So game shops are breaking the street release date here in Saudi Arabia and I snagged a copy yesterday. I played around 6 hours yesterday and I plan on staying in today and just playing the shit out of this game.

I know when I was waiting for the game I was hungry for every piece of NON SPOILER information I can get my hands on. So if you guys wanna ask me about the stealth mechanics, gameplay, or general questions, go ahead!

PROOF!

As you've probably read, reviewers have said that the game has a sparse story. From what you played, do they mean that there are only a few story missions or that there is actually little plot progression?

Is there a trophy for playing through the game with no kills? This is integral information that I absolutely do not want to look up myself because spoilers.

@oldirtybearon: Trophies are not synchronizing or listing, but they are appearing when earned, people with early copies say. Usually they go live a few days before release, we'll see what happens with this one.

How do you think the visuals hold up? Considering it is 60fps 1080p and it is also on last gen. I think compormises had to be made.

Edit: Are you ashamed of your words and deeds?

Does Jack Bauer seem to be putting much effort into his performance? Is there real emotion there?

Where there more areas to go to than just the Afghanistan and Angola maps?

Any other covers of the Bowie song the Man Who Sold the World appear in the game?

I was just about to make a thread, because I also got the game early. I'm about to play now.

Don't know if this counts as spoilery, but have you come across the hospital stuff that was shown of in the games initial release?

I also got the game early so I can answer some of these questions. I don't want to hijack @decibel's thread so I'll let him answer the rest.

It is most definitely in the game.

I think the performance is fine. But it can't help thinking it's Jack Bauer whenever he talks. Also, he's pretty damn quiet. You hear more of him in the cassette tapes though.

No trophy for that specifically, but there is one for S-ranking every mission, which will likely entail not killing anyone most of the time. I will say that bosses (that I have encountered) can be defeated non lethally.

Some textures don't look "next gen" and there is noticeable pop in whenever you're travelling fast, but I think it looks fantastic overall. The lighting is especially good. The framerate is a solid 60 and the load times are surprisingly short.

@oldirtybearon They're pretty good at killing themselves, too. (there's no spoilers in this video)

Are there additional characters who are already familiar in the series who make appearances, or do the trailers show most of the key players involved? If characters from previous games do appear that have yet to be shown, would you say the amount is substantial or sparse?

I know you're only six hours in so it might take a bit more time before you have enough to really answer that, but it's something I've been really curious about for a long time now.

edit: Also that video is great and I love it.

double edit: As far into the game as you are, have you opened up any FOB options? I know there's been some stuff going around about microtrasnactions, and I'm curious how quickly that mode opens up.

Wow that was great.

Well so far there is a lot of story and progression. Its hard to explain without spoiling things but the main story missions is showing a lot of story progression so far.

I think it looks great on PS4. There is a little pop in when it comes to foliage and Snake's texture starts looking a bit weird when he is covered in blood, but otherwise it looks and runs fantastic. Makes me wanna try the PC version.

reply to your edit: Oh, no they still didnt explain that part yet.

I like his performance because it has grit to it. However, he doesnt talk much! even during emotional cut scenes he is just there not talking.

over 8 hours into the game and I'm still in Afghanistan

Can't tell you honestly. I still didn't run into a lot of the characters I saw i the trailers! and FOB is not online yet. I'll have to wait till the actual release date.

How dope nasty is this game?

Have you pooped yet? How's the pooping?

I need to know.

I unlocked a command that makes the horse poop when I say so.

Can buddies die in the field? Kojima said there was permadeath involved but that was last year and I haven't heard anything since. I'm not taking that dog anywhere unless I know it's coming back.

Yo you can make your horse take a shit.

Good question. The buddies I've used so far didn't get injured so far. I think one of the trailers shows what happens. Basically they get fultoned out of the field.

Did Vinny get an early copy aswell?

If you've gotten to the point where motherbase development starts taking actual time to develop items and such what's the scaling of time like, what's the longest an item has taken to develop, and could you check to see if the timers go down while the game is offline?

Ok I got a couple more.

Is the hospital scene bugfuck crazy/awesome? And do you ever find out who is under those bandages (i.e. that guy helping you out of the hospital)?

@gaggle64: Unfortunately (or fortunately) I think the permadeath idea was scrapped from what I've seen of Greg Miller playing.

Hospital scene is amazing. And you find out who bandaged dude is.

Can you get armor/fatigues for Quiet? I think she'd look way more badass running around with more than zero clothes on

@atomicoldman: I have played nearly 8 hours today...the hospital scene is incredible. I still don't know who the bandaged dude is though.

@cale: Ha I just started watching 24 yesterday and am watching it right now. He just stormed into a jail cell and attacked a criminal and the cops pulled him off of him, but he was really giving the criminal a card thing for reasons. Man I hope MGS V is good.

Came across any boss fights yet? If so, how are they?

@marc: Maaaan, I need it to be Tuesday.

I don't want to make a new thread, but I have a few thoughts on the game, after close to 16 hours. This is the best stealth in any game ever. A ridiculous amount of freedom in how you approach things. The thing that's been bothering me the most is that it just doesn't feel like Metal Gear. I've fought one real boss if you don't count quiet and it was pretty much hold down the trigger.

The story has been... I dunno, kinda nothing so far. I'm baffled by some of Sutherland's line delivery... that is if he says anything at all. Some of Kaz's line delivery/monologues are god damn boring. The gameplay is the star of the show here, something I never thought I'd say about a MGS game. Sure that hospital and Quiet's big intro is fucking cool, but I really, really hope it gets a whole lot better in the story department.

Ok cool.

Wait. Now I'm confused.

@shinboy630: You find out who bandage man is later in the game

@marc: Ah ok that clears it up. Thanks.

You can find a new outfit for her later on yes. Not gonna spoil what it is, but it's awesome.

@frostmane:have you not played a metal gear before? If anything there will be an option to somehow give her less clothes

Eli is so god damn boss

Do I want to play this game?

I'm not Metal Gear die-hard, but I enjoy the series a fair bit. I've only played the 4 console games, skipping on the handhelds because I didn't have anything to play them on and I didn't have any desire to go back to them with the HD re-releases. My only Peace Walker is Metal Gear Scalon and I didn't pick up Ground Zero's because the stuff I heard about the story really turned me off. Then seeing it turned me off even harder.

As someone who's only player 1-4 for the goofy nonsense, is this game for me?

@soldierg654342: Do you enjoy playing a good game? Do you wanna play an incredible stealth game that feels really organic?

If Peace Walker turned you off because of the recruiting and mother base layer, then maybe this one is not for you. However, its so fucking awesome recruiting people from field and watching your different mother base functions level up and being able to upgrade current gear and develop new ones.

Look for a "lets play" video on youtube and see if its something you can get into.

@marc: Watch it. No spoilers. I still didn't meet him yet.

@decibel: Can you Fulton everything from the start, or do you have to work on upgrading it for that?

Basically I want to know if I can just start grabbing sheep, trucks and mortars immediately (because I love stupid things like that), or if it's just dudes at the start. I've seen Greg Miller play a bit but either I missed it or he hasn't done anything but Fulton soldiers.

@decibel: Just said he is boss. That spoils nothing. Calm down.

@capum15: Not right away, but it takes no time to get it.

@marc: Excellent! Well then it seems I'll focus on that, and then more carrying capacity for even more fultons/tranqs.

Have the controls and cover been improved at all over what they were in Ground Zeroes, or are they exactly the same? I'm just now playing through GZ for the first time, and getting a little frustrated at things like not being able to easily toss magazines over cover as a distraction without rising up and becoming visible.

Also, regarding distracting guards: I'm finding empty magazines to be kind of overpowered in Ground Zeroes, and since they're infinite I was abusing them heavily in order to remain undetected. I hear there are more options in Phantom Pain, but are the magazines just as effective in distracting and moving guards around?

@Mike: The magazines are still infinite. They have to get kind of close-ish for a guard to hear it though.

Many controls have been tweaked and improved since GZ. Specifically stuff involving cover.

@marc: Cool, thanks. What about the controls while prone? Those seem a little janky in GZ when trying to do anything except crawl mostly forward or roll from side to side.

I'm going to be playing Phantom Pain on PC with a wireless 360 controller, then switching to mouse and keyboard any time there is shooting or anything requiring any amount of precision involved. Making accurate head shots using a controller at any appreciable distance was an exercise in frustration in GZ. Hopefully switching back and forth between controller and mouse & keyboard can be done on the fly still.