Hideo Kojima Comments on the Lowest-Rated Metal Gear Solid Game for Its 11th Anniversary

Legendary game creator Hideo Kojima has spoken out about the backlash that Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes received when it was first released.

Nearly 11 years after its launch, Kojima took to X to share his thoughts on the negativity surrounding the game at the time.

Originally, Ground Zeroes was meant to be part of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. However, due to the arrival of the PlayStation 4 and the limited number of games available at the time, Kojima and Konami decided to release Ground Zeroes as a standalone experience. Kojima explained, “The PS4 was released and there were only a few titles out, so just GZ was released ahead of the others.”

Although the game was praised for its visuals and gameplay—powered by the new Fox Engine—many players were disappointed by its short length. Some critics and fans accused Konami of selling what felt like a “demo” at a lower price, rather than offering a full game.

Reflecting on the criticism, Kojima stated, “Although the episodes were short, we threw in as many gameplay elements as possible. Although it is recognized now, 11 years later, there was online negativity at the time saying, ‘Selling a demo version at a low price?’ and it received the lowest rating in the MGS series.”

Over time, opinions on Ground Zeroes have improved. The game was eventually included in Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience, which bundled Ground Zeroes with The Phantom Pain to create a more complete package.

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