
Pre-orders be taken now but fucked if I'm paying full price for a demo albeit a sexy one.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014- ... es-preview
The truth is perhaps that Ground Zeroes was never intended as a standalone release. Konami's always passed it off as an appetiser to tide us over until the main course, but despite The Phantom Pain's gargantuan publisher-backed budget, this feels like a crowdfunding effort in a disguise as obvious as a cardboard box. As Kickstarter has proven time and time again, people are willing to pay top dollar not simply for early access, but because they want to support a project - and the extra money towards the Phantom Pain's no-doubt immense development bill provided by Ground Zeroes will no doubt be appreciated by Kojima and Konami.
So Ground Zeroes is hardly essential, but it accomplishes what it set out to do in giving players a taste of how a more open-ended Metal Gear adventure might feel. Its wealth of strategies and secrets unearth plenty of tactical treasure for those willing to dig - something the premium price deviously encourages. Those expecting a full game are going to be disappointed, however - Ground Zeroes does feel like a very expensive demo. But it's also a very, very good one.
Like any good Metal Gear, the more you put into it the more you get out of it. Even after eight hours on this map I was still discovering new strategies. I won't spoil them, as figuring these for yourself is much of the fun - but let's just say that Konami capped its preview event by showing a skilled member of the dev team race through the main mission in under 18 minutes without raising a single alert. Naturally, he utilised a lot of secret techniques that hinted at just how deep this rabbit hole goes.
Before you start piecing together its detailed systems, you'll notice that the basic mechanics and design have been minimised since MGS4, a decision that's sure to be divisive. You no longer have a camouflage percent dictating how hidden you are, so you'll have to rely on trial and error to gauge the effect things like darkness and shrubbery have on your concealment. Snake also doesn't have a "stamina" or "psyche" meter this time around, nor does he have a radar. Instead, players must zoom in with binoculars to "tag" enemies, making their movements visible even behind walls.
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