Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: Difference between revisions

** The game is set during the twilight years of the [[Cold War]], as [[Private Military Contractors]] become more prominent. Already, the machinations that would culminate in the Patriots' War Economy in MGS4 are shown to be well underway.

** It also marks the point in which Big Boss makes the transition from the misguided hero in ''Snake Eater'' to the supposed [[Big Bad]] of the original [[Metal Gear]] games.

* [[Equal Opportunity Evil]]: While Diamond Dogs isn't necessarily evil (at least by this point), it's rather indiscriminate when it comes to recruits. Given how they come from various cultures, nationalities and even gender.

* [[Executive Meddling]]: While Konami gave Kojima relatively free rein over the game's development, [[Word of God]] is that rather substantial portion had to be altered if not left on the cutting room floor. [[What Could Have Been|This includes a chapter simply titled "Peace."]]

* [[Misplaced Vegetation]]: Averted. The few plants you can pick up would plausibly be found in the regions you can acquire them.

* [[Multinational Team]]: Diamond Dogs can have members from literally all over the world, and their pickiness in recruiting is so low Afghan mujahideen serve alongside former Soviets and African mercenaries from different tribal areas (many of which bitter enemies normally) are comrades in arms.

* [[Never My Fault]]: The game really does an unsettling job showing Huey's true colors. {{spoiler|Whether it's his betraying MSF in ''Ground Zeroes'', leaving Strangelove to die or planning on using ''his own son'' as a guinea pig, all while pitifully playing the victim when Venom and Miller fully catch on to it all.}} Ocelot {{spoiler|during Huey's "trial"}} observes how he does it ''so'' well that he never even realizes that he's doing it.

* [[Organic Technology]]: Used quite extensively by Cipher. {{spoiler|Well, Skull Face's breakaway faction at least. This is used to create the Skulls, refine uranium without needing a reactor, and even serve as a detonator/safety lock on nukes. You can acquire a limited version of this later with the Parasite Suit, which can mimic the powers of the Skulls for a limited time}}.

** {{spoiler|In what doubles as a case of [[Foreshadowing]], he underwent hypnotic therapy to PREVENT doing so, even accidentally, because it was that important Venom was able to draw attention away from Big Boss and thus keep the ruse intact. He would do this to himself again in MGS4 for similar reasons}}.

* [[Red Herring Twist]]: Zero is propped as being the ultimate antagonist. {{spoiler|He's not.}}

* [[Russians With Rifles]]: The Soviet 40th Red Army motorized rifle division is the primary enemy force in Afghanistan.

* [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]: A running theme throughout the plot. Everyone involved in the story is after some form of vengeance.

* [[Schizo-Tech]]: While the Metal Gear universe tends to play fast and loose with what tech actually existed yet usually bases it on tech that did exist in some form (if only as a concept) during the time period of the game in question, this game even gives the player the chance to get their own wormhole device.

* [[Shout Out]]: The Afghanistan sections bear more than a few homages to ''[[Rambo III]]'' and ''[[The Living Daylights]]'', which also involved the Soviet occupation.

* [[Suspiciously Apropos Music]]: Some of the collectible '80s hits in the game have some connection to the plot or overall theme. Among the most notable being the cover of [[David Bowie]]'s ''The Man Who Sold the World.''