Ground Zeroes a solid prologue

Snake returns for a brief appearance in a stripped down, bare knuckle prologue called Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. When the end credits began rolling after an insultingly short two hours, one mission into the game, I was ready to call it a day on the whole series.

But since the full-bodied version of the game, Metal Gear Solid V: the Phantom Pain, is slated to be released in early 2015, I'm actually glad I got a chance to experience the new direction and classic gameplay of this exquisitely intense, albeit brief, return to the Metal Gear series.

When I say stripped down, that's just what I mean. You won't find beautifully sculpted cut scenes that last a score of minutes, drawing you into mystery, intrigue and a plot for world domination.

You won't find epic boss fights in which you go one-on-one against a super-crazed former ally in a souped-up helicopter or weapon-of-tomorrow mech.

You won't find any lengthy exposition pieces that complete the shady back-story as to where Snake has been or where this game's plot fits in the Metal Gear timeline. All in all, this Metal Gear is for super fans, ones dying to don Snake's persona to tide them over until Phantom Pain is released.

It's half the price of a regular game but what you do get is good – very good. In fact, I haven't played a better version of Metal Gear since the first games on the original PlayStation.

Set months after MSG: Peace Walker (2011), in a mid-’70s fictional American base in Cuba, your job is to rescue two young prisoners: Paz and Chico. This is Metal Gear at its most simple, but also at its best. A simple mission in which the stakes are high and in which the danger is palpable.

Unlike previous games in which you navigate a mélange of limited, linear pathways and corners, you have the entire base open to you. The larger scale inherent to open gameplay has not detracted from the game's presentation.

Visually, this is the best Metal Gear we've seen. Rain and wind effects are stunning and interact viscerally with the impressive character design and textures. Cut scenes are the most beautifully crafted of the franchise, with impressive voice acting and direction. And true to the legacy of its forefathers, sound and music are equally captivating and enemy AI is keen, vicious, and deadly.

You might think there are plenty of shadows and places to hide, but raise an alarm and you'll soon experience just how exposed you are as the guards descend.

While there aren't scores of gadgets and weapon options – wave bye-bye to the radar and alert timer – there are enough to give you choice as to how to accomplish the rescue. The binoculars that allow you to tag and track enemies is a nice touch, as is the way the game slows down momentarily when an enemy spots you, allowing time to tranquilize him or pump his head with lead before he can raise the alarm.

But ultimately, the way the game shakes out is up to you. You'll have to choose wisely: be the lethal man doling out death from the shadows or be the silent rogue, slinking along the terrain as a master of stealth.

Once you're done the main mission, and get over the shock of seeing credits rolling so soon, there is a decent amount of replay value in the game, though all of it takes place on the same base. The side missions are often engaging, surprisingly, but they lack the heart-pounding context of the larger mission, trading the thrill of stealth for a louder, guns-a-blazing style of gameplay.

Best of all, the game never loses its roots. Through and through, from character design and enemy responses, to the ways you can explore levels and discover alternate routes, the game feels like a Metal Gear game. Even the addition of Kiefer Sutherland to voice Snake – who still has a bit too much of that nice-guy Doc from Young Guns to really capture Snake – keeps the game true to form.

While many will critique Ground Zeroes for its length, as I did initially, few can deny the tantalizing taste it gives and the excitement that ensues about what is in store when Phantom Pains is released. If Ground Zeroes is any sign, it'll be worth the wait.

When he’s not teaching high school, St. Albert Catholic High School alumnus Derek Mitchell can be found attached to a video game console.