Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Review

The last in a series of Metal Gear Solid reviews, this one is an in-depth review of Peace Walker. This video contains spoilers for the entire game along with many other Metal Gear entries.
Other entries in this series:
MGS1:
MGS2:
MGS3:
MGS4:

[@aidanelmy4285]

"This is the fifth in a series of four reviews."

[@Groovioles]

Aidan Elmy is

[@Ashamedofmypast]

So many good jokes in his vids

[@subsonic9854]

Still no 6th or 7th though :(

[@Grgrqr]

@@marcotitan1338 ad here, report it away

[@ianbrennan9635]

Gives off the same vibes as "Issue 80 of a four-issue event".

[@Owl90]

"The fifth in a series of four" I love it when you do these subtle jokes

[@jerec1267]

+Jeronimo Prudêncio does he do unsubtle jokes? thats the great thing about his videos he hates it when games treat him like an idiot so he doesnt treat us like idiots

[@uknownada]

I know this is a super old comment, but his Ocarina of Time video had a few unsubtle jokes, including one later on when talking about the Gerudos and how Ganondorf was born, and it was really weak. Just goes to show that subtlety his definitely his type of humor.

[@Puppy_Puppington]

@@uknownada ok???

[@joe_mama__]

@@uknownada I disagree

[@uknownada]

@@Puppy_Puppington You're right, that was a really unnecessary comment.

[@CreamCrushed]

It may be ridiculous but the Fulton ground to air recovery is a real life thing.

[@solaris6428]

I know and everyone says its so unrealistic!

[@HelenaRedgrave]

+Solaris642 That's because it doesn't work like it does in the game. In real life, the balloon's line is caught in the air by a plane, and the cargo or personnel is then reeled in, this is in contrast to the game where the balloon itself literally lifts the person all the way to the sky to then be caught by a helicopter... through roofs a lot of the time if I may add.

[@AydarBMSTU]

Your avatar reminds me of Resident Evil 4)

[@Owl90]

+Krimson Psychosis It is but it doesn't work the way the game portraits it

[@CreamCrushed]

+Jeronimo Prudêncio well yeah, but it still exists.

[@jacket2038]

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that we didn't have sentient UFO's equipped with railguns in 1970's" -Matthew

[@stephenramos2824]

that was a bold statement

[@MonkeyBiznessFGC]

Wow, he went through the whole review without mentioning the wonderful, overpowered box-tank, or cooperative box based stealth; delivered by the "lovepack" box in this game. 4 feet shuffling around in a box, player 2 firing anesthetic out of the hole in the front is an experience unique to Peace Walker alone.

[@frogglen6350]

Wow. It feels weird watching his old reviews because Mat sounds so much more relaxed in his newer stuff

[@c0mplex_Ale]

Yeah you can definitely hear Matt trying to sound professional and clear, speaking louder and in a more consistent tone, with a lot of success of course, the videos hold up very well. His new videos are definitely easier to get through though, he sounds more natural whilst still sounding very professional and confident.

[@hawaiianrobot]

"what other games he could have made instead" *naked norman reedus holds a baby*

[@dayledwad6188]

Its quite sad how that game actually turned out

[@monmonkey7029]

Dayle Dwad Its been mixed in receptions. Death Stranding is definitely a, “Hate It or Love It” Game.

[@dayledwad6188]

I agree, I guess no one can really understand the weird mentality of Kojima. Brilliant... just straaaaange

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

@@yellowcard8100 Same. Love Death stranding as well and recepetion got better for the PC crowd.

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

yellowcard8100 “Keep on keeping on!”

[@Matthewmatosis]

The microphone I have at the minute makes it quite hard to get myself across without coming off a bit samey. Although I think it's not a problem for most people I am working on it and might be buying a new mic at some point to deal with this. A certain amount of this has to be caused by the fast pacing and long length of the videos as well so just keep in mind you can always pause and resume. I won't be changing the format of the videos but I do hope to have better audio eventually.

[@lamosic5730]

Matthewmatosis mgsv!!!

[@Matthewmatosis]

I had wondered that actually yeah. All the info I found just said it was a censorship thing but I'm not entirely sure. I don't think the torture in MGS1 or 3 was censored so I found that curious, since those seem at least as bad as the scene in Peace Walker. I mostly just mentioned it because it's a funny anecdote. Whatever the reason it was changed we ended up getting the better version in my opinion.

[@yannatoko9898]

Good review.

[@Guccibear100]

Growing up as mostly a Nintendo kid, and not getting into other consoles until my teens when I was flipping burgers and buying my own games, I actually missed out on the entire MGS series, except the first, which I played at around age 15. I ordered the Ultimate collection for PS3, because, based on your reviews, I feel like I actually need to experience the series. Your opinion, while much more articulate than mine, mirrors my thoughts. Especially with Majora's Mask, W101, and Dark Souls 2; so I imagine I'll feel similar about the MGS series. I'll play through the series over the next few weeks, and honestly, you're the first person to make a valid enough case for me to take on the series.

[@jacobschmidt8045]

Enjoy!

[@Daniel-Rosa.]

So! How did it turn out?

[@cyan.6399]

How'd it turn out? (2)

[@deltago1415]

How’d it turn out? (3)

[@yan-rayiller-may8443]

How'd it turn out? (4)

[@harrisonrjjego]

"...overcome his demons..." Why do you tease us so?!

[@cannonfodder4000]

I think the only reason they stuck a J-pop song at the end is because Paz's Japanese voice actor sings it. From what I hear she's kind of a draw in Japan.

[@Shizn0id]

not just that, it's also a tribute to shows like Macross where they have the theme song sung by the main heroine/s as the final giant space mech fight happens. it's a very late 70's early 80's anime style that fits the ingame time period.

[@josephlozano2970]

Weaboos

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

@@josephlozano2970 It's a japanese game bro. It can't be "weeaboo"

[@josephlozano2970]

LudicrousKid nice Otacon pic weeb

[@TheSoulHarvester]

Every Western Review of Metal Gear games: "its good but is there some way it could be a bit less Japanese?"

[@KnightCrown]

I really really enjoyed your series of reviews on Metal Gear Solid. Thanks!

[@irizla]

Watched all your mgs reviews and all I can honestly say is that these reviews are a work of art in themselves.insightful, fair and very enjoyable to watch.

[@2sallads]

I loved the music choice for the Paz fight. It especially hits hard when you hear the slower sadder version in Ground Zeroes when you find Paz.

[@sho846]

So true. Ground Zeroes' story is nothing without having played Peace Walker.

[@tajbrewington530]

i love the amount of effort, detail, an deep analysis you put in your reviews it definently sets u apart from other game reviewers on youtube.

[@beefjerkingz4265]

Please do a review of Metal Gear Solid 5!

[@Kakeraverse]

After he finishes it twice

[@Arkimbald]

That's easily 500 hours of work.

[@burgskeletal3149]

I don't think Phantom Pain should've been made. It adds nothing to the series plot. It gives us more questions than answers. I didn't like the dumb twist ending that answered a question nobody asked. I didn't like how Ocelot was handled in the game, and Quiet was just there to attract young teen males just hitting puberty. Eli/Liquid's appearance felt very forced and unnecessary. Speaking of old Metal Gear characters, why were Psycho Mantis and Volgin even in this game? The game already had a villain. It's not like it needed any more of them. Skullface started out interesting but fell flat by the end of it. For a game set in the 80s, the Metal Gear in this game is the most advanced one in the series despite REX and RAY being made at least 15 years later. It all feels inconsistent. Not to mention, the Metal Gear fight is the only good boss battle in this entire game. The Metal Gear Solid series is known for it's great boss battles, but this game fails to deliver. There is basically only two boss battle; the Metal Gear and Quiet. We have already had 3 sniper boss battles in the series so Quiet's fight feels a bit stale. The rest of the so called "bosses" are just bullet sponge super soldiers. Volgin's boss battle is very boring and dissappointing. There are no epic boss fights like in previous games. I think the lack of story in this game is the main element to blame. Kojima tried to do another MGS 2 stunt by making the trailers show something different than what the game has to offer, but in the end, it completely fails. The character swap was at the very last minute, and most players already theorized it before the game even released. In MGS 2, it was at the beginning and players had a chance to adapt to the change. The revelation here comes at the very end, and it feels very forced at that. Kojima's idea was to tell players that they are Big Boss, but it doesn't work out the same way like in MGS 2. In MGS 2, you are Raiden. You see Solid Snake and you idolize him and want to be him, much like Raiden does. Raiden has had VR training, similar to how you have played video games for "training". Raiden is pretty much a blank slate and is able to represent the player very well in the story. At the end, Raiden throws away a dog tag with your name on it, symbolizing that he is his own man now and will make an identity of his own. In The Phanton Pain, it is the exact opposite. The whole game you basically play as a silent protagonist wondering what is going on with Snake and all of a sudden at the end, Kojima tells you that you he is a fake and that you are a Big Boss, but it's already too late. Players have already beaten the game at this point and they never really experienced the same thing MGS 2 had to offer with Raiden. Personally, I wish the series ended with Snake Eater or Guns of the Patriots. Both would be good conclusions to the overall series. 4 wrapped every little plothole, but if 3 was the last game, then the theory that 2 was a simulation could've be proven true. The Phantom Pain just leaves us with more questions than answers, which is why it is a terrible game to end the series on.

[@slivvysaturn5175]

Mr. President Had the story of MGSV revolved around the establishment of Outer Haven and the Foxhound unit instead of arbitrarily forming a new unit with no connection or likable characters, it would have been an excellent conclusion to the franchise to tie it in to the events of the original Metal Gear for MSX. They already established Ocelot and Liquid being on his side, all they really needed to do was replace Quiet with a younger Sniper Wolf and they would've practically accomplished it. But instead Kojima conjured up the laziest plot he could think of with absolutely zero interesting dialogue or characters (how the hell did he manage to make a character like Ocelot boring), minimal story elements, and a half-baked ending twist that was implemented for no reason and doesn't serve to connect with the game's supposed theme at all. Nothing in MGSV had any relevance to the overarching plot of the franchise, you could completely erase that title from history and the timeline wouldn't change. Players could just assume that Big Boss took his private army idea further over the years until he established Outer Haven, so trying to crowbar in a story after Peace Walker that doesn't answer those questions is pointless beyond measure.

[@werneruntiedt4049]

I dont understand why you hate mgs 5 so much, just because it focuses more on gameplay

[@SandroSensei]

Man, you are the best reviewer on whole youtube. Im so sadded you are gone 😢. Would LOVE to hear your opinion in MGS5 🙇🏽‍♂️

[@gracjan2010]

It's funny how this is my favorite Metal Gear and yet it took me a second play through for it to click. This was my first Metal Gear Solid, playing Metal Gear Rising previously. I heard a lot about this franchise and confused Peace Walker with Snake Eater due to the similar setting. The first time I played it, I sucked, truly and painfully. After 12 hours, I came to the helicopter boss battle. Many tries later, I quit, sadly. Then I bought Snake Eater and started seeing what people love this series for. So I bought Metal Gear Solid and played it. While I liked Snake Eater's story, I somehow loved Metal Gear Solid's story even more. This was the moment I came back to Peace Walker, and when it clicked, it fucking clicked. 99 hours later, I bought Sons of Liberty and Guns of the Patriots. This was the game that truly made me love this franchise and I love it for it.

[@duffman18]

It's funny really because Snake Eater has such a completely different type of gameplay and setting from MGS 1 & 2, so it's interesting that that was your introduction to the series. I don't know how many people came to it from that game first. I get the feeling most people got MGS 2 first. But yeah, I really didn't like MGS 3 all that much the first time I played it. Because it really was so much different. It was a lot harder than MGS 1 & 2, for me anyway, cos I relied on the soliton radar too much and so there not really being one in MGS 3 except for the nigh on useless movement radar and still object radar which both don't help at all really, really fucked me up. I had beaten MGS 2 in European extreme because I replayed it so much, and had beaten it without killing a single enemy, which is the hardest thing to do really. Yet I absolutely sucked at MGS 3. I wish I could have played it again but I loaned it to a friend and then he never gave it back to me and then I went off to university and never saw that friend again. I would probably have liked it a lot more if I'd been able to replay it back then. But in the years since then I've seen many a great video about MGS 3 and the series as a whole, like Matthewmatosis's videos here, and especially Super Bunnyhop's MGS 3 video, which explain why they think it's the best MGS game, and the community in general still pretty much agrees with that to this day, and so I came to appreciate it much more than I did as a teenager back in the day. And now I've finally got to replay it again, with the MGS collection volume 1. Now the only ones I've never played are MGS 4, MGS 5 (although I've just started that because being a prequel it obviously doesn't spoil the plot of MGS 4 so I thought why not just play it, and I love it so far) and Peace Walker and Portable Ops. Volume 2 of the MGS collection will have all the remaining games included, I'm sure, so I'll finally be able to play MGS 4 which I've been desperate to play for years but never owned a PS3 so I couldn't. And the portable games I'm really looking forward to playing too. But yeah it's mainly MGS 4 I wanna play. But yeah MGS 3 really is amazing. I just didn't know how to play it back in the day. I just tried to play it like it was MGS 1 & 2, but it's really difficult if you try to do that. It's much much more difficult if you do. I never used all the different available abilities, items, tactics etc, and I never learned how to do CQC because I didn't know back then that you have to use the directional face buttons to crawl up behind someone to not be heard, because if you use the analogue stick they'll hear you. I just went around tranquilising people, when there's like a dozen different tactics you can use in any one area. Like throwing an empty magazine to get them to walk where you want them to, throwing snakes onto them, etc. It's a real sandbox. I've beaten it a few times now and am getting better and better each time. It's amazing. I understand now how it's a much slower paced game than MGS 1 & 2 were. And so if you try to rush through it you'll have a bad time. Like I did the first time I played it back in the day. And use the things available to you, like the thermal goggles really help out a lot. But yeah it's interesting to hear the perspective of someone like you who came to the series in the opposite direction. Yet you seem to have had the same kind of reaction to peace walker as I did with snake eater. Once it clicks and you understand it, it really works amazingly well. I hope you've played MGS 5 now too. Cos it really takes that Snake Eater gameplay and modernises it, takes it to its logical conclusion.

[@darkspawnsenior9488]

these reviews are actually very well done. its hard to find a wholy serious in depth looks at a game, and giving opinion on every little thing, instead of a summary and a score. keep it up mate.

[@SeruraRenge11]

The Peace Walker fight uses the Nana Mizuki song because she voiced Paz in Japan. That's it, that's basically the only real reason.

[@Acecard-jl2py]

+SeruraRenge11 When a voice actor is also a singer, you know developers gonna milk every single penny to take advantage of those aspects.

[@SeruraRenge11]

Austin Grider Plus you know, she's literally one of the biggest names in Japan and I think now the wealthiest person in the nation from her singing career (and she grew up in poverty). Having a song by her in your game is a big deal.

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

And well the name of the song is called "love deterrence" and MGS has a Anti-nuke message. So go figure! :D

[@BloopShow]

These reviews are really fantastic and I'm glad that I'm one of the people that has the patience to watch these long, in-depth reviews. I feel like they're genuinely enriching and give me a better appreciation of games in general.

[@Darksinne]

Dude I love your series, as a game design student I find your perspective to be incredibly informative and insightful. I also appreciate the effort that it takes to gather up all the source material for these videos, especially because I know how long it takes to beat these games (multiple times no less). Anyway, thanks for your time and effort, and please keep up the great work.

[@Carlitonsp1]

Great series of reviews man, you have a perspective on this stuff that's so interesting and you're as thorough of a reviewer as I think is possible.

[@littleNorwegians]

Here's hoping for a MGSV video!

[@dayledwad6188]

Still waiting?

[@Looneyboy]

Bump

[@Bhubnipz]

Dayle Dwad Lmao Jesus. He really kept us waiting, huh?

[@salvale9184]

> 5 years ago

[@muat1155]

Check out his macro video series consisting of 3 videos...it you read into the subtext of the video(s) it’s clear it’s his MGS V review disguised as a meta review of other games. Every segment is directed at MGS V if you read between the lines - it’s very MGS 2 of him.

[@zdueker]

Another great review. Am always amazed at the professionalism and amount of insight you bring to bear in these in-depth reviews. As far as I know, your the only person who puts forth so much constructive criticism addressing each part of the game; the story, game mechanincs, cinematics, even its prior history. Its very edifying. Thank you.

[@TheLoneWanderah]

Funny that you mention the J-pop song removing the gravity of the situation, in my playthrough this was compounded by my MG Zeke being pink.

[@rahxephonblack]

Thank you for making my day...I appreciate all of the work you do on these videos.

[@SMAXZO]

Not some..Supply Markers are a must for almost every boss fights. Yes, even when you have the Infinity Bandanna (the only special item that still let you S-Rank missions)

[@GeneralErlend]

The Peace Walker Battle theme is one of the best pieces in the entire series, and my personal favorite.

[@mikea7076]

Played the shit out of this on my psp, great game.

[@Kayn_The_Shadow_Reaper]

me too i just cant stop playing

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

same

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

Same as well. First mgs game I played.

[@BlindBison]

My favorite PSP game, unreal they got it to look and play this well at such a consistently high level of quality with a ton of content to boot.

[@keeperofthek]

I've said it before, but you are a credit to youtube and a presence that is sorely needed on the site. I'd like to thank you for your efforts on the reviews thus far and say that you have earned my utmost respect.

[@TPH7NS]

loving your reviews man, keep up the great work!

[@MetalSupplySite]

really digging these reviews man. very funny can't wait for the next ones!

[@vvolfflovv]

Seems Kojima followed your advice. I wonder what is next for him.

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

LeadFaun wait what. What do you mean it died?

[@salsamancer]

@@Gadget-Walkmen he means mgs is dead

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

nochtczar probably or probably not. I’m not too sure on whatever or not anyone at Konami really cares about making more mgs games though.

[@salsamancer]

@@Gadget-Walkmen I would love to get another game like MGS3, but honestly I don't think Konami has the talent for it anymore. MGS was always so auteur that we all knew it couldn't exist without kojima and survive proves that. Right now my only hope is that Platinum gets another chance to make an MGR game.

[@logitechpanasonic3]

great review, can't wait for more. personally i think "calling to the night" (portable ops i think) aswell as heaven's divide" are worth mentioning as the top soundtracks for MGS.

[@TheTrueFool]

I always look forward to your videos and I'm never disappointed.

[@rubenbohm3429]

Thank you for doing theses reviews, I love you analytical look at the metal gear series... while trying your best to be nonbiased.

[@Soeupe]

Love Deterrence, the song that plays during the Metal Gear ZEKE fight, was sung by Paz's Japanese voice actress and the lyrics fit the scene if you look them up. I do agree that it's a strange choice, though. Thanks for doing this review! All of your reviews are incredibly insightful and in-depth, so I'm definitely looking forward to whatever you decide to tackle next.

[@kurono1999]

I don't know why you stopped making videos lately but I really hope you consider making a review/critique of MGSV, I'd love to hear your opinion on Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain.

[@thatguy1628]

He's making the dark souls playthrough according to the April update so that's why he stopped for now

[@uknownada]

He mentioned on Twitter a while ago that he plans on doing a review of both GZ and PP at once, but he wants to finish his commentary on Dark Souls 2 because that's been long overdue.

[@anus4122]

+Hotkinkyjo's Rosebud Double He enjoys Dark Souls and wants to do a playthrough for it because it's something that interests him. When Ground Zeroes and the Phantom Pain start being relevant beyond initial hype, maybe he'll look over those too.

[@guspalmares]

Matthewmstosis, you have done it again. Thank you reviewing all these great games. Incredible analysis. I really details of the game where Hideo clearly admits being influenced by movies constantly. He know very that you create or communicate in different way, thoughts and notions in games being one of those. I appreciate this for what it is because sometimes is best to create something with so little, it is more rewarding and forces designers to do this more creatively. Keep up the good work.

[@Poet482]

The wait is over, again! I love your work, man!

[@goofsambo12]

Watched all reviews and they are all brilliant!.. I wish you the best and I am definetley looking forward to your next series of reviews!.. You actually make me proud to be Irish!..

[@bait4sale9001]

I played Peace Walker after MGS 3 and Portable Ops, and I grew to love Big Boss. With MGSV coming out and trying to make him a villain, I can't imagine seeing him like that. I know he does go on to threaten the world and try to kill Snake, but I, like all of you, were there when he was betrayed countless times, and know why he fights. We know what he faced in his life, and can literally relate to his pain, as we all went through it with him. Plus, I spent literal days making my Mother Base the biggest and most productive base I could, to the point where I had unlocked EVERYTHING, hunted, killed, or captured all items and people, and had the greatest feeling of pride. Then Ground Zeroes comes by, kicks me in the balls, and shows me, in painful detail, all my loyal soldiers and hard earned platforms, weapons, and vehicles burn and fall into the ocean. And Kojima expects me to hate Big Boss? Hell no! If anything, I'll do whatever is necessary to get revenge. I know Snake eventually ends the Patriots, but I'll be damned if I don't make sure the only thing left of Skull-Face is the smoldered remains of his damn hat.

[@ScottCastle]

bait4sale9001 I do hope you realize that Big Boss is one of the major Antagonists in the entire series... Lol

[@bait4sale9001]

No. He's more a hero than the Boss.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Yet, originally he was the main villain of the original Metal Gear games...(obviously I'm not going into the plot of MGSV for spoiler reasons). Considering that chronologically those games come AFTER all of the games with Naked Snake/Big Boss as the protag it stands to reason that he was and is considered one of the big antagonists for Solid Snake.

[@mikesmith145]

bait4sale9001 he misinterpreted her will

[@amilcarcabral6008]

Thanks guy, I've been waiting for this.

[@ninjabunny11]

thanks so much for your metal gear solid reviews

[@ColinFilm]

Excellent reviews. Nice thoughts on the role the music plays in the series during the Paz song section. :}

[@neonpop80]

Great reviews! Keep making them! :)

[@ItsTheCos]

After re-watching this I'm very interested in your opinion on The Phantom Pain

[@Truthfulnerd]

Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain? Been watching all these reviews and very much respect your thoughts. Would love this to continue to include the latest entires.

[@johng5177]

I like the current format of the videos, as they are the most detailed essays on gaming that I can find. I have no problem with your voice, pacing, or length. The one thing that I might suggest, is to add some simple background music. Either music from the game, or just a quiet ambient tune. The sounds from the game footage are fine, but sometimes there are moments of silence. I'm sure you have already considered this, but I thought i'd give my two bits. Keep up the great work!

[@SolidSnake684]

I kinda wish that after MGSV is the masterpiece that i hope it will be, that Kojima's next game be something new. I feel that MGSV is big enough to where it could be the only mgs game on ps4 for an extended amount of time. Id love to see what other stories Kojima could write.

[@tomwylie9298]

MGS V is it unless MG and MG 2 Solid snake get a remake and don't forget Xbone and PC

[@brightonboiii]

Well I'm hoping 5 ties into metal gear 1 (msx) and then I feel like there needs to be one more connecting 2 and 4 because there's a huge gap there.

[@tomwylie9298]

Woodsy let platinum games do it Kojima deserves to put the series to rest

[@brightonboiii]

Yeah it could be covered in the rising series as the thing I'm most interested in is Raidens transformation from the ending of 2 to being a cyborg ninja in 4.

[@rhyatheblack7586]

Kojima has already announced the next game he is working on is silent hills

[@IQ_in_the_negatives]

Your reviews are addicting and a breath of fresh air.

[@aramilialon]

I've seen all the reviews of the Metal Gear Solid saga. Really beautiful. I would like to thank you because you pointed a lot of interesting points of view I didn't care about (probably for the young age I played those games XD) and for certaing feelings I have proved again after long times. Thanks Matt ^^

[@Matthewmatosis]

I hoping to yeah, it probably won't be my next video though.

[@DocDoesGamingYT]

I played the demo for like 10 hours, that armored vehicle fight with friends was so good

[@Crowbar]

i stopped playing peace walker after around chapter 2. What annoyed me the most is how much interruptions the game had. You go into the menus, loading screen, you start a mission, codec call, loading screen, you play the mission which ends after 5-10 minutes, cutscene, loading screen, codec call, back to motherbase, loading screen, go to mission select, loading screen and so on. I had no problems at all with the cutscenes and codec calls in MGS 1-4 but in Peace Walker it was annoying. Also the fact that its gameplay is a much more simplified version than MGS3 or MGS4 (for obvious reasons) made me think if I really need to play this game and I decided to skip it and only checkout some videos to learn the story so I can understand MGS5 Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain. Considering that this is a PSP game though, I think its really impressive what they have done. One last disclaimer: I played every MGS this year for the first time (legacy collection).

[@InsaneEnergy]

Well, it was meant to be a handheld game, so the interruptions make sense.

[@Crowbar]

InsaneEnergy I know, but as Mathewmatosis said himself in the video it doesnt make sense even as a handheld game.

[@xGarrettThiefx]

I urge you to pick it up again - it is absolutely fantastic. Just give it some time you won't be disappointed.

[@InsaneEnergy]

xGarrettThiefx After Chap 2 the game really picks up, especially since you get all that extra gear. Also, do extra ops.

[@xGarrettThiefx]

InsaneEnergy I agree - I can see how the short missions would put ppl off but it is a long and deeply satisfying game

[@myahmyah3196]

Watching all of Matthew's MGS reviews so I know what to look out for when Phantom Pain is released tomorrow. :)

[@drafr]

Great review, and I cannot wait to see your next series of games or game alone reviewed. Still, I have to state that: You can be seen in vehicle missions, and still get an S rank, even in solo mode; and that I guess the point of reducing the status of The Boss was more of a reflection on what Snake's starts to see in teh course of the game - his vision gets shattered on what a soldier needs to be and, with Zero at large, he has to change to the villian to the world...

[@TheDrunkLawyer]

the mission based format is great I like going back and doing old main or extra ops multiple times

[@weezereire83]

"This is the fifth in series of four" :P Love these reviews. Well done.

[@whatamalike]

As soon as MGS went mission based I was like 'Meh, i'm done'. Seriously, this whole 'build a base and not really develop the plot' every MGS game developed since Portable Ops (other than MGS4) adhered to is not why I enjoy an MGS game.

[@Tamacat388]

You should play the game first before saying there is no plot.

[@whatamalike]

I have played through the game, got it about a week after it came out. And...there is no plot. Don't assume I haven't played it because my opinion may differ from your own...

[@Tamacat388]

madcapoperator The game has a plot. Saying it doesn't is just objectively wrong.

[@whatamalike]

So if we're gonna be splitting hairs, OBJECTIVELY by comparison to MGS' 1,2,3 and 4 The Phantom Pain has the least engaging plot of the main series' titles and thinly spread over a large amount on gameplay time.

[@Tamacat388]

madcapoperator That's true for Phantom Pain and what little story there is is badly written trash but that wasn't true for Peace Walker.

[@ReddRambler]

Hi! I'd just like to say that it's wonderful how you spend a lot of time discussing gameplay systems. Most reviewers nowadays seem to ignore gameplay and only want to talk about how the story made them feel.

[@Dhips.]

I'm afraid it's been 9 years. Maybe one day will get an MGS5 video, but if not we have 5 solid videos.

[@johnjackass461]

You're awesome. I love this series!

[@selforganisation]

About the short missions: I agree with you, there's little point in splitting up gameplay into short chunks because it's a handheld, when the handheld supports suspending gameplay for arbitrary time. I play games (PSX, PSX, and native Vita ones) mostly on the go e.g. while waiting for a bus or on a bus, typically 5-10 minutes at once and when e.g. the bus arrives, I just suspend the Vita with the power button, hide it in a pocket and I'm ready to go. However, I can see for some the benefit of short missions for the sake of allowing the player to feel that he accomplished something in this short time. Also, often in a game you build a plan of how to tackle a portion of the game (like, which route to take) and it can be problematic to execute such plans when you interrupt the gameplay and go back to it later, at which point you basically have to plan from the start.

[@TheAwwWtf]

THANK FUCKING GOD I WAS WAITING FOR ONE OF YOUR REVIEWS ON PEACE WALKER

[@ferraridav]

Hey Matt, great series of reviews on the mgs saga. While I don't agree with all your points, you bring a lot of important stuff up and it's always good to get opposing viewpoints on things. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the resident evil series, especially concerning it's evolution.

[@iWillWakeYouUp]

Lol I like how the video just ends. What a great review... seriously, Matthew, you are one of the best youtubers as of now. I hope more people like you pop up in the future, because I need more stuff to watch :D

[@cannonfodder4000]

Important to mention that Ashley Wood isn't the only illustrator for the cutscenes, he was partnered with Yoji Shinkawa

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

That's why the motion comics in Peace Walker look as phenomenal as it does as Shinkawa REFINED all of the art so it can look as incredible as it does!

[@ricardoms2072]

Still waiting the sixth in a series of 4 reviews...

[@StarWarsAddict527]

So have you played MGSV Ground Zeroes and the Phantom Pain yet Matthew? If you have do you plan on doing a review of MGSV in the near future?

[@thegooseinator9614]

He said on Askfm that he might after he beats it more than twice, but he hasn't finished it yet

[@shalashaska9946]

This is the only one I never played but it just looks so much like MGS V, from the menus to the Fulton and icons and everything

[@GuyOnAChair]

The gameplay in this was incredible until V made it look pathetic in comparison. That said the story is leagues better than Vs and the writing is top tier and a relief compared to 4s.

[@SaberRexZealot]

GuyOnAChair ​​ Better than 4 and V as an overall package in my opinion.

[@uknownada]

This game is definitely the skeleton for MGSV. Not just with fultons, but the whole system of managing motherbase. Obviously it's not as fleshed out or well designed as Phantom Pain, but it's worth playing on its own imo. If you liked the system of Phantom Pain and the personality of the rest of the series, this game is up your alley!

[@NDAncient7]

I just starting playing this in the HD Collection and it´s so FUN, playing solo or online is very fluid, but i haven´t any problem finding matches like you said, maybe depends on the connection, you reviews are awesome and i can´t wait for you to review MGS5

[@michielkroder4031]

Thoroughly enjoyed. Are you planning on doing videos on the Zone of the Enders games as well?

[@Exigentable]

It's interesting to come back to these after the fallout with Konami resulted in quite the nightmare for Kojima during development of MGSV. I think the monologue at the end is directed toward Konami, in hindsight, rather than his studio which he seems to love.

[@DirectJazz]

Hey Matthew, big thumbs up from me, you make great reviews. You're making reviews seem like some of my japanese animé.

[@6MetaL6Core6]

haha, 5th in a series of 4. I am glad you reviewed peace walker, really enjoyed your take on everything. Cheers!

[@BrotherO4]

cant wait for him to do a mgs 5 review when it comes out. well this in depth we wouldnt see until like at the end of this year if he would do this edite: if it wasnt for Ops we would not have peace walker, if not for peace walker we wouldnt have mgs 5 has is

[@BlindBison]

This game was insane on the PSP when it came out, dang. My favorite game on the platform overall. Such a great title, can’t believe they got this running on the PSP.

[@VebseLover]

I so agree with the point made about handheld games. It's an illusion that handheld games need to be "shorter" or played in chunks. Handheld games can usually be set on pause like Sleep Mode, whereas stationary games might benefit more from an "arcade" structure. Handheld games can take as long as they need to because players will follow the story through like reading a book, whereas on a stationary console players are less willing to waste their time and just want to get to the gameplay already (I know I feel that way) or they would rather watch a real movie instead.

[@a.j8307]

my headcanon is that Paz plays the Jpop song on the speakers of ZEKE to screw with Snake. she does sing it after all

[@Spyderist]

never played the game but watched the video to get a good overview of it. thanks.

[@Achievemonkey]

Nice end to the review. Thank you for doing peace walker.

[@JReed1985]

Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker has to be the hardest with the boss fights and other features. This and Ground Zeros is the ideal MGS game to play before the long awaited Phantom Pain.

[@doorto6152]

Can you give use any hints as to what series/games you'll review next or at least a time when the next review will be out?

[@FraserSouris]

5:40 That approach still has value. In your train example, if the player is interuped when they have 5 minutes left then they only lose 10 minutes of progress. Progress that can be easily recouped in the next session. Something that isn't as consistent on consoles Secondly, The fragmented structure also means the player can focus on the gameplay they want and get the most fun in a short time than a console game would do in a similar time. Consider that say, MGS4 has many sections devoid of traditional stealth gameplay and has many gimmick based sections in addition to story and codec moments. This means playing just 15 minutes of MGS4 isn't guaranteed to be satisfying. In contrast, PW's missions tend to be more concentrated and satisfying for those 15 minutes because they were designed to be. You have a more consistently satisfying 15 minute sessions which is good for people playing the game in chunks

[@sofukindumb]

i thought the Paz fight song wasn't particularly bad, but it was a cool nod to the Paz diary tapes where Paz was trying to sabotage ZEKE so she could stay on Mother Base long enough to perform Love Deterrence because Cipher/Zero had other spies on board and knew that it was completed. while she was sabotaging ZEKE, Chico found her and she had to set it all off. the song that plays was Love Deterrence in jpop form. on the Walkman, though, there's a different version of Love Deterrence where that was more acoustic and would have sounded like it would have should Paz been able to perform it.

[@ZacksEnder]

Watch through the series, loved every moment. Subscribed.

[@simonhicks5973]

This video aged so well! I had no idea this was 7 years old

[@lodeyo]

patiently waiting for review 6 of 4, of mgs game 5 🤞😌🙏

[@wisefatmatt]

I think you got it pretty much right. I can't really think of any big flaws in your arguments so props to you. The final boss fight was really odd, and I'm glad I had the Walkman item to change the music.

[@lreiner]

Will there be a short review on Ground Zeroes?

[@wh3nderson95]

How do players feel about the J Pop them for the final boss fight? For me, it was rather more of a reflection of Paz. She is viewing this incident to start WWIII as a playful game. It's jarring on how this could effect the world against such a character like Big Boss. I felt like the theme worked. The fight wasn't supposed to reflect Big Boss. Like how some themes in the past games were done with the bosses of older games. To give them something different.

[@kerbe3]

Considering Paz is still around after the true ending, I like to think that they recovered her from the ocean and this time she really DID get severe amnesia. So Big Boss just uses the original story Paz was using for her cover. This will explain why she's the same post true ending.

[@RSATT01]

Ground Zeroes explains it. She was rescued by fisherman, and Cipher thought she was a double-double-agent for MSF, so they tortured her on the island GZ takes place on.

[@StainlessPot]

The idea of having a portable game divided into 10 minute bits is not only silly because it might not provide the intended convenience. It's also simply unnecessary. Modern portable consoles have a hibernation mode, which allows you to stop at any moment in the game, and then pick right up, hours later, still at the very same point in the game. Hell, even if PSP's battery dies on you during gameplay, you can resume playing when you get a chance to charge it.

[@uknownada]

+Jet 27 To add to this, a generation before Peace Walker, some GBA games even provided both a "sleep mode" and a quick save, which will allow you to break off from the game almost instantly and not lose any progress, or any battery.

[@patdan10]

Wow, I didn't even know about that who epilogue thing. I'm gunna go do that.

[@kewltyler44]

You know, i feel like this game was VERY refreshing after the cutscene filled Mgs4. I feel it was the first mgs in the series to have LOADS of content and a pretty simple but good story as well. It makes me more excited from hearing that Mgsv will be open-world and have the mother-base features that this game has. I wouldn't be suprised if Hideo builds on it even more.

[@lennard07]

Good stuff, I've really enjoyed these reviews. I definitely riked it.

[@yutubeog]

Great review. I hope you will also do a review for Revengeance sometime in the future. Despite how unnecessary it was for Raiden to keep fighting, i think the game ended up very well done. The boss fights especially. And the final boss, while over-the-top, was definitely very enjoyable to play, enhanced by the music that plays in the background.