7 Ways Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes Is Better Than Phantom Pain

5. It's Just You And A Radio Companion In A Confined Map

D-Horse, D-Dog and Quiet were worthy allies to take onto the battlefield, but the very philosophy of Metal Gear has always been a solo operative against the odds, forced to play hide-and-seek; gathering weapons via OSP and relying on little else but your wits. How easy did it become for a companion to remove one too many enemies in The Phantom Pain before you'd even decided which fence you're going to hop over to lodge a knife between chin and chest of a soldier? With Ground Zeroes, the map layout promoted difficult choices and with no companions to assist, it was all on your shoulders. Might you be seen if you hide under that AA gun emplacement? Just when will that guard stop smoking and turn his back? And the tented area, it was tense and exciting as you crept in and out of enemy sight lines and spotlights. The gradual crawl towards the courtyard by the main base gates left you feeling exposed after a good twenty minutes of careful exploration and guarded movements. Contrastingly, the open world of The Phantom Pain made some escape situations and combat encounters too easy. Sadly, removing the borders also removed some of that challenge.