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Whether you’re trying to sneak your way into or blast your way out of a situation, there’s no end to the thrills. The whole way that the Mother Base, recruitment, development and supply drop systems work together is plain brilliant, while The Phantom Pain still has the best dog and horse buddies of any video game (sorry Dogmeat, but DD has you licked). The whole process of finding your feet in Afghanistan is still enjoyable, as you learn new ways to tackle Russian patrols and enemy encampments, or play with strategies you’d never considered on your initial playthrough. The prologue might only be semi-interactive at times, but that’s part of what makes it so taut and enthralling. Playing it again four months later, it’s still striking how well it holds together. Like its beloved Diamond Dogs, its rough around the edges but full of killer moves. Sure, things start to fall apart as the game approaches the end, but just remember all the high points that come before that. MGS5 managed to transform what should have been a mess of complex systems into something convincing and compelling. The Witcher 3 gave us an amazing world to explore and a cracking fantasy story. Even now I’d struggle to choose between them. These are games built on a more ambitious scale games that could close the gap between the linear, narrative-led action games that had dominated the last console generation and the more emergent, free-roaming style of Skyrim and GTA 5. Release date: September 1 December 2015 Updateįor me, 2015 will always be about two massive, much-anticipated, epic open-world games: The Witcher 3 and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Available on Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Art of metal gear solid v review