Metal Gear Solid 5 Info Blowout: Ground Zeroes Revisited, Slow-Mo, Fewer Cutscenes

Kojima Productions Los Angeles recently held a press conference for Metal Gear Solid 5, with creator Hideo Kojima present. Of course, we didn’t just get a look at The Phantom Pain again – Kojima showcased a demo for Ground Zeroes, the prologue of the game which takes place 9 years before The Phantom Pain.

We were reintroduced to the rain-filled night as Snake had to infiltrate a military complex. Keifer Sutherland, who is now voicing Snake, got his moment to shine with a rendition of “Kept you waiting, huh?”, but reactions were mixed. Ground Zeroes was running on PC hardware equivalent in power to current gen consoles, and it was revealed that the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions would run at 30 fps while FOX Engine would run on 60 fps on the PS4 and Xbox One.

The demo also showcased some of the newer gameplay elements, such as a slow-motion mode that activates when you’re detected by an enemy. This allows you a split second to take the foe down but don’t count on it helping out all the time – this was exemplified in a gun fight the player gets into. Though it wasn’t explicitly confirmed, it does seem that Snake will have regenerating health this time around, as reflected by the display turning red on taking damage and returning to normal as Snake took cover.

Other than these new elements, this is still Metal Gear. You can throw your magazine to distract guards and still hide bodies to mask your presence. Interestingly all of the gameplay and cutscenes will now told from one long camera shot with less emphasis on cutting between perspectives, to allow for a smooth transition from cutscenes to gameplay. There will also be fewer cut-scenes overall according to Kojima.

It’s also been revealed that the prologue “Ground Zeroes” will be a more compact open world compared “The Phantom Pain”. The story is to be based on the player’s choice, though no details were given on what kind of choices would affect the story. Perhaps choices made during Ground Zeroes could lay the groundwork for the campaign in Phantom Pain?

Kojima revealed that the LA studio would be working conjunction with Kojima Productions in Japan, with some content, like background objects, being outsourced. If that weren’t enough, you’ll also be able to create your own missions for the game using tablets and smartphones.

Metal Gear Solid 5 is slated for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 with a release date still pending.