Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a third-person action game with a focus on stealth and the final game in the Metal Gear series. Canonically it is the fifth game in the series, but it is the eleventh main installment overall.
The gameplay borrows and expands upon most of the mechanics introduced in Ground Zeroes , which was a smaller slice in content in anticipation of this title. The game is set in 1984 with Big Boss also known as Punished "Venom" Snake as the protagonist. He seeks revenge against the Cipher group led by Skull Face who destroyed his forces and almost killed him in Ground Zeroes . At the start of the game he wakes up in a military hospital in Cyprus and is attacked by soldiers and a strange, burning creature.
The game has a complex story with long cut-scene sequences. Most of the gameplay mechanics introduced in Ground Zeroes are carried over. The player has unrestricted freedom to approach missions using large open world environments that offer the player many entry points. The base building feature from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is also present.
The game world has a real-time day and night cycle and various weather effects that influence enemy behaviour, visibility and sound. Sabotaging or destroying certain structures can also influence other parts of the map. Big Boss can travel on foot, on horseback or use a plane, a motorcycle, a patrol vehicle, a tank or a helicopter.
With each new technology new options become available, introducing drones, special types of weapon enhancements, a taser, echolocation and so on. Many types of buddies are provided over time, accompanying Big Boss, with various upgrade options. There is also a multiplayer mode where players can build a second Mother Base, called the Forward Operating Base.
A multiplayer mode allows players to defend their own base and can attack others. This part of the game has microtransactions with real money to speed up certain elements. In October 2015 the console versions were updated with a second multiplayer mode as a successor to Metal Gear Online.