Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is guaranteed to be the overall game of the year, according to Konami's Jon Edwards. In a new interview, Edwards, a marketing exec, talks about why he thinks the open-world stealth-action game is going to be the game to beat this year during awards season.

　　"Basically, it is the most engrossing and stunning game of the year," Edwards told MCV.

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　　Will Newcomers Enjoy Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain?

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　　He went on to specifically call out the open-ended nature of the game as being one of its key selling points. This creates "watercooler" moments on a level that few games can, he claimed.

　　"Anyone who has spent any amount of time with it has been blown away by its depth, scope, and ambition. It is one of those games where people go: 'I wonder if I can do this?' and they inevitably can," he added. "Many games claim to be sandbox, open-world affairs, but Metal Gear Solid V does offer incredible freedom. Yes, there are missions, but it is truly up to you how they are tackled. When we have shown it to the press, the interesting thing is that they don't discuss just the missions or what they played, but how they did it. You get people swapping different stories, and discussing how they beat certain elements."

　　Edwards added that with every new Metal Gear Solid title, creator Hideo Kojima "moves closer" to building a game that can match the scope and detail he imagines. The Phantom Pain is the culmination of this effort.

　　"The Phantom Pain sees ideas formed in the PSP title Peace Walker come to fruition, as [the player's HQ] Mother Base is not only explored, but shown--and used to add a tactical bent to the game," Edwards said. "While the open-world idea first hinted at in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and then Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is finally realized, with the game worlds boasting huge scale but incredible detail, too.

　　"It's the game of the year--guaranteed."

　　Also in the interview, Edwards was asked about the future of the Metal Gear Solid series--whether Kojima is involved or not. "Metal Gear Solid is a key Konami franchise," he responded. "The company has already committed to future iterations, which we look forward to."

　　Earlier this year, Konami announced that it had started development on a new Metal Gear Solid game and was actively recruiting for the project. Meanwhile, Kojima is expected to exit Konami sometime after The Phantom Pain ships on September 1.

　　For more on The Phantom Pain, check out GameSpot's 10/10 review and what other critics are saying.