

This review focuses on PC-exclusive features, gameplay changes, and our evolving opinions on the game's surprising story, nearly one year after we first played through it. We've already taken an in-depth look at The Phantom Pain ($19.95 at Amazon) (Opens in a new window) on Xbox One. You can also play Metal Gear Solid V on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and last-generation consoles. Still, from a pure gameplay perspective, The Phantom Pain is an huge achievement, and one of the best PC games when it comes to stealth. But while The Phantom Pain has all the surface trappings of a Metal Gear game-a hulking mech, super-soldier battles, and ramblings about the nature of armed conflict-its tale of loss and revenge actually raises more questions than it answers. Prior to its release, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ($39.99), the final Hideo Kojima-helmed entry in the long-running stealth-action series, was touted as the prequel game that would close the loop on the nearly 30-year-old series.


While most games slapped with such a descriptor would usually be rated Adults Only, Ground Zeroes likely avoided it due to the implication of sexual violence, rather than a graphic realization. The words "f**k" and "sh*t" are heard in the dialogue." The game includes an audio file in which a female character is sexually assaulted by male characters while there is no visual depiction, sounds of ripped clothing and struggle can be heard. One cutscene includes a depiction of blood and gore (e.g., a character's intestines exposed during a dramatic procedure to remove an object).

Players can also employ stealth attacks (e.g., choking, knife stabbing from behind) and have the ability kill non-adversary characters/prisoners. Firefights are highlighted by realistic gunfire, slow-motion effects, and large blood-splatter effects. Players infiltrate various bases and use pistols, machine guns, and rocket launchers to kill enemy soldiers. "This is an action game in which players assume the role of an elite soldier through military missions in Cuba. Plot spoilers abound, so read at your own risk. The actual details of the content featuring sexual violence are revealed in the board's rating summary below.
