Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (MGS V) is an action-adventure stealth game developed by Kojima Productions and released in 2015. Set in 1984, it follows Punished “Venom” Snake, a mercenary leader who awakens from a nine-year coma to find his previous organization, Militaires Sans Frontières, destroyed. Snake forms a new group, Diamond Dogs, seeking revenge against those responsible and uncovering a global conspiracy. The game is set in an expansive open world, featuring environments like Soviet-occupied Afghanistan and the Angola–Zaire border.

MGS V introduces innovative gameplay mechanics, including a dynamic weather system, day-night cycles, and the Fulton Recovery system, allowing players to extract enemies, animals, and equipment to their base. The game emphasizes tactical freedom, allowing players to approach missions with stealth or direct confrontation. The narrative explores complex themes such as revenge, identity, and the moral consequences of war. Despite critical acclaim for its gameplay and world design, the game was noted for its abrupt ending, which some fans attributed to content being cut during development. Still, it remains one of the greatest stealth games of all time, cementing its legacy in the Metal Gear series.