With the release of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes nigh, many are still skeptical about the series’ new direction. Its open world, fast-paced gameplay and short length give even longtime MGS fans pause. To help ease your worries, we’ve rounded up a few pointers on how to get ready for the biggest Metal Gear yet.
[promo title=”Approach With GTA Caution (Which Is To Say, None At All)”][/promo]
Metal Gear Solid games have followed a pretty straightforward pattern: point-A-to-point-B traversal, usually on foot, to reach the next objective. Given that there have always been secret areas and collectibles, exploration wasn’t a selling point of the game until now. So take full advantage of the series’ new open-world design. Instead of running straight for the weak point in an enemy base, scout the perimeter a bit. Maybe even hop in a Jeep, drive a ways and get a wide-angle view of the compound before infiltrating.
The game also features a real-time day and night cycle in which the time you arrive at a mission may change certain aspects of it. What’s more, the order in which you choose to play missions will dictate how the story unfolds. The main point of the new design is the freedom to arrive at a situation the way you want to–so do exactly that. Not only will it make your first run-through more fun, it’ll also increase the game’s longevity if you play it a different way each time.
[promo title=”Stay On Your Toes (Er, Fingertips)”][/promo]
Ground Zeroes is said to do away with the iconic slow-paced gameplay for which the series is known. It will still be a stealth game at heart, but player reaction and interaction will have to be more immediate than it was in other Metal Gear Solid games. For example, series creator Hideo Kojima recently tweeted about how weapon-switching will differ in Ground Zeroes.
In MGS, I had chosen the special key config for quick change of weapon (chose key as u press button). (Cont)
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) March 9, 2014
No other game had done so it kinda made everyone anxious. Well, be careful in GZ because ur game is ongoing when changing ur weapon.
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) March 9, 2014
Along with more a vastly more dynamic engine and improved A.I., the control scheme warrants players’ attention and quick response. This time around, you might not be able to save yourself by pausing to eat four rations in the middle of a boss fight.
[promo title=”Take It In Chunks And Don’t Get Too Comfy“][/promo]
I almost don’t need to mention Metal Gear Solid‘s notoriously-long cutscenes. Those, too, are being eschewed in favor of shorter, denser cinematics that tell the story without needlessly protracting your couch time. It’s our guess that shorter cutscenes will contribute to the game’s relatively short run-time; the main campaign reportedly takes about two hours to complete. This, of course, doesn’t account for optional missions, but it gives a perfect opportunity to pace yourself and play in short bursts rather than binge-playing. Again, your approach determines the longevity, if not the literal chronological length, of the game.
[promo title=”Brush Up On Your MGS“][/promo]
Even if the game doesn’t last as long or have movie-length cinematics, it’s sure to be as story-heavy as any other game in the series. It’ll be a chore, but you’ll be best served getting at least a perfunctory timeline of events before diving in. The Metal Gear Solid Database, available for free through PlayStation Network, would be a great place to start. Ground Zeroes bridges the gap between Peace Walker and The Phantom Pain, so if you didn’t play Peace Walker but are still planning to follow along, you’ve got some research to do. At the same time, Ground Zeroes should also be taken as its own story, as The Phantom Pain will rely heavily on the player’s series knowledge of preceding events to fully immerse them.
Metal Gear is never a game to approach lightly. Its twisting, almost convoluted storyline throws many off the boat with a torrent of nonsense and a confusing blend of fact and fiction. Ground Zeroes throws a lot more wrenches into those gears. But if you follow our guide, you’ll be infiltrating and executing like Big Boss himself as soon as Ground Zeroes releases on March 18th.