Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painfrom 2015 is the last entry in the storied franchiseseries creator Hideo Kojima worked onbefore leaving Konami. His exodus from the publisher was fraught with controversy, but the designer landed on his feet andcame out withDeath Strandingin 2019. DespiteMetal Gear Solid 5having a 5 in the title, it isnot really directly connected to 2008’sMetal Gear Solid 4.
Related:7 Crazy Things Kojima Promised Would Be In MGS5 (And Weren’t)
The Phantom Painis more a direct sequel toMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, a 2010 PSP spin-off. With this in mind, there are several significant plot points inPhantom Painand its prologue,Ground Zeroes, players simply won’t understand if they did not playPeace Walker. If you do not have a PSP or Vita to play the 2010 game, you can also play it on PS3 as a part of theMetal Gear Solid: HD Collection.
8Who Is Paz And Why Is She Important?
Ground ZeroesinvolvesBig Bosssaving Paz and Chico. In the full game, the player also comes into contact with an imaginary version of Paz. If you did not playPeace Walker, you probably do not understand the complicated relationship she has with MSF and Diamond Dogs. She was an undercover agent for Major Zero and was sent to make Big Boss submit to Zero’s plan or else be destroyed. Despite the revelation of her true nature,we still feel sorry for all the pain she goes through inGround Zeroes.
7Dr. Strangelove
Dr. Strangelove is briefly mentioned inPhantom Painand is relatively important to the end of Huey Emmerich’s story. Huey kills her after she disagreed with the way he conducted his experiments. She is also Otacon’s mother. She has a few bits of dialogue, but for a more comprehensive look at the character, it is recommended to playPeace Walker.In the PSP game, she is a major character and goes from antagonistic towards Big Boss to becoming an ally.
6Who Are Chico And Amanda?
The other person Big Boss saves inGround Zeroesis Chico. He sadly dies after the bomb goes off in the helicopter. At least he shows up in the game at all. His sister Amanda is nowhere to be seen, only receiving a passing mention.
Related:10 Open-Word Games To Play If You Loved Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
They were both trusted allies inMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walkeras local resistance fighters. They quickly joined MSF, the group that would eventually become Diamond Dogs inPhantom Pain. Chico was just a kid, so his death was particularly tragic.
5Mother Base
This one is more connected to gameplay than the others. Anyone who only played the numbered entries was probably taken by surprise to find themselves recruiting soldiers and building up a base. All of these are expansions of elements introduced inPeace Walkerand its predecessor, Portable Ops. In those games, players similarly manage where to put their resources and develop weapons and items. InPeace Walkerthe group is MSF, and inPhantom Painit is Diamond Dogs.Phantom Paintakes the mechanic further by letting players walk around Mother Base and see the way it expands.
4Huey’s Revelations
Big Boss rescues Huey from Skull Face inPhantom Pain. As the game goes on you realize that Huey is pure evil, having killed his wife and used his infant son as a test pilot for Metal Gear Sahelanthropus. While it is still surprising to see it happen inPhantom Pain, the impact is even more shocking for those who playedPeace Walker. Strangelove’s death is more tragic if you see the two meet for the first time and understand how shy Huey is.
3Cypher
Skull Face is out to destroy Cypher, whoMetal Gearfans might better recognize as the Patriots. The group is only known as Cypher inPeace Walker, so you might be confused if you did not play it beforehand.
Related:10 Game Studios That Could Actually Handle A Metal Gear Reboot
At least Skull Face frequently mentions Zero, who is a major character inMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It is not too confusing as long as you remember Zero and the conflict between him and Big Boss. It is a shame Zero only shows up in voice, however.
2The AI Pod
Despite the Boss having died inMetal Gear Solid 3,Lori Alan still recorded some lines for her role as the AI pod which recreates the Boss’s personality. This plot point might seem kind of random, but the AI pods were an essential part ofPeace Walker. Dr. Strangelove was trying to recreate the Boss’s personality since she believed only the Boss could determine whether or not to launch a nuclear strike in the event of a nuclear crisis between the United States and the Soviet Union.
1Kaz’s Change In Personality
InPhantom Painplayers find Kazuhira Miller after years in confinement, having suffered through torture. He is missing limbs and also has lost his sight. If you did not playPeace Walker, you might assume Kaz was always dour and focused on revenge. However, it was the events ofGround Zeroesand the destruction of MSF that changed him. InPeace WalkerMiller is more joyful and a womanizer. He is even a bit of comedic relief in the portable game. We wonder if he gets some of his old self back in the years betweenPhantom Painand his offscreen death in 1998’sMetal Gear Solid.
