Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes was conceived by Hideo Kojima as an experiment for an episodic structure. It was a prequel to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, released in 2015.
At the ninth anniversary of the game’s release, Kojima spoke on the game’s development. “It was in reality my plan to establish GZ. A whole game takes four to five years to produce. Times alter throughout manufacturing,” Kojima tweeted (below). “Thus, I considered creating an episodic model, similar to a streaming drama in which each episode is produced and delivered separately. GZ was conceived as an experiment.”
In addition, he clarified that the Metal Gear Solid V prologue served as an introduction to Snake’s revenge in The Phantom Pain’s plot and the game’s idea of retribution. Kojima stated that since the PlayStation 4 was released at the end of 2013, the game was released with the console, the game’s Fox Engine, and an open-world concept to introduce the franchise’s new direction with the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and collect feedback from Ground Zeroes before The Phantom Pain’s release.
After 2018’s Metal Gear Survive, which Kojima was not involved in because he departed the company in 2015, the Metal Gear Solid franchise has been put on pause. Yet, there are suspicions that the franchise may return in some form, since Konami is apparently rebuilding Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
In the Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes review on IGN, we stated, “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a short but tough game, and those prepared to throw aside conventional assumptions will discover much more than at first look.”