Metal Gear Solid 5 Was Released On This Day 8 Years Ago

Konami is leading a new resurgence for Metal Gear Solid in 2023 following the announcements of the Master Collection and a remake. This resurgence comes after the series practically ended with Metal Gear Solid 5 in 2015.

The last mainline entry in the series led by Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, has officially turned 8 today, marking nearly a decade since the iconic developer departed from the franchise.

Why it matters: Hideo Kojima was given the credit for many of the best parts of the franchise, and his departure marked the end of an era for the popular stealth action franchise.

8 years ago, "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" was released on September 1st, 2015.#MetalGearSolid #MGSVTPP pic.twitter.com/ldH414E4vR

— METAL GEAR OFFICIAL (@Metalgear) September 1, 2023

Metal Gear Solid 5 immediately made a strong impression due to its excellent gameplay.

This entry took the series into the open-world genre, and its impressive gameplay systems allowed players to freely explore and engage in combat like never before. This freedom was considered the best element of the game.

Intricate systems like a day and night cycle and dynamic weather added more depth to each stealth encounter, with all of these mechanics providing a stealth gameplay sandbox with nearly endless amounts of possibilities.

However, the game fell behind its predecessors in its narrative, which had always been a high point of Metal Gear Solid. Many have since wished for Hideo Kojima to return and potentially offer a more worthy conclusion to an iconic IP.

As stated earlier, Metal Gear Solid 5 marked the final entry of the IP led by Hideo Kojima. Following his separation from Konami in 2015, the developer began work on his new IP, Death Stranding.

Konami tried to continue the franchise with Metal Gear Survive in 2018, but the game turned out to be an unsuccessful spin-off.

While Metal Gear Solid 5 provided a bittersweet ending to the series due to the unfortunate circumstances between Hideo Kojima and Konami, it still has many impressive qualities nearly a decade later.

For those looking to revisit the game in preparation for the Metal Gear Solid resurgence soon, it can often be found on sale for modern consoles and PCs at a low price.