The Examiner Reviews MGS: Ground Zeroes (1/5)

This isn't a review as the comments even say, it's just some guy whining and posting spoilers. So far the two negative "Reviews" I've seen about this game are split between one gaming website I've never heard of, and this pathetic excuse of a review. Hopefully one of the bigger websites reviews it soon since I have it preordered.

Hey sorry for the late response man. I played the main mission twice and started on one of the side missions, but kept screwing it up.

And yes, it is actually true (or so it seems). Calling Camp Omega open world would be a complete lie, but it is very open ended. You could play the main mission and not even see more than 1/4 of the map so it gives tons of choice as to where you approach your targets from. Beyond that, there is a wealth of different tactics you can and employ and weapons you can procure on site. Then there is the fact that the enemies are surprisingly unpredictable. It seems they all start their paths from the same point, but can diverge at a moments notice. The main mission is comprised of two objectives. I found out on my 2nd play that you can do these out of order and that you can rescue other POWs if you're feeling generous. (apparently rescuing these random POWs will give you a headstart on your base in Phantom Pain).

Both times I played, the experience was very different.

I kept getting spotted on my first run by enemies, or by cameras. I'm not used to enemies being able to see so far in MGS so it really threw me off. And they're relentless too. Once you're busted it's easy to get forced down a path that you did not intend. I died a lot of times trying to complete the 2nd objective, but eventually I pulled through in a crazy action packed sequence. Some of the encounters played out so well that they look like a scripted sequence even though they aren't. The stuff really gets you pumped and the dynamic changes in the music really add to that affect.

My 2nd run played out much differently. I really got a chance to play with the CQC and holy shit it's amazing! I only set off 1 alert... fucking cameras. But the path I took to get there was much different. I set up some nice diversions too. I grabbed one guard in a chokehold, took him into a corner, forced him to call his friends and then stabbed him in the throat and got the hell out of there. A lot of the guards started swarming that area of the map, clearing the way for me to approach the command center. I also located the power grid and was able to shut down power to a large part of the base. This made for an easier time getting the 2nd VIP, but when trying to exit the building there were two enemy tanks pointed right in my direction with blinding headlights just waiting. I dropped off the VIP behind some generators, crawled through a hidden ventilation system to gain some distance from the heavy vehicles and picked off their headlights with a suppressed SMG I had picked up. Aaaaand I could go on, a lot of BS went down before I was able to get the hell out of there. So many times I narrowly avoided setting off another alert.

And I already have ideas for how to approach it next time. Really want to get in there with some C4, rig up all the towers and heavy vehicles and send the base into chaos lol.

Also need to do a no kill no alerts run, but tbh I can't even fathom how.

Another thing worthy of mention. The presentation of the story through audio tapes (some hidden) is a perfect fit for MGS. I know this is nothing new for gaming, but it's a feature that should have been in MGS years ago. The contents of those tapes are more interesting than the two cutscenes imo. Being able to dig deeper into the story while sneaking around is perfect. You get some really cool info without being taken out of the game.

Edit: Sorry, I know this post is lengthy, but one more thing! For the first time in the series history I think people will be wishing there were more cutscenes. They're very well done, but also very brief. And the cliffhanger is a bitch. I want Phantom Pain so bad right now it's not even funny.

I always thought this game was a scam and I would not be surprised to see review scores below a 7 for this game.

You purposely commented in order to get suspended?

Uh no, it's more likely that you just continuously make hate filled comments towards users or groups of users that results in you getting suspended. or you invade threads with off topic rants

You seem like a disturbed individual. Please seek help

lol mod conspiracies.

I won't mind paying for it. I look forward to it and know that I'll enjoy paying it. Thus it depends on how you look at it.

@arkephonic: Konami especially, they were massive for PS1.

As much as I hate myself for wanting to, I'm still buying it. I'm too big of a Metal Gear fan to pass on it and the PS4 screens I've seen have moistened my thighs.

Well when your opinion can be factually proven wrong don't expect me to not call you out on it.

@MikeMoose: well your "factual claim" isn't exactly a good one

People say MGS is no longer relevant, or that it has gotten stale, so I pointed out that Guns of the Patriots was one of the highest rated games of last gen. This is a fact. If the last Metal Gear Solid game released was one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, how can you claim the series in no longer relevant?

@MikeMoose: maybe because it came out like 6 years ago?

Also remember that this isn't even a full mgs game its like a 2 hr prequel game

I'm well aware of what Ground Zeroes is lol. Regardless of how "relevant" you think MGS is, Phantom Pain will be just like Guns of the Patriots; 10's across the board with jealous babies crying "Interactive movie!!" because they can't play it.

Some more Konami classics from before 1995:

Frogger

Scramble

Time Pilot

Gradius series

Castlevania series

Metal Gear 1 & 2

Snatcher

Policenauts

The interactive movie bit doesn't hold water anymore either. They're really following the Peace Walker format with MGS5. Cutscenes only bookend the main missions. And if the cutscenes in Ground Zeroes are any indication, it seems they'll be brief and to the point. The choice to go deeper into the details is up to the player. Also, like PW, the mission based nature of the game means there will be tons of gameplay.

And yeah, you'd have to be pretty much disconnected from industry trends to think MGS is irrelevant. Every game still garners massive hype. Every game performs well. Every game is regarded as one of the best for the platforms its on. I even hated MGS4, but it would be foolish to write it off as irrelevant.

And with MGS5 we're not only seeing some major evolution for this series, but also for this genre as a whole. When TPP inevitably releases to great sales, stellar reviews and bunch of goty awards, I don't think irrelevant will be a popular descriptor.

Kojima needs to check his fuckin head, stop tweeting pics of his shoes and get back into the game.

The thing that bugs me the most about this isn't really the price per hour, although that is certainly a part of the issue. It's the fact that there is one main mission from the game for that price. Even if there is extra side stuff, it just doesn't feel like its important enough for a supposedly story heavy entry. It makes it feel like a literal demo which doesnt help its price point.

Of course feelings shouldn't be a thing that determines this stuff too much, and gameplay should be the big reason for buying this regardless of if it's just a bunch of side stuff. For a game like mgs though, which should easily have more main story for how big the whole game supposedly is, I can see why people think its bs at 30 smackers.

lulz

The entire internet is up in arms about their 20 bucks and here I am, just bought a PS4 specifically to play the best version of this game.

I've always been able to find way too much replay value in MGS games. More than most normal people I guess. I'm the kind of guy that makes a save file in every different area of the game just so I can go back and experiment around.

I've been watching streams of GZ and it looks like crack for a guy like me. I know I'll spend the time to find every item, see every easter egg, S-rank every mission on every difficulty and all that good stuff.

So far the highest completion % I've heard of anyone getting was 49% over the course of 9 hours. I could see myself going about 30 hours with this game before I start to get bored with it.

@Xaero_Gravity: Same here haha. I might actually buy this.

Renting is another option I've been contemplating.

Look at all the crying MGS fangirls. What a shit series. Anyway, can we we have a 0/10 review please? Oh snap, none of the gaming journalist has balls to do that.

@AznbkdX:

You make a good point. I do know people that only care about the story in MGS games. One guy I know just sets them to the easiest difficulty so he can run through it. If you're only in it for the story then I think Ground Zeroes would be a complete rip off.

Lucky for me, I've always enjoyed the experimental nature of the gameplay in this series. I dig the story too, but it's not the main attraction.

MGS2 demo was about the same length and yet i played it for hours... and hours...

Sometimes us as gamers I can't believe the stuff we allow these companies to do. Of course if you want the game I say get it, I'm just nervous to see other companies following this model because it's horrible. IMO

@ConanTheStoner: Still annoyed about the amount of main content given for its price even with its high emphasis of experimentation and replayability. I'm bored though so there is some chance I'll be getting it for my newly bought ps4 as well haha.

@Animal-Mother: lol! Garrus>Kojima :P

The irony is that the only person crying in this situation is the person that wrote that review, if you can even call it that.

I get were you're coming from. Game journalists are usually bitches when it comes to reviewing high profile games. I remember seeing all those perfect scores for MGS4 and then being shocked by the steaming pile of crap that was the final product.

Being on the other end of that extreme is no better though. Throwing a tantrum, lying about the content of a game and giving it an abysmal score is no better than showering a game with undue praise, ignoring its many flaws and giving it a perfect score.

@ConanTheStoner: Its not just the story though now that I think about my point. I just expect more of a meaty main mission just because it feels more progressive for the game than just a bunch of side quests. I guess what Im trying to say is there is too much filler (even if it's good filler, it still bugs me) for the price than actual progress in getting to important scenarios or cool game segments. I said though feelings shouldn't deter you if gameplay is good (I also consider games that encourage experimentation a great thing) but it sure does make this look like a bigger ripoff imo.

I hope that this trend doesn't take off because knowing how stupid people are they might even help to turn it into a standard by buying it. I mean, can you imagine paying for demos from now on like if paying to play online wasn't ridiculous enough but because they allowed it continued and it even spread to other consoles. And I've seen this stuff happen on TwitchTV too where broadcasters make their channel sub only for a while and that's when most people subscribe then the channel stays sub only forever because people couldn't hold their ground for a little while. Subs and donations too only to make it worse....

It's hilarious how one negative review cements people's doubts about this game. Because I'm not a fool who trusts a review that reads more like a temper tantrum (and even contains a spoiler in the last paragraph), I will wait for the rest of the press to pass judgment.

All of you who believe Ground Zeroes is a scam because of this one review are idiots.

Also: $30 for a two hour campaign is fine. Where was the outrage over Stick of Truth's "lack of content?" And that game is priced at $60.

Oh come on. MGS has always been a crappy series with stupid story, absurd characters and clunky game play. I don't know what people see in this game. It's so stupid that it's beyond words. Nothing...absolutely nothing in this series make any sense.

I really don't know how can anyone take this series eriously and then even debate over it for countless hours on how awesome this character/sequence was and Kojima is such a genius for creating such a thing. I mean, it's suppose to be serious military game loosely based on history and such and then you have supernatural characters like Bee shooters and flying astronauts with ghosts and all that crap.

Cool man. I have opinions about stuff too.

And yeah, MGS can be dumb just like a lot of games can be dumb. Some of us like it, some of us don't. I don't think Kojima is a genius, I just think he's a good game designer with a unique vision. Sometimes he strikes gold, sometimes he puts out crap.

Are you ok though? It seems like you had a bad run in with some MGS 'elitist' or something lol.

I don't get I'd be

1)a lemming

2)butthurt over that great multiplat

Review got nuked.

Hopefully Luis Santos' career follows.

@TheEroica: All I have to say is thanks for helping me prove a point. You bought a Garrus Vakarian figure that does nothing but sit there for $60 bucks and you cried like a little girl when you broke his leg.

$30 dollars is hard pressing for a game of this size and scope. I get that. But $20 bucks isn't really that big a deal if you're already in the hobby of gaming,

Garrus severed leg > Ground Zero. :P To me it's the floodgates that bother me so much. If we embrace a demo at 30 bucks a pop, you can expect buckets of saliva to fall from the mouths of EA, Activision and everyone else... "If they're stupid enough to buy it, lets hold the first hour of Destiny, or Mass Effect or Call of Duty as a THIIRTY DOLLAR pre chapter to the larger game" Yeah, pretty much eff that in every way imaginable. I look forward to playing MGS5, but no way would I be suckered into something like this for any game. I'll play it when the price matches the content.

@TheEroica: I have a question, have you and a loved one spent over $20 for a date night only to go see a terrible movie or go spend money at a terrible restaurant and realize it wasn't worth it?

Because you get the worst version.

I'll be gamefly-ing it regardless of reviews to get a taste of that sweet Metal Gear Solid V sugar.

I never really expected the game (err ...demo) to get good review scores at that pricepoint. I'll let you know how it goes if you're interested !

I preferred Koei back then.

Deserves the scores its getting just for the asking price of the game that is technically a demo.

Looks like the first real review is in. No more Famitsu circle jerking, or Examiner crying, but an actual written REVIEW.

Score = 3/5

Ancient. Your at your prime when your 12-15 and its all down hill from there.

lol buying this trash

I have stated I won't be buying this demo numerous times.