Now, this game had the potential to set the stage for an epic experience with "Phantom Pain." But here's the kicker – it falls short, real short.

Sure, the gameplay is tight, the graphics are top-notch, and sneaking around like a ninja in the dead of night is as thrilling as ever. But let's address the elephant in the room – this game is shorter than my attention span during a boring lecture.

I mean, seriously, you can blast through the main mission in less time than it takes to brew a pot of coffee. And don't even get me started on the price tag. Paying full price for what essentially amounts to a glorified demo? No thanks, Konami.

Now, don't get me wrong, there's some cool stuff here. The open-world design gives you plenty of freedom to approach objectives however you see fit, and the stealth mechanics are as polished as Snake's boots. But at the end of the day, it just leaves you craving more – and not in a good way.

So yeah, "Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes" might whet your appetite for the main course that is "Phantom Pain," but it's hard to shake the feeling that you've been shortchanged. Here's hoping the next installment makes up for this misstep.