Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Dec 18, 2014 12 years ago
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. It offers players new sneaking and traversal methods compared to its predecessors, as well as the choice in what order the story events take place by selecting missions by advance. The most important change for this title is the shift to an open world design with a real-time day and night cycle doing away with the linear mission approach of previous games. The game was originally developed as a mission for The Phantom Pain, but an extended development time resulted in director Hideo Kojima splitting the specific portion of the game as a stand-alone product so that players could get early access to Metal Gear Solid V.
What it’s like
Ground Zeroes is a tense, atmospheric prologue that redefines the stealth genre by replacing linear corridors with a dynamic, open-world sandbox. You assume the role of a special forces operative navigating a hostile military base where freedom of approach is paramount. The experience thrives on tactical decision-making: you can bypass enemies through clever use of environmental cues, sound masking, and verticality, or engage in direct confrontation at your own risk. A real-time day-night cycle fundamentally alters visibility and enemy behavior, demanding adaptability. The narrative unfolds with high-stakes espionage themes, delivered through cinematic presentation and sharp dialogue that establishes the series' signature tone. While brief, it offers immense replayability by encouraging players to experiment with diverse infiltration strategies, turning each run into a unique puzzle of perception and consequence rather than a scripted action sequence.
Strong in Atmosphere / MoodAudio / MusicExploration / WorldGameplay / MechanicsPacingVisuals / ArtCharactersPolish / PerformanceStory / NarrativeSystems Depth / Build VarietyWriting / Dialogue
Keep in mind The campaign is exceptionally short, lasting only a few hours for a single playthrough, which may feel underwhelming as a standalone purchase. Additionally, the open-world structure lacks the dense content volume of later entries in the series, potentially leaving players seeking more variety in objectives.
AI-generated from catalog data, informed by reviews from someawesome.com, metacritic.com, gamingpastime.com, me.ign.com, egmnow.com.
Screenshots
Releases
| Platform | Region | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 3 | Worldwide | Full release | Mar 18, 201412 years ago |
| PlayStation 4 | Worldwide | Full release | Mar 20, 201412 years ago |
| Xbox 360 | Worldwide | Full release | Mar 20, 201412 years ago |
| Xbox One | Worldwide | Full release | Mar 27, 201412 years ago |
| PC (Microsoft Windows) | Worldwide | Full release | Dec 18, 201412 years ago |
