PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Konami, cert: 18, out now
Metal Gear Solid V is coming, of course, but it's not quite here yet. Ground Zeroes is just a taste of what renowned designer Hideo Kojima has planned for the tech-noir stealth game's full release – a foretaste of the new open-world gameplay that tears asunder the series' linear heritage. Certainly, Ground Zeroes delivers in terms of its visual and audio muscle, but its single environment presents a somewhat fleeting experience, around two hours long. Beyond that, however, are a number of additional missions played in the same setting that unveil a variety of gameplay styles, and an experience with unceasing pace that really does hark back to the first, tremendous, Metal Gear Solid.
The setting is also rich with detail and – scarcely veiled by a "pseudo-historical" narrative – explicitly inspired by Guantánamo Bay, affording Kojima the opportunity to share his musings on the morality and necessity of conflict. Its brevity may deter many, but even only as a taster for MGS V this remains an exceptional and meticulously designed interactive experience.
