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Ever since the 2015 debut of Hideo Kojima's METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN, no facts about this game have been widely disseminated, only interpretations. This has to do with how the game's narrative is put together, which innovates a fusion between espionage action and forensic investigation. Is there more to TPP than meets the eye? That much is clear. But what's much harder to pin down definitively is the 'substance' behind the surface.



In this new mini-series, I try my best to piece together some idea of what's going on in the actual episodes that constitute MGSV:TPP. In this episode we look at all of Chapter Two: Race; as well as reconstruct a timeline for MGSV, and sketch out how it (may) connect back to the other games.


0:00 - Introduction
0:23 - Overview, from 'Revenge' to 'Race'
1:51 - Overview, Episodes 28 - 31
15:40 - Chapter Two, 'Race'
28:47 - Analysis, 'Shining Lights, Even in Death'
35:45 - The Trial
51:42 - 'Peace' & Quiet
56:11 - Overview, 'Truth: The Man Who Sold the World'
01:01:27 - Cipher's Civil War [Timeline]
01:17:37 - Some Baseless Rumors & Accusations
01:25:15 - Conclusion & Finale
01:26:58 - Credits








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"Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a third-person action-adventure game developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on September 1, 2015.

The tenth and final main installment of the Metal Gear series, Phantom Pain follows legendary mercenary Big Boss (now known by his codename "Venom Snake") as he awakens in 1984 from a nine-year coma following the destruction of his private military company "Militaires Sans Frontières". With help from his old business partner Kazuhira Miller and rival-turned-ally Revolver Ocelot, Snake must rebuild his mercenary army (now called "Diamond Dogs") while plotting revenge against the shadowy organization "Cipher," as well as its XOF paramilitary unit led by the enigmatic Skull Face.

Similar to its standalone prologue Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Phantom Pain focuses on executing mission objectives in open world environments set in both Soviet-occupied Afghanistan and the Angola-Zaire border region of central Africa, complete with dynamic weather and day-night systems. Stealth is a major component of gameplay, but often optional thanks to Snake's arsenal of combat gear. Players can also upgrade Diamond Dogs' new "Mother Base" in a fashion similar to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, allowing them to develop new weapons and items. In addition to its single-player campaign, the game includes two player-vs-player multiplayer modes, as well as optional microtransactions and other paid downloadable content.

The Phantom Pain is notable as the final game in the series with involvement from series creator Hideo Kojima and his Kojima Productions team. Several months before the game's release, Konami began a major restructuring of its games division, ultimately leading to Kojima Productions being treated more as a contractor rather than an internal studio. Unlike prior Metal Gear titles from the same team, Kojima Productions' logo and branding is absent from promotional materials and packaging for the final game. After leaving Konami, Kojima would go on to establish a new independent studio with the same name in 2015.

The Phantom Pain was bundled together with Ground Zeroes and all DLC as Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience in late 2016 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Phantom Pain's gameplay and graphics engine were later reused for the 2018 survival-focused spin-off title Metal Gear Survive."