Uploaded December 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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This video contains spoilers for the Metal Gear Solid series.

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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
3:05 - Structure, or: The Problem With Tapes
11:45 - Chapter 2
13:28 - Disconnection
17:20 - Character Problems
24:19 - Skull Face
27:26 - Visual Storytelling
28:50 - The Twist
36:28 - Cut Content
39:24 - Closing Thoughts: Understanding

In part 2 of my critique of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, I take a look at perhaps the most important element of any Metal Gear game - its story. In MGSV, however, thanks to deep structural issues, plot holes, poor characterisation and a twist that tells us very little we didn't already know, The Phantom Pain serves as the least interesting way to tell a story that didn't need to be told.

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Patreon: patreon.com/writingongames
Podcast (iTunes) - itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/writing-on-gamescast/id1124674245?mt=2

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Some pickup footage (thanks to my capture hardware bugging out) from:
TheInnocentSinful - youtube.com/watch?v=RGRrkczdEVg
ALEX - youtube.com/watch?v=chjuKZqwpjA
Shirrako - youtube.com/watch?v=jVmNrJqDKGU
Tactical Modding Operations - youtube.com/watch?v=87YXRvfMDlM
Inzaa - youtube.com/watch?v=-B4JIHh5Jqk
Trailers from Konami and The Game Awards.

Thank you all so much!

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Intro Text Provided by Lashman - twitter.com/RobotBrush

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Thank you so, so much for your continued support. You all mean the world to me.