9 Years Later, the Most Underrated Metal Gear Game Deserves a Second Chance

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a strange beast, not quite a tech demo for The Phantom Pain but not quite a full game in its own right either. As fans were chomping at the bit for the next Metal Gear Solid in 2014 Ground Zeroes met with a muted reception upon release, not quite fulfilling the meaty experience that everyone wanted. Because of that, Ground Zeroes has gone tremendously underappreciated for all these years. Yes, it serves as the prologue to The Phantom Pain, but it’s one of the most thematic pieces of content the Metal Gear series has ever seen. It also marked a major turning point in both the franchise’s gameplay and its willingness to tackle some truly horrific story elements.