The other major changes include the elimination of med packs (Snake now heals over time or can use a never-ending supply of med spray if he can find a good hiding place) and the lack of an ever-present radar. Your inventory is now controlled with the D-pad, freeing up the shoulder buttons, and you now have a handy little device that lets you check out the map, set markers, listen to recordings, call for a chopper, etc. The new control scheme works nicely, even if it is a dramatic departure from previous Solid games. You can only take a few shots before you’re down for the count, though, so don’t think you’re going to roll in guns a-blazing and come out unscathed. If your sneaky efforts go sideways, however, the combat controls and available arsenal are more than enough to get the job done. Playing like a slithering serpent will result in fewer enemies to handle and far less sprinting, dodging and crawling under various objects in the hopes that you’ll be left alone long enough to heal. This being a Metal Gear game, stealth and non-lethal tactics are encouraged, but are by no means mandatory. Along the way you’ll discover loads of guards to outsmart, a couple of types of collectables to gather, and even weapon caches that will greatly improve your options and chances of making it out of a firefight alive. There are entire sections of the compound that you don’t even need to visit and, if you feel compelled to see it all before completing the mission, I imagine your playtime would be increased by another hour or two. You receive plenty of guidance about the “best” way to accomplish your goals, but how you get from point A to point B is entirely up to you. The world here is wide open, and the player is left to explore it however they see fit.
CLASSIC SNAKE GROUND ZEROES FULL
It’s not a full game in its own right, nor is it “just a demo.” This is the sort of content that would typically be served up as a particularly hefty bit of prequel DLC after a game has already been released. Even the prologue leaves you feeling a bit too hollow, though it serves well enough as a direct lead-in to the proper Metal Gear Solid V, The Phantom Pain.Īnd that is perhaps the best way to think of Ground Zeroes.
CLASSIC SNAKE GROUND ZEROES SERIES
That’s all the set-up you get, meaning series newbies will likely feel a bit confused as far as the story is concerned. Otherwise, you’re basically dropped into a rainy military base and told you’re supposed to rescue two hostages. It’s quite a bit to digest and so full of names, places, acronyms and plot twists that it’s unlikely you’ll be able to fully grasp what the hell is going on, but it’s the only way you’re going to get a better idea of what your main mission in Ground Zeroes actually is. He sounds more like a real person which, given director Hideo Kojima’s plans to make The Phantom Pain a more grounded experience, feels totally appropriate.īefore jumping into the game, the first thing you’ll want to do is select the menu option that lets you read the 11-page rundown of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Let’s begin by addressing each of those elephants in the room in short order, then give the game the assessment and attention it deserves, shall we? For starters, Snake doesn’t do a heck of a lot of talking in Ground Zeroes but, when he does open his mouth, Sutherland does a fine job of getting close to that classic Snake growl without going too far overboard. The short length was especially controversial because of the price of the game, originally set at $40 for next gen consoles and eventually dropped down to $30. Then, more recently, rumor got around that the main campaign, a single mission into a prisoner camp and military compound, could be completed in less than two hours.
There was talk of surprisingly adult content, including graphic gore and references to rape. Fans were initially upset that the longtime voice of Snake, David Hayter, had been replaced by Jack Bauer himself, Kiefer Sutherland.
Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes garnered a heck of a lot of attention leading up to this week’s launch on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.