roles as creator and producer were in conflict with one another; as creator, Kojima wanted to take the risk of exploring themes that might alienate audiences, but as producer, he had to be able to tone down the content in order to sell as many copies of the game as possible. Ultimately, the role of creator won out, and Kojima described his approach as "prioritising creativity over sales".[25][26][27] Kojima has described the connections and differences between Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain. Stating that "the advanced capabilities of the FOX Engine have allowed me to tell the new story in a new way," and that "there will be a significant difference in what The Phantom Pain brings to the series, so we want to ease players into the new open world environment and its potential", hoping to achieve that with Ground Zeroes.[28]

Release

Originally, a physical release was limited to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, while the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One would only be receiving a digital release,[29] but on December 10, 2013 it was announced that PlayStation 4 and Xbox One would also receive physical releases.[30] The positive sales from Peace Walker in Japan resulted in Kazuhira Miller being added to the cover alongside Snake. However, due to the same game's poor sales in the west, Miller does not appear on the English cover.[31][32]

The PlayStation release features the "Deja Vu" mission, which allows players to control a recreation of Solid Snake's model from the original Metal Gear Solid as he explores a version of Camp Omega that is similar to Shadow Moses Island and contains familiar elements and characters from the game, such as Psycho Mantis.[33] The Xbox release contains the "Jamais Vu" mission, featuring Raiden as he appears in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, who is tasked with eliminating "body snatchers" at Camp Omega.[1]

The Australian and New Zealand release of Ground Zeroes was delayed to March 27. It was reported that various New Zealand retailers had delayed their release dates and contacted Konami who confirmed the situation.[3]

Reception

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes has received generally positive reviews from critics. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 version 80.00%,[34] the PlayStation 4 version 75.77% and 75/100,[35][39] the Xbox One version 73.75% and 76/100[36][38] and the PlayStation 3 version 71.76%[37]

GameSpot felt that the new stealth mechanics in Ground Zeroes, such as the replacement of the radar and other indicators with binoculars and radio communication, made its overall gameplay more "immersive" than previous installments, noting that "nothing is simply handed to you, and Ground Zeroes is a far more tense and rewarding experience for it." Its open world format and side missions were also praised for adding a large amount of flexibility and replay value to the game, concluding that "though it's unusual for everything to take place in a single location, there's so much to do and see, and whether you take a stealthy or head-on approach, infiltrating Camp Omega is a thrilling experience that shouldn't be missed."[45] IGN shared similar praise, describing it as a "stripped down" game which "avoids lengthy cutscenes, climactic boss fights, and the usual frayed and tangled plot strands in favour of smart, tactical gameplay." The length of the main campaign was noted as being short, but it was acknowledged that while the array of side missions and bonus objectives may only appeal to "score-chasers", "there’s certainly plenty of content here to satisfy."[46] Robert Rath, a columnist at The Escapist, praised the game's emphasis on collecting information over gunfights and combat, saying "… Ground Zeroes is the first MGS game to live up to its subtitle and actually allow you to conduct tactical espionage operations."[51] Jim Sterling, who reviewed the game, also for The Escapist, praised the gameplay and expressed anticipation for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but was highly critical of it's length, stating "I didn't want to believe that even Konami would be quite so brazen as to charge money for a demo, but having completed Ground Zeroes, I can see no other way to describe it."[52]

Polygon was more critical, considering it "staggeringly short and unsatisfying, feeling more like a cash grab than an honest-to-goodness installment in a beloved franchise." Although praising its overall audiovisual design and attention to detail, Ground Zeroes was criticized for the changes made to its stealth mechanics, its "half-baked" action sequences, and the extremely short length of the game's main campaign, which was further criticized for being "dull" and "underwhelming".[50]

Despite her praise for the game, IGN's Lucy O'Brien was extremely critical of some of the narrative elements. While applauding Kojima for his willingness to explore darker themes in the game, O'Brien found the execution to be distasteful and poorly-conceived, opining that the sexual violence inflicted on Paz Ortega Andrade reduced her from being a complex and conflicted character to a plot point, providing nothing more than the basis for Snake's motivation in The Phantom Pain. O'Brien was also critical of the inclusion of a collectible tape recording where Chico, an underage boy, is forced to have sex with Paz, as the scene used rape as a weapon against Paz and as a reward for Chico.[53]

Sales

During the first week of release in Japan, the PS3 version of the game sold 119,615 physical retail copies, ranking third place amongst all Japanese software sales within that week, whilst the PS4 version sold 91,903 physical retail copies.[54]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Within the series' continuity, the character is recognised as having adopted the name "Big Boss". However, he is referred to as "Snake" by characters throughout the game. The only exception is Kazuhira Miller, who continues to call him "Boss", a trend established in Peace Walker where the character is referred to as both Big Boss and Snake.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES" Release Dates Set – Including Releases on Next-Gen Consoles". Konami Digital Entertainment. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  2. ^ http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/metal-gear-solid-v-ground-zeroes-delayed-in-australia-and-new-zealand/0129683
  3. ^ a b Codd, Matthew. "MGS5: Ground Zeroes Delayed in Australia and New Zealand", 13 March 2014. NZ Gamer, Retrieved on 13 March 2014.
  4. ^ Crossley, Rob (30 August 2012). "Kojima reveals new Metal Gear Solid game running on Fox Engine". Computer and Video Games UK. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  5. ^ Reilly, Luke (30 August 2012). "Open-World Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes Unveiled". IGN. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  6. ^ Sahdev, Ishaan (27 March 2013). "The Phantom Pain And Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes Are Two Separate Games". Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  7. ^ Toyad, Jonathan (27 September 2012). "Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes to feature base-building, will support multiple devices". Eurogamer. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  8. ^ Cocker, Guy (28 September 2012). "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes includes Mother Base, day/night cycle". Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  9. ^ a b Nyxus (20 January 2013). "Interviews from Dubai: Kojima on Gray Fox game, story telling in Ground Zeroes, next gen and more". Metal Gear Solid Unofficial Site. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  10. ^ Dubayan (19 January 2013). "My meeting with one of the greatest game directors: Hideo Kojima". Saudi Gamer. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  11. ^ Sinha, Ravi. "Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes: "Ultimate Goal is To Give Players More Freedom"". GamingBolt. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  12. ^ Hillier, Brenna. "Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is two hours long – report". VG24/7. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  13. ^ Borthwick, Ben. "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes achievement list uncovered". Official Xbox Magazine. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  14. ^ Purchese, Robert (22 February 2012). "Next Metal Gear Solid targets "high-end consoles", "next-gen" Fox engine". Eurogamer. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  15. ^ Reilly, Luke (22 February 2012). "Kojima Productions Hiring For "Next" Metal Gear Solid". IGN. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  16. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2 March 2012). "Hideo Kojima shows off impressive Fox Engine screenshots". EuroGamer.net. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  17. ^ McGarvey, Sterling (6 October 2011). "Kojima Inspires With Fox Engine, Creative Vision At USC". Gamasutra. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  18. ^ "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes PAX Prime 2012 Trailer". 3 September 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  19. ^ Hillier, Brenna (3 September 2012). "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes is a "prologue", coming to PS3, Xbox 360". Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  20. ^ Toyad, Jonathan (30 August 2012). "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes shows off Fox Engine and possible open-world elements". GameSpot UK. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  21. ^ Kojima, Hideo. "Today, had "GZ"'s "English subtitle" check on Japanese version of PS3". Twitter. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  22. ^ Rabbit (20 January 2013). "Hideo Kojima Interview". At7addak. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  23. ^ Oommen, Daniel (19 January 2013). "One on One with Hideo Kojima". Youth Arabia. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  24. ^ a b "祝・日本発売決定！　『メタルギア ソリッド V グラウンド・ゼロズ』について、発売の理由から気になる部分まで、小島監督にインタビューで直撃！" (in Japanese). Famitsu. November 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  25. ^ Akerman, Nick (22 Feb 2013). "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will tackle many taboos, may not release in its current state". VG247. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  26. ^ "Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes - May Not Release In Its Current State And New Spin-offs, Possibly With The Boss". MGSTV. 22 Feb 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  27. ^ MoStWaNteD (22 Feb 2013). "Konami: Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes Tackles Lots of Taboos, Risky To Be Released". Latest News Explorer. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  28. ^ MacDonald, Keza. "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes Release Date". IGN. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  29. ^ Davison, Peter (November 2013). "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Coming Next Spring". USGamer. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  30. ^ Chieng, Kevin (10 December 2013). "MGS V: Ground Zeroes Will Get Physical for "Next" Gen, Additional Bonuses Included". GameTrailers. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  31. ^ Nelva, Giuseppe (November 16, 2013). "Kaz Might Disappear from Western Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes' Cover due to Peace Walker's Poor Sales". Dual Shockers. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  32. ^ Karmali, Luke (December 10, 2013). "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes Box Art Revealed". IGN. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  33. ^ Serrels, Mark. "MGSV: Ground Zeroes Has Classic Snake Missions, Exclusive To PS3 and PS4". Kotaku. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  34. ^ a b "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  35. ^ a b "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for PlayStation 4". GameRankings. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  36. ^ a b "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for Xbox One". GameRankings. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  37. ^ a b "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for PlayStation 3". GameRankings. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  38. ^ a b "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  39. ^ a b "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  40. ^ Robinson, Andy (March 18, 2014). "Review: Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes is a rationed blockbuster". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  41. ^ Fitch, Andrew (March 18, 2014). "EGM Review: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  42. ^ Robinson, Martin (March 18, 2014). "Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes review". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  43. ^ Harradence, Michael (March 17, 2014). "Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes receives near-perfect Famitsu score". PSU.com. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  44. ^ Juba, Joe (March 18, 2014). "In Need Of Reinforcements - Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes - PlayStation 4". Game Informer. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  45. ^ a b Brown, Peter (March 18, 2014). "Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes Review". Gamespot. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  46. ^ a b O'Brien, Lucy (March 18, 2014). "Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes Review". IGN. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  47. ^ Kietzmann, Ludwig (March 18, 2014). "Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes review: Naked snack". Joystiq. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  48. ^ Meikleham, David (March 18, 2014). "Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes PS4 review – Snake's in the rain for brilliant but not so Big Boss prologue". Official PlayStation Magazine. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  49. ^ Reparez, Mikel (March 18, 2014). "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes review". Official Xbox Magazine. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  50. ^ a b Frushtick, Russ (March 18, 2014). "Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes review: cold war". Polygon. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  51. ^ Rath, Robert (March 20, 2014). "Critical Intel: Ground Zeroes Gets Intelligence Right". The Escapist. Alloy Digital. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  52. ^ Sterling, Jim (March 19, 2014). "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Review - Snake Oil". The Escapist. Alloy Digital. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  53. ^ O'Brien, Lucy (24 march 2014). "What's Wrong with Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes' Ending?". IGN. Retrieved 26 March 2014. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  54. ^ 2014-03-26, Media Create Sales: 3/17/14 – 3/23/14, Gematsu
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Metal_Gear_Solid_V:_Ground_Zeroes&oldid=602056708"