Before the Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater remake, the complete MGS5 is going cheap

If you're looking for something to keep you occupied ahead of the Snake Eater remake, dive into Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid 5 Definitive Experience, a masterful take on the tactical espionage action genre. Set in two parts, Ground Zero acts as the amuse-bouche, a Pesto Scallop if you will, a tiny bite of flavor that gets your mouth watering, ready for the main meal, The Phantom Pain, which offers one of the most emotional experiences in the history of videogames. Right now, you can get both of them together for just $22.98 / £19.15 over on Fanatical, making it the perfect time to pick them up.

As with most things Hideo Kojima has a hand in, Metal Gear Solid V is a work of art both visually and thematically. It's not your usual regurgitation of stereotypical mechanics you see with certain IPs, it layers serious themes with philosophical depth, transforming what could have been yet another stealth game into an emotional rollercoaster with plenty of eccentric, quirky touches. You'll be crying one minute and laughing the next, enjoying thrills befitting of the best action-adventure games along the way.

Set in 1984, The Phantom Pain sees you play as Punished "Venom" Snake, who has just awoken from a nine-year coma following an attack by Cipher and Skull Face at the end of Ground Zeroes. After years of dreaming about gosh only knows what, Snake awakens, one arm down, and creates the Diamond Dogs - a team whose objective is to get revenge on Cipher and prevent a mass bioweapons attack.

As with most open-world games, you can embark on the main quest, side quests, or just explore to your heart's content. Missions vary from tactical action to aerial assaults, so you never quite know what you'll be doing next. You'll have a wide array of weapons and gadgets at your disposal. From sniper rifles to machine guns and rocket launchers, you can customize colors, switch out barrels, stocks, and scopes, as well as tailor weapons to your play style. Want to go in all guns blazing? Make your weapon lethal. Oh, and then there is the water pistol, the Bionic arm, and the Honey Bee Rocket Launcher. Even with this more serious instalment, Metal Gear never loses its sense of whimsy.

As you explore the map, you'll find that this isn't the grounded setting you'd expect from a gritty wartorn stealth game. True to Metal Gear form, you'll find cardboard boxes and cutouts which you can use to sneak around under, or hide behind. Perhaps you'll get guards to salute you while hauling around a soldier standee. You also have a balloon extraction device, which is super handy for getting large objects back to your base. Things like trucks, horses, or people, you know, the essentials. Meanwhile, showering will help you regain morale, and punching your soldiers boosts their loyalty to you. All very logical stuff. You can pet the dog, too, which is always a plus.

As a Kojima game, you can expect the usual dialogue and long cut scenes. Although these are done well, they can get a bit tedious as the game progresses, but the voice acting is on point. Although controversial, I think David Hayter's replacement, Kiefer Sutherland, does a stellar job voicing Snake.

We aren't sure how long this deal will last, maybe it'll sneak away under a cardboard box tomorrow? We don't know, so best to head over to Fanatical and grab your copy for 23% off now, bringing it down to just $22.98/£19.15.

If you'd like to explore more of this genre, check out our guides on the best war games and best WW2 games.

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