I've played through Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes . I quite like it, and I want to tell you all about it, but this isn't a review -- look for that on IGN very soon. So, I'm putting the ball in your court.

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Literally Everyone asks: How long is Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes?

James176 asks: Will it import to The Phantom Pain when you complete Ground Zeroes?

VirtuaMurphy asks: Does it feel like a complete thing? Why shouldn't I just wait for The Phantom Pain?

MyCanadianLife asks: How much of the game can be played stealthily? Is there a particular focus?

AlexaRayC asks: What is the best angle to observe Snake jiggle?

GhostSix: Have they talked about cross-platform? If I play Ground Zeroes on 360 or PS3, and then play Phantom Pain on the new consoles, can I transfer the save?

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AahilD: I've never played an MGS game and I'd like to start with this. Should I play other games first or can I jump right into Ground Zeroes?

Nighthawk441: But how's CQC?

Lec-HERO-us: This Metal Gear seems a bit darker, was there still a bit of humor left in the game? Like radio/codec calls or posters on the walls?

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Hrd2xplain: I read an article recently that Snake leaves footprints in the mud that can be seen by the enemy. Can you confirm this?

BumGravy: Does the cardboard box make a return?

theancientg1: How does the regenerative health system work?

freaks_of_nature: Are there boss battles like in Peace Walker, like walking AI tanks and stuff?

What do you want to know? Ask me anything. (No spoilers.)I put out the call ahead of time and got some great questions. I'll be reading the comments here on IGN and adding more Q&A to this article, so come back often to learn more about the MGS5 experience, and see if what you're asking ends up on IGN. Let's start with the obvious.Yes, Ground Zeroes is as short as you’ve heard. Two hours, tops -- but that’s for the main mission, “Ground Zeroes,” which leads into The Phantom Pain.When completed, you unlock four “Side Ops,” which feel like straight-up Peace Walker 2 missions. All take place in the same Cuban base camp you’ve seen, but they each play pretty differently from another. Entry points (and methods) are different, vehicle locations are different, enemy patterns are different. Some take place in daylight. Some force you to be loud, or have fail states if you aren’t quick enough to complete your mission.I played Ground Zeroes for eight hours. I finished each mission at least twice, and spent some extra time speed-running, trying to get my completion times under 20 minutes. I also hunted down all the secret patches, which unlock an additional, platform-specific mission.I will do all of this again, quite happily, when Ground Zeroes releases at retail.Yes, POWs, Mother Base bonuses, and more statistical things will carry over. You’ll also get downloadable content bonuses of some kind that benefit you when Phantom Pain releases. The Phantom Pain will definitely know you’ve played Ground Zeroes. Plus, if you play on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, your save data will transfer to Xbox One and PS4, respectively."]Yes, but the way I’m going to explain this isn’t going to be terribly convincing.Playing Ground Zeroes reminded me of discovering Metal Gear Solid for the first time in 1998. The original demo took Snake through Shadow Moses’ opening area right up to the death of the DARPA Chief. That was a solid chunk of game with memorable characters, memorable objectives, memorable moments, all in a memorable space.Ground Zeroes replicates that feeling for me. Mechanically, this is the best Metal Gear Solid has ever been, and it’s a gorgeous game on PS4 and Xbox One, so it feels new, or at least unlike most Metal Gear games.I’m also reminded of the Tanker chapter from MGS2 in that regard -- a big, cool chapter that introduces you to the big picture. But the Tanker didn’t cost $30. Neither did the demo for the original. This, presumably, makes the Metal Gear Solid 5 experience a $100 investment, after you buy a retail box when The Phantom Pain releases.To make an awful food analogy, Ground Zeroes really is an appetizer, something to get you started and hold you over until your main course arrives. Appetizers cost money, too. I can’t think of a $40 one, granted, but I also won’t spend 10-15 hours eating one, either.This food thing really got away from me.Point being, Ground Zeroes has a beginning and end, a bunch of extra content, and a lot of fun surprises and secrets. It feels like a game. A small game, but a good one. Whether that’s worth your time or money can be better determined when IGN’s review goes live later this month.Ground Zeroes has a side mission where your objective is to blow up anti-aircraft guns and get out of dodge in about five minutes. Another has you firing bullets and rockets from a helicopter to protect an ally. I don’t know how you’d do those quietly, but Ground Zeroes is primarily a stealth game. It just has options -- and the odd bit of encouragement -- for the aggressive types. If you’re good enough, you can play through the entirety of the Ground Zeroes mission, along with a bunch of Side Ops, without anyone knowing you’re there.When you hold the crouch button, Snake no longer somersaults -- he flops onto the ground and slithers into a crawl as the camera zooms in right over his butt. You’re welcome.Yes. Your save will go between Xbox platforms and PlayStation platforms if you decide to make the jump.Ground Zeroes is absolutely a Peace Walker sequel. It would be to your benefit to at least read a story summary. Ground Zeroes has many returning characters and references to Big Boss' past, too. It expects you to really know Metal Gear, and it's pretty unforgiving if you don't. I've played all of 'em, and read the summary included within the game, and was still sort of lost, wishing stuff was clearer.Simplified, but great. Depending on where you attack a dude, and your alert status, you'll do different things. Sneaky chokes, heavy slams, that sort of thing. Ultimately, your end game is to grab a guy and immediately knock him out, or hold your close-quarters combat button to bring up more options -- KO, kill, and interrogate. Interrogations reveal weapon, audiolog, and enemy locations. You can also force an enemy to call over nearby guards so you can combo your CQC attacks.Ground Zeroes has a little bit of a funny bone in the main mission, but it really is the first time I'd say Metal Gear has "grown up." Kojima deals with some...disturbing stuff, particularly toward the end of the main mission, and any lighthearted silliness would completely compromise its tone. However, there is a mission entirely dedicated to comedy. I am not allowed to say more, and I don't want to -- it's a lovely, fun surprise to discover.You'll also see a bathroom callback in another mission, with bits and pieces of witty dialogue throughout. But I wouldn't label this on the same level as MGS2 in terms of weird and goofy.I didn't notice this. I only ever got caught because I was too aggressive, never because I was sloppy about covering my tracks or wasn't watching my back. Sneakier folks will probably be able to better see the effect of this -- but given that footprints are a classic means of getting busted, this makes perfect sense.Nobody I spoke with who played Ground Zeroes found a cardboard box. So, no, as far as I know. Heresy! But it makes sense -- the environment is your cardboard box. Grass, darkness, and dense clutter act as different points of cover and concealment. Lying in grass, ducking into a tent, and avoiding light are organic ways to stay out of sight.You'll recover some health naturally, and it takes a while, but bad wounds will keep your health down if you don't use the new first-aid spray to recover. It's a very limited resource, too, so you'll have to be careful.No boss battles, no Metal Gears, but you will have a few opportunities to blow stuff up, use rockets, and feel extremely powerful. I think Kojima is saving that sort of stuff for The Phantom Pain.

Mitch Dyer is an associate editor at IGN. He's trying to read 50 books in 2014. These are the 50 . Talk to Mitch about books and other stuff on Twitter at @MitchyD