6. You're Never Far From Danger With Enemies Everywhere
Given that youre on a self-contained island, theres no real chance of a quick escape. With Ground Zeroes its not just a case of getting off one particular screen and crossing through a loading zone to escape anymore. You are likely to die in firefights if you arent extremely careful about where youre going, whos patrolling there and whether or not youre bothering to hide the bodies youve been tranquillising or stacking up post-headshot. This strange oxymoronic feeling of open claustrophobia means that when your thinking is clouded with adrenaline, you know theres no definite escape, no definite place to hide. At some point youll have to confront your pursuers and risk death in the process. Yes, the tranquilliser gun makes it easier to sneak around and enjoy the silence, and yes, the time-slowing focus/reaction attack Boss has allows for an easy get-out, but when the poop hits the fan, soldiers surround you and take you down rapidly especially on harder difficulty settings. Where The Phantom Pain didnt do so well here was in having open levels with bases punctuating the landscape. The wide valleys and plains allowed you simply to run off into a convenient sandstorm or dart up a mountainside on horseback to hide behind a rather large outcropping of rocks and wait it out.