The Phantom Pain was critically acclaimed upon release, with its gameplay drawing praise for its variety of mechanics and interconnected systems, which allow a high degree of player freedom in approaching objectives. While the story was acknowledged for its emotional power and exploration of mature themes, its writing and focus were criticized as lacking for a Metal Gear title, with further scrutiny over the story's second half and ending that left several plot points unresolved; this was linked to conclusive evidence of removed content, which led some to suggest that the game was released unfinished. Despite this, The Phantom Pain received perfect review scores from several publications and was described by some critics as one of the greatest stealth games of all time. A complete edition that bundles The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes together, titled Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience, was released in October 2016.
