One of the most notable changes discussed with this entry to the Metal Gear series was that David Hayter would not be reprising his role as the English voice of Big Boss. Instead, Kojima went with actor Kiefer Sutherland to fill those shoes. Speaking with the distinct gravely tone with which fans have come to identify, Sutherland sounds like a suitable replacement, with a distinct hint of exhaustion in his voice from decades of fighting starting to take their toll. He obviously isn’t Hayter, but I’m happy with the job he did. Unfortunately, Sutherland didn’t get to tout his voicing talents as much as I would have liked, as Big Boss doesn’t actually say all that much. In terms of sheer volume of voiceovers, you’re going to be hearing from Robin Atkin Downes the most, who returns as Big Boss’s second-in-command, Kazuhira “Master” Miller. Kaz is in constant radio contact, and advises Big Boss as he moves about the base. Tara Strong and Antony Del Rio also return as Paz and Chico, respectively. While the performances from these actors were top notch, I was disappointed to see that they took a little shortcut with the sound. The same as in Peace Walker, guards being interrogated do not speak, but, rather, their information is shown as text on the bottom of the screen. Additionally, while you can call Kaz on the radio at any time with a push of the L1 button for input on the current situation, he is the only person available, and there are no other radio conversations for which the series is known. I sincerely hope this was a feature present only in Ground Zeroes, as I will be greatly disappointed if The Phantom Pain continues with this minimalist approach to dialogue.
Interestingly, the game’s music is actually better if you’re worse at the game. This is because, when you’re perfectly hidden with no suspicious guards, there is no music whatsoever. It isn’t until enemy soldiers start seeing signs of infiltration – dead guards, suspicious noises, destroyed property – that the music starts to pick up. When guards are suspicious, the music is fairly quiet, but definitely threatening. Once a straight firefight starts, though, that’s when things really get exciting. In this way, the music perfectly reflects what is going on in the gameplay, and I appreciated how well it kept me immersed.
In case you’ve read this whole review wondering; yes, the stories are true. Ground Zeroes is as short as you’ve heard. I beat the story in one sitting, taking me about three hours to complete. Not only that, but I was goofing off – I know it’s possible to finish it much faster. The mission goes off pretty well without a hitch; find and extract Chico, then find and extract Paz. Mission Accomplished. However, Ground Zeroes is more than just the short story mission. Once completed, a collection of side missions is unlocked, as well as new weapons and other features to play with. Plus, the story mission only requires Big Boss to move through a small portion of the camp. Dedicated players will want to explore the entire area to find hidden collectibles and POWs to rescue.
As fun as the game is, the incredibly short time needed to complete it will likely be a hard sell for players not already invested in the Metal Gear storyline, even with the $30 price tag. Ground Zeroes is equal parts prologue for The Phantom Pain and tech demo for the FOX engine, neither of which, to me, mean that it can be considered a full game. It’s hard to say that it can can stand on its own when it’s already just meant to be a lead-in to the next game. Though, people looking for the full Metal Gear experience will surely want to play this, and your save file will transfer to the next game with the POWs you rescue having have some effect later on. However, if you aren’t a major fan of the franchise, or just aren’t willing to part with your money for the extremely pretty, but limited experience, I’m sure The Phantom Pain will do a suitable job of summarizing what you missed.
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Game purchased by the reviewer
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is available on Amazon:
