Review: Metal Gear Solid V - Ground Zeroes

Let's get this out of the way, since it's been fueling internet fires ever since its discovery; yes, Ground Zeroes costs $30.  And yes, no matter which way you slice it, that's a lot to be asking for what really amounts to a prologue chapters merely a few hours in length.  If you bolt through the main mission on Normal and run every side mission once, you'll probably be sitting at around 4-5 hours of play.  If this is the kind of game that you want to play only once to get a taste of the story, then yes, you'll most likely leave disappointed and wishing you'd held onto your cash and watched a stream viewing instead.

But, I do not consider this to be a game that you should sprint through a single time and lock in a cupboard for the rest of your console's life cycle.  In fact, with Metal Gear Solid being one of my favorite series since its creation, I don't think any of the MGS entries should be played that way.  If you're a fan of the series, then you know that each game is packed with intricacies and secrets that are easily overlooked on the first, second, even third playthrough, and Ground Zeroes is no different.  Ground Zeroes is a small sandbox, yet it contains more than enough depth to provide dozens of hours of entertainment for those who are willing to sink into it.

I'm aware that I'm breaching into the "No True Scotsman" fallacy a bit; I'm not saying that you're only a proper Metal Gear connoisseur if you squeeze every ounce of juice you can get out of each game.  But, I am trying to at least suggest that Hideo Kojima always supplies plenty of hidden content and timeless fun if you have the determination to take your time with the game; to play around, tinker, explore, try new things, and attempt to push the AI as far as it can go.  Do so, and you'll likely find some neat surprises.  I've played through the main mission three times now and each instance has been incredibly different from the last, because my growing knowledge of the landscape allowed me to test different approaches, experiment with other methods of combat, and seek alternate paths to my goal.

This leads to some irreplaceable "Ah, ha!" moments as you impressively outsmart the enemy and test the limits of the controls and intuitive mechanics.  How will you enter the facility where they are holding Paz?  At first glance, there are clearly a few doors you can enter that would lead right to where you want to go.  But you can also discover drainage grates that provide a sneakier side entry, or you can take the more vertical approach, climbing up over buildings near the watch towers and over the pesky security cameras.  You can use a tranquilizer gun to take down everyone in your path, or interrogate a soldier to uncover the location of a Sniper Rifle to eliminate the opposition at long-range.  If you're patient, you can track the movement of one of the trucks and hop in back as the driver steps out for a smoke, letting them take you right through the front gate before you leap out of your impromptu Trojan Horse.  Whether you want to run and gun or carefully slide past all threats, Ground Zeroes provides a way to cater to your playstyle and give you dozens of options when looking for the path of least resistance.

And this all works so well because the control scheme holds everything together like glue.  Controlling Snake is buttery smooth; sprinting and diving makes the player aware of Snake's heavy weighted gear and the crawling animation demonstrates a noticeable friction as Snake scrapes along the terrain.  The gun play is an ultimately satisfying experience; each shot sounds with a pop and elicits the expected amount of recoil.  You can switch between using the over-the-shoulder aim or using the sight rails for a first person option.  Within the options you can set the aiming schemes to toggle so that even if you exit aiming, you'll snap right back to your preferred viewpoint if you raise your weapon again.  And with plenty of control layouts to try and sensitivities to tweak, Snake will play in a way that's most comfortable to you.

The big question for me (and many others, certainly) concerning MGSV Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain is centered on the new voice direction Kojima went with for Snake.  So, does Kiefer Sutherland fill the deep shoes left behind by David Hayter?  So far, I'd say that the answer hasn't quite made itself apparent yet.  The truth is, Ground Zeroes is very light on the cutscenes (just now, a gasp was heard from Metal Gear fans around the world), and its even lighter on the lines Big Boss gets to deliver.  But, the words that were spoken by Sutherland are definitely solid.  Big Boss has a more reserved demeanor this time around, but you really feel the rage and tension building from within, especially during the final moments of the main mission.  As a longtime player of the series, it's quite difficult to separate Solid Snake and Big Boss from Hayter's gruff, iconic voice, and in some ways, the differences will always stand out.  But, I do think that Sutherland is the right man for the job and certainly offers a wider range in Snake's emotions than we've previously heard from the character's admittedly monotonous tune.  There is still a lack of material, however, to give proper judgement, so we'll just need to wait (patiently, I suppose) for The Phantom Pain.

And that seems to be the common theme here; Ground Zeroes serves as a small, exquisite appetizer that symbolizes the promise of an even bigger, more satisfying meal to come.  Don't get me wrong, the appetizer was phenomenal and enjoyed every bite; but I'm still sitting at the table, hungry.

Let's Be Tactical About This: Fall 2013 Imposes Danger on Your Wallet

So far, 2013 has been a steady and constant trickle of worthy titles for all platforms.  Before the summer even started, I had already purchased Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon, Fire Emblem Awakening, and Donkey Kong Country Returns for my 3DS, with Animal Crossing being my last grab in June (at this point, I'm of course forcing myself to ignore Etrian Odyssey IV, Rune Factory 4, and Shin Megami Tensei IV while I finish my pile of incomplete titles).

Successful blockbusters such as Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us have begun to crowd the Game of the Year ballots and other less impacting but highly entertaining mentions go to Dragon's Crown, Injustice: Gods Among Us, God of War: Ascension, and Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm.  The stream of titles has also forced me to shelf some games I have yet to dive into, including Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, DmC: Devil May Cry, Dead Space 3, Tomb Raider, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Civilization V, and Pikmin 3 (though that hinges upon me picking up a Wii U at some point).

And at the cusp of the last quarter of the year, I'm still seeing some heavy decisions to be made.  Diablo III (for consoles) and Rayman Legends finally see their release in the beginning of September, with Kingdom Hearts HD ReMix and the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto V following as the month closes out.  Without letting up, Pokemon X and Y make their debut on the 3DS and Batman Arkham Origins, Assassin's Creed Black Flag, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes will hit stores by the end of October.

All of this is neglecting consideration of the next gen consoles, too.  The Playstation 4 and Xbox One are slated for November, with a load of heavy hitting launch titles to follow.  Watchdogs, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Need for Speed Rivals show up as worthy multi-platform launch titles, while Sony and Microsoft boast exclusives such as Killzone and Knack for the PS4 with Titanfall and Dead Rising 3 standing in the ring for Xbox.  No matter which console has your vote, you better be ready to spend some money.

So considering each of these titles is going to come out at $35-$65 each (even more if you're a Collector's Edition junkie) how can gamers be more careful with their spending without missing out on potentially historical game experiences in the process?  Well, the short answer is, you can't.

Okay, that's not entirely true, there are such systems in place such as renting, buying used, and trade-in programs that can help you save some dough, but with Microsoft coming this close to stomping out all three of those businesses with the Xbox One's recently slated DRM policies, I wonder if its only a matter of time before those practices disintegrate altogether.  With the large push for digital sales and the bigger hard drives noted for this coming generation, it won't take long for more people to discover the convenience of buying of online purchases.  Steam has all but snuffed out PC games' retail appearances; how long until stepping into a store to pick up your console games becomes irrelevant?

I don't necessarily see digital distribution as a bad thing, so long as the revenues are going to a good cause.  Without the need for companies to package, ship, and sell physical copies to a retailer, the game makers can net nearly 100% of the sales as income.  However, with publishers likely expecting a greater percentage on returns, do you really think that it'll ensure developers getting a fairer cut of the profits?  Judging by the way they are paid currently for their hard work, I highly doubt a higher margin will change anything.  And as gamers, we aren't likely to see the savings passed onto us either.  We'll be charged the same, because we all damn well know we're willing to pay the same.  As long as we demand enough to meet their supply forecasts, pricing will be largely similar to what it is today.

So what's the best solution to saving money?  Well, as painful as it is: wait.  Preordering and Day One purchases don't have to be a priority.  As fun as it is to feel ahead of the curve and experience the wave of excitement along with your fellow gamers, showing a little patience and waiting for a price cut or sale can really make a difference.  Make your purchase decisions wisely and try not to attribute too much value to a title that hasn't even been released yet.  Though that Limited Edition art book and the rest of the Collector's package might be staring you in the face, if the game not all its cracked up to be, you're left with a $60 disc you hate and $40 worth of junk you no longer want to look at.