<P> Set in 1984, nine years after the events of Ground Zeroes and a decade before the events of the original Metal Gear, the story follows mercenary leader Punished "Venom" Snake as he ventures into Soviet - occupied Afghanistan and the Angola--Zaire border region to exact revenge on the people who destroyed his forces and came close to killing him during the climax of Ground Zeroes . It carries over the tagline of Tactical Espionage Operations first used in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker . </P> <P> The Phantom Pain was critically acclaimed upon release, with its gameplay drawing praise for featuring a variety of mechanics and interconnected systems which allow a high degree of player freedom in approaching objectives . While the story was acknowledged for its emotional power and exploration of mature themes, it drew criticism from some critics for its lack of focus, with further scrutiny over its second half and ending that left several plot points unresolved; this was linked to conclusive evidence of removed content, which led some to suggest that the game was released unfinished . Despite this, The Phantom Pain received perfect review scores from several publications and was described by some critics to be the greatest stealth game of all time . A complete edition which bundles The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes together, titled Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience, was released in October 2016 . </P> <P> Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an action - adventure, stealth game in which players take the role of Punished "Venom" Snake from a third - person perspective in an open world environment . The gameplay elements were largely unchanged from Ground Zeroes, meaning that players will have to sneak from several points in the game world, avoiding enemy guards, and remaining undetected . Included in Snake's repertoire are binoculars, maps, a variety of weapons, explosives, and stealth - based items such as cardboard boxes and decoys . Following one of the series traditions, The Phantom Pain encourages players to progress through the game without killing, using non-lethal weapons such as tranquilizer darts to subdue enemies . Players may traverse the game world with vehicles such as jeeps and tanks, in addition to traveling on foot or on horseback, and as certain locations are mountainous, occasionally, players can opt to go rock climbing as a shortcut . They may call for helicopter support against enemy soldiers or request airstrikes that can bomb the target area or change the current weather . Snake can call on AI companions--including Quiet, a silent female sniper with supernatural abilities; D - Horse, a horse with a customizable saddle for carrying more equipment in the field; D - Walker, a manned, highly agile mobile weapons platform that can provide heavy weapons support; and D - Dog, a wolf pup raised and trained on the new Mother Base to assist him in the field . The companions' abilities and their effectiveness will depend on the player's relationship with them . There is a large emphasis based on tactics in The Phantom Pain . </P> <P> As in Peace Walker, The Phantom Pain features a base - building system that allows players to develop weapons and items from their home base . Recruitment of enemy soldiers and prisoners has also returned for this purpose, allowing the base to grow through organization . The player is given the option to access their base from their real - life smartphones and other devices via a companion app . Unlike in Peace Walker where players can only see Mother Base from the air, they can control Snake as he explores the complex on foot . The Fulton surface - to - air recovery system, an item introduced into gameplay in Peace Walker, returns as well, with players able to transport captured soldiers and other objects such as animals and vehicles back to Mother Base . Money for upgrading Mother Base's defenses and technology can be collected from objects found all over the map, such as diamonds, shipping containers, and special blueprint boxes, as well as sending recruited soldiers on combat missions around the world . The income is invested in upgrades to the appearance and abilities, weapons and equipment of Snake, his AI companions, and vehicles . For example, Snake's prosthetic arm can be modified with a taser, echolocation function, or remote controls that allow it to fly as a drone . </P>

Who do you play as in metal gear solid v the phantom pain