Metal Gear Solid V ranks as one of the most incredible open-world stealth/action games of all time. That's due largely to deep gameplay, an excellent combat system, and a focus on using the terrain to your tactical advantage.
Many of us have already enjoyed what the game has to offer, but we may not know as much about the game as we first thought. Today we're taking a look at 10 things you didn't know about Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, so put on your sneaking suit, and let's get to work!
10 A FLOWER FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
During the beginning sequence, Snake awakens in a hospital and slowly comes to grips with his surroundings. Eagle-eyed players will notice a nurse trimming some flowers - the same flowers that sprinkled the field where Snake fought and killed his former mentor, The Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
The flowers in question are called the Star of Bethlehem lilies, native to the Mediterranean. During the Crusades, they were used as emergency rations by those traveling to the Holy Land, or kept as souvenirs of the journey.
9 KOJIMA STUCK IT OUT UNTIL THE END
During production for Metal Gear Solid:V, director and creator Hideo Kojima's relationship with parent company Konami was already hitting the breaking point. Nevertheless, Kojima remained committed to finishing the project, which would end up becoming his farewell swansong with the company.
He would later split Kojima Productions off from Konami and go independent, with Death Stranding becoming the company's first official release.
8 QUIET'S PERSONAL TOUCH
Spending too much time out in the wilderness will quickly turn you into a walking dirt-ball. If you return to Mother Base looking like a labrador that just rolled around in the mud, Ocelot will attempt to dunk a bucket of water over your head.
However, if you took Quiet out as a partner, and your bond level is 100%, she'll put a stop to that in favor of taking a personal shower with you. It would be perfect, were it not for all the soldiers standing around and watching while trying to pick their jaws up off the floor.
7 THE BOWIE CONNECTION
Hideo Kojima must have been a David Bowie fan, as he tried to shoehorn the song
"Diamond Dogs" into the game, before the idea was nixed due to the poor reception of his team.
The reference would live on in Snake's army, carrying the title as a badge of honor. We admit that it does seem a bit weird not to have the song in there, however.
6 YOU CAN RECRUIT KOJIMA
If you played through the prologue game Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and managed to save the in-game representation of Hideo Kojima, your efforts will be rewarded in The Phantom Pain.
A quick check of your Mother Base team roster will reveal him, and his specialized skillset which includes a Communications S-Rank, and an A+ in R&D and diplomacy.
5 REBENOK IS DEFINITELY (PROBABLY!) PSYCHO MANTIS
As if the gas mask and psychic abilities weren't enough of a tip-off, it's fairly certain that Tretij Rebenok and Psycho Mantis are the same person. Though not 100% confirmed, even Kojima himself has dropped strong hints in an attempt to drive us bonkers.
It's safe to assume, especially given the subtle nods in the soundtrack (the song "Angering Mantis"). While it may never be officially confirmed, there's no reason to think otherwise.
4 QUIET WAS ALMOST NAKED
The character of Quiet doesn't leave a lot to the imagination. With little more than a bra, panties and a pair of fishnets and boots to go by, she's clearly one of the more scantily-clad female characters in the Metal Gear Solid franchise.
Originally, Quiet was supposed to be topless, but it was deemed too risqué for game audiences. Her character went through several outfit (if you can call it that) changes, before settling on her established attire. We can only imagine the backlash if Kojima and the team tried to press their original vision for the character.
3 THE GAME THROWS YOU A BIRTHDAY PARTY
We can't think of many (if any) games that take the time out to throw you a surprise party, but Metal Gear Solid V is one of them. When you first create a new game and fill out your personal details (including your date of birth), the game will remember the date for future reference.
Playing the game on that same date will find you summoned back to Mother Base, where you'll be thrown a surprise birthday party by the Diamond Dogs. Nothing is funnier than seeing masked soldiers wheeling out a birthday cake while joining in on a song in your honor!
2 THE FIRST NON-LINEAR METAL GEAR SOLID GAME
Previous games in the Metal Gear Solid franchise have focused primarily on accomplishing linear based objectives. While backtracking did occur, it was always handled within a closed-world framework.
Metal Gear Solid: V would turn the series' roots upside down, and focus instead on open-world game mechanics which allow the player to accomplish goals in the order he or she sees fit. This was done not only to change the dynamic of the game, but allow the player to approach an objective from any angle, and decide how best to complete the mission.
1 REVENGE IS A SUCKER'S GAME
The theme of revenge is highly prevalent in MGS: V, especially given the incidents that take place in the prologue Ground Zeroes. Snake's vendetta against the principal villain Skull Face drives the narrative of the game, inching you ever closer to your true enemy.
Kojima purposely omitted a boss battle against Skull Face as a means to rob Snake (and by extension, the player) of their revenge, which leaves him essentially where he started out. This thread was intended to drive home the futility of revenge, and how it does nothing but blacken the soul.