20 Things You Didn't Know About Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
6. Rations & The Codec Were Cut During Development
Many fans were disappointed at just how much of a departure MGS V was from the prior games, toning down or outright ditching many of the series' more eccentric elements.
For instance, Kojima decided to cut the health-restoring rations and replace them with a regenerating health mechanic which proved particularly divisive, while the expected codec screen was ditched in favour of a more conventional radio.
But dummied content reveals the presence of a more typical codec in the game, bearing a fair similarity to the one from the spin-off Peace Walker, yet which was cut before release.
In fact, it's a miracle that the series' signature exclamation mark made it into the final game at all, because Kojima heavily considered removing it and focusing instead on realistic reactions from the A.I. enemies. In the end, however, he was convinced that this was one drastic step too far.