As with the previous mainline games of the series, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will be getting an official strategy guide. PiggyBack Interactive is going to launch two versions of the book, a standard release in addition to a collector’s edition. So are either of the two iterations worth buying? Let’s take a look at what’s included in both, along with other purchasing factors, before you can make up your own mind.
Pricing
The two books can be quite expensive with the Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: The Complete Official Guide Collector’s Edition costing more than the Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: The Complete Official Guide (you can find the current price for the collector’s edition with this link on Amazon and the standard iteration here). With that said, you will be getting plenty of content as the regular edition has 368 pages while the collector’s version comes with 400 pages.
What’s Included In Both Guides
The Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain strategy guide promises to help players achieve 100 percent completion in the game. This includes completing all of the main missions in addition to every side quest. The book should help you find all the collectibles and other secrets as well as unlocking every Achievement (for Xbox One and Xbox 360 gamers) and Trophy (for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 players).
If you haven’t heard already, the map in the upcoming game will be exponentially bigger when compared to the previous installments of the MGS series. Thankfully, Piggyback will be using a map-based walkthrough with plenty of high-resolution screenshots to help guide you, which should make it hard to ever get lost.
Of course, you can also expect to read about the various elements in the game, such as the Mother Base management. The book will provide diagrams, statistics and expert tips.
Extras
Both versions also come with a few extras as well. The bonuses include a recap of the story in addition to a poster showing off the massive scale of the game. Along with the above-mentioned coverage, you should end up getting the most bang out of your buck with the official guide.
Exclusive to the Collector’s Edition
If you opt for the Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: The Complete Official Guide Collector’s Edition, you will also get some exclusives not found in the standard release. Perhaps the most compelling of which is a lithograph featuring artwork from the legendary Yoji Shinkawa. The other exclusive content include a hardcover design as well as an art gallery. So, while it may be the most expensive option available, the collector’s edition is worth the purchase if you are a hardcore fan of the series.
About Piggyback
When you think about videogame guides, Piggyback may not immediately pop up in your mind. With that said, the company has been working with Konami and Kojima Productions through the years to create official strategy guides for the original Metal Gear Solid, Sons of Liberty, Snake Eater, Guns of the Patriots in addition to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
In the case of the Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain guide, Piggyback worked directly with the development team in Tokyo, Japan. They also made sure that the reader won’t be spoil with any important plot points while reading the guide.
Based on the quality of the previous MGS strategy guides, fans should be confident that the upcoming product will end up great as well.
Recap
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is easily the biggest game yet in the series. If you want to experience everything the sequel has to offer, the most efficient way to do so (especially at the game’s launch) is by purchasing the official guide. Collectors and/or fans of the series should check out the collector’s edition of the book for the extra content.
Both version are coming out on Sept. 1, the same day as the videogame on the PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360. You can preorder the Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: The Complete Official Guide Collector’s Edition with this link and the Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: The Complete Official Guide via this page.