Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain er neste kapittel i en serie med røtter i stealth-sjangeren, men Konami mener at det sliter seg fra "de begrensningene" takket være den åpne verdenen.
Det var i en samtale med MCV at selskapets marketing executive Jon Edwards sa dette. Han sa også at Metal Gear Solid, originalen, er serien eneste "ekte" stealth-spill, og at snikingen bare var en del av noe større selv den gangen.
Edwards fortalte: "I'd argue that Metal Gear Solid is pretty much the only proper stealth title, and even then it is just a part of the whole Sneaking is a key part of the game, but The Phantom Pain transcends such limitations. I would argue it is a true combat title, with stealth elements."
"The open world is just part of additions to its core. The huge game area is vital as it shows the scale of war. You don't just get enemy enclaves in one place, they have sentries and checkpoints, and they are often set up in perimeters. They check their outposts and patrol properly, making the scale essential as players pick the best route in."
"If anything, the larger setting benefits the gameplay and makes it more unique."
Han er heller ikke spesielt beskjed i sin omtale av Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, for han går så langt at han garanterer at dette er en kandidat til Årets Spill.
"Anyone who has spent any amount of time with it has been blown away by its depth, scope and ambition. It is one of those games where people go: 'I wonder if I can do this?' and they inevitably can. Many games claim to be sandbox, open-world affairs, but Metal Gear Solid V does offer incredible freedom. Yes, there are missions, but it is truly up to you how they are tackled. When we have shown it to the press, the interesting thing is that they don't discuss just the missions or what they played, but how they did it. You get people swapping different stories, and discussing how they beat certain elements."
"It's the game of the year - guaranteed."
Spillet slippes 1. september. Dette er etter all sannsynlighet det siste spillet i serien hvor skaperen Hideo Kojima er involvert, men Konami har vist interesse for å fortsette uten ham.