Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is out in the wild, and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. However, it's increasingly looking like MGSV was supposed be even greater.
Following revelations about a hugely important story segment being cut, data miners on the PC version have discovered further content that failed to make it into the final product. Warning: Links contain spoilers.
Users in the Facepunch forum discovered not only a texture of The Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3, but they discovered an entire missing chapter.
MGSV: TPP contains two chapters, the latter of which is a wreck of unfinished plot points and re-used content. Facepunch found a title card that references a third chapter, tentatively titled "Peace".
The missing chapter likely comprises content referenced on the Collector's Edition Blu-ray. These elements would've served to explain plot points that directly bridge MGSV and MGS1. Sadly, they were cut from the game, reduced to concept art and unfinished scenes.
Regarding the texture, it's unlikely that The Boss herself was due to appear in MGSV, perhaps appearing as part of a flashback cut-scene instead.
The fact that an entire chapter is missing from MGSV comes as no surprise, as I discovered during my play-through. The content to story ratio of MGSV: TPP falls apart very abruptly towards the end of the game. I'll outline the problems in more detail for my full review, which should arrive shortly.
Cut content from video games is nothing revelatory. Deadlines and budgetary concerns will always shape a game's content, leading to planned features being dropped. MGSV is a special case, however, as you can almost pin-point the moment Kojima Productions began haphazardly rushing development to completion.
If the reports about Kojima Productions being disbanded turn out to be true, I suspect it'll be sooner rather than later we'll find out what truly happened to MGSV.
Source: Facepunch via GamingBolt
Check out the Xbox One digital version of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain at Xbox.com ($59.99)
