This game is a little different than most Metal Gear games. Yes, we have stealth (though you can forego it most of the time), cardboard boxes, and even the codec, but it's not "tactical espionage action" of past games. Instead, you play as Raiden, who continues being a badass cyborg swordsman like he was in MGS4.

The story is set three years after the fall of the Patriots in MGS4, and while they are gone, the war economy system they left behind is still going strong, and while on a routine bodyguard job with the Maverick PMC, Raiden finds himself thrust into a much bigger situation that could dial back the entire world into a new series of world wars.

This time, though, you don't rely so much on stealth as you do badass cyborg samurai skills, and having played this on PC, the game was adapted quite well from the consoles in terms of controls, though it is heavily advised even rookies play the VR tutorials extensively and get a firm handle on the basic controls, as this game will force you to use all the skills you learn at one point or another.

The graphics are pretty stunning and the game runs very well on computers that meets the recommended requirements, with quality meeting and even exceeding the consoles in some areas, especially on high spec computers.

Sound is excellent, and while not typical Metal Gear fare for the most part, the music fits the high intensity ace of the game well, with the boss battle themes well worth the price of admission. Voices and sound effects are also quite stunning, and several classic MGS effects, like the alert sound, are heard just as fans of the other titles remember them.

Gameplay is "easy to learn, difficult to master", and while it is quite forgiving to newer players, the difficulty curve is from the fact the pace is very fast (a la Devil May Cry, from which this game cribbed a lot of notes regarding play style and gameplay), so the stealth fans of MGS will have to adapt, and you will have to master quick time events, hitting enemy weakpoints, and learning all the ins and outs of swordplay to avoid repeated game overs.

The story is somewhat short, but is well told, with all the classic MGS twists, turns, and mind screws fans expect, and the characters are for the most part well fleshed out, though some of the bosses get very little screen time in the main game (though the DLC, included with the PC version, do remedy this). The game does rely on a basic knowledge of MGS2 and MGS4's events for the backstory, though it otherwise tries not to bury you in backstory and tries to tell it's own plot. It also mentions Solid Snake himself very little, most likely because this game is Raiden's starring moment, though many nods and call backs to Snake's lines and mannerisms are made, and Sunny Gurlukovich from MGS4 also shows up, so while most of the cast is new, it does retain clear links to the other games in the series.

To avoid spoiling the plot, I'll not cover it in depth, but I will say the final boss is one of the most over the top, entertaining, and oddly likable characters, even if he does a lot of horrible things, mostly because he's also pretty charming, badass, and hilarious all at the same time, and most of the bosses have their own fun moments. The supporting characters are also well developed and likeable (especially if you listen to all the Codec calls).

Finally, the game, like all MGS games, has a theme, and it's that "history repeats, but we don't have to make the same mistakes all over again regardless", and while the ending is somewhat bittersweet, it does a worthy job continuing the MGS series tradition, and I recommend it highly to any serious Metal Gear Solid fan.