Konami is looking to give MGS fans a taste of what is in store for Snake in his new next gen open world sequel. As many predicted, METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES will serve as a prologue release to METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN , and is meant to bridge the linear gameplay style of the previous games into the new open-world gameplay of MGS V.
The current gen (360/PS3) version will cost $29.99 retail or $19.99 via digital download, while the next gen version (XB1/PS4) will only be available as a $29.99 download.
We’ve been drooling over the amazing next gen visuals since before there was even officially a next gen and trolled by Kojima himself with a the fictional Moby Dick Studios that was supposedly developing this non-MGS title. It’s good to know all the waiting and teasing will soon be over.
“The advanced capabilities of the FOX Engine have allowed me to tell the new story in a new way. There will be a significant difference in what METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN brings to the series, so we want to ease players into the new open world environment and its potential. As such, METAL GEAR SOLID: GROUND ZEROES has been designed to introduce key elements, allowing them to fully benefit from all that the new game will offer.” – Hideo Kojima
METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES charts a rescue mission as users infiltrate a Cuban prison camp, and sets in motion a series of events that culminate in the stunning plotlines of METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN.
We know open-world games take an enormous team to pull off properly, especially one with next gen visuals… so much that they’ve even opened a Los Angeles studio to beef up the staff on the game. Releasing a prologue is a smart way to get the game into our hands without torturing fans into waiting several years for the completed game.
Do you think we’ll see this become a trend for games with lengthy development cycles? Is this nothing more than a glorified paid demo of an unfinished game? Let us know in the comments.
