“Metal Gear Solid 5” is not only the last “Metal Gear” game to be made by series creator Hideo Kojima, it may also be his finest work to date.

For over 20 years, the “Metal Gear” franchise has been a blockbuster series that  garners more and more attention with each release. While the story has been rightfully called convoluted and cliché, the overarching experience is one that is well worth investing time into.

For those unfamiliar with the story, jumping in on the fifth installment is guaranteed to be confusing at first, but the game does a decent job of putting even the newcomer at ease.

The player controls Snake – regarded by the in-game world as the greatest soldier to ever live – nine years after the events of “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes,” which was released in 2014. Revenge and the lingering pain left from his experiences are principal themes in the game.

Kojima isn’t afraid to be an artist with video games; his departure from Konami, the “Metal Gear” publishing company, came during the closing months of the game’s development, but his touch is apparent to anyone familiar with his previous games. The player is forced to confront the long term effects of war, PTSD, use of child soldiers, and the power of race and language.

One of the most impressive things about “Metal Gear Solid 5” is its depth. The main story plot is long on its own, but with the addition of side-quests a player can easily lose over 100 hours to the game.

That being said, I still left the game feeling dissatisfied with the story. How much of this is due to the falling out between Kojima and Konami, we can never be sure.

While Kojima has been silent regarding his dispute with Konami, there are obvious consequences of this throughout the game — such as entire story arcs being left behind and an ending that seems rushed.

To be clear, the ending is still fantastic. It leaves the player with a lasting impression, begging them to start over from the beginning and decipher everything in the new context brought about by the game’s big twist; it just doesn’t seem to be a true ending.

Kojima is known for creative, over-the-top and secretive things in his games, so it’s possible that several months from now, new cutscenes and missions could spontaneously appear. I for one hope so, because I cannot get enough of this game.