METAL GEAR SOLID 5: THE PHANTOM PAIN
On paper, Metal Gear Solid 5 is a static experience, in that it doesn’t have a branching narrative, but as anyone who’s played it will tell you, there’s so many different ways you can go about playing the game. That’s what defines MGS5, after all- what it lacks in the narrative department, it attempts to make up for with its wonderfully dynamic gameplay. The systemic nature of its emergent stealth sandbox makes the moment-to-moment gameplay one that’s brimming with player choice and agency at its very core- and it takes a lot more than a single playthrough to uncover the full extent of Metal Gear Solid 5’s systemic depth. Meanwhile, from a narrative perspective, you’d be surprised how many crucial plot details are relegated to optional cassette tapes in that game that can be easily missed on a single playthrough.
