Foreign media praised "Metal Equipment 5": Even in the past ten years, it still has a far-reaching impact!

　　Recently, foreign media Inverse published an article saying that although this work has been released for ten years, its profound impact on a large number of subsequent games cannot be ignored, and it promotes the future development of open world gameplay.

The article points out that from a commercial perspective, "Metal Equipment: Phantom Pain" is undoubtedly a successful work. In 2015, the game sales exceeded 6 million copies, becoming the best-selling work in the series, and its first release revenue was about US$179 million, comparable to the opening performance of Hollywood blockbusters.

　　Although Hideo Kojima created stealth gameplay with the "Metal Equipment" series, the core charm of "Metal Equipment: Phantom Pain" lies in "player choice". The game uses a sandbox system, and every decision of the player will cause completely different results: a failed assassination may lead to a sweep of armed helicopters, a sudden sandstorm may change the situation, and even a dozing guard may become an unexpected obstacle.

It is this deep interaction and freedom that makes "Metal Equipment: Phantom Pain" an unprecedented immersive game. Its system-driven open-world experience is also continued in subsequent works such as "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" and "The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim".

Although these works may not be directly influenced by Metal Equipment: Phantom Pain, they have jointly pushed open world games into a new era. The subsequent works such as "Horizon: Dawn of Zero" and "Soul of Tsushima" also continued this trend, perfectly integrating traditional linear tasks with free exploration and improvisation.

These innovations make "Metal Equipment: Phantom Pain" closer to the "immersive simulation" type, and are no longer just the "task-taking and task-handling" mode in traditional role-playing. Its deep stealth mechanism still affects the new generation of game design.

　　Whether it is the stealth mission in "Death Stranding 2" or the free exploration in the grand world, we can see the shadow of "Metal Equipment". Ten years have passed, and looking back at the legacy of "Metal Gear: Phantom Pain", it undoubtedly looks like a "crystal ball", heralding the future direction of open-world games.

　It is worth mentioning that Hideo Kojima himself also reposted the article and stated with a high profile: "Kojima's unfinished masterpiece still affects today's game."