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Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain continues on from where the superb Ground Zeroes left off, and while the release date of September 1st was confirmed in March, today there’s also the revelation that an exclusive PS4 bundle will be released on September 1st.
Courtesy of a special agreement between Konami and Sony, the branded console will be released concurrently with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The bundle will include the PS4 with a 500GB hard disk drive and the Dualshock 4 Wireless Controller, both in their special Metal Gear Solid V design, and the Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain Day 1 Edition for PS4. The bundle will be available in a limited quantity.
The PS4 system included in the bundle comes in a special deep red colour with gold line detail, inspired by the look of Snake’s ‘Bionic Arm’ in the game. The DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller is a metallic grey colour, resembling the handgun held by Snake. Both the PS4 system and the Dualshock 4 Wireless Controller feature the unit emblem of Diamond Dogs, a private military initiative led by Snake. The product also includes a Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain special theme for PS4.
This entry is the series’ largest and most ambitious edition to date, expanding upon themes and content seen in Ground Zeroes. Set within huge open-world environments, Phantom Pain is brought to vivid life with realistic weather patterns and day/night cycles. Thus, players can adapt their tactics to match the changing environment, creating an intuitive and non-linear gameplay experience. Similarly, a host of acclaimed Metal Gear Solid troops return in hugely advanced forms, including expanded CQC (Close-Quarter Combat) skills, vastly improved enemy AI, online elements that complement the single player campaign, and an all-new version of Metal Gear Online, a competitive multiplayer mode, included within the main game.
Hideo Kojima’s groundbreaking title sets a new standard in stealth-action, with the series’ famed sneaking elements greatly expanded within the sprawling play area. A host of new characters – both allies and enemies – tell a story driven by revenge, as franchise protagonist Big Boss enters a series of battlefields following the deaths of his colleagues. Central to the game is a hideously disfigured adversary known as Skull Face, while the ongoing conflict also introduces the new, iconic characters, such as the mysterious Quiet – a mute female warrior with incredible abilities.
Tactical elements are also added to the game via Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain’s new Mother Base system. Players begin with a small-scale off-shore rig, which can be customized and expanded using liberated items and personnel. Players use an enhanced version of the innovative Fulton system pioneered in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker to airlift guards, vehicles, weapons, raw materials and kit to their base, where the staff will use these resources to develop the base to the user’s specifications. An accompanying iDROID app will allow players to manage their Mother Base and its development, using staff to develop new weapons, carry out missions and implement defense systems. The latter becomes vital as the Mother Base is focal to the multiplayer online elements of the game’s campaign, where players can raid each others’ Mother Bases to wreak havoc and steal essential items.
Additionally, Metal Gear Online – the game’s dedicated competitive multiplayer mode – will go live at the launch of Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain. The online element represents the third iteration of the popular multiplayer game, newly redesigned with the familiar gameplay and aesthetic styling of its companion single-player campaign. Metal Gear Online features a “class system” that more uniquely defines the strengths and abilities of player characters on the battlefield. Key characters from the series including Venom Snake and Ocelot will also make appearances in the anticipated multiplayer feature.
Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain is released on September 1st and the launch will see a number of product options available to passionate fans of the series, with the game being released in both a special ‘Day 1 Edition’ and a limited ‘Collector’s Edition’.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.