Released on PSP and later as part of the HD collections on last-gen consoles, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is an entry many may have missed. One of the most important and differentiating elements of that release was the use of the Fulton Recovery System (FRS). Using the FRS, Big Boss could airlift knocked out soldiers back to his base, recruiting them to his cause. It gave new incentive to taking out soldiers without killing them, and added the joy of collection to an already solid actionstealth game. Along with demonstrating many of the gameplay elements established in Ground Zeroes in a new environment, The Phantom Pain's showing at E3 detailed how integral the return of the FRS is to the game.
The segment shown appeared to be the game's opening mission. Ocelot escorts Big Boss on horseback through a sandstorm to a heavily guarded base where he is tasked with recovering intel that will ultimately lead them to an imprisoned Miller. Big Boss is having trouble with his new robotic arm – a casualty of the events of Ground Zeroes. He struggles to reach for and drink from a pouch of water, and Ocelot asks, “Getting used to it?” Big Boss dives right in after a short briefing, knocking out the first enemies he encounters, quickly getting to work adding more soldiers to his cause using the FRS.
The big change to the FRS from Peace Walker is now you can airlift almost anything out of the battlefield to Mother Base – an area you can now visit, explore, and expand. Big Boss transfers every soldier he encounters to Mother Base, but he also airlifts gigantic supply containers, vehicles, and livestock. It's unclear how the latter will help Mother Base, but after coming across a sheep in the wild, Big Boss knocks it out with a tranquilizer dart and airlifts it into the sky as it bleats in surprise.
As Big Boss moves closer into the heart of the base, Konami shows off a collection of new mechanics. He calls in an airdrop of ammo, setting it to land on top of a patrolling soldier, effectively knocking him out. He calls in a supply drop for a single cardboard box – a Metal Gear Solid staple – and shows how he can now jump out of it like a jack in the box to surprise enemies. While waiting for the guards to change shifts, Big Boss pulls out an electronic cigar and the world begins fast forwarding around him. The weather changes dynamically as it begins to rain and another sandstorm picks up, affording Big Boss the perfect opportunity to sneak in undetected.
Once inside, Big Boss begins taking pictures of the intel he needs, and relocates a prisoner outside to be airlifted back to base. Much in the same way Big Boss completes the level in Ground Zeroes, he calls in a helicopter lift at a pre-determined location on the outskirts of the base, meets it, and escapes mostly unscathed.
If our demo is any indication, Ground Zeroes barely laid the groundwork for The Phantom Pain. It gave us a chance to acclimate to the new controls and get a setup for the story, but it is just an appetizer for the full meal. Big Boss' arsenal of tricks seems hugely expanded for the follow-up, and with the help of the FSR and the constantly expanding Mother Base, it looks like The Phantom Pain offers a world you could comfortably live in, as opposed to the brief visit we made in Ground Zeroes.
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Style: 1-Player Action
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Kojima Productions
Release: 2015
