As this is my first game review at IMDb, let me just state that I am not really familiar with the Metal Gear (MG) series and its story. In fact the only MG games I've played before are MGS 4: Guns of The Patriots which was a PS3 exclusive and Metal Gear Rising Reveangance, both which I liked. I got excited for this game after seeing the trailer at E3. I'll be comparing GZ with MGS4, cause MGRR is a hack and slash game. Let's get to the point then...
Gone are the camouflage, noise, psych and health meters, the whole ugly HUD from MGS4. In its place is the new minimal HUD which only shows the weapon selected and its ammo. The binoculars are tied to a separate button and can mark enemies (like Far Cry 3) and even listen to their conversations. The night vision goggles do not have a limited battery this time. Also the detection system is more like Splinter Cell: Blacklist with the arrows on your screen pointing towards the direction of the enemies who have spotted you wit the small improvement - Time will slow down for a short duration, allowing you to kill, or knock out the enemy easily.
Stealth is much more harder in comparison due to a much more open world (there is no cardboard box or drum roll or the camouflage suit this time) and you have to be careful as the enemies don't follow a set route and are pretty smart, and can call for backup anytime they spot something fishy. For example, I distracted an enemy using an empty magazine, and he radioed to others that he was checking that noise. I knocked him out before he could respond back, and then the whole group went into alert mode because they didn't hear back from him.
Also you can carry only 3 weapons this time along with some grenades. But the destructible silencers return.
Graphics wise, in comparison to MGS4, its beautiful. The lighting is superb and there a few hiccups which occur very rarely. The sound is also awesome.
Story wise, it follows after the events of Peace Walker (I listened to the lengthy audiotapes in-game to get a sense of the story). You play as Solid Snake's father or brother Big Boss, also known as Snake. The year is 1975, and Cold War is brewing. You have to rescue Chico and Paz, who was the villain in Peace Walker. These both are just kids btw. They are held at an offshore black ops camp near Cuba. Snake's second-in-command Miller wants him to rescue them cause they might compromise Snake's group MSF (Militaires Sans Frontiers, aka a military without a nation). In the English version which I played, Snake is voiced by Kiefer Sutherland aka Jack Bauer of the 24 series fame and is less talkative and more serious than David Hayter voiced Solid Snake. The cutscenes are also mercifully short (MGS4 had a 90 minute approx epilogue cutscene!!!).
Your main objective is to rescue them, but you can indulge in side activities such as finding and looting armories, freeing other prisoners, and collecting XOF badges, destroying anti aircarft systems. You can be all offensive (not a good idea), all stealth and non lethal or somewhere in between or whatever playstyle you wish to follow.
And that's it. That's the main mission. It took me 1 to 1.5 hours to complete it. And there is no boss fight. I thought Skull Face would be a worthy villain but aside from the intro cutscene he doesn't even appear later.
Following the cutscenes after the main mission, we see MSF destroyed and Snake fall into a 9 year coma and lose his left arm, around 4 side missions are unlocked which timewise precede the main mission, some combat based, some stealth based, all have the same location. One of these missions also has a cameo by Mr. Hideo Kojima, the creator of the series and the game's director, which is funny and the series fans will surely love it.
NOTE: Collecting all XOF badges unlocks two more side missions which were exclusive to PS4 and Xbox One respectively but both are available for PC. You play as Raiden from MGRR in one and MGS1 Solid Snake in the other.
So to recap there is only one main mission which is almost 1.5 hours long (for me) and 7 side missions. However this is just a prologue to The Phantom Pain, eagerly waiting for what comes next.
The short length is a let down, because MGS GZ is an awesome stealth game with a wacky but dark story and a well known protagonist and good voice acting. The early price was ridiculous but now its around Rs. 600 on Flipkart and other sites, which is worth buying.
Rating- 9/10
+ New and Improved Gameplay. + Smart enemies. + Awesome graphics and audio. + Excellent voice acting.
Gone are the camouflage, noise, psych and health meters, the whole ugly HUD from MGS4. In its place is the new minimal HUD which only shows the weapon selected and its ammo. The binoculars are tied to a separate button and can mark enemies (like Far Cry 3) and even listen to their conversations. The night vision goggles do not have a limited battery this time. Also the detection system is more like Splinter Cell: Blacklist with the arrows on your screen pointing towards the direction of the enemies who have spotted you wit the small improvement - Time will slow down for a short duration, allowing you to kill, or knock out the enemy easily.
Stealth is much more harder in comparison due to a much more open world (there is no cardboard box or drum roll or the camouflage suit this time) and you have to be careful as the enemies don't follow a set route and are pretty smart, and can call for backup anytime they spot something fishy. For example, I distracted an enemy using an empty magazine, and he radioed to others that he was checking that noise. I knocked him out before he could respond back, and then the whole group went into alert mode because they didn't hear back from him.
Also you can carry only 3 weapons this time along with some grenades. But the destructible silencers return.
Graphics wise, in comparison to MGS4, its beautiful. The lighting is superb and there a few hiccups which occur very rarely. The sound is also awesome.
Story wise, it follows after the events of Peace Walker (I listened to the lengthy audiotapes in-game to get a sense of the story). You play as Solid Snake's father or brother Big Boss, also known as Snake. The year is 1975, and Cold War is brewing. You have to rescue Chico and Paz, who was the villain in Peace Walker. These both are just kids btw. They are held at an offshore black ops camp near Cuba. Snake's second-in-command Miller wants him to rescue them cause they might compromise Snake's group MSF (Militaires Sans Frontiers, aka a military without a nation). In the English version which I played, Snake is voiced by Kiefer Sutherland aka Jack Bauer of the 24 series fame and is less talkative and more serious than David Hayter voiced Solid Snake. The cutscenes are also mercifully short (MGS4 had a 90 minute approx epilogue cutscene!!!).
Your main objective is to rescue them, but you can indulge in side activities such as finding and looting armories, freeing other prisoners, and collecting XOF badges, destroying anti aircarft systems. You can be all offensive (not a good idea), all stealth and non lethal or somewhere in between or whatever playstyle you wish to follow.
And that's it. That's the main mission. It took me 1 to 1.5 hours to complete it. And there is no boss fight. I thought Skull Face would be a worthy villain but aside from the intro cutscene he doesn't even appear later.
Following the cutscenes after the main mission, we see MSF destroyed and Snake fall into a 9 year coma and lose his left arm, around 4 side missions are unlocked which timewise precede the main mission, some combat based, some stealth based, all have the same location. One of these missions also has a cameo by Mr. Hideo Kojima, the creator of the series and the game's director, which is funny and the series fans will surely love it.
NOTE: Collecting all XOF badges unlocks two more side missions which were exclusive to PS4 and Xbox One respectively but both are available for PC. You play as Raiden from MGRR in one and MGS1 Solid Snake in the other.
So to recap there is only one main mission which is almost 1.5 hours long (for me) and 7 side missions. However this is just a prologue to The Phantom Pain, eagerly waiting for what comes next.
The short length is a let down, because MGS GZ is an awesome stealth game with a wacky but dark story and a well known protagonist and good voice acting. The early price was ridiculous but now its around Rs. 600 on Flipkart and other sites, which is worth buying.
Rating- 9/10
+ New and Improved Gameplay. + Smart enemies. + Awesome graphics and audio. + Excellent voice acting.
- Too short.