Hell, you can ride past bases on your trusty steed and duck out of the enemy’s sight at the press of a button, circumventing the need for confrontation in one swift, satisfying gallop. On the other hand, I got a great kick out of setting up shop outside an enemy outpost and sniping them from afar, allowing me to then raid the camp for essential Mother Base supplies (more on that later) unmolested. If you fancy crawling through the mud and surreptitiously capping foes in the head with a tranquilizer gun like a stealth maestro, then go for it. Every option has its pros and cons, and you’ll get a kick out of trying them all. More than any other game, Kojima-san’s latest makes you feel like a battle hardened soldier who is capable to adapt to almost any situation and, while stealth is obviously Snake’s calling card, there’s no real punishment for adopting other strategies if you see fit. While the core mechanics remain largely unchanged from Ground Zeroes, the sense of tactical freedom afforded in The Phantom Pain’s vast game world is unprecedented for a Metal Gear Solid title. Right away, it becomes evident that The Phantom Pain’s precursor effort was merely testing the waters Kojima-san has given gamers an authentic game world to explore this time around, punctuated by majestic views, roaming wildlife and enemy bases/outposts awaiting infiltration. The true nature of the open-world setting tested in Ground Zeroes is realised here as you step down on the dusty plains of Afghanistan. Once that’s out of the way though, Snake gets himself patched up and the main mission is laid out before you, namely taking revenge on the Mother Base attack nearly a decade ago. Ostensibly a moody tutorial, the prologue acts to bring you up to speed on the story and acquaint yourself with the game’s fundamental controls before the action really kicks off. Taking place some nine years after the events of Ground Zeroes, The Phantom Pain picks up after Snake awakens from his injury-induced coma.